Vegan Chocolate Cake
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This vegan chocolate cake recipe features a moist, fluffy cake with dark chocolate flavor, all beneath a thick and creamy chocolate frosting. It’s easy to make, uses pantry staples, and no one would guess it’s vegan.
Everyone needs a staple cake in their repertoire. Yes, even those who follow a vegan diet. If you’re looking for a foolproof chocolate cake recipe that satisfies the vegans in your family but doesn’t taste like anything’s missing, my recipe is exactly what you’re looking for.
I tested this recipe over thirty times to make sure it tasted like any chocolate cake would- rich, moist, and full of chocolate flavor. Because I don’t personally follow a vegan diet, I also made sure that the cake didn’t need any niche ingredients or substitutes. Best of all, it comes together in around 30 minutes.
Why I love this vegan chocolate cake recipe
- Made in one bowl. We’ve got cake-making down to a science!
- Simple ingredients. No flax eggs, no vegan butter, and no niche or hard-to-find substitutions.
- Bakes in under 30 minutes. Then, once it’s cool, just frost, slice, and serve.
- The perfect flavor and texture. Trust me, even the vegan skeptics in your group will find it hard to believe there’s no dairy or eggs in this cake.
Key Ingredients
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
- All-purpose flour. Be sure to sift the flour very well, to ensure there are no clumps throughout.
- Sugar. Use raw white sugar, which is the best sugar to use on a vegan diet. White or brown sugar can often be made using bone marrow, so use the purest forms.
- Cocoa powder. Dutch processed and 100% unsweetened cocoa powder. For a richer flavor, I sometimes use dark or black cocoa powder.
- Baking soda and apple cider vinegar. Gives some rise to the cake and also reacts together to provide structure to the cake (what eggs would typically do).
- Salt. Balances out all the sweet ingredients.
- Vanilla extract. A must for any delicious cake!
- Vegetable oil. Or any neutral-flavored oil. Keeps the cake moist and fluffy in the middle. Please don’t waste your money on expensive vegan butter. I tested one using it and it made no difference (except to my wallet!).
- Water. To mix everything. You can also use plant-based milk if you prefer.
- Vegan chocolate frosting. What is a vegan cake without some of my dairy free frosting? You can also use a store-bought frosting. Fun fact- Betty Crocker frosting is accidentally vegan!
How to make vegan chocolate cake
Step 1- Mix the dry. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
Step 2- Make the cake batter. Add the wet ingredients and whisk until a smooth batter remains.
Step 3- Bake. Pour the batter into the lined pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out just clean.
Step 4- Frost. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, frost the cake.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“I’ve made this cake several times, and we love it. I highly recommend trying it.” – Morgan
Arman’s recipe tips
- Want a double or triple-layer cake? As pictured, I made a double-layer cake by doubling all the ingredients and baking them in two cake pans. If you want a triple-layer cake (like in the recipe video), triple the ingredients (you can use the toggle in the recipe card to increase the amounts quickly!).
- Don’t overbake the cake. The cake continues to bake while it is cooling in the pan, so remove it from the oven as soon as a toothpick inserted is ‘just’ clean.
- Let the cake cool completely before frosting. Otherwise, it’ll slip right off the cake.
- Add more chocolate flavor. Swap two tablespoons of water for freshly brewed coffee or a shot of espresso. No one will be able to taste the coffee, but it’ll enhance the chocolate flavor (a neat tip I picked up in culinary school).
Storage instructions
To store: Leftover cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the fridge for up to two weeks.
To freeze: Place leftover cake slices in a shallow container and freeze for up to 6 months.
Frequently asked questions
You can, but I’d be careful with how you go about it. I tested replacing the oil with equal parts unsweetened applesauce and mashed banana, and the applesauce yielded a rich and moist cake. I don’t recommend the banana because it made the cake gummy, which is often what happens when you bake without some form of oil or butter.
Yes, you can. To make this cake suitable for celiacs, swap out the all-purpose flour for a gluten-free blend that has added xanthan gum. This is super important because the gum gives the cake its structure. If you use a gluten-free flour without it, the cake batter will be like cement. Trust me on that!
More vegan cake recipes
- Vegan strawberry cake
- Vegan ice cream cake
- Vegan German chocolate cake
- Snickers cake
- Vegan birthday cake
- Vegan lemon cake
- Vegan black forest cake
If you tried this Vegan Chocolate Cake recipe, please leave a star rating and comment. It helps others thinking of making this.
Vegan Chocolate Cake
Video
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour use gluten-free, if needed
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoon vegetable oil * See notes
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup chocolate frosting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line an 8-inch springform pan or cake pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda, and mix well. Add the vanilla extract, oil, apple cider vinegar, and water, and mix until a smooth batter remains.
- Transfer to the lined pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out just clean.
- Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, frost the cake.
Unbelievable. I make with brown sugar. Just so moist and chocolatey
Thanks, Sally!
The best recipe I’ve ever tried. Thank you!!
Delicious and moist!! Thank you for sharing this recipe TBMW.
Amazing! I just did it today for Christmas and what should I say? Exactly like a chocolate cake has to taste! I did it with the chocolate frosting which is linked in the recipe as well and it couldn’t taste any better and so so easy! Thank you for such great recipes!
I absolutely love this cake. It is SO easy to make, and it tastes superior. It’s very fluffy (if you make it correctly) and the fact that that is dairy free is just- wow.
This cake is The BOMB and is so easy to make and has no crazy ingredients. I didn’t have the right pan so baked in 9inch for 30 min and used only 1 cup of chocolate chips for frosting. Was too lazy to ice it so scooped it on top of my cake. It was delicious. Thank you. Million stars ⭐️
Amazing recipe!!! I made this cake for my daughter’s birthday last year and I’m coming back to it again because the cake was so delicious!!
Can I substitute flour for someone with a wheat allergy?
I haven’t had chocolate cake in almost 11 years. Among other things, I am allergic to wheat and eggs so making a decent tasting cake is hard to accomplish. I used Bob’s Red Mill gluten free flour and (almost) followed your recipe precisely, my only changes were using white vinegar rather than apple cider vinegar and using warm black coffee instead of water. Also, since I have no dairy allergy, I made a traditional chocolate buttercream.
The cake is beautiful, dark and chocolatey and tender with a nice rise. It holds its shape when sliced.
Thanks for a great recipe.
That was so delicious and I don’t generally like chocolate cakes.
Thanks, Kelly!
Looks so tasty.
It is vegan because of gluten free flour?
This cake is beyond great. Both my kids are allergic to eggs and milk and this has been my been my go to to cake for everything and where ever I take it they love it. Very easy to bake simple ingredients you have in ur kitchen and tasted like heaven.
Excellent recipe. I substituted Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF flour and it turned out great. I also used white vinegar rather than cider. Since I don’t have an issue with dairy, I made a conventional chocolate buttercream. The cake was outstanding.
Made this cake tonight. Not because I am vegan, but because he wanted chocolate cake and I had no eggs or milk. This was phenomenal. I used coconut oil instead of vege oil. So good.
The Vegan Chocolate Cake sounds easy to make! Where can I find the vegan frosting recipe? Thanks in advance!
I’ve made this cake several times and we love it. I highly recommend trying it.
needing to make for someone with milk allergies,, was a little reluctant since the easy vanilla cake seemed doughy and didn’t care for, but this is close to the best chocolate cake ever made! I did dissolve 1 1/2 heaping teaspoon instant expresso in water and used avocado oil! With the Dairy Free Frosting (1/2 recipe for 12 cupcakes)