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    You are here: Home / Dessert / The Ultimate Vegan Chocolate Cake

    LAST UPDATED: April 26, 2022 • FIRST PUBLISHED: December 21, 2021

    The Ultimate Vegan Chocolate Cake

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Slice of Vegan Chocolate Cake with Text Overlay Reading "Vegan Chocolate Cake"

    Rich, decadent, and totally egg and dairy-free! This vegan chocolate cake is made with two layers of deliciousness slathered and stuffed with luscious vegan chocolate buttercream frosting. It'll knock your socks off!

    Slice of Vegan Chocolate Cake on its Side on a Plate with Cake Dish in the Background

    Dessert is my favorite meal. Admit it: it's yours too! Even if I don't have it every day, dessert totally counts as a meal. And chocolate cake has been my lifelong favorite dessert. So you better believe that when the time came for me to create a killer vegan chocolate cake recipe, I took the task VERY SERIOUSLY.

    I crushed it.

    I could eat this dairy-free chocolate cake for breakfast, lunch, dinner AND dessert. It's that good!

    Not only that, but the recipe is super simple! You don't need any weird ingredients and this vegan cake doesn't even contain an egg substitute (sometimes you don't need one! Check out my guide to learn all about that). It makes a perfect vegan birthday cake or an impressive dessert for special occasions. Nobody needs to know how easy it was!

    Everyone I've served this vegan chocolate cake to has commented on how rich and chocolaty it is. You'd seriously never guess it was vegan.

    Let's talk about how it's made!

    Jump to:
    • What You'll Need
    • How to Make Vegan Chocolate Cake
    • Variation: Vegan Chocolate Sheet Cake
    • Shelf Life & Storage
    • Pro-Tips
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • More Vegan Cake Recipes
    • The Ultimate Vegan Chocolate Cake

    What You'll Need

    Vegan Chocolate Cake with a Large Wedge Cut Out
    • Non dairy milk. You can use just about anything that's unsweetened and unflavored. Soy milk, almond milk, and cashew milk are all good choices.
    • Coconut oil. Or use your favorite oil for baking — canola oil, vegetable oil, or corn oil all work.
    • Vanilla extract.
    • White vinegar. Apple cider vinegar or lemon juice can be substituted if you'd like.
    • Flour. The recipe calls for all-purpose wheat flour, and that's the only thing I've tested it with. Use another variety at your own risk!
    • Granulated sugar. Use organic sugar to keep the recipe vegan.
    • Cocoa powder. Make sure it's unsweetened.
    • Baking powder.
    • Baking soda.
    • Salt.
    • Frosting. I like this recipe with my vegan chocolate buttercream frosting. You could also use my vegan vanilla buttercream frosting. You'll need about 4 to 5 cups of frosting (about 1 full batch if you use either of my frosting recipes).

    How to Make Vegan Chocolate Cake

    The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this cake. Scroll down if you'd prefer to skip right to the recipe!

    Make the Cake

    1. Mix your liquid ingredients in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup: milk, oil, vanilla, and vinegar. Tip: Warm your milk up to room temperature if it's been in the fridge — this will prevent the coconut oil from solidifying.
    2. Stir your dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
    3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture and beat everything together with an electric hand mixer (or a stand mixer, if that's how you roll) for about 2 minutes.
    4. Divide the batter among two oiled and parchment paper-lined 9-inch round cake pans. Tip: If you have a food scale, weigh the batter as you add it. This will ensure that your layers come out even.
    Collage Showing Steps for Making Vegan Chocolate Cake: Mix Liquid Ingredients, Mix Dry Ingredients, Beat with Mixer and Place Batter in Cake Pans

    Pop your layers in the oven to bake. Make your frosting in the meantime.

    Frost and Fill the Cake

    1. Invert one of your cooled vegan cake layers onto a dish, then peel off the parchment paper. Tip: Line the dish with a couple of strips of parchment paper, placed so that they sit just under the edges of the cake. This prevents you from getting frosting on the plate. You can remove them after you're done frosting the cake.
    2. Spread a generous layer of frosting over the top of the layer.
    3. Now invert the second layer over the first, peel the parchment, and spread frosting over the top.
    4. Spread frosting around the sides of the cake.
    Collage Showing Steps for Frosting a Vegan Chocolate Cake: Invert First Layer on Dish, Top with Frosting, Top with Second Layer and Additional Frosting, and Frost Sides

    Tip: If you have time, do a crumb coat. This basically means starting the process of frosting the outside with a thin layer to smooth out the imperfections and trap crumbs. Chill the cake for a bit to set that layer of frosting, then apply a second, thicker layer of frosting over the crumb coat.

    Variation: Vegan Chocolate Sheet Cake

    Hand Using a Spatula to Frost a Vegan Chocolate Sheet Cake.

    Prefer to make a sheet cake? No problem! Just pour all of your batter into a 9 x 13 inch pan that's been lined with parchment paper and lightly oiled. Bake the vegan chocolate cake for 25 to 27 minutes at 350°F, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

    You'll only need about 3 cups of frosting for a sheet cake (about ⅔ of a batch if you use one of my recipes — you can freeze the leftovers for later!).

    Shelf Life & Storage

    Seal up any leftover vegan chocolate cake and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

    Pro-Tips

    • Be sure you let your vegan chocolate cake cool completely before frosting it. Rushing this can result in your frosting turning runny and sad. Cakes can take up to 3 hours at room temperature. If you want to speed up the process, try sticking it in the fridge after the first few minutes (even better — on a cooling rack in the fridge if you've got room!). This can cut the cooling time in half.
    • Vegan chocolate cake is a bit more delicate than traditional chocolate cake, because it's egg-free. Be mindful of this when cutting it. I prefer a large, non-serrated knife for cutting, and I find that a chilled cake cuts easier (and goes great with a cold glass of almond milk!)
    • Make sure to measure your ingredients properly. Use liquid measuring cups for the milk and oil, and dry measuring cups for the flour and sugar. Absolutely make sure not to pack flour into the measuring cup (which will result in you using too much flour). If in doubt, check out this guide on how to measure flour correctly.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can this cake be made gluten-free?

    I'm not sure! I haven't tested a gluten-free version of the recipe, but I have had luck with similar cake recipes using Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour.

    My cake didn't rise. What happened?

    Most of the time this is due to old baking soda and/or powder. To test your baking soda, sprinkle a bit in a glass of vinegar. To test your baking powder, sprinkle some in a glass of water. In either case, it should fizz. If it doesn't, time to toss and replace it!

    Why does the sugar need to be organic?

    In the U.S., most sugar is processed using animal bone char, so it's not vegan. Organic sugar is processed differently, without animal bones.

    Can I make this into cupcakes?

    I'm sure you can with modifications, but I haven't tested it so I can't give you exact instructions. Instead, I recommend following my vegan chocolate cupcakes recipe.

    Can I taste-test raw vegan chocolate cake batter?

    Unfortunately, no. Raw flour can contain contaminants that can only be destroyed by cooking, so you'll need to hang in there and wait for your finished cake before taste-testing!

    Close Up of a Slice of Vegan Chocolate Cake Standing Upright on a Plate

    More Vegan Cake Recipes

    • Vegan Carrot Cake
    • Vegan Pineapple Upside Down Cake
    • Vegan Spice Cake
    • Vegan Red Velvet Cake
    • Cinnamon Swirl Vegan Coffee Cake

    Like this recipe? If so, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter. And please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you make it!

    Slice of Vegan Chocolate Cake on a plate
    4.86 from 7 votes
    Print

    The Ultimate Vegan Chocolate Cake

    Rich, decadent, and totally egg and dairy-free! This vegan chocolate cake is made with two layers of deliciousness slathered and stuffed with luscious vegan chocolate buttercream frosting. It'll knock your socks off!

    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 25 minutes
    Total Time 40 minutes
    Servings 12
    Calories 292 kcal
    Author Alissa Saenz

    Ingredients

    • 1 ½ cups unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk, room temperature
    • ⅔ cup coconut oil, melted
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon white vinegar
    • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 ½ cups organic granulated sugar
    • ¾ cup cocoa powder
    • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
    • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
    • ¾ teaspoon salt
    • Vegan Chocolate Buttercream frosting (or your favorite frosting)
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

    2. Lightly oil and line the bottoms of two round 9-inch cake pans* with parchment paper.

    3. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, stir together the milk, coconut oil, vanilla, and vinegar.

    4. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

    5. Use a spoon to make a well in the center of the flour mixture, then pour the milk mixture into the well.

    6. Beat the ingredients together using an electric mixer at high-speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat until the ingredients are completely mixed, about 2 minutes.

    7. Divide the batter among the two prepared cake pans.

    8. Bake for about 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of each layer comes out clean.

    9. Remove the cake pans from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack. Allow the cakes to cool completely.

    10. To frost the cake, invert one of the layers onto a plate, then peel off the parchment paper.

    11. Smooth a layer of frosting over the top of the cake.

    12. Invert the second layer over the first layer and remove the parchment paper.

    13. Slather a layer of frosting over the second cake layer.

    14. Cover the sides of the cake with another thin layer of frosting.

    15. Cut the cake and serve immediately or chill for later. 

    Recipe Notes

    Nutrition information does not include frosting. Why? Because it depends on what kind of frosting you use and how much. If you use my chocolate frosting, you can add the correct nutrition info for the amount of it you use.

    *If you prefer to make a vegan sheet cake, use a single 9 x 13 inch rectangular pan instead. Line the bottom with parchment paper and lightly oil both the pan and paper. Bake the cake for 25 to 27 minutes at 350°F.

    Nutrition Facts
    The Ultimate Vegan Chocolate Cake
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 292 Calories from Fat 120
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 13.3g20%
    Saturated Fat 10.9g55%
    Sodium 328mg14%
    Potassium 227mg6%
    Carbohydrates 44.3g15%
    Fiber 2.2g9%
    Sugar 25.2g28%
    Protein 3.3g7%
    Calcium 70mg7%
    Iron 2mg11%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    « Jam-Filled Vegan Thumbprint Cookies
    Fluffy Vegan Pancakes »

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    About Alissa Saenz

    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors! You can read more about me here.

    I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. jenna says

      April 10, 2019 at 4:49 pm

      Who DOESN'T eat plain ol' frosting, is what I want to know. Hopefully not anyone I've let into my house :)

      Reply
    2. jenna says

      April 10, 2019 at 4:51 pm

      But more importantly, could one reasonably sub a neutral flavored oil for the coconut oil? (As I want chocolate cake now and happen to be all out of coconut oil...)

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        April 13, 2019 at 3:11 pm

        Yup! Coconut oil is my preferred oil for baking lately, so that's what I went with for this recipe, but you should be fine using any neutral oil. :)

        Reply
        • D.J. says

          July 25, 2021 at 8:50 am

          A review of the use of coconut oil should be reviewed, since both palm and coconut oil are horrible Choice’s if you are a cardiac patient, following a plant based lifestyle.

          Reply
          • Alissa Saenz says

            July 25, 2021 at 10:43 am

            Thanks for your feedback! This isn't meant to be a healthy recipe. It's an indulgent chocolate cake that's free of animal products. There are lots of healthy and plant-based chocolate cake recipes out there though (Chocolate Covered Katie and Feasting on Fruit are both great blogs for that kind of thing!). Having said that, you're totally welcome to substitute your favorite baking oil in this cake.

            Reply
    3. Nicole says

      April 10, 2019 at 4:59 pm

      Can you use a different oil besides coconut oil if you are avoiding saturated fat?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        April 13, 2019 at 3:10 pm

        I think so! Vegetable, canola, or just about any neutral oil should work!

        Reply
    4. Natalie says

      April 11, 2019 at 10:58 am

      5 stars
      This chocolate cake looks absolutely gorgeous! Perfect for parties and special occasions ♥

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        April 13, 2019 at 3:05 pm

        Thanks so much Natalie!

        Reply
    5. Marie says

      April 17, 2019 at 7:48 am

      5 stars
      I actually want to hug you for uploading this recipe! It has just made the nicest chocolate cake I have ever made. (Vegan or otherwise!) I will definitely be making this again! Thank you!!!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        April 18, 2019 at 2:55 pm

        Yay!! I'm so happy to hear that! Thanks so much Marie!

        Reply
    6. Janey says

      June 11, 2019 at 8:59 am

      Can I sub gluten free all purpose flour?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        June 16, 2019 at 2:22 pm

        I haven't tried a gluten-free flour in this recipe, but I have used Bob's Red Mill one-to-one gluten-free flour in a similar recipe and it worked, so I think so!

        Reply
      • Shirleerainey says

        August 16, 2019 at 11:43 am

        Can I use gluten free or almond flour

        Reply
        • Alissa Saenz says

          August 18, 2019 at 2:05 pm

          I wouldn't recommend almond, but a gluten-free all purpose blend like Bob's Red Mill might work. I haven't tested that, so no promises though!

          Reply
    7. Isabel says

      August 23, 2019 at 1:27 pm

      4 stars
      I am not vegan but I like chocolate vegan cakes as the ingredients are easy to find. This is because use use you don't requiere too many ingredients and this cakes comes in handy if you have a sweet tooth. I used extra virgin coconut oil which made my cake taste a little bit coconuty and had a medicine after taste. I don't enjoy coconut oil overall but the cake itself is really fluffy which I love in my baking. I will substitute coconut oil for a flavorless or olive oil next time. I also cut down the sugar from 1 1/2 cup o to just 1 cup. Really easy recipe, delicious, easy, fluffy and yummy!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        August 25, 2019 at 10:39 am

        Awesome! I'm so glad you like it! Thanks Isabel!

        Reply
    8. Janna says

      October 03, 2021 at 6:33 pm

      It's been a long time since I was able to bake a vegan cake which grew properly! In fact, it's been years of being vegan and baking birthdays cakes for people since I was able to bake such a tasty one! I think this must be the best I've ever baked, even though all these recipes don't seem to differ very much from one another. But looks like it takes a little to make a big difference! I am glad I found this recipe. Thanks!

      Reply

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