This easy vegan chocolate cake recipe is incredibly delicious and satisfying! And, the vegan chocolate frosting is rich, chocolatey, and utterly irresistible!
Calling all dairy-free dessert lovers! You absolutely CAN enjoy a decadent chocolate cake without any dairy or eggs. Get ready to indulge in a slice of heaven!
Have you ever wondered if a vegan chocolate cake could truly rival a traditional one in taste and texture? Could it possibly deliver the same rich, moist, and satisfying experience without the eggs and dairy?
The answer is a resounding, joyful YES! This vegan chocolate cake is a game-changer!
Get ready to have your world rocked by this amazingly easy vegan chocolate cake recipe. It’s perfect for birthdays, celebrations, or simply satisfying your chocolate cravings!
❤️ Why You’ll Fall in Love with This Vegan Chocolate Cake
This vegan chocolate cake has consistently wowed friends and family. It’s always a crowd-pleaser, and here’s why:
- Moist and Fluffy Texture: The cake itself is incredibly moist, fluffy, and has a delightful spongy texture that melts in your mouth.
- Rich and Decadent Frosting: The frosting is rich, decadent, and intensely chocolatey, providing the perfect complement to the cake.
- Simple Ingredients: It’s surprisingly easy to make with common ingredients that you can easily find at your local grocery store or online. No hard-to-find items here!
- Make-Ahead Convenience: You can bake the cake ahead of time, freeze it for later, and then thaw and frost it when you’re ready to serve. Perfect for busy schedules!
This recipe features my all-time favorite vegan chocolate frosting. It’s light, fluffy, buttery, sweet, and rich – but not overwhelmingly so. While the frosting is a treat on its own, it becomes truly extraordinary when paired with this easy vegan chocolate cake!
🍫 Key Ingredient Notes for the Best Vegan Chocolate Cake
You’ll find the complete list of ingredients and exact measurements in the recipe card below. However, I wanted to highlight a few key ingredients and provide some helpful tips:
- Flour: All-purpose flour provides the best structure for the cake, creating a tender and light crumb.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar adds sweetness and helps to keep the cake moist.
- Cocoa Powder: Use a high-quality unsweetened cocoa powder for the richest chocolate flavor. Dutch-processed cocoa powder will give a darker, more intense chocolate flavor.
Almond Milk: I prefer using almond milk, but you can easily substitute it with other dairy-free milk alternatives. Coconut milk (full-fat), soy milk, or cashew milk all work well in this recipe.
Applesauce as an Egg Substitute: I use unsweetened applesauce in place of eggs in this cake recipe. It adds moisture and helps to bind the ingredients together. You can also use other egg replacers, such as flaxseed meal mixed with water.
Vegan Chocolate: The chocolate flavor in the cake comes primarily from cocoa powder, which is naturally dairy-free. For the frosting, be sure to use your favorite dairy-free chocolate. I highly recommend this dairy-free chocolate, which I use in most of my baking recipes.
✅ Easy Step-by-Step Instructions for Vegan Chocolate Cake Success
Follow these simple instructions to create a perfect vegan chocolate cake every time:
Preparation is Key:
- Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Lightly grease two 8-inch round cake pans. For extra insurance against sticking, line the bottom of each pan with a circle of parchment paper. Then, lightly dust the inside of each pan with cocoa powder, swirling it around to coat the sides and bottom evenly. This will prevent the cake from sticking and give it a beautiful finish. Set the prepared pans aside.
🍰 Making the Vegan Chocolate Cake Batter:
- In a stand mixer or large bowl, combine the almond milk, apple cider vinegar, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and applesauce. Mix on low speed until the ingredients are well blended, about 1-2 minutes. The apple cider vinegar helps to activate the baking soda, resulting in a lighter, fluffier cake.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisking ensures that the dry ingredients are evenly distributed, preventing lumps and creating a uniform texture.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the mixer, combining on low speed until just blended. Be careful not to overmix the batter, as this can result in a tough cake. The batter should be wet but not too runny.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 22-28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean. Start checking for doneness around 22 minutes, as baking times may vary depending on your oven. Once baked, set the cakes out to cool at room temperature for a few minutes, then transfer them to the refrigerator to chill while you prepare the frosting. This makes frosting much easier.
🍫 Whipping Up the Vegan Chocolate Frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add all of the frosting ingredients: vegan butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, almond milk (or soy milk), melted dairy-free chocolate, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until the frosting turns a lighter color and is light and fluffy, which can take anywhere from 3 to 6 minutes. The key is to beat the frosting long enough to incorporate air, creating a smooth, creamy, and decadent texture.
🎂 Assembling Your Masterpiece:
- Remove the chilled cakes from the refrigerator and carefully invert them onto a wire rack to release them from the pans.
- Place one cake layer on a serving plate or cake stand. Generously frost the top of the first layer with the vegan chocolate frosting.
- Carefully place the second cake layer on top of the frosted first layer. Frost the top and sides of the entire cake with the remaining frosting, creating a smooth and even coating.
- Get creative with your decorations! Top the cake with fresh fruit, a light dusting of sifted cocoa powder, or chocolate shavings for an elegant touch.
👩🏻🍳 Vegan Baking FAQs: Your Questions Answered
What’s the best substitute for eggs in baking?
In baked goods like cakes and cupcakes, I often substitute eggs with applesauce. Alternatively, you can use flaxseed meal, tofu, or mashed banana, depending on the recipe.
What makes cakes fluffy?
One of the keys to a fluffy vegan cake is properly creaming the vegan butter and sugar. Make sure you cream the two in the stand mixer for a few minutes until the mixture is light yellow, creamy, and fluffy.
How do I store a vegan chocolate cake?
Store frosted or unfrosted vegan chocolate cake in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Can I freeze this cake?
Store unfrosted vegan chocolate cake in an airtight container in the freezer for up to two months. Thaw to room temperature and frost as desired before serving.
🍽️ Serving Ideas for a Memorable Dessert
Take your vegan chocolate cake experience to the next level with these delicious serving suggestions:
Serve slices of this vegan chocolate cake with a scoop of your favorite Dairy-Free Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. The combination of warm, rich cake and cold, creamy ice cream is simply irresistible!
More Vegan Dessert Recipes to Tempt Your Taste Buds
- 25 Vegan Christmas Desserts
- Cherry Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
- Healthy Peanut Butter Cups (Paleo, Vegan, Dairy-free options)
- Easy No-Bake Cheesecake Bites (Vegan)
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you really loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!
Easy Vegan Chocolate Cake with Vegan Chocolate Frosting
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Ingredients
CAKE
- 2 cups unsweetened almond milk, can substitute soy or cocount milk
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ⅔ cup melted coconut oil
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1⅓ cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
FROSTING
- 1 cup softened vegan butter
- 2¾ cups powdered sugar
- ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk, or soy milk
- ¼ cup melted dairy-free semisweet chocolate
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Lightly grease two 8-inch round cake pans (I use vegan butter to grease the pans). I also add parchment paper cut out to fit the inside bottom of each cake pan here, but you can skip this step. I personally find that it helps ensure the cake batter doesn’t stick to the pan. Then, lightly cover with cocoa powder, swirling the cocoa powder around the sides and bottom of pan to ensure it’s sufficiently and evenly covered. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer or large bowl, add the almond milk, apple cider vinegar, coconut oil, vanilla, and apple sauce and mix on low until well blended, just 1-2 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the mixer and combine dry and wet ingredients until well blended. The batter should be wet but not too runny.
- Pour an even amount of the batter into each prepared cake pan.
- Bake for 22-28 minutes. You can check by inserting a toothpick into the middle of each cake; if it comes out clean, it’s ready. Set out to cool at room temperature for a couple of minutes, and then place in the refrigerator to chill while you make the frosting.
- Make the frosting by beating together all of the frosting ingredients in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or hand mixer. Beat until the frosting turns a lighter color and is light and fluffy.
- Remove the cake from the refrigerator and frost as desired.
- Top with fresh fruit (as pictured here), a light dusting of sifted cocoa powder, or chocolate shavings.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Cake recipe adapted from Minimalist Baker | Frosting recipe adapted from Martha Stewart
This post was originally written November 13, 2015. It was updated February 5, 2020 with edited photos and new relevant information to help you make the best dish possible!