Best Vegan Chocolate Cake (easy Recipe) (2024)

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The Best Vegan Chocolate Cake made with simple ingredients in one bowl. It’s incredibly delicious, rich with chocolate flavor, and can be made gluten-free. The perfect dessert for any occasion!

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For some reason, I could never imagine a world without chocolate! To me, personally, it’s always perfect – no matter which time of the day. You can have it for dessert, or just as a snack, or even for breakfast. For me, chocolate will always be something that lifts my spirits! Do you feel the same? If so, this Best Vegan Chocolate Cake is perfect for you, because is so chocolatey that it’ll definitely satisfy any chocolate cravings!

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The Best Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe

Actually, I’ve been making this recipe for years, but for some reason, I’ve never shared it on my blog. Anyways, to me, it’s just the Best Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe ever, and I’m also convinced it is definitely fail-proof, so it will never let you down. It is intensely chocolatey, rich, soft and has a creamy frosting (but it also tastes super yummy without the frosting). I‘m pretty sure no one will ever suspect it’s vegan and even healthier than other chocolate cakes because it tastes like a classic homemade chocolate cake!

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Easy Vegan Chocolate Cake

To make this Vegan Chocolate Cake, all you need are just a few simple basic ingredients that you may already have on hand. You do not require eggs or any dairy ingredients, so it’s dairy-free and egg-free. A combination of baking soda, baking powder + apple cider vinegar helps the cake rise, and also keeps it delightfully fluffy. All you need to do is to combine the wet with the dry ingredients. Simply melt chocolate, mix and bake. It couldn’t be simpler.

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Use your favorite baking dish

There are several things you can do with this recipe. You can bake this cake in a round tin to make a layer cake as I did, however, this recipe works just as well in a loaf pan or in cupcake and muffin pans. The only thing you should pay attention to is the baking time. For chocolate cupcakes or muffins, it only takes about 15 minutes. A chocolate loaf, however, takes about 50 minutes. I always recommend doing a cake test during baking to check if the cake is done. Baking for too long is not good either because it dries out the cake.

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Chocolate Cream Frosting

I like this cake best when it’s topped with a fluffy and creamy chocolate mousse and rich chocolate ganache, but you can also top it just with the ganache, or enjoy the cake how it is. When serving, you can decorate it with healthy berries, cherries or other fruits of choice. By the way, if you make this cake without the frosting, it also tastes delicious when you add some vegan chocolate chips on top and then serve your piece with a big scoop of vegan ice cream, dairy-free yogurt, or whipped coconut cream on top.

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Anyways, this vegan chocolate cake tastes totally delicious! It is:

  • Dairy-free
  • Soy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Quick and Easy to make
  • Fail-Proof
  • Rich in Chocolate flavor
  • Frosted with Chocolate Cream
  • Can be made Gluten-free
  • Can be turned into Cupcakes, Muffins
  • Also, perfect to make a loaf
  • My Best Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe

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Want more Chocolate Cake Recipes?

If you want to try more tasty chocolate cake recipes, you can check out my

  • Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake
  • Raspberry Chocolate Cake
  • Black Forest Cake
  • Best Vegan Brownies
  • Chocolate Banana Bread
  • Vegan Chocolate Mousse
  • Best Chocolate Cheesecake

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If you try this Best Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe, please leave me a comment below letting me know how you like it! And if you take a picture of your yummy Cake and share it on Instagram, please make sure to tag me @biancazapatka and use the hashtag #biancazapatka , so I won’t miss your post! 😊

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Best Vegan Chocolate Cake (easy Recipe) (22)

Author: Bianca Zapatka

The Best Vegan Chocolate Cake is made with simple ingredients in one bowl. It’s incredibly delicious, rich with chocolate flavor and can be made gluten-free. The perfect dessert for any occasion!

4.97 von 93 Bewertungen

Print Pin Review

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Course Cake, Dessert, Torte

Servings 2 8-inch cakes

Calories 416 kcal

You do not have a fitting cake pan at hand right now? Try my Cake Pan Conversion Calculator!

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake:

  • 1 cup non-dairy milk 240ml
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour 240g, or gluten-free flour*
  • 1 cup cocoa powder 120g
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar 300g, or to taste
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1-2 tsp instant coffee granules optional
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 3/4 cup neutral oil
  • 1/2 cup apple sauce 120g, or 2 (flax)eggs (*see recipe notes)

Chocolate Frosting

Chocolate Mousse Filling (optional)

Instructions

  • *Note: Please watch the recipe video for visual instruction!

Chocolate Cake:

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line two 8-inch (2x20cm) cake pans.

  • Stir the apple cider vinegar into the non-dairy milk and set aside to curdle into vegan buttermilk.

  • Sift the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl and mix to combine.

  • Stir the coffee granules, if using, and vanilla extract into the boiling water.

  • Pour the vegan buttermilk, oil and hot water mixture over the flour mixture. Also, add the apple sauce and stir with a spatula or handheld mixer on low speed just until combined and no large lumps remain (please do not overmix). (Adjust sugar to your desired taste).

  • Fill the batter into the prepared cake pans and bake for about 40-45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. (If you want a moist chocolate cake, make sure not to overbake it.)

  • Remove from oven and let cool completely. (Optionally, you can place the cakes in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight, as they will be easier to work with when well chilled.)

Frosting

  • In a small pot, heat the coconut milk until just boiling (or microwave for about 2 minutes).

  • Pour it over the chopped chocolate and stir until the chocolate is melted.

  • Reserve about 1/4 cup of the chocolate frosting (to use in the chocolate mousse filling). Let cool remaining frosting until thickened into a spreadable frosting.

Chocolate Mousse

  • Stir the reserved 1/3 cup of the frosting into the non-dairy whipping cream until you have a smooth chocolate cream. Then place in the fridge to cool.

  • When the chocolate cream is well chilled, you can beat it with a hand mixer until fluffy and creamy. Also, add the powdered sugar while beating.

Assemble the Cake

  • Place one cooled cake on a serving plate. Spread the chocolate mousse filling over the cake. Then top with the next cake, and spread the chocolate frosting all over your cake (top and sides).

  • Decorate with fresh fruits if you like and enjoy! 😊

Notes

  • To make this cake gluten-free, you can use a gluten-free flour blend 1:1.
  • Instead of apple sauce, you can use 2 flax-eggs (stir 2 tbsp flax meal into 6 tbsp hot water. Set aside for 5 minutes until jelly), or use 2 regular eggs if you're not vegan.
  • If you want to make cupcakes or muffins with this recipe, bake for approx. 25 minutes.
  • You can freeze the un-frosted cake for up to 1 month. Just make sure to wrap each cake layer in a double layer of foil before putting into a ziplock freezer bag.
  • I used this non-dairy whipping cream for the mousse because it gets perfectly creamy and stiff but coconut cream will do too.
  • If making this cake without the chocolate mousse and chocolate frosting, you can top it just with vegan chocolate chips or enjoy the cake as it is.
  • Please read my blog post for additional Information about this recipe.

Nutritions

Serving: 1Serving | Calories: 416kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 4.4g | Fat: 28g

Nutrition is calculated automatically and should be used as estimate.

Did you make this recipe?Mention @biancazapatka or tag #biancazapatka!

IF YOU HAVE PINTEREST, YOU CAN FIND ME HERE AND FEEL FREE TO PIN THE FOLLOWING PICTURE! 🙂

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©Bianca Zapatka | All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use myimages without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please link back to this post for the recipe. More info here. Thank youfor supporting biancazapatka.com!

Best Vegan Chocolate Cake (easy Recipe) (24)Disclosure for affiliate links with asterisk(*):
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Best Vegan Chocolate Cake (easy Recipe) (2024)

FAQs

What is a secret ingredient for cakes? ›

To summarize, applesauce is a secret weapon for creating moist and healthier cakes. Its natural sweetness and moisture make it a great substitute for high-fat ingredients like oil or butter. So go ahead, embrace the power of applesauce and elevate your cakes to new levels of deliciousness!

Why is my vegan cake not fluffy? ›

CAKE NOT RISING

This can be caused by a few things already mentioned such as using the wrong egg replacer or over mixing. I always recommend using fresh raising agents. Generally, baking soda and baking powder only stay active for 3 months after opening.

How do you keep a vegan cake from crumbling? ›

To prevent your vegan cake from crumbling apart, use binding ingredients like flax eggs or applesauce, measure your ingredients accurately, avoid overmixing the batter, and bake at the correct temperature for the recommended amount of time.

What are the ingredients in Rubicon vegan chocolate cake? ›

Ingredients: Water, Enriched Unbleached Flour (Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Vegan Sugar, *Shortening (Palm Oil, Vegetable Mono & Diglycerides*), Vegan Confectioner's Sugar (Cane Sugar, Cornstarch*), Cocoa Powder (Cocoa Processed With Alkali), Expeller- ...

What is the main ingredient that makes a cake moist? ›

USE VEGETABLE OIL. While butter undoubtedly imparts excellent flavor, vegetable oil can really elevate a cake when it comes to moisture. Replacing butter with vegetable oil in your cake recipes typically yields moist results.

Which 2 ingredients help the cake to rise? ›

A leavening agent is baking soda, yeast or baking powder. It's that magical ingredient that makes your cakes rise.

Why do vegan cakes need vinegar? ›

I know it may seem strange to add vinegar to baked goods, but just think of it as a chemical reaction. The baking soda in your recipe needs a little acid to help it start reacting (bubbling). That's why recipes will call for things like lemon juice or buttermilk.

How to get vegan cakes to rise? ›

Here are some tips for you:
  1. Try the "reverse creaming" method. ...
  2. Use vegan protein powder as your egg replacer. ...
  3. To make the cake rise, I use baking powder(in the dry ingredients); then sparkling water+vinegar (added later, these are your liquids).
Jun 12, 2022

Why are vegan cakes so dry? ›

Lack of Eggs: Eggs provide structure, moisture, and leavening in traditional cakes. Vegan cakes typically replace eggs with alternatives like flax eggs, applesauce, or mashed bananas, which may not provide the same lightness and binding properties.

What to avoid when baking vegan? ›

Dairy, whether it's milk or yogurt or sour cream, helps keep baked goods moist. It's also unfortunately not vegan. But don't skimp on the creamy stuff—it really helps to make a dense and luscious-textured pastry. Experiment with alt-milks, like almond milk.

Why is my vegan cake so gummy? ›

This can happen for a few reasons, but the biggest reason is that your ingredients weren't room temperature. If your ingredients, even vegan ingredients, aren't all room temperature (i.e. some are cool, some are warm, some are hot), the cake will come out gummy.

Which is better for cake oil or butter? ›

There are no surprises here: butter tastes better than oil in baking recipes. However, in recipes with other bold flavors – such as chocolate, coffee, or citrus – butter can sometimes compete with the other flavors and this is normally when a recipe calls for oil instead.

Is Dolly Parton cake vegan? ›

Both cake mixes are vegan, though they required some easy plant-based subs for fresh ingredients. In the coconut cake, for example, the milk can be swapped for coconut milk, the butter for vegan butter or coconut oil, and eggs for any egg replacement.

Is Duncan Hines chocolate cake mix vegan? ›

Since most boxed cakes require that you add eggs, milk and butter after, most major brands such as Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker are already vegan!

Which chocolate cake mixes are vegan? ›

Simple Mills sells plant-based Vanilla and Chocolate cake mixes that can both be made vegan using a vegan egg substitute in the recipe. The mixes themselves are already gluten-free, dairy-free, non-GMO, and made with no harmful chemicals or preservatives.

What is the secret to a good cake? ›

The next time you're baking a cake, keep these simple tricks in mind:
  • Prep the ingredients. Have all of the ingredients at room temperature, unless the recipe directs otherwise. ...
  • Use the right flour. ...
  • Prep your pans. ...
  • Alternate wet and dry ingredients. ...
  • Preheat. ...
  • Release air bubbles. ...
  • Test for doneness. ...
  • Cool down.
Jun 29, 2022

What is the secret of a delicious cake? ›

Success of a cake depends on the correct blending of ingredients, the careful creaming of butter and sugar, as well as the gentle folding of egg whites (if added separately) to maintain maximum aeration. Please read Basic Rules For Baking. Fold or Folding: A method of gently mixing ingredients.

What is your best baking secret? ›

Combine ingredients as gently as possible without overmixing. Creamed butter and sugar should be pale and fluffy, never yellow and gritty. Butter temperature is a vital detail that should not be overlooked. Don't open the oven door until goods are done baking.

What is the secret to baking a moist cake? ›

Seven Bakery Secrets to Incredibly Moist Cakes Every Time
  1. Use Buttermilk Instead of Milk.
  2. Add Vegetable Oil.
  3. Use Instant Clearjel or Instant Pudding Mix.
  4. Use the Right Recipe.
  5. Don't Overbake.
  6. Bake in Sheet Pans Instead of individual Cake Pans.
  7. Use a Simple Syrup or Glaze.
Apr 23, 2021

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