Ridiculously MOIST Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe- Keeps moist for 4 days!!
This ultra lush and rich vegan chocolate cake is the definition of decadence with a soft and tender moist crumb. Frosted in the creamiest chocolate buttercream, you won’t believe this vegan chocolate cake is made without eggs nor dairy- and it keeps moist for 4 days!!
What makes this the BEST vegan chocolate cake to exist:
You are just going to fall in love with this vegan chocolate cake. In fact, it will become the only chocolate cake recipe you ever make.
It’s a bold statement that I’m fully prepared to back up. Don’t worry, I’ve come prepared.
This is the best vegan chocolate cake recipe you’ll make, not only for the fact that it tastes out-of-this-world amazing; truly. I’m a vanilla cake lover, but after a bite of this cake, I feel like I’ve missed out for nearly 29 years of my life.
And I’ve tried a lot of cakes in my life (just check the chapter in my vegan cookbook dedicated to JUST vegan cakes).
We’re talking ultra moist and rich, decadent yet tender and light, and downright irresistible. This vegan cake tastes like the best chocolate cake you’ve ever had, vegan or not. Yet, because it’s dairy free, egg free, nut free, and soy free, everyone can enjoy it.
Plus, we’re layering those perfectly tender cakes with a creamy and dreamy fudgy vegan chocolate ganache (or for classic cake lovers, this ridiculously good vegan chocolate buttercream frosting) that will make you want to just ditch the cake all together and just go for the frosting.
But trust me, it’s worth it to assemble the whole cake!
Don’t need that much cake? Try this super cute small chocolate cake that’s based off of this one! It’s only a single layer and 6″ in diameter. Or this super easy vegan flourless chocolate cake!
Learn how to bake *unbelievably* vegan desserts in 5 steps!
Want to make amazing vegan and gluten free desserts that no one will know are eggless and dairy free? Sign up for this free e-course to transform your vegan bakes!
What makes this vegan cake moist?
There are three key ingredients for making a vegan cake moist:
- Unsweetened dairy free yogurt: I prefer this to using applesauce. In fact, dairy free yogurt is one of my favorite vegan egg substitutes in general because it adds extra fat to the recipe (read: lush, soft crumb once baked), and provides some acidity to react with baking soda, giving this vegan chocolate cake its epic rise.
- Vegan buttermilk: The best way to get a vegan dairy free milk to curdle like a buttermilk is to use either soy milk or almond milk. It can be done with coconut milk; however, the milk will not thicken quite like soy milk and almond milk. Your cakes will still rise though! In addition to the dairy free milk, you’ll use an acid, such as apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, or white vinegar.
- Strong hot coffee: adding strong brewed hot coffee is not only the key to a better tasting chocolate cake recipe, but it also helps to keep this cake super moist and not dried out! If you need caffeine free, just make sure to use decaf coffee.
In addition to using these three key ingredients, I’ve found that using vegan butter instead of vegetable oil or canola oil actually adds not only moisture to the cake, but a much richer flavor.
Vegetable oil tends to be flavorless, while vegan butter will add that wonderful “buttery” flavor to the rich chocolate flavor.
You can use coconut oil in place of vegan butter, but I really do recommend vegan butter above all.
Overview: Step-by-Step how to make a vegan chocolate cake:
I really want to debunk this myth that vegan baking is hard, so let this be the recipe that shows you how easy a vegan chocolate cake can be. And if you want to make it a gluten free chocolate cake as well, we have that option!
To make a vegan chocolate cake, you can break it down into three basic steps:
- Make the batter: make sure you whisk together the dry ingredients thoroughly before adding in the room temperature wet ingredients. If you’re using salted vegan butter, you can omit the salt. Again, room temperature is key! You can make this chocolate cake either in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer. I made this cake recipe for years by hand before I got a stand mixer, and it’s definitely doable.
- Bake the cake: this part is so simple- just bake the cake! You can make a two or three layer 8″ cake, as I did, or a two layer 9″ cake. You can also make a three layer 6″ cake as well. Just check the recipe card down below for specific instructions.
- Assemble the cake: making a vegan layered cake is also not scary or difficult! It really is simply just smearing frosting in between each layer, then frosting the outsides. You can use a bench scraper to make a pretty and clean look, or you can simply swirl your knife as I did. The major tip here is allow your cakes to fully cool before you assemble. Nobody wants a cake on the ground!
Easy Vegan Chocolate Frosting
Okay so I go back and forth: the cake is amazing, but so is the vegan chocolate buttercream frosting.
Honestly, I owe it all to the vegan butter these days. We really have it good, guys. My personal favorite for a vegan buttercream frosting is Miyoko’s Creamery. It’s soy free and palm oil free, which I personally like and try to go with.
However, I know many use Earth Balance baking sticks, and love those. I’m not really a fan, because I think it has a really processed flavor. Do NOT use the tub of Earth Balance. It will not work.
Either way, the vegan butter these days acts just like regular butter. So to make a vegan chocolate buttercream frosting, you’re essentially just making a chocolate buttercream frosting!
For the chocolate buttercream, you’ll need:
- Vegan butter
- Powdered sugar*
- Cocoa powder
I put the * there because you can actually make this vegan chocolate cake entirely refined sugar free. To do so, I make a powdered sugar from coconut sugar by just pulsing it in the food processor until it’s really fine.
Then just use it as you would regular powdered sugar!
For more tips and tricks on how to make the best vegan chocolate frosting, check out my vegan chocolate buttercream blog post.
Can I make this chocolate cake into cupcakes?
You absolutely can use this cake recipe for cupcakes, but you’ll yield a lot of cupcakes (between 24-30). We actually have a vegan chocolate cupcake recipe that’s based off of this recipe, and it will yield you a dozen chocolate cupcakes!
Or, if you need an even smaller amount, try this small batch gluten free vegan chocolate cupcake recipe!
In Britt’s Kitchen: My Top Cake Tips & Tricks:
Sift the flour, cocoa powder, and the powdered sugar: a very much overlooked step for vegan baking, but very important, as this helps the dry ingredients be properly whisked together.
Use hot coffee: You don’t need to cool the coffee before integrating into your batter!
This chocolate cake will last for 4 days at room temperature IF wrapped properly: I allow the cake layers to FULLY cool before wrapping them tightly in plastic wrap. Then store them at room temperature or in the fridge.
My favorite gluten-free flour for this cake: I love using King Arthur Measure-for-Measure gluten free flour. I repeatedly make this cake for large groups of non-gluten-free eaters, and there is not a slice left with that flour blend. It’s amazing. Add in a tablespoon of cornstarch or arrowroot starch for texture!
How to store leftover cake
If you were to have leftovers after baking this vegan chocolate cake (I highly doubt you will, but you never know!), I recommend storing the cake as a whole, covered and on the countertop for up to 2 days.
Alternatively, you can slice it and place the slices in an airtight container or wrap them and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
You are just going to absolutely love this amazing vegan chocolate cake! It’s so good, you’d never know it’s eggless, dairy free, and refined sugar free! If you try it, be sure to give it a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️in the comments section below, as well as letting us know how it went for you!
As always, I love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there!
Happy chocolate cake baking 🙂
Watch Vegan Chocolate Cake Video:
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If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!
Print
Ridiculously MOIST Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe- Keeps moist for 4 days!!
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 32
- Total Time: 42 minutes
- Yield: 16 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This ultra lush and rich vegan chocolate cake is the definition of decadence with a soft and tender moist crumb. Frosted in the creamiest chocolate buttercream, you won’t believe this vegan chocolate cake is made without eggs nor dairy- and it keeps moist for 4 days!!
Ingredients
Vegan Chocolate Cake:
- 1 1/4 cup (300 mL) vegan buttermilk, room temperature
- 3 cups (375 g) all purpose flour or gluten free 1:1 baking flour, sifted
- 1 cup (95 g) all natural cocoa powder, sifted
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (110 g) brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted vegan butter*, melted and cooled to room temperature
- 1 cup (220 g) dairy free yogurt, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240 mL) hot water + 1 tsp dissolvable espresso powder (or 1 cup (240 mL) brewed coffee, decaf if desired)
Vegan Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:
- 2 cups vegan butter, softened
- 4–5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 cup cocoa powder
Instructions
- Be sure to read all instructions before beginning. Measure out all ingredients for the cake.
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350F, and prepare three 8″ cake pans. You can use 6″ cake pans if you’d like. Grease the bottoms and sides of the pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside. Prepare the vegan buttermilk by mixing together the dairy-free milk and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl and set aside for 5-7 minutes to curdle. You can prepare the batter while the buttermilk is forming.
- Make the batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Set aside. In a large bowl and a whisk, whisk the vegan butter, sugar, and brown sugar until integrated. Then add in the dairy free yogurt and vanilla extract, and whisk again until combined. To the mixture, add in about half of the flour mixture, along with half of the buttermilk. Whisk gently until the flour starts to combine with the wet. Add in the remaining flour mixture and buttermilk, and whisk again just before there are no more dry streaks. Slowly pour in the hot coffee, and whisk gently until the coffee has just mixed into the batter.
- Bake the cakes: Pour the batter into the three cake pans evenly. Place the cakes into the oven and bake for 33-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. If using three 6″ cake pans, the cakes will bake a bit longer. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow them to cool in their pans for 10 minutes. Then carefully transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely, about 45 minutes.
- Prepare the chocolate buttercream: When ready to frost, beat the vegan butter until creamed, about 3 minutes. Then sift in the powdered sugar and continue beating until it becomes a fluffy vanilla buttercream. Add in the cocoa powder, and start by beating the cocoa powder into the middle so as not to create a dust around the bowl, then beat the entire buttercream mixture together with the cacao powder until full incorporated.
- Assemble the cake: place the bottom layer onto a cake plate and adding about 1 cup of frosting to the top of the cake. Spread it just to the edges, then add the second layer and repeat. Top with the third layer and frost with the remaining frosting. Decorate as you’d like, and enjoy!
- Storage: Store any leftovers covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or sliced in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
Vegan buttermilk: The best result will be combining soy milk or almond milk with the apple cider vinegar. However, the cake will still rise wonderfully using oat milk or coconut milk.
Vegan butter: If you’re using salted vegan butter, omit the salt in the dry mixture.
To make this vegan chocolate cake gluten free: use gluten free 1:1 baking flour. Please ensure that the mixture contains xanthan gum.
For an entirely gluten free vegan chocolate cake made with just oat flour, check out this oat flour vegan chocolate cake here.
To make a three-layered 6″ cake: bake the cakes for 25-27 minutes, but check with a toothpick towards the end of the baking time.
To make a two-layered 9″ cake: bake the cakes for 32-37 minutes, but check with a toothpick towards the end of the baking time.
Check out more vegan cake recipes here! I also have an entire round up of our best vegan cake recipes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 413
- Sugar: 49 g
- Sodium: 330.4 mg
- Fat: 13.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 75.3 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Wow Britt, this is seriously a work of art! Ever since you shared your vanilla cake and Black forest cake, I’ve been craving allll the cake! Your photography is absolutely gorgeous, I could look at these images for hours, haha! My only question is: where do all your baked goods GO??? I’ve been trying to figure it out for ages (and tbh, I’ve googled “what do food bloggers do with all their creations” more times than I care to admit) but I just have to ask. You are coming out with new, beautiful recipes like every day and I believe your freezer can only hold so much, haha! So putting it out there now: what DO you do with all your recipes? Thanks so much!!!
Aw thank you so much haha! I recycle a lot of old content on Instagram so it may appear that I post every day 🙂 But I share a lot with my family, Jared’s family, and friends!! Of course, I take some for myself too haha or else I wouldn’t make the recipes!
Oh yes that’s what I thought about recycling the content indeed! And danggg you have a lucky family, then! 😉 I also have another question, haha. When photographing something like a tall stack of pancakes, do you de-assemble them after the photoshoot and then store them? I’ve been wanting to take more professional photos but I have no clue what I would do with a giant stack of pancakes by myself that have been drenched in maple syrup, as I know they would get soggy haha! Look forward to your response, xx
Haha yes!! I store the pancakes in a Tupperware container in the fridge or freezer because I often photograph my recipes midday-afternoon!
Hiya,
Is the bake time the same when splitting the batter between just two 8” tins (rather than three)?
Thank you,
Isobel 🙂
It’ll be a bit longer, like 35-40 minutes! Use a toothpick to check the doneness around the 35 min mark 🙂 Enjoy!!
Hi! I will try this recipe out this weekend so I am very excited to know how good this will actually taste. 🙂 I have one question though, here it is a bit harder to find coconut sugar, can I just replace it with brown sugar and take the same amount or how would you do this? Thanks already! Looking forward to trying it and serving it to my non-vegan family.
Hi Roxanne!!
Love that you’re making this for your fam 🙂 You can use regular granulated sugar (that’s vegan) or brown sugar! Either works!
Thank you for the reply! They all liked it a lot 🙂 texture was a bit different than the cake they usually eat but my batter was a bit more liquid than yours so needed to be in the oven longer too, maybe that’s why. I had to change the measurements to grams so that could have been the issue haha. Tastewise it was 100% perfect! Thanks for sharing the recipe <3
Aw thank you so much for giving it a try!! I completely understand that, and I’m moving towards converting all of my recipes to gram measurements as well (which means more retesting so it will be a bit of time but it will happen haha!!). But thank you again for trying it and so happy that the taste was good!!
Hi Britt, your cakes all look so amazing, whenever your posts appear on my Instagram I’m suddenly really hungry!! Can you taste the coffee in your chocolate cake as I really am not a fan of coffee (taste or smell) but I don’t want to miss out. Can the cake be made without coffee and just add hot water instead?
I can’t wait to try this recipe!! Thanks 🙂
Aw you are so kind!! Thank you so much!! And I totally understand! You don’t really taste coffee at all- it sort of just amplifies the chocolate really, and there’s really no espresso taste! You CAN use hot water, but it might not taste as rich!
Hi! I just wanted to say that this was the best chocolate cake we’ve ever had. My son and his girlfriend made this for my birthday, and I didn’t even know it was vegan! I just had to leave a comment and tell you. Thank you for this recipe! We all loved it!
Aw my goodness thank you! Happy belated birthday and enjoy!
Hi! I was wondering if you can use oat flour (like just blended oats) as the substitute? Or almond flour?
Hi Kira! You can use oat flour, but for the best texture, you can use this chocolate sheet cake recipe and double it if you’d like to make a layer cake! https://thebananadiaries.com/one-bowl-vegan-chocolate-sheet-cake/ I hope you love!
What about turning this into a sheet cake. Any estimated baking times? I have a metal 13 x 9, glass 15 x 11 or a half sheet pan with high sides.
LOVE IT! You can definitely do a metal 13×9, and it will be about 40-45 minutes, but I’d check how it’s doing around the 38 min mark just with the oven light!
Hi ! I was wondering if I can substitute the vegan yogurt for canned coconut milk (fatty part)
Hi Mirella! Yes you can!
I am a bit confused. You mention ice cream in the first step, what is that for? Also, you mention chocolate chips but they were not listed in the ingredients
I’m so sorry, that was an error! Edited and fixed!
Hi! 🙂 I can’t wait to try this recipe. I just wanted to ask, could a use pastry flour instead? And how would that affect the end result.
Thanks!
Hi Abigail! Can’t wait for you to try it too! I haven’t tried this personally, so I don’t want to recommend it, but typically you can use it pretty interchangeably with cake flour. I just haven’t tested it with this recipe personally!
I was wondering what kind of cocoa powder was best to use?
Hi Sydney! I’ve used both organic natural cocoa powder (the brand I use is in the purple tin) or I use raw organic cacao powder (Anima Mundi or Pascha are both great!). Cocoa powder will give you a rich and darker color, and cacao powder will have a more red tone, but taste a bit more like dark chocolate. I hope that helps!
Hi I was wondering if there was a specific dairy free milk you used?
Hi there! You can use your favorite dairy free milk 🙂 I typically use oat or coconut, but almond also works here if you’re not nut free!
Hi! I was wondering if you could make these into cupcakes? Thanks for your help!
Yes absolutely!! We do also have a vegan chocolate cupcakes recipe if you’d prefer that 🙂 You’ll get a lot of cupcakes with this current recipe! Here’s the cupcake recipe: https://thebananadiaries.com/vegan-chocolate-cupcakes/
Hi
I followed the recipe to every specification and yet the cake did not turn out as your photo. I halved the recipe and used one 8” tin. The toothpick came out clean, 21 minutes into baking. It looks like it failed to rise (although the top and bottom looked perfect. I used soya milk and my over had been left on preheat for 20 minutes. Could this be the cause?
Hi Tanya! I’m so sorry to hear this! This sounds like it might have been an issue with the baking powder and soda- if you still have some left of either of those, you can test a teaspoon of each separately with a little vinegar. If each start to bubble immediately then they’re good, but if they don’t it means they’re probably past their expiration date!
Do you use salted or unsalted vegan butter for the cake? Also what brand did you use?
I use Miyoko’s salted butter! But if you use unsalted, just add 1/8 tsp of sea salt to the dry ingredients 🙂
I don’t see yogurt in the ingredients list, has it been replaced by dairy-free milk?
Hi Amy! The original recipe used dairy free yogurt, but I have further refined it and now use applesauce! If you’d prefer yogurt, you can use it!
Great! I’m down with the applesauce. Can’t wait to try it out!
Hello!
Super excited to try this recipe! Was wondering though, could you tell me if possible how to make this recipe into cupcakes? Thank you so much!
Hi Kristen! You absolutely can, but you’ll yield a lot of cupcakes! I do have a vegan chocolate cupcake recipe based off of this one that will yield 12- here’s the link: https://thebananadiaries.com/vegan-chocolate-cupcakes/ But you can absolutely use this recipe for cupcakes, you’ll just get a lot 🙂
Hi hi! I have a question about the all natural cocoa powder! I usually buy my cocoa at the bulk food store and get this really nice “red cacao” powder which has a higher fat and iron content and is so so tasty. What is all natural cocoa powder and where do I buy it?
Hi Laura! Yes, so cacao powder has lower acidity in it, which means your cakes won’t rise as much as the cake in the photos- which is totally fine if that doesn’t matter to you (especially if you like the taste so much!). But if you want your cakes to rise really tall, definitely use all natural cocoa powder, which has a higher level of acidity that reacts with the baking soda, causing our cakes to rise tall! I recommend the organic baking cocoa powder by Equal Exchange (in the purple tin!); Ghirardelli, Valhrona, and Rodelle all have wonderful baking cocoa powders as well!
I am trying this for a vegan wedding cake and am very confused about the liquid. Your recipe says 2 cups hot water with espresso powder or only 1 cup brewed coffee. Any reason for a whole 1 cup difference in liquid? My regular cake doesnt even use milk, just eggs so converting is hard for me to see why so much liquid is needed with the milk and yogurt. Thanks!
Hi Heather! I’m not sure where you’re reading the 1 cup hot water with espresso? It should be just 1 cup of brewed coffee OR you can swap in 1 cup hot water with espresso powder or decaf, etc. Does that make sense? I hope that helps! Then the vegan buttermilk is 1 1/4 cups, so you get just over 2 cups in liquid overall, but there isn’t 2 cups of hot water!
How would you change the cooking temperature and time if using a single deep spring-form pan, which will then cut into 2 layers?
Hi Zoe! You’ll keep the temperature the same, but how big is the pan? That will determine how long to bake!
Thank you for an amazing recipe I’ve never made a vegan chocolate cake only vanilla but someone asked me to do one and this tastes fantastic. I just want to ask the best way to store this I want to keep the sponge until I’m ready to decorate which will be Wednesday so 5 days. I’ve wrapped in cling film and put in fridge but would you recommend freezing this until then, will it still taste as nice and be as moist thanks?
Oh I’m so happy to hear you love it, thank you for the review! For storing it, I would wrap it tightly in cling wrap (maybe 2 times just to be safe!), then freeze it actually! The night/day before, simply transfer the sponges from the freezer to the fridge, and let them thaw overnight 🙂 Enjoy!!
Holy yummy! I made this cake for myself for my
birthday because I’m breastfeeding and working out food allergies for my son. This was such a delicious cake and the icing was so even better! I was intimidated by the recipe because I haven’t ever made anything vegan baking wise but the recipe and ingredients I had one hand already! 10/10
Oh my goodness!! I’m so happy to hear this!! ENJOY! Thank you for such a sweet review!
Hi Britt!
I made this cake for my birthday and it was absolutely DELICIOUS! Will definitely be making it again! Also, thank you for providing measurements in grams. Whenever I use cup measurements the results are terrible, measuring out the ingredients by weight is so much better!
Have lovely day!
Debbie
Oh my goodness! This is so wonderful!! Thank you so much for leaving this review, and happy belated birthday 🙂 It’s one of my favorite cakes to make for any birthday celebration!! Enjoy!
Can I freeze the unfrosted sponge cake?
Yes, absolutely! Make sure that you wrap the cake layers (once cooled) tightly in plastic wrap. Then transfer them to the fridge the night before to thaw!
I made this cake as cupcakes…
Yes it made ALOT but I needed that ..
A mixture of 48 medium size and mini..
I did use country crock vegan plant butter I have an issue with soy in Earth Balance AND I use Califa Almond milk creamer to make the vegan buttermilk and in the frosting..
I also used regular applesauce not unsweetened ..
I followed everything to a T in the recipe for the cupcakes besides those substitutions And in the frosting just added a little vanilla extract to it..
And I think to pipe better I probably should have chilled it..
But all in all..
EVERYONE loved them including the Birthday Girl..
You Rock Britt..
This is just so beyond wonderful, thank you so so much for sharing this, Michelle!! I’m so grateful for all of your notes (so helpful for other readers!!) and so happy that everyone loved them 🙂 Thank YOU for sharing this, and enjoy!!
I’m from the UK and hoping to make this for my sons bday
Our gf flour doesn’t contain any xanthan gum so I would need to add it
Would u do how much this recipe would require
Thanks
Hi Aine! I would recommend 1 tsp of xanthan gum, and also still include the arrowroot starch or cornstarch! 🙂
I can’t mind reading about arrowroot starch or cornstarch in this recipe would that be the choc oat cake recipe maybe?
I have cornstarch in the house though so if u think it’s needed will I use 1tsp.
That’s perfect! You can add in a teaspoon of cornstarch to also help 🙂
Brit,
OMG!!! You are a Legend!
Every year I stress so much trying to find the right recipe for my sons bday cake, he’s anaphylactic to wheat,eggs,nuts and few more to add to the list.
So I followed your recipe and used our uk gf plain flour added the extras above mentioned and rise on these beauties are amazing. Can’t wait to try it but for now once cooled they’ll be wrapped and decorated tomorrow.
Thanks again
Aine
Omgsh I’m so happy to hear this 🥺ENJOY!! SO excited to hear how it comes out!! And happy birthday to your son! 🙂
Honestly one of the best cakes I have ever had, and by far the the best and most moist vegan cake I have ever tried. Have been making this cake for birthdays on request from non vegans because it’s an absolute hit!
This is so wonderful!! Ah I’m so happy to hear it 🙂 Thanks so much for coming back to review!
I’m wondering how long I would bake these if I wanted to make 🧁 cupcakes?! Thank you!
Hi Nikki! This will make close to 24 cupcakes, and they’ll need about 18-24 minutes- I would start checking the cupcakes on how they’re doing around the 15 minute mark using the oven light 🙂 And make sure to not fill the cupcake liners up too high- about 2/3 of the way is good!
can I use dark chocolate for buttercream? will it change the texture because of its cocoa butter?
Hi Nancy! You absolutely can! You just need to allow the chocolate to cool once melted before using in your buttercream 🙂
Best chocolate cake ever. I made this for my great granddaughters’ birthday and no one could tell it was vegan. Got rave reviews so much so that my granddaughter-in law asked for the recipe so she could make it. Can you make this in a 8 1/2 X 11 pan? How would that change the baking time?
This is so wonderful!! I’m so happy to hear it! And I would recommend 9×13 if you can, but that will also work! It should bake for about 40-45 minutes, but I’d check with the oven light on how it’s doing around the 35 minute mark!
I want to make this today but was wondering if I would use the same measurements for a 9×13 baking pan? I don’t own more than one round pan unfortunately. 🙁
Hi Ingrid!! Absolutely, you can bake it as a 9×13 sheet cake! It’ll bake for about 40-45 minutes, but check on it around the 38 minute mark to see how it does!
Ok so I am not vegan but this recipe looks bomb. Anything that is vegan, would it be ok to switch to normal. For example, just using normal buttermilk and butter….thank you so much.
Aw thank you!! And so technically, yes, but I can’t guarantee results as I haven’t tried it! I know a ton of my readers who aren’t fully vegan will swap in the dairy counterparts and it’s successful- I just can’t speak to the results because haven’t made it nor tasted it that way 🤣 I hope you try it though!!
hi! im planning to make this at the weekend for my sister’s birthday and i just have a question about the flour. i notice you use all-purpose flour (which i think is the same as plain flour); does the added baking soda/baking powder make up for it not being self raising flour? i’ve only ever used self raising flour for cakes, and plain for brownies/biscuits, so i just wanted to check that i’m understanding it right – especially because i always struggle to get vegan cakes to rise well! thank you in advance!! 🙂
Hi Rosie! How sweet 🙂 Yes, all purpose flour is the same as plain flour- so we’re adding back in the baking soda and baking powder, yes! But because I haven’t tested this recipe with self-raising flour, and I don’t know how different the ratios are, I would stick to using plain flour and adding in the baking soda and baking powder! I think that might help you 🙂 Can’t wait to hear what you think of it!!
amazing, thankyou so much for your quick reply!! i cant wait to make this cake, i’ll be sure to let you know how it goes 🙂
Absolutely!! Can’t wait 🙂 Enjoy!
the cake has been both made and eaten and i am so impressed!! it rose really well and had a great structure, it wasn’t super dense like other vegans cakes i’ve made and it was still moist and so tasty! i’ll be making it again for sure! 🙂
So happy to hear this 🙂 Thanks so much for the review!! Enjoy!!
Hi, i was wondering if i can use cane powered sugar for the frosting?
Hi Stella! Yes you can!
Hello Britt, thank you for your reply! 😊 Also i have another question, if i will use coconut sugar the texture of the frosting will be the same?
Absolutely! And if you pulse the coconut sugar in a food processor beforehand, that will help make it more similar to powdered sugar- the texture won’t be quite the same, but it will still work and be delicious!
Made this for my chocolate loving sister’s birthday and everyone loved it! No one had a clue it was vegan. So delicious! My husband was especially impressed with the frosting! Thank you! Love your site and the easy to follow directions and helpful videos.
This is so lovely!!! So happy to hear it, and thank you for the review 🙂 Enjoy, and happy birthday to your sister too! 🙂
Honestly speechless this was SO DELICIOUS, the best cake I’ve ever eaten let alone baked myself! So easy to make as well, super moist, rich, and sooo delicious!! Even my vegan-skeptic relatives were commenting how good it was, and it was gone FAST!
I made this delicious chocolate cake for my egg allergic daughter’s 18th birthday! She has been following your scrumptious looking recipes and told me to check you out! The cake is amazing! I did make some substitutions which I normally do not do in recipes but as we aren’t vegan and just egg allergic I used ingredients I had on hand. I subbed vegan butter for real butter and made “buttermilk” using vanilla oat milk. I also used nonfat Greek yogurt. You’ve given us hope knowing we can make delicious egg free food and not have to sacrifice taste and texture! Thank you!
Hi Britt, I live in a country where it’s quite hard to get good vegan butter and it’s also quite expensive. if I were to use coconut oil for the cakes how much would I need for each size? I’m making your wedding cake but chocolate.
thanks,
bere
Best bday cake ever!
I am having my family over to the new house today for a little pre birthday/ Sunday dinner. My brother is Coaliac and mother vegan… so I decided I would make this cake for desert/bday cake (2 large 8 inch layers with the remaining batter as 4 cupcakes, and 1/3 of the buttercream volume)
This morning i was curious how the cake tasted and couldn’t stop myself having one of the cupcakes for breakfast this morning (naughty I know)
The bake is so moist/yet crumbly, with a rich flavour but not overpowering with chocolate or sweetness.
I literally cannot wait for everyone to try this later today. I can’t tell you how amazing it is to finally have THE most perfectly baked cake that my brother and mum can both eat.
Thank you soo much
Can’t wait to try other recipes
Hi, this cake looks amazing! I was wondering if I could reduce the cocoa powder in the cake to 75g so it’s not too rich? I like a slightly more lighter chocolate cake. Thank you
Aw thank you! So I haven’t tested this- I’m sure it would work, but you might want to add in 25 g extra of flour to the batter to ensure it’s not too wet!
Thank you Britt for this wonderful cake recipe. I’ve made a lot of vegan chocolate cakes and this one turned out perfectly. my only question is, for the weight conversion of brown sugar, wouldn’t it be a out 55 grams? thanks!
It’s an awesome cake I made a rectangular cake baked it about 40 minutes , next time I will not add the brown sugar , I will do 1 1/2 cup sugar total a tad too sweet for me but the cake is sublime .
Easiest and most delicious cake ever! My 6 year old nephew wants this as his birthday cake every year. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
This is awesome, wow! I’m so honored, thank you so much, Melissa!! Enjoy, and have a wonderful holiday season!
Can I use oil (sunflower, olive or coconut oil) instead of butter?
Can I use oil instead of butter?
For the chocolate yes, yes! For the frosting, you definitely still need butter!
oh yeah, thanks!
OH MY GOD! This was the best chocolate cake I’ve ever done. Thank you so much for the recipe! It was my first layered cake. One of my goals this year is to really get into vegan baking and your perfect recipes are helping me a lot.
I’m so so honored, wow! Thank you so much for this review 🙂 Enjoy!! Thanks for being here!
Just made this cake, and oh my wow!! I have never baked a vegan recipe, but a friend of mine has a birthday coming up and asked me to decorate a cake for her. I was so nervous, but it really turned out just perfect. It’s so rich with chocolate but not too sweet. Absolutely delicious! I used a concentrated amount of instant decaf coffee so that her kids wouldn’t be bouncing off the walls after a slice 😛
I also wanted to say that it was difficult to find a vegan chocolate cake recipe with so many positive reviews! You’re really doing something great here! Excellent photos too. Very inspiring <3
This is so wonderful!! So glad you loved it 🙂 Enjoy, and thanks so much for the beautiful review!
Hey hey! I know you mention your favorite brands for some ingredients in your video & throughout the blog post. Is there any way you could link them? (You may already do that and I’m just missing it lol)
Also, I have to be soy free and dairy free to be able to nurse my daughter. If I choose vegan substitutions that are soy free will that throw off the recipe?
Thank you!
Hi Ariel! SO sorry I’m just seeing this! No problem on the soy free- you can use nut-based or oat based!! For vegan butter, I like Miyoko’s. Dairy free milk, Three Trees almond milk or Forager Project cashew milk or oat milk are great!! Forager Project cashew milk yogurt is my fave for the yogurt part. And I believe that’s it!! Enjoy 🙂
My first try at vegan baking and absolutely smashed it with this recipe.. seriously the most delicious, moist, rich chocolate cake ever! My husband said it reminded him of the chocolate cake off Matilda haha you could never tell its vegan and really quite simple to make!
This is wonderful, wow!! Thank you so much for the review 🙂 And I just adore that cake, so that makes me so happy 😂Enjoy!!
Hi! I was thinking of using black cocoa powder instead for an oreo cake and using oreo buttercream. Do you think swapping out for black cocoa will work for the sponge? Maybe half black cocoa and half natural cocoa? Would love to know what you think—thanks!
Hi Mimi! Yes, I would swap only 1/2 of the cocoa for black cocoa powder- that will work great! Great idea btw 🙂 Definitely share the results here once you’ve baked it!
It turned out amazing—thank you so much! I reduced the amount of granulated sugar by 1/4 cup less and baked in two 13 x 9” pans for 35 minutes. It was delicious with the vegan Oreo buttercream frosting and tasted exactly like an Oreo in cake form! 😋
Hi, is there any subtitute for vegan yogurt, since in my country is hard to find. Thank you
Hi Sylvia! Yes, you can use applesauce if you’d like 🙂 Enjoy!
Hello Britt! This cake is delicious! A friend commented that it was the best chocolate cake she’s ever had! I am planning on making again soon, and it’s too large for my small group. Can I freeze the leftover finished cake – with frosting on – and if yes, how would you do it? Thank you!
Oh that’s so wonderful! Thanks for the kind words 🙂 And absolutely you can freeze the leftover cake with frosting on it! I would first chill it in the fridge to set the frosting a bit more- 10-20 minutes is totally fine). Then wrap it tightly a few times with plastic wrap and you can then freeze for up to 2-3 months! Enjoy!!
Girrrrl I just wanted to let you know your vegan chocolate cake literally cannot be beaten. I made it a little while back for a dear dairy intolerant friend for her birthday, it was hands down THE BEST CAKE IVE EVER TASTED. fast forward to this weekend, made a “regular” choc cake for my 2yr Olds bday party and wow. Bland. Dry. Crumbly. Noone had seconds. Just yuk. Im SOO DISAPPOINTED I didn’t just use your recipe girl it’s like insane how good that cake is 😭😭 just thought I’d let u know xx
Oh my gosh, I’m so happy you loved the cake!! This is so wonderful! But so sorry that that other cake disappointed- it’s always such a bummer when that happens! Really grateful you love this recipe though 🙂 Thanks so much for letting me know, happy birthday to your baby, and thanks for being here!! 🙂
Hi! I want to make this cake for my flatmate but she can’t eat sugar in large quantities.
I was wondering if you could make the cake sugar free by, for example, replacing the sugar with Xylit ?
Thank you very much!
Hi Marie! I totally understand! So I’ve tested my cakes with sugar replacements, like xylitol and allulose- the result isn’t as fluffy. I wouldn’t recommend it, but I know some people bake it anyways and they say it’s fine- just not great! I’m so sorry!
I’m so excited to make this after reading all these amazing reviews!
I have 2 questions – Do you think I can make it in a Bundt pan? Also, I have cake flour and spelt flour.. which would you advise?
I have used spelt flour for years in recipes calling for all-purpose, but I’ve never made THIS cake so I’d appreciate your thoughts.
I’ll go get some all-purpose flour if that’s what’s needed.
Thank You!
Hi Heather! Oh, I can’t wait for you to try it! So yes, it can be made in a bundt cake pan, but it’ll need to be baked for 45-50 minutes- check how it’s doing with just the oven light around the 40 minute mark, and make sure to dust the pan with some cocoa powder and really grease it beforehand!
So I actually would recommend getting the all purpose flour- I’m so sorry! This cake is super tender and soft already, so it doesn’t need that extra softness that cake flour usually gives, and I’ve actually rarely baked with spelt flour so I can’t speak to the results. If you feel confident with spelt, you can certainly try, but I just can’t guarantee results!
How many servings did you make to accomplish 3 layers like in the photo
1 batch!
Really? I feel like my cake never rises enough to cut 3 slices
Oh are you baking this all in one pan? That can throw it a bit, because the cake will dome at the top! And maybe isn’t baking as tall as it should? I divide the cake batter into 3 pans!
Hi there. I want to do this cake upfront for an event and I was wondering if is ok to store it in the freezer?
Absolutely! It’ll keep moist for up to 3 months in the freezer when well wrapped and stored!
This looks so delicious, could I make into a mini cake just for about 6 people, how should I measure the ingredients
Oh sure! I would divide the recipe in half if I were you 🙂 That will work!