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It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken

Fuss-Free Vegan Recipes

November 21, 2015 564 Comments

The Ultimate Vegan Chocolate Cake

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I’m super happy to say that this post for The Ultimate Vegan Chocolate Cake is sponsored by World Kitchen, who I love for their affordable, non-stick baking pans. I seriously use Baker’s Secret pans all their time. They are perfect for roasting veggies, making muffins, and of course, making The Ultimate Vegan Chocolate Cake! I have been compensated monetarily and with product. Yay!

The Ultimate Vegan Chocolate Cake! If you are looking for the chocolate cake of your dreams, this is it! Easy to make and also includes a recipe for vegan chocolate frosting. No one will know it's vegan! #itdoesnttastelikechicken

Can we please just take a minute to drool over that picture? Seriously. I want to lick the screen, why oh why doesn’t my screen taste delicious and like chocolate?

It is time, my friends, for the most ridiculously awesome, ultimate vegan chocolate cake. Applause, please. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Thank you. I’m subtle I know.

I have a secret obsession with chocolate cake that stems back to my early days. Let me explain…

The Ultimate Vegan Chocolate Cake! If you are looking for the chocolate cake of your dreams, this is it! Easy to make and also includes a recipe for vegan chocolate frosting. No one will know it's vegan! #itdoesnttastelikechicken

When I was a little kidlet, me and one of my best friends Katherine (hi Kat!), would always save up our loonies (that’s Canadian slang for dollars), then when our parents weren’t looking, we would go and buy a big chocolate cake that they sold in the freezer section of the grocery store. This was a cake intended for a family. We would sneak it back to our rooms and then proceed to eat THE ENTIRE THING. (Mom, shhhhhh, don’t read that, shhhhh).

We were both scrawny little things so I really don’t know how we managed to do that, but kids really seem to have a knack at consuming large amounts of sugar, don’t they?

Yep, serious chocolate addicts were born. So when I say I love chocolate cake, this comes from a place of childhood sugar gluttony.

The Ultimate Vegan Chocolate Cake! If you are looking for the chocolate cake of your dreams, this is it! Easy to make and also includes a recipe for vegan chocolate frosting. No one will know it's vegan! #itdoesnttastelikechicken

When I first tasted this cake, it brought back all of those chocolate cake obsessed kid memories. This cake is rich, moist, fudgy, and super… what’s the word…chocolatey. That’s the best word to describe it really. I promise you no one will notice it’s vegan. I wouldn’t be surprised if non-vegans asked for the recipe, then you can be all cool with your sweet self, and pass it along, and wink when you tell them it’s vegan.

I used these awesome red pans to make these cakes. Baker’s Secret are for real my go to pans when it comes to baking. They are very affordable, but the best part is they are very non-stick, so this cake just slid right out of the pan. The last thing you want is half your cake left behind in the pan! (Trust me, been there, done that). So I so appreciate Baker’s Secret for sponsoring this post and giving me these beautiful pans so I could make the chocolate cake of my dreams. Yes, I dream about cake.

The-ultimate-vegan-chocolate-cake-01

To make the Ultimate Vegan Chocolate Cake: Add all of the dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk together.

The-ultimate-vegan-chocolate-cake-02

In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together all of the wet ingredients.

Yep, there is apple cider vinegar in there. Yes, that seems weird. The reason it’s in there is to make the cakes rise and get fluffy (remember baking soda and vinegar volcanoes)? It’s a wonderful trick I picked up from Chloe Coscarelli, one of my most favourite cookbook authors. It works like a charm, and trust me, you can’t taste the vinegar at all, only delicious chocolateness.

The-ultimate-vegan-chocolate-cake-03

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk together until just combined. Don’t over mix.

One of the many benefits of vegan baking is there are no raw eggs! So go ahead, lick the spoon (and by lick the spoon, I mean drink the batter).

The Ultimate Vegan Chocolate Cake! If you are looking for the chocolate cake of your dreams, this is it! Easy to make and also includes a recipe for vegan chocolate frosting. No one will know it's vegan! #itdoesnttastelikechicken

Divide the batter between two 8″ round cake pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely before frosting.

The Ultimate Vegan Chocolate Cake! If you are looking for the chocolate cake of your dreams, this is it! Easy to make and also includes a recipe for vegan chocolate frosting. No one will know it's vegan! #itdoesnttastelikechicken

To make the vegan chocolate frosting, use a mixer to beat together all of the ingredients. If your frosting is a little too stiff, add 1 to 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk to soften it up until desired frosting texture is reached.

The Ultimate Vegan Chocolate Cake! If you are looking for the chocolate cake of your dreams, this is it! Easy to make and also includes a recipe for vegan chocolate frosting. No one will know it's vegan! #itdoesnttastelikechicken

When you are ready to frost your cakes, run a knife around the edges of the cake pans, and flip the pans over to remove the cakes.

Place the first cake on your cake plate, and spread about half of frosting on top. Place the second cake on top of the frosted cake, and spread the remaining frosting on top of that cake. Add swirl patterns with your spatula to make it pretty. Store the cake in the fridge or a cool place until you are ready to serve.

Prepare to have all of your chocolate needs met for life.

P.S. Can you find the hidden selfie in the pic below? ↓

The Ultimate Vegan Chocolate Cake! If you are looking for the chocolate cake of your dreams, this is it! Easy to make and also includes a recipe for vegan chocolate frosting. No one will know it's vegan! #itdoesnttastelikechicken

4.66 from 169 votes
Print
The Ultimate Vegan Chocolate Cake
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Total Time
1 hr
 

If you're looking for the chocolate cake of your dreams, this is it. No one will even know it's vegan! 

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, Canadian
Keyword: chocolate cake vegan, chocolate cake vegan recipe, vegan chocoalte cake recipe, vegan chocolate cake
Servings: 2 layer cake with frosting
Calories: 392 kcal
Author: Sam Turnbull • It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken
Ingredients
Dry ingredients:
  • 2½ cups all-Purpose flour
  • 2½ cups white sugar
  • 1 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
Wet ingredients:
  • 2⅔ cups non-dairy milk (such as soy or almond)
  • ⅔ cups light oil (such as canola or vegetable)
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Frosting Ingredients:
  • ½ cup vegan butter (such as Earth Balance)
  • ½ cup vegetable shortening
  • 1¼ cup powdered sugar
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 - 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk (if needed)
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  1. To Make the Cake: Preheat your oven to 350F (180C). Prepare two 8" round baking pans by lightly greasing them, and then cutting a circle of parchment paper to fit into the bottom.
  2. In a large bowl whisk together all of the dry ingredients, then set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl whisk together all of the wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Don't over mix. Divide the batter into the prepared pans, then pop them in the oven. Bake for about 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely before frosting. 

  4. To Make the Frosting: Use a mixer to blend all of the frosting ingredients except for the non-dairy milk. Blend until whipped and creamy. If the frosting is a bit too stiff, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of non-dairy milk as needed until desired consistency is reached.
  5. To Assemble the Cake: Run a knife around the edges of the cake pans, and flip the pans over to remove the cakes. Remove the parchment paper and discard. Place the first cake on your cake plate, and spread about half of the frosting on top. Place the second cake on top of the frosted cake, and spread the remaining frosting on top of that cake. Add swirl patterns with your spatula to make it pretty. Store the cake in the fridge or a cool place until you are ready to serve.
Recipe Notes

To make cupcakes: Line the wells of cupcake pans with 24 paper liners. Follow directions for the cake recipe, but then divide the batter evenly among the cupcake wells. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

Bon appetegan!

Sam.


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Categories: All Desserts Tags: best vegan chocolate cake, eggless chocolate cake recipe, rich vegan chocolate cake, vegan chocolate cake, vegan chocolate cake recipe

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. KG says

    February 14, 2019 at 8:58 pm

    This was by far the BEST cake I’ve ever had! My husband couldn’t believe it was vegan (first attempt making a cake since we made the switch last year). Will be saving this forever and looking forward to trying more of your cake recipes 🙂

    Reply
  2. Cheryl says

    February 12, 2019 at 8:58 am

    Is the calorie count for the entire 2 layer cake with frosting?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      February 14, 2019 at 11:11 am

      No the calories are an estimate for one slice of cake. Enjoy!

      Reply
      • Cheryl says

        February 14, 2019 at 1:14 pm

        But that doesn’t tell me if that’s 1/8, 1/12?? How many servings in the cake?

        Reply
  3. Petar says

    January 23, 2019 at 7:21 am

    I made this cake today for my birthday as there was not a vegan cake shop open near me. This, was, exceptional. Everyone enjoyed it and it was the perfect balance between moist, rich and satisfying without that sick feeling I sometimes get after eating cake. Thank you very much for contributing to an awesome birthday.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      January 25, 2019 at 3:24 pm

      That’s so wonderful! So very happy you loved it so much, Petar 🙂

      Reply
  4. Lillian Wessel says

    January 17, 2019 at 8:03 pm

    I made this cake last weekend, and it was on the counter for no more than a few hours before it was completely gone. I have already shared the recipe with five other friends, and I am in the process of making another one right now! I am obsessed with how fluffy and chocolatey it is. Thank you so much! A must have recipe.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      January 21, 2019 at 1:12 pm

      That’s so wonderful, Lillian!!! Delighted you enjoyed it so much 🙂

      Reply
  5. Nan West says

    January 17, 2019 at 1:57 pm

    Sam, thank you so much for this delicious recipe! This is super easy for a beginner like me. I baked this cake for my son 3rd birthday, which is today! We are not vegan but my son allergic to egg, milk, nut, and other stuff and this recipe is perfect for him! I am not a big fan of frosting, but this one is killing it, not too sweet, very smooth, and of course delicious. I can’t stop licking the spatula as I baked this cake!!! Thanks again ❤

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      January 21, 2019 at 1:08 pm

      Aww that’s so wonderful! So happy you loved the recipe so much, Nan West 🙂

      Reply
  6. Arlene Hernandez says

    December 30, 2018 at 3:35 pm

    I just made this cake and everyone loved it, even the non vegan eaters! I also made second cake with a variation of this recipe, I replaced the almond milk with red wine and omitted the frosting, I just dusted it with powdered sugar once it cooled. It was to die for!!! Everyone loved this variation as well, so much they’ve asked me to make it again for New Years. Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      January 3, 2019 at 10:52 am

      Ooooh that variation sounds delish! So thrilled you and your friends love it so much, Arlene 🙂

      Reply
  7. Elon Hawkins says

    December 26, 2018 at 1:49 am

    Hi! I’m hoping to make this cake this week! Thank you so much for this recipe for ultimate vegan chocolate cake.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      January 3, 2019 at 10:15 am

      You’re most welcome, enjoy!

      Reply
  8. Natasha says

    December 21, 2018 at 3:41 am

    This is our go to family cake recipe and even the dairy and egg eaters love it! I have started putting the rind and juice of a whole orange into the batter and it’s sooooooo good! Thank you so much for this recipe and for your whole blog so many easy and delicious recipes! Happy holidays!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      January 3, 2019 at 9:51 am

      That’s awesome!! So very happy you love the recipe so much 🙂 Happy holidays, Natasha!

      Reply
  9. Mary O says

    December 16, 2018 at 3:22 pm

    PHENOMENAL CAKE!! It’s my new go-to chocolate cake recipe! So easy and so good. I can’t wait to eat it today!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      December 18, 2018 at 10:43 am

      YAY!!! Thrilled you loved it so much, Mary 🙂

      Reply
  10. Jas says

    December 8, 2018 at 10:00 pm

    Delicious! Shared it around and was asked for the recipe by vegans and non-vegans 🙂

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      December 10, 2018 at 8:44 am

      Perfect!! 🙂

      Reply
  11. Stine says

    November 28, 2018 at 5:40 pm

    Thanks for a great recipe! I baked this cake today and it was very well received.
    I’m not sure how vegetable shortening differs from vegan butter – both are technically margarine, right? So I just used a whole cup of vegan butter for the frosting and it turned out great. I think I would prefer to use chocolate in the frosting instead of cocoa, but that’s just a preference thing. It’s a beautiful recipe and I’ll be using it again for all of my chocolate cake needs.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      December 2, 2018 at 1:27 pm

      So happy you enjoyed it so much! Vegan butter is margarine, but vegetable shortening is not, it’s vegetable fat. A bit different and it helps hold the frosting together and keep stiff even in warmer temperatures, but as you discovered you can sub ok. So happy you enjoyed!

      Reply
      • Stine says

        December 3, 2018 at 8:06 am

        Oh, I see. I think I know approximately what to look for then. For when I bake this cake in the summer!

        Reply
  12. Kanako Kurata says

    November 25, 2018 at 8:18 am

    This looks so yummy!!
    I love your vegan recipes!
    Can I use white rice flour instead of all-Purpose flour?
    From your big fans in Japan with love.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      November 27, 2018 at 5:46 pm

      Aww thanks so much!! Rice flour generally isn’t a good substitute for all-purpose unless it is a blend, so I wouldn’t recommend it. You can read more about that here. I would stick to all-purpose 🙂

      Reply
  13. alyssa monks says

    November 5, 2018 at 4:27 pm

    i’m not sure why but two times I’ve tried to make a vegan cake with this recipe and it just breaks apart into three big sections once i get it all layered and iced. why is this happening???

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      November 7, 2018 at 3:59 pm

      I’ve never had that happen before. It’s hard to know why without being in the kitchen with you, but that can sometimes happen when a cake isn’t cooled properly.

      Reply
      • alyssa monks says

        November 7, 2018 at 5:28 pm

        how do you cool the cake properly?

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          November 9, 2018 at 11:24 am

          There are lots of troubleshooting tips here. Hope that helps 🙂

          Reply
  14. Shayla Sharp says

    November 3, 2018 at 10:52 pm

    Made 4 dozen cupcakes for a dinner tonight using the icing and cake recipe here. The only change I made was using Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-free 1 to 1 flour. They were fabulous and people were even trying to snag the last few to take home! One woman said her husband thought it was the best dessert he’d ever had, and he’d had to be on his diet for 45 years. Thanks for making a whole bunch of people’s night.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      November 5, 2018 at 10:26 am

      Yay!! So happy you and so many others loved them so much, Shayla 🙂

      Reply
  15. Serene S Ong says

    November 3, 2018 at 8:57 pm

    I made these into cupcakes using your notes on time adjustment, and they came out moist, delicious and just perfect! The top even had a slight crunch when you bite into it, just about 5-10 mins after you take it out of the oven (which goes away after a little longer), They were a hit with vegans and non-vegans alike and folks asked for the recipe, so I sent them this way. The only tweaks I made was to reduce the sugar in the cake by 1/4 cup and I added a couple of tablespoons of vegan cream cheese to the frosting, I will definitely make it again!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      November 5, 2018 at 10:23 am

      Wonderful! So happy you enjoyed it so much, Serene 🙂

      Reply
  16. Alex says

    November 1, 2018 at 4:46 pm

    HI! Question – first time attempting a cake –
    How long do you leave it on the counter to cool? Or do you recommend putting it in the fridge to cool?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      November 2, 2018 at 2:32 pm

      Leave it on the counter to cool for a couple of hours or even overnight. Enjoy!

      Reply
  17. Γιούσσεφ Μπαρχαζάκι says

    October 31, 2018 at 9:33 am

    Hello I had a quick,question, would I be able to substitute the “Light Oil, Vegetable Shortening, and Vegan Butter” in this recipe with Coconut Oil?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      November 2, 2018 at 2:23 pm

      No. The light oil needs to be liquid, coconut oil would be too heavy. In the frosting, it might be ok but you won’t have the buttery taste, and it would melt very easily.

      Reply
  18. Kristin H says

    October 27, 2018 at 9:59 am

    Thank you SO much for creating and sharing this recipe. My daughter is allergic to 5 of the top 8 allergens, and we love that this recipe works for us without requiring adaptation. It is SOOOO delicious, and has replaced my former family favorite sour-cream chocolate cake recipe.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      October 28, 2018 at 8:14 pm

      That’s amazing!! SO happy you and your daughter can enjoy it so much 🙂

      Reply
  19. Claire says

    October 25, 2018 at 9:59 am

    Hi there! I have a question about the cake ingredients. I’d like to make this for my mom’s birthday. She isn’t vegan, but she does have an egg allergy, so an egg free cake is perfect. I’m thinking about substituting a combination of coffee and buttermilk for the non-dairy milk. I love the way coffee enhances chocolate, and I have had success with buttermilk in other chocolate cake recipes. But since this recipe already includes apple cider vinegar, I’m curious if the buttermilk will be too much acid in the batter. Do you think that combination would work? Should I do regular milk instead? Use buttermilk but leave out the vinegar? Add extra leaveners to balance the acid? Thanks for your help!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      October 25, 2018 at 12:35 pm

      Hi Claire, as I’m sure you know, baking is a science so if you add coffee (an acid) and buttermilk (an acid) it could change the outcome of the recipe. I would recommend sticking to the cake recipe as written with non-dairy milk. If you want a kick of coffee, try mixing in some instant espresso powder into the frosting. Enjoy!

      Reply
  20. Faye Mier says

    October 17, 2018 at 7:00 pm

    This is the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had! My non-vegan husband raved about it. It’s definitely one that I will make again and again. Thank you so much for this recipe! I would give it 10 stars if I could. And thank you for the recipe booklet for signing up for your emails.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      October 19, 2018 at 6:49 pm

      Oh wonderful!!!! So thrilled you loved it so much, Faye 🙂

      Reply
  21. Simone says

    October 14, 2018 at 4:18 am

    Greetings from Sydney, Australia Sam!

    This chocolate cake MADE my nieces 16th birthday! A 6 months vegan, I’m challenged as to what to cook for her. I made your buffalo cauliflower wings, a vegan lasagne that you have linked to from another chef, and your amazing ultimate chocolate cake, which was absolutely the ultimate! Choc cake. Everything and absolute success! I am the best auntie ever! Can’t thank you enough!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      October 19, 2018 at 6:26 pm

      Aww I love that!!! Hi from Toronto, Canada Simone 🙂

      Reply
  22. Mary McGrory says

    October 14, 2018 at 3:51 am

    I made this recipe as cup cakes for my vegan son and his girlfriend when they came home for the weekend from university. The cakes were delicious and were hoovered up by vegans and non vegans alike! Thanks for the recipe and the hard work that must go into developing them. When can we expect the next cookbook Sam? Since my son became vegan I have bought maybe 15 vegan cookbooks but yours in the one I always return to (along with your blog) because your recipes actually work and your claims for them aren’t over exaggerated either.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      October 19, 2018 at 6:25 pm

      Aww that’s so wonderful, thrilled you enjoy my recipes so much, Mary!! We will have to see about another book…..

      Reply
  23. Kat says

    October 12, 2018 at 11:51 am

    Can I substitute vegetable shortening with coconut oil for the frosting?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      October 19, 2018 at 6:17 pm

      Coconut oil melts at room temperature so if you do be careful as the frosting may melt.

      Reply
  24. Arielle says

    October 11, 2018 at 6:22 pm

    How is it vegan? If you’re using vegetable shortening, isnt that lard?

    Reply
    • Mary McGrory says

      October 14, 2018 at 3:28 am

      They are completely different products and vegetable shortening is completely vegan – this recipe is absolutely delicious and really simple to make too.

      Reply
    • Jack says

      October 14, 2018 at 9:51 pm

      Hence the word “vegetable “ in vegetable shortening

      Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      October 19, 2018 at 6:12 pm

      Vegetable shortening and lard are two different ingredients. Vegetable shortening is made from plants, lard is made from animals.

      Reply
  25. Tina says

    September 20, 2018 at 11:56 pm

    Can I use a 9×13 pan instead? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      September 21, 2018 at 6:11 pm

      Sure! The baking time will be longer so keep an eye on it and do the toothpick test.

      Reply
    • Christine says

      September 22, 2018 at 6:44 pm

      Hi! Does the recipe change for an altitude of 4300 ft?

      Reply
  26. Moi says

    September 11, 2018 at 4:16 am

    This recipe looks amazing! I’m going to make it for my birthday 🙂 Just wondering though if I can substitute the white sugar for brown sugar?
    Thanks! x

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      September 13, 2018 at 9:48 am

      Brown sugar holds more moisture so it might mess up the cake texture a bit. I would stick with white. Enjoy!

      Reply
  27. Maya says

    August 9, 2018 at 8:41 am

    HI Sam,
    It says to see notes regarding the vegan shortening but there’s nothing on that in the notes. Can I make the cake without shortening?
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      August 9, 2018 at 10:40 am

      Hi Maya! Oh yes, sorry about that. I removed the notes as it was talking about a brand of shortening I liked which no longer exists. The shortening is for the frosting and is not in the cake. Enjoy!

      Reply
  28. Alyssia says

    August 4, 2018 at 12:11 pm

    Is the time still as followed for cupcakes?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      August 6, 2018 at 10:34 am

      Bake for 20 – 25 minutes 🙂

      Reply
  29. Hesh says

    July 22, 2018 at 6:46 am

    This is the first cake I attempted since going vegan and it was perfect. I changed the icing to a vegan version of my favourite mocha oreo buttercream and it paired beautifully. Everyone loved it. Thank you so much <3

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      July 22, 2018 at 10:00 am

      Amazing!! Thrilled you enjoyed it, Hesh 🙂

      Reply
      • Ivy says

        July 23, 2018 at 10:38 am

        I was wondering whether I could substitute all purpose flour with self raising flour. Looking forward to try this recipe

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          July 25, 2018 at 9:48 am

          Hi Ivy, here’s an article you may find helpful for this. Enjoy!

          Reply
  30. Jenny says

    July 10, 2018 at 10:43 pm

    I just discovered your channel!!Great looking reciepes! So I ordered your cookbook and it should be here any day!
    Have you ever thought about doing reciepes for vegan dog treats and food (And cats)? ……..
    Thanks for the great reciepes!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      July 11, 2018 at 4:51 pm

      Thanks for your support, Jenny! I have two dog treat recipes already actually. Here and here. 🙂

      Reply
  31. Janice says

    July 8, 2018 at 10:58 pm

    I just made this for my son’s birthday and using the vanilla frosting. It was really good and total hit with everyone!! It was moist and fluffy! This will def be my go to recipe in the future

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      July 11, 2018 at 4:29 pm

      Awesome! So happy everyone enjoyed it, Janice 🙂

      Reply
  32. Lariza says

    July 5, 2018 at 9:50 am

    Hi Sam, I made this cake yesterday and it is moist and delicious. I used 1 1/2 cups of sugar only and I baked it in a round cake pan. Perfect!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      July 8, 2018 at 12:51 pm

      So happy you enjoyed it 🙂

      Reply
  33. Burns Wattie says

    July 1, 2018 at 9:37 am

    Looking for a vegan chocolate cake recipe, I fixed on this one. I could tell you have worked at getting it all right, and as a fellow blogger I definitely appreciated your story of how you became a chocoholic. The one thing I did was I made all the measurements in grams (any recipe worth its salt gets this treatment from me) and I used coconut oil, my usual go to oil for vegan baked goods.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      July 1, 2018 at 1:23 pm

      Great! Be careful when substituting coconut oil as it is solid at room temperature which means it will make the cake a little heavier and denser. Enjoy!

      Reply
  34. Desirea says

    June 26, 2018 at 2:20 pm

    If I’m using a wilton dinosaur pan would i use the exact recipe or half it? I want to make for my sons birthday this weekend. So excited!!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      July 1, 2018 at 8:50 am

      I have no idea how big that pan is but the cake batter should fill the pan to about 2/3rds full. Enjoy!

      Reply
  35. Janice says

    June 19, 2018 at 12:39 pm

    I want to make this for my son’s birthday – but want a taller cake. Should I double up the recipe if I want 3 layers?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      June 22, 2018 at 8:26 am

      This recipe makes two layers, so if you want to make 3 layers, just change the number by the servings from 2 to 3 and it will adjust all of the measurements for you. Enjoy!

      Reply
      • Janice says

        June 22, 2018 at 11:10 am

        Oh yes, I see it now! thank you for your quick response! also one other question – does it make a difference if you use the tub earth balance spread vs the stick? I’m having trouble finding the stick here. I’ve also seen the becel vegan margarine, can that be used to substitute the stick?

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          June 24, 2018 at 7:38 am

          My go-to for baking is always Earth Balance in the tub but any vegan butter should work fine. Enjoy!

          Reply
  36. Cecilia says

    June 17, 2018 at 1:44 pm

    This is my favorite vegan chocolate cake recipe I added fresh raspberries on top and it was a hit! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      June 17, 2018 at 6:43 pm

      Wonderful! So very happy you loved it so much, Cecilia 🙂

      Reply
  37. Sara says

    June 13, 2018 at 11:49 am

    I’m going to bake this cake but I have a question:
    – Is it fine to use unsweetened cashew milk instead of soy or almond milk?

    Super excited to give this a try!!! 🙂

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      June 15, 2018 at 8:29 am

      Absolutely! Enjoy the cake, Sara 🙂

      Reply
  38. Elaine B Clark says

    June 6, 2018 at 1:21 pm

    I made this for my daughter’s birthday, and it was a huge hit! Thanks for posting! It is moist and delicious!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      June 8, 2018 at 4:34 pm

      Wonderful! So happy you enjoyed it! 🙂

      Reply
  39. Stephanie says

    June 2, 2018 at 11:55 pm

    I have read all of these rave reviews and loved your vanilla cake but this one didn’t work out for me for some reason. It wasn’t dry but it wasn’t moist either. The cake was slightly dense and didn’t really have much flavor. I am assuming it was a problem with either my flour (100% white whole wheat-says it can be used as all purpose flour in all baking) and the Trader Joe’s unsweetened cocoa I used. The cocoa wasn’t Dutch processed but I use it in other things and it is ok. Do you have any ideas?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      June 3, 2018 at 11:29 am

      My guess is that it was the flour. Even though the whole wheat flour may work in this recipe, whole wheat is always more absorbent so it would make the cake dryer. So that’s my guess. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  40. Agnes says

    May 31, 2018 at 7:14 pm

    Can this be made into cupcakes and then frozen?
    Thank you

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      June 1, 2018 at 11:12 am

      Yep! I would freeze the cupcakes and frosting separately, then thaw and frost. Enjoy!

      Reply
  41. Maria says

    May 15, 2018 at 8:04 am

    I am new to your blog and this is the second recipe I have made, both recipes were loved by vegans and non-vegans (I made the chocolate chip oatmeal cookies and then this cake). Everyone raved about both, especially that this cake was so moist!! Thanks for sharing easy, delicious recipes!! It is easy to think that when you turn vegan, you give up some comfort foods, but this blog is proof that you don’t have to! Or that the recipes to cook now that I am vegan are hard and complex, and use hard to find ingredients, which again isn’t necessarily the case! Yay!! I am looking to order your Fuss Free book soon! 🙂

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      May 15, 2018 at 1:06 pm

      Welcome, Maria! Oh yes, I believe anything can be veganized and taste just as good if not better than the original! No flavours or textures need to be sacrificed. Thrilled you are enjoying the recipes so much, and I know you will love Fuss-Free Vegan too 🙂

      Reply
  42. Kim says

    May 11, 2018 at 2:06 pm

    How many minutes do I have to bake for cupcakes? And do you think the recipe for chocolate frosting will be enough to frost 24 cupcakes?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      May 12, 2018 at 10:12 am

      20 – 25 minutes and it will be enough for a light frosting if you want more frosting than cake you might want to double it. Haha. Enjoy!

      Reply
  43. Jennifer says

    May 8, 2018 at 2:53 pm

    hi! i only have olive and coconut oil at home, would any of these work instead of the vegetable oil?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      May 12, 2018 at 10:08 am

      No, you really want a neutral oil for this one!

      Reply
  44. Deirdre says

    May 6, 2018 at 8:21 pm

    I needed to bake two vegan cakes for my son-in-law’s birthday party. I am so glad that I used this recipe for the chocolate cake. It was delicious! Everyone enjoyed it, including the non-vegans. The cake came out moist and flavorful, and the icing was perfect. I’m 100% sure that I will use this recipe many times in the future! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      May 7, 2018 at 8:26 am

      Wonderful!! Thrilled you loved it so much, Deirdre 🙂

      Reply
  45. Daria says

    May 3, 2018 at 4:19 am

    I didn’t have a measuring scale, so I looked for another chocolate cake recipe and found this one. I think I will now always make this one! I did another frosting and splitted the cake in half after baking and put some jam in between. Also I didn#t had baking powder neither applecider vinegar, so I used balsamico and baking soda instead and reduced the amount of salt and vinegar. I also reduced the amount of sugar and used half plantbased milk and half coffee for the wet ingredients. It was delicious and everybody liked it a lot! Very moist!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      May 4, 2018 at 1:50 pm

      Glad you enjoyed!

      Reply
  46. KBD says

    May 2, 2018 at 10:53 pm

    Made this for my step sisters moms birthday! She loved it! I could not find earth balance shortening for the frosting so I doubled the vegan butter. Worked great. Wish I could post a photo

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      May 4, 2018 at 1:48 pm

      So happy you enjoyed it so much! You can always tag me on Instagram @itdoesnttastelikechicken 🙂

      Reply
  47. Anu says

    April 29, 2018 at 4:46 pm

    If I am making 10 jumbo cupcakes how many servings do I have to plug into your recipe ? It is set at default to 2 servings. Please help I need this info by tomorrow. Thanks !

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      May 2, 2018 at 8:42 am

      1 serving (enough to make a 1 layer cake) makes 12 cupcakes, so maybe that? I’m not sure how big your jumbo cupcakes are!

      Reply
  48. Sara Vinas says

    April 23, 2018 at 8:45 pm

    Wow, so many comments! Guess it’s not surprising since this is an amazing recipe. I have a birthday bundt cake that I have made for about 20 years. With 4 eggs, sour cream, box mix, a bar of melted semisweet chocolate.. My daughter, who has recently realized she and dairy are not the pals she thought they were, asked if I could do a dairy free cake. And I immediately thought of you. Because you have such a knack for nailing the taste and consistency of “regular” food. Well. No one even noticed. They all raved at how moist and wonderful it was. You did it again!! So, bundt cake with ganache. Another twist on delicious! And I am so happy to have a new hugely healthier version of birthday cake. THANK YOU!!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      April 25, 2018 at 1:55 pm

      That’s awesome!!! Thrilled you and everyone else loved it so much, Sara. Flattered that you thought of me!

      Reply
  49. Allie says

    April 22, 2018 at 9:32 am

    hi! I made this for my pre-school class for the end of the year, just testing out the recipe – one of my little girls is allergic to dairy.
    I didn’t have cake pans which surprised me as I am an avid baker, so I used cupcake tins instead.
    My cupcakes turned out fantastic! I kept and eye out on them and they baked through in about 28-30 minutes.
    My neighbor downstairs is vegan so I brought some to her!

    Thank you for this recipe! I’m sure my kids will love it next month!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      April 22, 2018 at 9:51 am

      That’s lovely!! You’re most welcome, Allie. So happy you enjoyed them 🙂

      Reply
  50. Christine Gilman says

    April 16, 2018 at 12:54 pm

    I added an extra 1/2 c of cocoa to the cake, put it in 9 inch rounds and cooked 15 minutes less. It was delicious. I’m not a great baker, but this cake was delicious!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      April 17, 2018 at 6:07 pm

      Awesome! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂

      Reply
  51. Pam says

    March 31, 2018 at 11:56 am

    So moist and delicious! Best chocolate cake I’ve ever made (even before I went vegan). No one will know it’s vegan!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      April 1, 2018 at 8:52 am

      Woohoo!!! Love that! Can’t get a much better review than that 🙂

      Reply
  52. Chloui says

    March 27, 2018 at 3:58 pm

    I loved this recipe! Obsessed, even my dad (who’s so anti anything healthy/vegan) loved it and couldn’t tell the difference, but I had a problem when trying to take the cake out of the pan, it stuck to the bottom, even with the parchment paper, have you got any tips for that? Would a silicone pan help? I wanna do it for my birthday (Turning 25 in april and I need this cake!!!) and I want it to turn out perfect! Thanx for this recipe again!!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      March 28, 2018 at 12:52 pm

      Haha, awesome!! Thrilled you and your dad loved it. I always find a good spraying of non-stick spray works. Just let the cake cool completely before removing from the pan. But yes, a silicon pan such as this one will definitely work. 🙂

      Reply
  53. Lily says

    March 27, 2018 at 9:25 am

    Fantastic!!! Made it for my son’s birthday and was magnificent:) easy to make ..and a big one .. next time will make more frosting and less cake :))
    We used raspberries too .. divine THNK YOU!!!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      March 27, 2018 at 9:27 am

      Awesome! So happy you enjoyed, Lily 🙂

      Reply
  54. Lindsey says

    March 26, 2018 at 4:04 pm

    I needed to make a vegan birthday cake for my neighbor and came across your recipe and it turned out absolutely amazing!! My whole (non-vegan) family of five loved it as well!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      March 27, 2018 at 9:18 am

      Wonderful! Thrilled everyone enjoyed it 🙂

      Reply
  55. Ajna says

    March 22, 2018 at 1:54 pm

    Hello, I made this cake a week ago and it was delicious but it dried out on the edges after two days in the refrigerator. You said that you could have it in room temperature for it not to dry out but because I can’t find any vegetable shortening where I live I had to use vegan butter instead. The problem is that you said the cake was gonna melt if you have vegan butter instead in room temperature but it becomes dry in the refrigerator.
    Do you have any advice on how to keep it from drying out without the frosting melting? I would love to make it again but I had to throw away many chunks of the cake.
    Thank you for the answer in advance!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      March 24, 2018 at 8:50 pm

      Hi Anja, yes, I always store my cakes at room temperature as the fridge can dry them out. I would just recommend keeping the cake in a cooler area of your hose- not near the stove, a heat source, or in direct sunlight. Hopefully, that will help.

      Reply
    • Terri Housler says

      April 15, 2018 at 12:57 pm

      I made this cake today but haven’t tried it yet but I used the 2 8 in pans that are 1 1/4 deep, the old time pans but had a ton of batter left. enough for about 17 cupcakes. I could have filled pans a little more but still a lot left. Are you really using 8 in pans and are they deeper than mine?

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        April 15, 2018 at 5:09 pm

        Hi Terri, yes I use 8 inch baking pans. I think mine are about 2 inches deep. Do you think you could have accidentally doubled the recipe?

        Reply
  56. Maxi says

    March 9, 2018 at 3:55 am

    Hey,

    I really like your recipes but could you maybe include metric info for the ingredients?

    Cheers

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      March 9, 2018 at 3:10 pm

      Hi Maxi, glad you are enjoying my recipes! I don’t use metric measurements, but here is a conversion chart you should find helpful. Enjoy!

      Reply
  57. Andrea says

    February 26, 2018 at 2:36 pm

    I never make cakes. I am really, really bad at baking. But for some reason I was able to successfully make this cake! It was delicious! It is very rich, though, so when I make it again I’ll probably just do one layer.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      February 27, 2018 at 10:53 am

      Wonderful! So happy you were able to make this one. Haha, yes it’s a rich cake for sure 🙂

      Reply
    • Val says

      March 19, 2018 at 8:45 am

      Me too and this cake turned out incredible! I made a peanut butter icing and it made my husbands birthday so special! Thank you so much this truly is the ultimate vegan chocolate cake! Moist, firm and shapely, Rich, deep chocolate deliciousness

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        March 20, 2018 at 9:04 am

        Yay!! Thrilled to hear that, Val 🙂

        Reply
  58. Priyal says

    February 20, 2018 at 2:31 am

    Hi! This recipe is delicious!! I was wondering if you could give me the nutrition information without including the icing? Thank you

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      February 22, 2018 at 9:29 am

      Glad you enjoyed! I’m currently working on updating my nutrition calculator so it should be up and running soon 🙂

      Reply
      • Joe says

        February 24, 2018 at 9:01 am

        Is that chocolate cake moist or very dry

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          February 24, 2018 at 9:56 am

          Very moist.

          Reply
  59. Renee says

    February 9, 2018 at 6:45 pm

    I plan on making this cake tomorrow and have read through the comments. I am interested in swapping out the white sugar for another sweetener. I saw someone used coconut sugar but was wondering if you had any other suggestions? Thank you for making my vegan lifestyle a little easier with your great recipes!!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      February 11, 2018 at 2:14 pm

      Hi Renee! I haven’t tried this recipe with any other type of sugar, so I don’t really have any recommendations. I hope you enjoy the recipe tho!

      Reply
  60. Elizabeth torres says

    February 6, 2018 at 8:44 pm

    For the frosting will it turn out good if I use coconut oil in replace of the vegan butter/margarine. I have all the ingredients for frosting but not the butter .what do you suggest to replace vegan butter with?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      February 8, 2018 at 3:55 pm

      Vegan butter will work best. You can use coconut oil, but the frosting will lack in the buttery flavour, and also coconut oil melts fairly easily. So make sure to keep the frosting and tools cold and store the cake in a cool place. Enjoy!

      Reply
  61. Cheyenne says

    February 4, 2018 at 3:56 pm

    Hey,
    I love this recipe so much! But I was wondering how I would go about with using cake flour instead of all-purpose? My box of cake flour says to use 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of cake flour for every cup of all-purpose flour. Would I change anything else to ensure it still turned out as good as normal?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      February 4, 2018 at 4:32 pm

      Hi Cheyenne, I have never tried this recipe with cake flour so I can’t know for sure, but if you have all-purpose I would recommend sticking to the recipe as written. Cake flour is more tender and results in a weaker cake, meaning it may fall apart. You can read more about the different flours here and how to substitute them. Enjoy!

      Reply
      • Cheyenne says

        February 4, 2018 at 5:43 pm

        Hey! Thanks so much! I did go ahead and use all-purpose, I was just wondering about potentially using it in the future. Thanks for the link to more info about flours, I’ll go check it out now!

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          February 6, 2018 at 6:03 pm

          Glad I could help 🙂

          Reply
  62. Rebecca H. says

    February 3, 2018 at 3:23 pm

    I made this cake today and it turned out perfectly! Is very easy to work with when frosting and it isn’t too fragile it didn’t break or crack when flipping it out of the pan. I did make some adjustments with the frosting. I doubled the frosting recipe and I also made a vegan chocolate ganache, refrigerated it and then mixed the two together and added some peanut butter and more powdered sugar. The granulated white sugar and powdered sugar I have is from Sprouts grocery store and is the store brand which is vegan. Thanks for a great recipe!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      February 4, 2018 at 4:12 pm

      Wonderful! So happy you enjoyed it, Rebecca!

      Reply
  63. Tallulah Fisk says

    January 30, 2018 at 6:31 pm

    Could I bake this in an oven safe bowl to make a round cake for a project I’m doing?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      January 31, 2018 at 8:35 am

      That should work fine. Just make sure to check doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center as the baking time might vary slightly. Enjoy!

      Reply
  64. Karla says

    January 28, 2018 at 11:35 pm

    OMG! this was delish! it really turned out good! im on a diet and really craving something nice a guilt free dessert. i made few changes though, for 1 later of cake instead of plain flour/ i used spelt flour for 1 cup and 1/4 of plain ( splet flour tends to absord so much moisture and tends to dry). i have substituted sugar to coconut sugar. oil to coconut oil. it works out really well. thanks for sharing this recipe!!! ❤️

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      January 30, 2018 at 11:04 am

      Wonderful! So happy you enjoyed it and were able to adapt it perfectly 🙂

      Reply
  65. Diana Morris says

    January 24, 2018 at 6:22 pm

    First, thank you for the great recipe! I’m wondering 1) where can I buy Earth Balance shortening sticks? I live in Pasadena California and we have access to Whole Foods, Sprouts Marketplace, Trader Joe’s, Vons, Ralphs, etc. 2) Should the non diary milk be unsweetened? I was planning on using unsweetened soy.

    Thanks in advance!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      January 26, 2018 at 9:37 am

      Apparently, Earth Balance shortening sticks are no longer available, so I would just get whatever vegetable shortening you can get your hands on. Unsweetened or original will work fine. Enjoy!

      Reply
  66. Fleur says

    January 21, 2018 at 2:07 pm

    Hey!
    I absolutely love this cake recipe! I’m planning on making it again this thursday, but i’d like to half the recipe. What should I do with the time it’s in the oven? Should I take some minutes off? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      January 24, 2018 at 12:01 pm

      Hi Fleur, just make a 1 layer cake instead of a 2 layer cake, and bake for the same time. Enjoy!

      Reply
  67. Maya Spivey says

    January 19, 2018 at 9:12 am

    The BEST!!!! The whole family loved it!! Vegan and all!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      January 19, 2018 at 10:00 am

      Yay!! Thrilled everyone enjoyed it 😉

      Reply
      • KAren says

        January 20, 2018 at 1:23 pm

        followed the recipe exactly as written. Perfect. Waiting for it to cool in order to frost. I know it’s going to be delicious in that the batter was fabulous. The time indicated worked. So glad I found the site. Going to check some of the other items out!

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          January 24, 2018 at 11:59 am

          Yay! Great to hear that, Karen! Enjoy 🙂

          Reply
  68. VV says

    January 6, 2018 at 4:43 pm

    The best Eggless cake recipe ! I have tried many other Eggless cake recipes, but they never turned out to be good like this one. No one will believe that the cake is Eggless. My family and friends loved it. Thank you very much for the recipe! It was very yummy!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      January 6, 2018 at 6:18 pm

      So happy you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  69. Daniela says

    January 6, 2018 at 2:48 pm

    Hello, I really would love to try this recipe but where I live there is no vegan butter, what can I use instead (shortening o margarine maybe?)

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      January 6, 2018 at 6:18 pm

      Yes, use a vegan-friendly margarine (that’s what I am referring to when I say vegan butter). Enjoy!

      Reply
  70. Chloe Sutton says

    January 3, 2018 at 11:37 pm

    I am sorry, but this was the WORST cake I have ever made. I’m an experienced vegan baker and I followed this recipe exactly, I had to bake each pan for an hour and twenty minutes each and they were still gooey and rawish in the center. I was not even close to satisfied. I used a minimalist baker icing recipe which was ok, but I will never make this recipe again. I love your other recipes though!!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      January 4, 2018 at 10:48 am

      Really? That’s so bizarre! This cake works perfectly for me every single time and in fact I am making it again today.

      Reply
      • Trina says

        September 14, 2018 at 1:40 am

        Thats crazy! The batter is delicious! Mine took about 50 min to cook through and I was so excited to see it rise so high! Waiting to frost it and nomnomnom! Thank you!!

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          September 14, 2018 at 7:35 pm

          So happy you love it, Trina!

          Reply
    • Shannon says

      January 8, 2018 at 1:51 pm

      Wow, thats unfortunate. I have made this cake countless times since finding the recipe a few months ago. My non vegan friends say it’s the best chocolate cake they’ve ever had! (I tend to agree) I 100% give this recipe 5 stars, 10 stars even!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        January 9, 2018 at 2:59 pm

        Yay! So thrilled you love it so much, Shannon. It’s my favourite chocolate cake too (but I’m biased) haha.

        Reply
    • Wendy Forster says

      January 26, 2018 at 9:50 am

      I have made this cake today and had the same problem, in that the top of the cake is a hard crust already after baking for more than an hour and 20 mins but the inside is gooey, not sure as I am an experienced baker and this just does not seem to work. The sugar quantity is very high as it is the same ratio to the flour is this correct.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        January 28, 2018 at 12:50 pm

        So sorry to hear that! It always works for me, and for many other people who have tested it, so I am not sure what the problem could have been for you. 🙁

        Reply
    • Mary Jane Monteith says

      March 11, 2018 at 10:56 am

      Hi there…are you Canadian and using a high gluten canadian flour? All of our all purpose flour ( I am also Canadian) has a higher gluten content (making a denser more difficult to rise cake) than American all purpose flour. It is frustrating ….might be the problem. I made the cake as cupcakes and noted that the batter was not as runny…more scoopable like muffins. Baked them for 30 minutes and they came out fine but I wonder if baking in cake pans might have been less successful….?

      PS I Love this website and bought the book as well! Great story Sam on becoming vegan and thanks for everything!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        March 12, 2018 at 8:46 am

        Thanks so much, Mary! I’m Canadian so the recipe should definitely work fine for a fellow Canadian. I hope you enjoy the book! 🙂

        Reply
  71. nancy says

    December 25, 2017 at 10:39 am

    Hi,

    we made this cake for our first ever all vegan Christmas dinner, we made it exactly as the recipe showed, changed nothing. It was so delicious, firm but not dry, the icing was so smooth and luscious. It’s not too sugary. It’s THE perfect cake.. We had to show our omni friends and family the recipe because they could not believe it had no eggs in it!

    Thank you

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      December 28, 2017 at 1:35 pm

      Yay! Thrilled you loved it so much, nancy 🙂

      Reply
  72. Sheena says

    December 24, 2017 at 6:50 am

    Hi! I live in Austria ( and come from New Zealand) and I’m not sure what vegetable shortening is here, do you have any idea what it could be or what I could use instead? I have seen something in the refrigerated section that looks like coconut fat in a block- could this be it? Otherwise I just seem to find tubs of Margerine…? Thank you! Xo

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      December 24, 2017 at 8:40 am

      Hi Sheena, vegetable shortening is basically just vegetable fat that is solid at room temperature so it helps the frosting hold shape and not melt. I’ve heard that Pflanzenfett is a brand that should be available to you, but if not just use more vegan butter in its place, adding less or no non-dairy milk. Store the frosted cake in a cooler location so the frosting doesn’t melt. Enjoy!

      Reply
      • Sheena says

        December 28, 2017 at 2:50 pm

        Thank you, just made the cake…the cake is absolutely perfect-moist, holds its shape well, perfect balance of chocolatey-ness-just a massive YUM, I think I would even say it is better than any non-vegan chocolate cake I have ever made! the icing didn’t work out for me though, I found a pflanzenfett-plant fat-and followed the recipe but it was quite runny and kind of curdled-looking, I added a little more icing sugar to try and thicken it but it was still quite thin, do you have any ideas? maybe I’ll just have to keep experimenting..? thank you so much by the way-AWESOME cake!!! xo

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          December 29, 2017 at 9:35 am

          So happy you enjoyed it! Hmmm it sounds like the vegetable shortening there is a little different as that shouldn’t happen at all! Next time I would start with the powdered sugar and add vegan butter until the desired consistency is reached, making sure to keep the ingredients cold. Hope that helps!

          Reply
  73. Christy Morgan says

    December 21, 2017 at 5:55 pm

    This is an awesome chocolate cake recipe. My husband is the cook in the family and I am the baker. We went plant-based in February 2017 and it has been very hard for me to find vegan recipes that are as good as my non-vegan go-to’s. This recipe fits the bill – it is delicious and is just as good as non-vegan cake. I personally use my mom’s icing recipe (which just happens to be vegan without meaning to be) so I can’t vouch for the icing.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      December 22, 2017 at 3:38 pm

      Thrilled you love it so much, Christy 🙂

      Reply
  74. Mary V says

    December 19, 2017 at 10:31 pm

    Hello!
    I do not have apple cider vinager unfortunately. Do you think it would be okay without it? I have everything else the recipe calls for! What exactly does the apple cider vinager add to the cake? Just curious

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      December 20, 2017 at 12:06 pm

      Hi Mary, no the apple cider vinegar is crucial. I use it here as an egg replacer, it helps raise the cake.

      Reply
  75. Leigh Rogers says

    December 4, 2017 at 8:45 pm

    If I don’t get some of this cake soon……..!
    What about some stout or espresso… or coffee stout?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      December 5, 2017 at 1:10 pm

      Haha! Great ideas!

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        December 5, 2017 at 10:41 pm

        I haven’t made this cake… and I likely won’t because it has sugar in it…, but I sure do need a great vegan chocolate cake recipe. Most true lvegans do not eat sugar. Why, why, why does ths recipe have white sugar in it?! And I’m not saying I prefer agave, or honey or even molasses … the only vegan sweetner would be brown rice syrup / barley malt syrup. White sugar is processed using what’s calle d”charr” — its from animal bones. Plus only brown rice syrup or barley malt syrup do not spike insulin and all the other bad things sugar does. — It’s not only this cake recipe… so far every vegan dessert recipe I’ve found so far has white sugar or agave and white sugar… Soooooo dissappointing and so not on point.

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          December 6, 2017 at 12:37 pm

          Hi Jennifer, actually, a lot of brands of white sugar are totally vegan. Using bone char to refine sugar isn’t very common anywhere other than the US as far as I know, but I do check the sugar I buy to make sure. The standard brand I use here in Canada is Redpath and they say on their site that the sugar is indeed vegan-friendly. So you just want to check the brand you’re purchasing. A helpful tip is that all organic sugar is always vegan-friendly! Honey, on the other hand, is never vegan as it comes from bees. As for the health side, no, sugar isn’t healthy and I never claimed it was. Vegan is not synonymous with health. You can live off of french fries and still be vegan. It’s up to the individual how healthy or not healthy they want to be. Hope that helps!

          Reply
          • Assuunta says

            December 7, 2017 at 12:36 pm

            Hi Sam, THANK YOU For this reply, as I am desperately trying to find the ultimate ways I can respect my son-in-law with outstanding vegan recipes…. and I know very little about veganism and what is what… I am so ignorant about it…. Once I thought I was appealing to his needs by making the best jello recipe I could muster…. boy did I learn THAT day! I will now shop for who carries vegan sugar in my neighborhood, Blessings!

          • Sam Turnbull says

            December 8, 2017 at 9:58 am

            Not a problem at all! You will find lots of easy and totally delicious recipes here on my blog and in my book. I would also recommend watching a documentary such as Vegucated which can be found on Netflix or here on YouTube which will explain exactly what veganism is 🙂

    • Traci says

      December 16, 2017 at 7:42 pm

      Hi. Can I use rice flour or almond flour in place of all purpose thanks

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        December 18, 2017 at 11:54 am

        Hi Traci, I’m not gluten-free so I’m not knowledgeable in gluten-free baking. I have heard good things about Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1, but have never tried it myself. Hope that helps!

        Reply
  76. kim says

    December 1, 2017 at 12:24 am

    Hi Sam
    I was wondering what brand of apple cider vinegar did you use? Was it Bragg’s?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      December 1, 2017 at 9:04 am

      Hi Kim, I’m not picky about it. I have used Bragg’s in the past but I think I just have the generic store brand in my cupboard right now. 🙂

      Reply
  77. Gracie says

    November 24, 2017 at 6:36 pm

    This cake is so bomb it’s ridiculous. I brought it to Friendsgiving and my friend now refers to it as “The Matilda Cake.” You know the cake that the principal forces the kid to eat in the movie “Matilda”? Yeah – chocolatey and moist like that. Everyone was shocked it was vegan!

    My first time baking vegan and I was a little nervous, but this was dreamy.

    Thank you 🙂

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      November 25, 2017 at 10:17 am

      Haha! I have a soft spot in my heart for Matilda- both the book and the movie! Thrilled it was so well received and love that you had such success with your first time baking 🙂

      Reply
  78. Venus Kohler says

    November 5, 2017 at 8:15 pm

    I made these tonight as cupcakes and I substituted for gluten free bob’s red mill. and almond milk. It turned out great! I am freezing them and serving them Saturday.! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      November 6, 2017 at 12:48 pm

      Perfect! Great to hear they work with the gluten-free mix as well 🙂

      Reply
    • Sara says

      December 8, 2017 at 7:23 pm

      Hi! I’m planning to make this as cupcakes as well! How long did you bake them?

      Reply
      • Venus says

        December 8, 2017 at 8:07 pm

        I did timed it for 20 minutes and started checking at 17 minutes. Depends how much you fill it too. Mine was 3/4.

        Reply
        • Sara says

          December 8, 2017 at 8:46 pm

          Awesome, thank you! This is my go-to chocolate cake recipe but around Halloween I made a vegan ganache icing to go with it. I ate half the cake in 2 days. I Love This Cake (and blog)!!

          Reply
          • Venus says

            December 8, 2017 at 9:26 pm

            No problem! I love the recipes here too!!!!! Oh the vegan ganache sounds yummy! Good luck!

          • Sam Turnbull says

            December 9, 2017 at 10:37 am

            Thank you so much, Sara!! a two layer cake will equal about 24 cupcakes and they take 20 -25 minutes to bake. Enjoy!

    • Sarah says

      January 23, 2018 at 8:45 pm

      Oh thank goodness. I began reading through the comments, desperately hoping someone would say that they’d made cupcakes with this recipe.
      Thank you X infinity!

      Reply
  79. Laura Slitt says

    November 3, 2017 at 12:58 pm

    Oh oh! I bit off more than I could bake. Asked to donate vegan desserts for 100 pple, I couldn’t refuse. Can you share some bulk recipes for brownies and cake so I can use amounts for 4- 1/2 sheet pan cakes and 2- 1/2 sheet pan brownies? Or do I simply multiply amounts by how many pans I make?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      November 3, 2017 at 4:31 pm

      Hi Laura, wow! That’s a lot. I have never made this recipe in a sheet pan before. Hopefully, this article helps you.

      Reply
  80. Susana says

    October 25, 2017 at 11:48 pm

    HI Sam,

    would it be possible to substitute the all purpose flour with cake and pastry flour (white)? will it change the texture of the cake?

    thank you for your help!
    Susana

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      October 26, 2017 at 9:34 am

      Hi Susana,
      I believe I just responded to your email. 🙂 Cake flour is different than all-purpose as it will make the cakes very tender. I have never tried it myself with this recipe, it does run the risk of the cake collapsing, especially because it is a richer cake.
      If you want to try substituting here is a good guide. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  81. Scarlett says

    October 23, 2017 at 3:37 pm

    Can less sugar be used than the recipe calls for? I prefer a less sweet, more cacao taste.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      October 24, 2017 at 10:10 am

      Hi Scarlett, I’ve never tried it myself but this article should be helpful for you 🙂

      Reply
  82. Emma O'connor says

    October 21, 2017 at 11:29 am

    Best cake recipe I have found! I always use it for my brother’s birthday cake, any work event which needs cake or anything else 🙂 and my dad (not vegan) is always asking if I’m going to be making another one for Christmas. Thank you so much for the recipe!!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      October 22, 2017 at 9:14 am

      You’re most welcome! Thrilled you love it so much, Emma 🙂

      Reply
  83. Judith says

    October 21, 2017 at 12:11 am

    Best chocolate cake EVER. Even before going Vegan. Ive find that if i use Earth balance (melted) instead of oil and Silk Unsweetened cashew milk it comes out PERFECT (Ive tried it with dif oils and alt milks)
    Love all recipes,thank you!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      October 22, 2017 at 9:10 am

      Yay!! So thrilled you love it so much 🙂

      Reply
  84. Stacey E. says

    October 19, 2017 at 3:45 am

    I have to disagree about not being able to taste the vinegar. I can definitely taste it. It doesn’t make it inedible, but it’s not a flavor I’d prefer in a chocolate cake. I was so surprised at how much this resembled a cake mix batter both when I put it in the oven, and when the two pans came out. It has a great texture. I’m new to this whole vegan thing, so imagine my surprise to be able to make a cake that not only doesn’t have eggs, but it also doesn’t have any egg substitute, either. Maybe when it’s been refrigerated overnight the vinegar flavor will mellow out a little. I have to wonder if it’s because I made an effort not to overmix it, that maybe the vinegar didn’t get incorporated as much as if I’d used a mixer. I wonder which of the dry ingredients could be blended with the wet ingredients using a mixer and not affect how it bakes and rises.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      October 19, 2017 at 9:42 am

      Hi Stacey, yeah I never use egg replacers, pretty cool right? If you mix the dry ingredients well, and then the wet ingredients well, that’s all you need to do. Is it possible you have a more intense flavoured vinegar? I use apple cider because it’s milder in flavour. You shouldn’t be able to taste it at all.

      Reply
  85. deepika singh says

    October 8, 2017 at 9:58 am

    By the way, everyone likes cake, but i like something more. I have eaten a lot of cakes but it look very good and tasty. Today is my fast ,i’ll definitely try this tomorrow
    Thank you

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      October 8, 2017 at 12:44 pm

      I hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
      • Tashawna Peete says

        October 12, 2017 at 3:45 pm

        I have to say, this cake was delicious…thank you so much

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          October 13, 2017 at 10:56 am

          Woohoo! Thrilled you enjoyed it 🙂

          Reply
  86. Dawn says

    September 29, 2017 at 2:23 pm

    Hi Sam! Just a quick question. Do you use Earth Balance Sticks or Earth Balance from the tub when you make your frosting?
    Love your recipes!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      September 30, 2017 at 12:14 pm

      I use the tub because that’s whats available in my store, but I am sure the sticks would work well too!

      Reply
  87. Priya says

    September 27, 2017 at 2:08 pm

    Hi, thanks for sharing this recipe! This was the best cake that I have ever made and tasted!! I was little skeptic about apple cider vinegar, but was all perfect!!!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      September 28, 2017 at 9:10 am

      YAY! Can’t get a better review than that. So very happy you enjoyed it, Priya 🙂

      Reply
  88. Naomi says

    September 25, 2017 at 4:14 am

    I made this cake for my boyfriend’s birthday and he loved it! I have my eye on the pumpkin spice cake to try next 🙂

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      September 25, 2017 at 9:57 am

      Yay! So happy it was enjoyed 😀

      Reply
  89. Olle Fagerlin says

    September 21, 2017 at 11:46 pm

    Thanks a lot for this recipe!

    I have baked this cake twice, first time straight up as is and the second time I switched half of the white sugar in the cake for brown sugar and added some raspberry preserves to the wet ingredients. I also topped it off with some fresh raspberries and mint.

    I’m thinking about maybe adding some liquorice powder next time……could be a nice experiment.

    I linked back to this recipe as a reference because it is undoubtedly the best “base” for a vegan chocolate cake I’ve found.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      September 22, 2017 at 10:25 am

      Aww yay! So happy you enjoy the recipe so much, Olle 😀

      Reply
  90. Renee Wojciechowski says

    September 18, 2017 at 6:36 pm

    have you tried Lakanto as a sugar substitute? It is made from Monk Fruit and has zero glycemic affect!! It’s a one to one substitute to sugar and sssssooooooooo much healthier!! I also need GF so I’ll have to substitute the flour – but it should come out just a delicious (fingers crossed).

    Reply
  91. sophia says

    September 13, 2017 at 12:43 pm

    I baked this cake for the office, and everyone loved it so much! They couldn’t believe it was “vegan” (“but what about eggs?”). I’m no longer going to buy cakes for my kids birthday as I did in the past, and just going to make this cake instead 🙂

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      September 14, 2017 at 9:01 am

      Haha! Woohoo! So happy you loved it, Sophia 🙂

      Reply
  92. Jessica Sherman says

    September 8, 2017 at 2:27 pm

    Hi Sam,

    I just made this cake for my sister’s bday and while it seemed to have turned out well (we’re eating it tonight), I had a hard time baking the cake all the way through the center. Every time I tested it, it was still gooey at it’s core, so it ended up baking quite a bit longer. In turn, the edges ended up over cooking, so I had to trim the cake down. Did you have this problem or have any suggestions in case I want to use this recipe again?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      September 9, 2017 at 11:05 am

      Hi Jessica,
      I’ve never had that happen before. It sounds like the temperature of your oven might be a little off, it’s a pretty common problem. I recommend picking up an oven thermometer, so you can ensure your oven is the correct temp. Hope that helps! Happy you enjoyed the cake anyways 🙂

      Reply
  93. Severina says

    September 1, 2017 at 10:03 am

    Hello! I wanted to let you know that this was the most tastiest, moist, and delectable vegan chocolate cake recipe…and I am not vegan. My friend (who is vegan) asked me to make a bday cake for her husband (non-vegan). The feedback I got was “you can’t tell that this is vegan”. My husband even accused me of adding milk and eggs! LOL Thank you, again…this gave my friend even more [sweet] options she didn’t think she had before. I wish I can give it 10 stars!!!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      September 1, 2017 at 10:21 am

      Hahaha! Wow! Thanks so much, thrilled the cake was such a hit! 🙂

      Reply
  94. Willow says

    August 17, 2017 at 11:58 am

    SAM!! PLEASE REPLY QUICKLY! <3 😉
    I am planning on making this for my sons first birthday this weekend (Ill make a full cake to serve, and a cupcake for a smash cake) please tell me you used 100% cacao powder. Its all I can find!
    This cake looks SO yummy and has so many great reviews, and I wanna please all my non-vegan friends and family!
    thanks!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      August 17, 2017 at 1:37 pm

      Yes that will work just fine 🙂 Enjoy!

      Reply
      • Linnea says

        August 19, 2017 at 11:52 pm

        Sam, you truly outdid yourself coming up with this outstanding recipe! Thank you so much for sharing it! We love, love, loved it! Will make it many times over! Thank you!

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          August 20, 2017 at 9:59 am

          Woohoo! So happy to hear that, Linnea! Thrilled you love it so much 😀

          Reply
  95. Nikki says

    August 15, 2017 at 7:13 am

    Tried it and loved it! Very moist. Had to let the cake sit overnight to get the desired texture once it cooled, but well worth the wait! Non-vegan friends love it!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      August 15, 2017 at 8:36 am

      So happy you loved the recipe, Nikki 🙂

      Reply
  96. Arti says

    August 14, 2017 at 6:20 am

    Still seems like too much sugar

    Reply
  97. amgine says

    August 9, 2017 at 12:49 pm

    This is the best chocolate cake recipe I’ve ever used. It’s moist, gooey yet fluffy and not too heavy! A lovely balance of rich without being indigestibly rich. I love it and I’ve made it loads of times. Thanks, Sam!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      August 10, 2017 at 9:36 am

      Woohoo! Thrilled you love it so much, amgine. THanks for the lovely comment 🙂

      Reply
  98. Gwen says

    August 7, 2017 at 7:59 pm

    I made this cake for my vegan friend’s birthday, and baked it in a 13×9 pan. It came out perfectly! I have never made anything vegan before, but I will be using this recipe again! Everyone really enjoyed it, and most said they would never have guessed it was vegan. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      August 9, 2017 at 10:50 am

      Woohoo! So happy you loved it and that you will be making it again! 🙂

      Reply
  99. sandy says

    August 3, 2017 at 11:18 am

    Is there a way to use the following substitutions in this chocolate cake recipe?
    -Erythritol instead of the sugar
    -whole wheat white flour
    -avocado oil
    Thank you

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      August 4, 2017 at 9:46 am

      Hi Sandy, I really don’t know as I haven’t tested any of those ingredients with this recipe. Sorry I can’t be more help!

      Reply
  100. Carol says

    August 3, 2017 at 9:16 am

    I really need this recipe in metric or imperial measures. I’ve googled it and no two websites say the same. It sounds delicious and I must made it for my daughter’s birthday.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      August 3, 2017 at 9:47 am

      Hi Carol, this conversion chart should help you. 🙂

      Reply
  101. Megan says

    July 31, 2017 at 1:47 pm

    This recipe also makes a lovely gluten-free chocolate cake if you substitute Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 flour. My sister in law with celiac disease loved the gluten-free version and adores this cake. We put marionberry jam filling in the middle (instead of frosting). 🙂

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      August 1, 2017 at 9:29 am

      Yay! I’m so happy to hear that gluten free flour works here, Megan! Glad it was enjoyed 🙂

      Reply
      • Carol says

        August 3, 2017 at 4:44 am

        I really need this recipe in metric or imperial measurements! Have researched and no two website says the same! Please help me, I need to make this for my daughter’s birthday.

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          August 3, 2017 at 9:42 am

          Hi Carol, this conversion chart should help you. 🙂

          Reply
  102. Tamra Falk says

    July 29, 2017 at 7:24 pm

    Hi, I just made this cake for a bunch of non-vegans and it was a huge hit. How delicious and perfect. Really. When i was tasting the frosting I thought it was a little bland but after it set and chilled and i ate it with the cake it was truly perfect. Thank you. I really impressed everyone with such as excellent cake that was also vegan.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      July 31, 2017 at 10:38 am

      Woohoo! So happy you and everyone enjoyed it so much Tamra 🙂

      Reply
      • Tamra Falk says

        August 6, 2017 at 10:45 am

        I made the cake again for my National Night Out party and everyone loved it! No need to even tell folks it is vegan.

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          August 6, 2017 at 1:17 pm

          Woohoo! Love it! So happy it’s a hit 🙂

          Reply
          • Tamra Falk says

            August 20, 2017 at 7:36 pm

            Hi, I made another cake with gluten-free flour and it was exquisite again! Thank you!

          • Sam Turnbull says

            August 21, 2017 at 8:41 am

            You’re most welcome, Tamra!

  103. Annie says

    July 22, 2017 at 2:34 am

    I only have a 9″ springform. Any substitutions I need to make?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      July 22, 2017 at 9:43 am

      9″ pan should be fine, the baking time may be slightly different so keep an eye on it, and check with a toothpick to see if it is done. Because you are using a springform, make sure to line the pan with foil, as the batter is very runny and may leak through the pan. Enjoy!

      Reply
  104. Savannah says

    July 20, 2017 at 12:23 pm

    This looks so yummy! Do you think using Silk dark chocolate almond milk would be okay? I don’t have any regular almond milk on hand. Thanks in advance!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      July 21, 2017 at 8:59 am

      I would think that’s a bit risky as it would add more chocolate and a lot more sugar to the recipe which could not only make the cake too sweet but adding extra sugar to a recipe can mess with the chemistry. I would stick to plain almond or soy milk 🙂

      Reply
  105. Chris says

    July 10, 2017 at 3:08 pm

    At this moment I am half way through baking this cake. First time making vegan cake and was worried when I put the batter into the 8 ” baking pans. I was not sure how high the dough would rise. Well I just checked and the batter is dripping out of both pans all over the oven! I will finish cooking and taste test before I make further comments.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      July 10, 2017 at 4:55 pm

      Oh no! Sorry to hear that, Chris. I’ve never had that happen before. I hope you love the taste of it at least!

      Reply
  106. porsch says

    July 9, 2017 at 9:44 pm

    This is the first time I baked a cake that tastes very good! I am a vegan and would like to give in to my sweet tooth’s desire for cakes by making my own so that I am sure it’s vegan. My son used to tell me that I should admit it that baking is not just for me because every time I would ask him to take a slice of my baked goodies he would laugh and say it doesn’t taste like cake or muffin. For this recipe of yours, I used muscovado sugar instead of white.

    Thank you so much for selflessly sharing your recipe. I ate to my heart’s delight and I even shared it with some friends who liked it much as I did!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      July 10, 2017 at 9:19 am

      Woohoo! Thrilled you liked the cake so much, porsch, and so happy you were able to bake it with success! 🙂

      Reply
  107. Centina says

    July 6, 2017 at 4:01 pm

    Hi there, planning to make cupcakes with your recipe! Was wondering, do you use raw cacao or Dutch processed? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      July 7, 2017 at 4:18 pm

      I’ve found either work well, the cake may raise a little more or less, but there isn’t too much difference. I believe the last time I made it I used dutch processed cocoa.

      Reply
      • Centina says

        July 10, 2017 at 8:54 am

        I used Dutch processed as well and we all really enjoyed them, thank you for this recipe 🙂

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          July 10, 2017 at 9:21 am

          My pleasure 🙂

          Reply
  108. Sharon says

    July 5, 2017 at 10:45 am

    Hello! You say not to over mix. Does this mean you just mixed it with a spoon or did you use electric beaters to mix it? I have it in the oven right now and am worried it didn’t get mixed up enough. The lumps were gone, but I just used a large spoon and did t get out my electric beater? Hoping I didn’t mess up! 🙂 thanks!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      July 5, 2017 at 11:32 am

      Just use a spoon or spatula, and small lumps are totally fine. If you over mix it, you risk killing all of the bubbles so it won’t rise properly. I’m sure it will turn out great!

      Reply
  109. Char says

    July 1, 2017 at 8:30 pm

    Hi there… what can be used instead of apple cider vinegar?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      July 2, 2017 at 12:38 pm

      Apple cider vinegar is the best for this recipe, but in a pinch you can use lemon juice.

      Reply
  110. Kathryn says

    June 26, 2017 at 11:39 pm

    I have made this cake twice now and it is absolutely perfect and my family and I agree that this vegan cake is better than other non-vegan cake recipes. It is more moist, smooth and does not go stale.

    I do want to share my small changes, in case others would be interested. I use grapeseed oil which gives it the smooth, rich flavor. And for the non-dairy milk I use this fabulous brand of macadamia milk from Milkadamia. It is the closest to cow’s milk in texture, color and taste.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      June 27, 2017 at 10:22 am

      Yay! So happy you love the cake so much! I’ve tried that macadamia milk before and made a chowder recipe with it. Omnomnom 🙂

      Reply
  111. Katharina says

    June 25, 2017 at 4:24 pm

    Thank you soooooo much for the great recipe. It is by far the best vegan cake I ever tasted. Every time I tried to bake vegan before the result was very dens and hard and dry. I made the cake for my husbands birthday and he loved it.
    I only had one problem: I used spring forms and that went really well but the top of the cakes cracked open and I had to cut the top off to decorate it. Do you have any idea as to why this could have happened and what I could do, to prevent it?
    I had my oven set to 180 degrees with air circulation.
    Sending lots of love from Germany

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      June 26, 2017 at 10:09 am

      Ooof, yeah I hate those dense vegan cakes, I know just what you mean which is why I developed this recipe! So happy you loved it 🙂 I’ve never had the cakes crack open before, but I am guessing the air circulation may be the problem. Sometimes the convection and be a bit too intense for cakes. I would try it without the air circulation and see what happens this time. Lots of love from Canada 🙂

      Reply
  112. Linda says

    June 17, 2017 at 10:23 am

    This cake is just amazing! Okay, it gives you chills while you are doing it, since it’s a ton of oil and sugar. Haha. But the taste and look is to die for. Thank you so much for sharing! Lots of love from Germany <3

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      June 19, 2017 at 10:10 am

      Haha, yep it’s rich and definitely a treat, so happy you love it, Linda! Lots of love from Canada 🙂

      Reply
  113. Kendall says

    June 15, 2017 at 10:33 pm

    If I don’t have almond milk can I just use….water??

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      June 16, 2017 at 10:08 am

      Theoretically, it should work (I’ve never tested it). You may lose a little taste and creaminess however. I would stick to using a soy or almond milk if possible. Enjoy!

      Reply
    • Linda says

      June 17, 2017 at 10:29 am

      I used oat milk and it turned out perfectly creamy and moist 🙂

      Reply
  114. Sporty says

    June 8, 2017 at 11:25 pm

    Best chocolate cake ever. I’ve probably made this cake over 40 times for family and friends. We even have a joke about chocolate cake Friday at work and my staff and I make up reasons to have a party to make this cake.

    Thank you for sharing ❤

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      June 9, 2017 at 10:18 am

      Isn’t eating cake party enough? Hahaha. I love it!! So very happy it’s such a fave with you, your family and friends! 😀

      Reply
  115. Mil Capcha says

    June 6, 2017 at 8:01 pm

    Delicious cake, moist and decadent. When done right this cake turns out to be the best vegan chocolate cake you will taste.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      June 7, 2017 at 9:03 am

      Woohoo!! Thrilled you enjoyed it so much, Mil 🙂

      Reply
  116. Camilla says

    June 1, 2017 at 4:57 am

    Hiya, was just wondering if it would be okay to make this a day in advance, or if it’s best eaten on the day of baking? It looks delicious!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      June 1, 2017 at 10:19 am

      Hi Camilla! This cake holds up very well, and would be just fine to make it a day in advance. I actually usually bake the cakes the day before, and frost it the next day as I tend to do my baking at night. Enjoy!

      Reply
      • Camilla says

        June 1, 2017 at 11:37 am

        Excellent, thank you! 🙂

        Reply
  117. Alison says

    May 27, 2017 at 3:57 am

    Is the sugar there for bulk as well as sweetness? I’d like to use half the amount of sugar and sub the rest with “smart sugar” (in Australia – it’s half sugar, half stevia). Either way looking forward to making it for a friend.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      May 27, 2017 at 10:26 am

      I’ve never tried using stevia, so I’m not sure of the results, but hopefully, this article will help you.

      Reply
      • Alison says

        May 27, 2017 at 5:30 pm

        Thanks for that, I also forgot to ask, Do you think this cake would hold up under fondant? I’m going to make it regardless and will frost it if it won’t, I’d like to try with fondant. Thanks for your whole website actually, It’s great.

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          May 28, 2017 at 8:45 am

          I think it should hold up fine. Haha! You’re most welcome, thank you so much 🙂

          Reply
  118. Jon Blyth says

    May 24, 2017 at 4:49 pm

    I gave this recipe a run out for a vegan cake and changed cocoa for carob too and I am impressed.. thank you for the guidance it looks very sumptuous and is super sweet.. interestingly I used Hemp oil in the mixture which created a sort of marbled glaze on top too.. looks good tasted rich.. a good birthday cake.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      May 25, 2017 at 10:12 am

      So happy you enjoyed it, Jon, and interesting about the hemp oil!

      Reply
  119. Verónica says

    May 17, 2017 at 9:45 am

    The BEST chocolate cake EVER!!! I have made it like three times already and everybody loves it!!! Now I want to make it for someone who cant eat gluten. I was wondering which gluten free flour would be best. I have tapioca at home…

    Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe!!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      May 17, 2017 at 2:11 pm

      Woohoo!! So happy you like it so much, Verónica!! Gluten-free is tricky and not my expertise, but I would recommend trying Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1, I’ve heard people usually get success with that one. Tapioca flour is what I use in my cheese recipes to make them stretchy, so my guess is that would be a bad substitute! Hope that helps 🙂

      Reply
      • Verónica says

        May 17, 2017 at 3:17 pm

        Thanks for your replay and the recommendation! I will try with something similar to that flour because where I live I can’t find that one and if it works I will let you know.

        Thx!!!

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          May 18, 2017 at 8:04 am

          Good luck!

          Reply
    • Karen says

      May 27, 2017 at 4:44 pm

      Our favorite gluten free flour is Better Batter. You can order online on Amazon or directly at their website BetterBatter.org. Bob’s Red Mill is often too heavy for baking.

      Reply
      • Verónica says

        May 27, 2017 at 5:10 pm

        Ohh thank you so much! I will try to buy that one! All información is welcome 😀

        Reply
  120. S. Bell says

    May 10, 2017 at 6:05 pm

    Hi There my friend wants a vegan cake for her wedding. Can you tell me if the cake rises well because it will be used for the tires of the wedding cake.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      May 11, 2017 at 9:20 am

      Hello! It does rise well. I have no idea if it would work well as a tiered cake as I have never made one, so I suggest doing a test run. Enjoy! And happy wedding 🙂

      Reply
  121. Cindy says

    April 26, 2017 at 11:49 am

    Could I use margarine instead of light oil in the wet ingredients? And if yes, in what proportion?

    Thank you in advance!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      April 26, 2017 at 4:43 pm

      Hi Cindy, I haven’t tried it myself so I can’t be sure, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Oil keeps the cake fluffy and moist. I’m not sure how margarine would react.

      Reply
      • Cindy says

        April 27, 2017 at 11:03 am

        Thank you for your answer!

        Reply
  122. Claire says

    April 22, 2017 at 12:35 pm

    Made this cake for my brothers birthday last week and everybody loved it and the non vegan family members said it’s there new favourite cake, so much so that I’ve been asked to make another today just because.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      April 23, 2017 at 9:52 am

      Hahaha! That’s amazing! So happy everyone loved it! 🙂

      Reply
  123. Cindy says

    April 17, 2017 at 4:47 am

    If i use olive oil is it the same proportion? Thank you in advance

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      April 17, 2017 at 9:09 am

      Yes, but you would taste the olive oil, which I don’t think would be very yummy.

      Reply
      • Cindy says

        April 27, 2017 at 11:04 am

        Thank you for answering, I’ll figure something out!

        Reply
  124. Katrina says

    April 16, 2017 at 11:27 pm

    I’ve made this cake and it is delicious, a huge hit! I’m wondering how to make this cake as a vanilla cake. Removing the cup of cocoa powder will definitely change the texture. Any ideas? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      April 17, 2017 at 9:08 am

      Hi Katrina, just use my vanilla cupcake recipe. If you don’t want cupcakes, pour into a 9″ cake pan and bake 35 to 40 mins until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The recipe will make a 1 layer cake, so feel free to double for a 2 layer cake.

      Reply
  125. Eric Z says

    April 13, 2017 at 9:42 pm

    Sam,

    I have made this cake twice over the last year. Both times it turned out perfect! My wife is very picky about her chocolate cake and she said I nailed it and hit a homerun. Moist and light.

    Stellar recipe!

    Thank you,

    EZ

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      April 14, 2017 at 7:14 am

      Woohoo! So happy it was a hit and wife approved 😀

      Reply
  126. vidhya says

    March 30, 2017 at 11:53 am

    Thanks for the great recipe ! I am new to vegan baking but i’m going to try baking this cake tomo morning for my husband’s birthday the next day ! Quick question- have u tried this with almond milk before ? I know your recipe says any non-dairy milk ( and u used soy milk ) but one of our friends is soy allergic so I am hoping this can look and taste as good with the almond milk…let me know ? Also, I am just hoping to make a one- layer cake – and i am going to half the recipe , which i hope is fine and I am also hoping to use my springfoam pan which is the only round pan i have on hand- do u think it will be ok? Cos one of your reviewers/ commenters mentioned it didn’t work with a springfoam pan!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      March 30, 2017 at 2:17 pm

      Yes, almond milk will work perfectly! You can definitely half the recipe to make one layer. The problem with a spring form pan is that the batter is very thin so it will leak out, so I would line the pan with tin foil so there are no holes or cracks and it should be just fine. Maybe put a baking tray underneath just in case. Enjoy!!

      Reply
      • Vidhya says

        March 30, 2017 at 2:23 pm

        That sounds great ! And thanks for letting me know the batter is thin – I am going to the supermarket anyways so may be I might just grab a regular round pan! Will let u know how it goes 🙂

        Reply
        • Vidhya says

          April 23, 2017 at 8:41 pm

          Hello

          Been wanting to write back but didn’t get to it – thanks for the amazing cake recipe !! The cake turned out to be a big hit with my hubby and our friends and those who didn’t know couldn’t tell it was vegan. I made both a single layer cake and cupcakes and both were super moist and delicious.

          However, the frosting on the other hand – didn’t quite come out the way I expected it to, I used only vegan butter ( the earth balance soy free variety) as I couldn’t find shortening but the mixture turned out pretty runny and then I had to add more cocoa and powdered sugar to thicken it but it ended up tasting really strange. Not sure where exactly I had gone wrong 🙁 may be it’s my technique or the taste of the soy free butter but do let me know if u have any tips to fix this the next time I try… We ended up eating the cake with vegan dark chocolate ice cream and it was delish 🙂

          This will surely be my permanent chocolate cake recipe and thank u again for sharing it with us all ! 🙂

          Reply
          • Sam Turnbull says

            April 24, 2017 at 8:01 am

            Hi Vidhya, yeah… that’s why I prefer the half shortening half vegan butter combo as it really holds up the best. I don’t think I’ve ever tried the soy free Earth Balance, so maybe it has a different texture. I think basically all grocery stores carry vegetable shortening (Crisco brand usually), so next time I recommend trying that. Glad you enjoyed the cake at least!

          • Kafka says

            May 11, 2017 at 8:28 am

            For future reference and those who absolutely can’t find vegetable shortening, I found that coconut oil is an OK alternative (just make sure to keep the cake properly cooled during summer). It’s not ideal, but better than nothing, anyway.

          • Sam Turnbull says

            May 11, 2017 at 9:22 am

            Thanks for the tip, Kafka! Vegetable shortening should be pretty easy to find (at least in North America). A common brand is Crisco. 🙂

          • Alison says

            June 29, 2017 at 11:16 am

            The earth balance butter that is best for buttercream frosting is the sticks of butter! I used the earth balance butter in the tubs before and it didn’t work out for me either. Hope this helps!

          • Sam Turnbull says

            June 30, 2017 at 10:09 am

            Great tip!

  127. ortal says

    March 26, 2017 at 6:43 am

    hi! 🙂
    How many ml of glass do you use?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      March 26, 2017 at 11:31 am

      Hi! I’m sorry, I don’t understand the question. Can you explain more?

      Reply
      • ortal says

        March 26, 2017 at 12:54 pm

        Can you tell me the amount of a cup in mililiter?
        For example- 1 cup is a 200 or 250 mililiters?

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          March 26, 2017 at 1:03 pm

          This chart should help you out. Enjoy!

          Reply
          • ortal says

            March 26, 2017 at 2:16 pm

            Thank you so much! So i believe it suppose to be 1 cup= 240 mililiters (140 gram flour in a cup), right?

          • Sam Turnbull says

            March 26, 2017 at 6:15 pm

            Glad I can help! I do all of my measurements in cups and spoons so I don’t have the weight calculated of things.

  128. Jamie says

    March 24, 2017 at 6:51 pm

    Hi!

    Do you think it would be alright to spread a vegan pistachio pudding between the two cake layers as a filling? I’m thinking if I spread a thin layer of the chocolate frosting on top of the bottom cake and a thin layer on the bottom of the top cake, it may prevent the pudding from soaking into either layer? Any thoughts or suggestions?

    Cheers!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      March 25, 2017 at 10:18 am

      I’ve never done it myself, but I did a bit of research, and it seems that lots of people have used pudding as a filling in cake with success. So I think it will work just fine. Enjoy!

      Reply
  129. Gabby says

    March 23, 2017 at 1:14 pm

    Hi Sam!
    This is the first recipe of yours I ever tried, and my first vegan dessert! It turned out amazing!!! I never bake but this recipe was so simple to follow and so tasty! also, no one could tell it was vegan 🙂 Thank you for the amazing recipe can’t wait to try more

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      March 24, 2017 at 9:11 am

      Woohoo! So happy you loved it so much, Gabby, and that everyone enjoyed it. I look forward to seeing you around 🙂

      Reply
  130. Mary Isdahl says

    March 10, 2017 at 4:51 pm

    I just made this cake and it was way too much cake batter? It made the biggest mess in my oven, I thought for sure I would have seen other with the same problem but looks like no one has had any problems with it. What did I do wrong? I used two 8 inch round pans, divided the batter and it went to about 1/4 of an inch from the top when I filled the batter, I just thought it would not be rising much so I didn’t really think about it until I started smelling burnt smell while cooking, when I peeked it was the worst mess I’ve ever seen. It had 15 more minutes so I just let it cook, couldn’t have gotten messier. When I pulled it out it seemed to be done so we’ll see how it tastes later. The frosting looks good. Wish me luck!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      March 11, 2017 at 10:52 am

      Huh, that’s weird. I’ve never had that problem, and (as you pointed out), it doesn’t seem that anyone else has. Is it possible you mismeasured the baking soda or baking powder? That could make it rise quicker, resulting in an overflow… Not sure what to suggest! I hope you enjoy what’s left of the cake! 🙂

      Reply
    • Mary Beth Savino says

      March 21, 2017 at 7:06 pm

      Did you use dutch process or natural cocoa? They react differently with baking powder. I made this cake and it was DELISH, but since I had so much batter too, I used a Bundt pan. Difficult to get out and needed to cook for 65 minutes.
      It rose to the top of the bundt, I used dutch process cocoa.

      Reply
  131. Jana Bedard says

    March 6, 2017 at 11:47 am

    Hi! Will you please let me know if it would be possible to make this into cupcakes, including any suggested modifications on oven temperature and cooking time? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      March 7, 2017 at 9:42 am

      Hello! Yes, the recipe will make about 24 cupcakes and they will bake at the same temperature, but for about 20 – 25 minutes. You will know they are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean 🙂

      Reply
      • Jana says

        March 7, 2017 at 11:31 am

        Thank you!

        Reply
  132. Dhanya says

    February 22, 2017 at 10:48 pm

    Planning to make this for a couple of friends who don’t eat eggs. One quick question here – can this be baked in a 9×13 pan. I don’t have the pans specified in the recipe and I don’t want to look for another recipe. This one looks perfect 🙂 pls tell if this’ll work. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      February 23, 2017 at 9:20 am

      Yes, it will work just fine. It may take a little longer to bake so just keep an eye on it and do the toothpick test. Enjoy!

      Reply
      • Dhanya says

        February 24, 2017 at 1:19 am

        Thank you so much, for that quick reply and once again, for this beautiful, beautiful recipe! It worked like a charm..Baked it in a 9×13 pan for an hour (if had a fudgy center..5 more minutes could’ve done it but I didn’t mind)..filled and frosted it with whipped and piped ganache! (I just made it eggless, not vegan) The result was too good to believe! Rich, decadent, chocolaty goodness! It got rave reviews- “the best eggless cake, I’ve ever had” said one of them! And they’ve eaten their fair share of eggless cakes Can’t thank you enough

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          March 4, 2017 at 9:36 am

          Woohoo! So happy it went over so well! Your description sounds so good it makes me want to make cake right now!

          Reply
  133. V. L. says

    February 17, 2017 at 11:56 am

    I love how simple the recipe is! I made this for my mom for her birthday earlier this week. She’s vegan and gluten free, so I made a few adjustments, but the final product was rich, moist and fudgey. I used a mix of bobs red mill 1 to 1 and almond meal (about 1/2 cup for moisture) to replace the flour and doubled the baking powder. It turned out great! A lot of vegan cakes call for ground flax seeds (which I’m not a fan of) or apple sauce, but I’m very happy this one did not. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      February 18, 2017 at 8:16 am

      Yay!! So happy you loved it and were able to make it gluten-free successfully! Thanks for sharing what you did, I’m sure many other people will find that helpful 🙂

      Reply
  134. Ali says

    February 7, 2017 at 3:18 pm

    Hi – This is my favorite chocolate cake recipe! I am trying to make a red wine chocolate cake and wanted to know if you think I could swap out some of the liquid for a red wine? Appreciate your thoughts!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      February 8, 2017 at 5:10 pm

      Hmmmmmm… Not sure about this one. I am sure you could sub some of the non-dairy milk for wine, but the wine will also be acidic which will react with the baking soda, so you may have to reduce or omit the apple cider vinegar. I don’t know if it will make the cake rise the same tho. It would require a bit of testing. Hope that helps a little!

      Reply
  135. Chasity says

    January 31, 2017 at 9:55 pm

    What type of cocao powder did you use?
    My son has a dairy allergy and I never used cocoa powder, so I don’t know which one is a trusting brand.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      February 1, 2017 at 11:27 am

      I used fry’s cocoa. Enjoy! 🙂

      Reply
      • Nadita says

        March 8, 2017 at 6:50 pm

        Hi, what about not using the shortening and all butter for the frosting. That would work?

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          March 9, 2017 at 9:32 am

          Yes, but the vegan butter will be softer, so maybe avoid adding non-dairy milk if needed, and keep the cake stored in a cool place so that it doesn’t melt. Enjoy!

          Reply
    • ExpatinGermany says

      March 21, 2017 at 3:43 am

      Maybe try carob powder?

      Reply
  136. Talia Mulder says

    January 31, 2017 at 7:18 pm

    Hi! I want to make the cake and I want one layer to be vanilla/yellow cake and the other to be chocolate, could I make the recipe but only but cocoa powder in half? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      February 1, 2017 at 11:25 am

      Hi Talia,
      Use my Vanilla Cupcake recipe for the vanilla layer. The recipe will make enough for a 9″ layer cake, and just bake a little longer, for 35–40 minutes.

      Reply
  137. Stina Axelsson says

    January 27, 2017 at 12:32 pm

    Hi!
    Would love to try your cake! However, they do not sell vegetable shortening where I live ( or in this country) , can you substitute it for anything? Maybe coconut butter? Or just vegan butter? Thanks for great recipes!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      January 27, 2017 at 2:54 pm

      You can use more vegan butter. The frosting will likely be a little softer than with the vegetable shortening, so I would keep it in a cool place so that it doesn’t melt. Enjoy!

      Reply
      • Laura Simas says

        January 30, 2017 at 5:43 pm

        I have no vegan butter can i use just shortening??

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          January 31, 2017 at 8:12 am

          You can, but the frosting might not have very much flavour other than sweet. Hope that helps

          Reply
  138. Caroline says

    January 13, 2017 at 9:25 pm

    Hi Sam,
    Do you think I can replace the white sugar with maple syrup?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      January 14, 2017 at 11:26 am

      Hi Caroline,
      No that isn’t an easy switch since maple syrup is liquid and will affect the texture of the cake and the way it raises. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  139. Charly says

    January 7, 2017 at 10:21 am

    Only vegan in the family and made this for them all, they absolutely loved it – best chocolate cake they’ve had! Will definitely use this as my go to recipe from now on 🙂

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      January 8, 2017 at 8:56 am

      Wohoo! So great when everyone loves the cake! So happy you enjoyed it and flattered you found your new go-to 🙂

      Reply
  140. Nina says

    January 6, 2017 at 8:36 pm

    Hi Sam! I really would love to make this cake (who would’t?!) but I do not have apple cider vinegar on hand. Do you know of any substitutes that would work? Thank you so much!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      January 8, 2017 at 8:54 am

      Lemon juice or plain vinegar would work technically, but you might taste them a little. Enjoy!

      Reply
  141. Roxana says

    December 26, 2016 at 4:38 pm

    Hi! Could you please tell me the difference between vegetable butter and shortening?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      December 28, 2016 at 10:04 am

      Vegan butter is a margarine made without any dairy. My favourite is Earth Balance Buttery Spread which tastes just like traditional butter. Vegetable shortening is often used in baking, is solid at room temperature and has little to no flavour. A common brand is Crisco. Hope that helps!

      Reply
      • Catherine says

        January 21, 2017 at 8:43 am

        Can you just use 1 cup of vegan butter instead of the shortening? I want to get this but don’t have any shortening…!! Thanks for sharing this recipe though!!!

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          January 21, 2017 at 9:32 am

          You can, but the frosting will be a little softer and meltier. So I would add little to no non-dairy milk to the frosting, and make sure to store the cake in a cool place so that it doesn’t melt. Enjoy!

          Reply
    • Kelly says

      January 6, 2017 at 12:02 am

      OMG! I just made this cake and it is so easy to make and so delicious. Fantastic recipe and cake! I’m new to gluten, egg and dairy free due to intolerances, so it was great when it turned out and tasted even better. Thank you.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        January 6, 2017 at 8:57 am

        So happy you loved it Kelly!

        Reply
        • Lis Wong says

          January 7, 2017 at 6:29 pm

          Halo Sam
          I tried this recipe and it is the best vegan chocolate cake I have tried! Easy to make too. This was an impromptu baking and I only had less than 1.5 hours to make this recipe. For frosting I made vegan choco ganache instead because I didn’t have the ingredients required. This was for a birthday and everyone raved about it. I am amazed too! Thank you for sharing!
          I check out your vegan cheese recipe and I am going to try it. It looks easy with minimal ingredients. Will keep you posted thank you! Have a great day!

          Reply
          • Sam Turnbull says

            January 8, 2017 at 9:00 am

            Woot! So happy you loved it and that everyone raved about it! What better result can you get than that!? Haha. I hope you love the cheese when you get to that recipe as well. Looking forward to seeing you around 🙂

  142. Vanessa says

    December 24, 2016 at 3:04 pm

    The last time I commented, I hadn’t made the cake yet. Your recipe is now my go-to!
    I had a bit of an accident trying to use a springform for the first time….flame spurts in the oven kind of accident, lol.
    So now I make cupcakes, but don’t change a thing (well, I accidentally added an extra tbsp of vanilla this time – should be alright though).
    Note: this should be 5 stars, but my phone won’t allow me to select it

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      December 25, 2016 at 10:34 am

      Woot! So happy you love it! Haha, yeah this isn’t a good cake for a spring form pan! Hahaha 🙂

      Reply
  143. melisa oliva says

    December 24, 2016 at 1:29 pm

    Tank you so much for this recipe!
    This is the favorite cake for my 2 years old doughtier. She had it for her birth day and when we asked here about a Christmas present she wants “a birthday day cake”.
    We love this recipe so we will do it again. And we ask her about some thing else and she said “an other birth day cake!! so she is having two!
    Thank you and happy holidays!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      December 25, 2016 at 10:32 am

      That’s adorable!!!! Thank you so much for sharing that story!

      Reply
  144. Heidi Pie says

    December 19, 2016 at 10:45 am

    I love this recipe, however I found there was quite a lot of liquid so I used 2 and 1/3 cup of milk and 1/3 cup of oil and it worked really well. I also wanted to make a chocolate orange cake so I switched the vanilla for 2 tsp of orange essence and the juice and zest of one orange and they have come out so well!!!! Now to make another two and stack and ice them. Thanks for this recipe, it’s going to be a fave!!!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      December 19, 2016 at 11:50 am

      Glad you enjoyed it and were able to make it your own 🙂 Orange sounds fabulous!

      Reply
  145. Rose-Anne says

    December 7, 2016 at 4:41 pm

    I was wondering if you had an opinion about using coconut milk (separated) and whipping it, adding cocoa powder and powdered sugar for a different type of topping? I am not really big on shortening (or even butter cream frostings when I used to eat regular cake). Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      December 8, 2016 at 2:47 pm

      Yes, I think you could make my Vegan Coconut Whipped Cream and mix in cocoa to taste. The frosting will be a little softer, and you will likely have to keep the cake refrigerated. Enjoy!

      Reply
      • Rose-Anne says

        December 8, 2016 at 2:54 pm

        Thanks!!!
        Can’t wait to try this 🙂

        Reply
  146. Toni says

    December 2, 2016 at 4:03 am

    Hi! I know not to tamper with any ingredient that affects the structure of the cake such as sugar, but this recipe seems quite high in sugar when I compare it to the amount of flour (and compared to other recipes I use which are often about 1c flour to 1/2c sugar).

    I’d like to know how you believe the result will be affected if I were to reduce the sugar by something like 1/3 to 1/2. I’m happy to go right ahead and trial it myself but I’d prefer to know what you think first 🙂

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      December 2, 2016 at 9:19 am

      Hi Toni,
      This cake isn’t overly sweet, so I think reducing the sugar would make it taste bitter. Feel free to try it, but I personally wouldn’t recommend it. Enjoy!

      Reply
      • Toni says

        December 4, 2016 at 7:04 am

        It made it a bit soft and dense due to the lack of holes in the cake, so it had a slight fudgy or pudding like texture however it was amazing heated up and served with custard (egg/dairy free also) as if it were a chocolate pudding.
        I use a Dutch processed cocoa which is very smooth and far less bitter than typical cocoa, so it was not bitter 🙂
        I’ll have to try the recipe in its original form to see what the difference is anyway because I’m looking for a go-to recipe for my cake file 🙂

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          December 4, 2016 at 9:10 am

          Very interesting, so happy you enjoyed it! 🙂

          Reply
    • Heidi Pie says

      December 19, 2016 at 10:49 am

      I thought it seemed a lot of sugar so I used 2 cups instead of 2.5 and it’s worked fine! I think you could easily half the sugar without noticing much, especially if you ice the cake!

      Reply
  147. Susan says

    November 20, 2016 at 4:55 pm

    Can I use canola oil or more vegan butter to replace the earth balance shortening sticks in the frosting? I cannot find the shortening sticks.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      November 21, 2016 at 8:43 am

      You can use any kind of vegetable shortening (it can be found in any grocery store). Or more vegan butter would work, but it will be softer. So avoid adding any non-dairy milk unless needed, and make sure to keep the vegan butter cold. Once frosted, store the place in a cool place so the frosting doesn’t melt. Enjoy!

      Reply
  148. Jenna says

    November 19, 2016 at 11:08 am

    Hi can I freeze this? I am wanting to make cupcakes and need to freeze them. Thank you

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      November 19, 2016 at 12:24 pm

      Yes, just freeze the cake and frosting separately, then thaw and frost. 🙂

      Reply
  149. Susan says

    November 18, 2016 at 8:02 am

    Would you then frost the cake and freeze it? How do I do that so the frosting does not stick to the plastic wrap?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      November 18, 2016 at 9:16 am

      I would freeze the cake and frosting separately. Thaw them both before frosting 🙂

      Reply
  150. Susan Klueger says

    November 17, 2016 at 10:07 am

    Can I make the cake and freeze it and then just ice the cake the day before I am serving it?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      November 17, 2016 at 4:55 pm

      Absolutely! Let it cool completely, then wrap it with plastic wrap, then pop it in a sealable bag for extra protection and to avoid frostbite. The frosting freezes beautifully as well. Enjoy!

      Reply
  151. Hannah says

    November 9, 2016 at 7:54 pm

    I made this cake and I am in loooooooooove!!! I am going to be making it all the time now…. I just wanted to know, how long you think it will last in the fridge? Because I love it but I will get so fat if I have to eat it all too quickly!!! Lol.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      November 10, 2016 at 8:31 am

      Hahaha! So happy you found your soul mate. I think it would last about a week in the fridge before it will start drying out. You can always half the recipe to make a one layer cake if you like. Enjoy!!! (I know you will) 😉

      Reply
      • Hannah says

        November 29, 2016 at 5:42 pm

        Definitely found my soul mate! Thanks for the info, I just made it again with half of the ingredients and it’s much better for me but I will probably just keep making it with the whole amounts and give half away, so i can be happy and so can someone else!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 Thank youuuu!!!!!

        Reply
        • Sam Turnbull says

          November 30, 2016 at 8:54 am

          Awesome! You’re so lovely. You could always bake them into cupcakes instead to make them easier to give away if you like 🙂

          Reply
          • Hannah says

            November 30, 2016 at 5:04 pm

            Ahhh thanks and thats a great idea, I will do that, I just looooove this cake!!!!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

  152. Jan says

    November 7, 2016 at 4:05 am

    I made this as cupcakes/muffins at 180 degrees C and it made quite a lot- 24+ cupcakes. It was perfect and melted some vegan chocolate, added syrup and drizzled on top. My non-vegan friends loved it as it was for someone’s birthday.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      November 7, 2016 at 8:43 am

      Oh yum!! Sounds fab! So happy everyone enjoyed your cupcakes 🙂

      Reply
  153. Ale says

    October 29, 2016 at 12:39 pm

    I recenly made this cake and i loved it! In fact i loved it so much ive been thinking on ways to alter it and make different flavored cakes out of it, so for that i have a question; would it be possible to completely avoid the cocoa powder to make a vanilla cake instead or is the cocoa powder crucial to the texture of the cake?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      October 29, 2016 at 12:48 pm

      Hi Ale,
      So happy you love it so much! I actually have a vanilla cake recipe for you already here 🙂
      If you want a cake shape (instead of cupcakes), just pour into a 8″ round cake pan and bake for about 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
      For a two layer cake, just double the recipe and pour into two 8″ round cake pans. Enjoy!

      Reply
  154. Sam says

    October 28, 2016 at 9:15 am

    So I made this for the first time last night and can I just say WOW. Its so good. As a newby vegan I was looking for something super easy that would please everyone for my work leaving do and even my (very carnivorous boss) liked it. I didn’t follow it exactly but it helped a lot to have the guidelines. I halved the recipe, used SR flour with an extra 1/2 tsp of baking powder instead of plain flour with bicarb and baking powder, and it worked out a treat. Also I didn’t have shortening but I just whisked vegan marg, icing sugar and cocoa powder and it tasted fine. Thanks for the recipe! (P.S. It won’t let me star you 🙁 But 5/5 for sure)

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      October 28, 2016 at 9:46 am

      Thanks so much Sam! (Great name by the way) 😉
      So happy you enjoyed it and were able to make it your own. The star rating system isn’t working on mobile right now. It’s annoying, but hopefully it should be working again soon. Thanks so much for your lovely comment 🙂

      Reply
  155. Francesca says

    October 28, 2016 at 4:38 am

    Hello! I just found your recipe on and it seems delicious. I just want to ask you some questions.
    First thing first, is olive oil good as well for this recipe? Because you said “light oils” and I’m not really sure about it. In case I can’t use olive oil, is a chia egg or a mashed banana good as well? Should I sift the dry ingredients?
    Hopefully, I’m going make this for my family and I will try to decorate it in a halloween style. Hope they’ll appriciate this recipe. ^^
    Thanks from Italy!

    Reply
    • Francesca says

      October 28, 2016 at 4:39 am

      I just your recipe and*

      Reply
      • Francesca says

        October 28, 2016 at 4:40 am

        I just found your recipe* sorry for all these useless comments ^^”

        Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      October 28, 2016 at 9:44 am

      Hi Francesca,
      Olive oil would work technically, but olive oil is strong in flavour so you will likely taste it, which I think would taste pretty bad. I recommend using vegetable oil, canola oil, peanut oil, or safflower oil. Chia or banana will not work. No need to sift your ingredients, just follow along with the recipe just as it’s written and you will be good to go! I hope you and your family enjoy it!

      Reply
      • Francesca says

        October 28, 2016 at 1:17 pm

        Ok, thanks 🙂

        Reply
  156. Disha says

    October 12, 2016 at 1:46 am

    Hey
    Can I use refined coconut butter instead of vegan butter ?

    TIA

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      October 12, 2016 at 8:48 am

      Hi Disha,
      It should work ok in the frosting, but will melt easily, so make sure to store your cake in a cool place. The frosting might also lack a bit in that buttery flavour, but should still taste pretty sweet.

      Reply
  157. Jordan says

    October 8, 2016 at 4:58 pm

    I’ve made this twice already ( for myself lol) and it’s divine. But I want to make this for a friend however, she can’t have gluten. Is this recipe gluten free? Or is there a way to make it gluten free for my friend?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      October 9, 2016 at 9:36 am

      So happy you love the cake! This cake definitely contains gluten because it is made with wheat flour. I’m afraid gluten free baking is a different beast. I’ve heard good things about this flour blend from Bob’s Red Mill. If you give it a try I would test 1/2 or even 1/4 of the recipe first to see how it turns out. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  158. Iris says

    October 2, 2016 at 2:56 pm

    I just made this cake after a disastrous attempt at making a vegan chocolate version from another site. That one asked for coconut oil, which made the cake extremely heavy. I also forgot the baking soda, so my fault on that. This cake, however, is divine with a great texture. I am truly amazed that it’s vegan. I used the frosting recipe from the vegan chocolate cake recipe over at The Almond Eater and it was incredible. Loved the addition of the almond butter: http://thealmondeater.com/?s=chocolate+cake

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      October 3, 2016 at 9:59 am

      Yay! So happy you loved the cake Iris and didn’t give up on finding a fab vegan cake recipe. That frosting sounds divine!

      Reply
  159. Liz says

    October 2, 2016 at 11:05 am

    Very keen to make this lovely looking cake. As I’m in the UK, though, any chance of the equivalent amounts… ie how much (in ounces or grammes) is a cup?

    Thanks,

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      October 3, 2016 at 9:46 am

      Hi Liz,
      Hopefully this chart will help you convert. I know one of my followers ended up purchasing US cup measuring tools so he could easily make any recipe. Might be an idea if you plan on making more recipes 🙂 Hope that helps!

      Reply
      • Liz says

        October 3, 2016 at 11:27 am

        Thanks Sam,

        Might just need to nip out to my local US cup suppliers then 🙂

        Reply
        • Jo says

          October 26, 2016 at 6:39 am

          Amazon sell them super cheap Jo (UK)

          Reply
    • Nat says

      October 26, 2016 at 7:30 pm

      I have used metric cups instead of imperial and it works out fine, it is just ratios after all.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        October 27, 2016 at 10:19 am

        Glad it worked out!

        Reply
  160. Julie Wilson says

    September 29, 2016 at 11:39 am

    Can I use coconut oil in place of canola vegtable oil in the wet ingredients?

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      September 30, 2016 at 9:45 am

      Because coconut oil becomes solid at room temperature, it is much to heavy for this cake and won’t work with the texture. Canola, vegetable or safflower oil will work best.

      Reply
  161. Caitlin says

    September 24, 2016 at 5:49 pm

    We are recently vegan and this recipe is amazing! Thank you so much for posting it! My family loves it

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      September 25, 2016 at 9:53 am

      Yay! Congrats on your new veganism. So happy you loved the cake 🙂

      Reply
  162. Carol G says

    September 24, 2016 at 3:25 am

    Made this cake today for a charity event tomorrow and the cake turned out great; I don’t like soy so ai used unsweetened coconut milk instead. I did find the frosting recipe to have too much shortening in proportion to the amount of powered sugar so I added a half cup more of sifted powdered sugar and two tablespoon more chocolate powder. Result was a good, easy to spread frosting. I decorated the cake by covering the sides with sliced almonds.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      September 24, 2016 at 9:47 am

      So happy you loved it Carol! Yes, I have noticed some shortening brands are softer and more wet than others so it can vary a bit. So happy it tuned out for you and the almond decorations sound lovely!

      Reply
  163. Lynda Calderwood says

    September 15, 2016 at 11:32 pm

    My chocolate-loving granddaughter will be 3 and asked, “Grandma, can you make me a PINK cake?” I know she will love your chocolate cake, but how can I make a vegan frosting that I can tint pink? Can I make your frosting without the 1/4 cup of cocoa? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      September 16, 2016 at 10:02 am

      Hi Lynda!
      Pink cake she requested, and pink cake she will receive! Haha. Try making the vanilla frosting from my recipe for The Best Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes. You will need to double it to make enough for a two layer cake. Then just add drops of food colouring to reach your desired colour. I hope she enjoys the cake!

      Reply
  164. Diane says

    September 7, 2016 at 11:45 pm

    I love your recipes and thank you for sharing. Please read up on canola oil. It is not a healthy oil. Neither is vegetable oil. Coconut sugar is healthier than refined white sugar, consumption of which can cause diabetes. I understand you don’t want the readers of your blogs to have to hunt down hard to find ingredients. Coconut sugar can be ordered in bulk online. Yes it is expensive but it is super delicious and it is worth using to preserve one’s health. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      September 8, 2016 at 2:46 pm

      Thank you Diane!
      Yeah, I definitely consider this recipe a treat and not a healthy food in anyway. I actually wouldn’t say that any oil is healthy, you can read more about that here. 🙂

      Reply
  165. Zoe says

    August 23, 2016 at 4:46 am

    I’ve made this cake 4 times now, mostly for omni’s, and every single time people have said it’s the best chocolate cake they’ve ever had! I love telling them it’s vegan haha. Thank you for this recipe it’ll forever be my go-to 😀

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      August 23, 2016 at 10:06 am

      WOW! I love that so much!!! The best chocolate cake ever is vegan. High five my friend! Thank you for the lovely comment Zoe, totally made my day 🙂

      Reply
  166. Jessica says

    August 12, 2016 at 5:47 pm

    Hi just a quick question, I’m wanting to make this as a loaf cake instead of a round cake. what adjustments to the measurements of ingredients would I need to change?
    Many thanks Jess

    Reply
    • Sam Turnbull says

      August 13, 2016 at 10:47 am

      Hi Jessica,
      Hopefully this chart helps you. I’m guessing that half the recipe would make one small loaf. The baking time might be a bit longer as well as the cake would be thicker than in the round cake pans, so make sure you test with a toothpick to ensure it is cooked through. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  167. Christine says

    August 10, 2016 at 10:01 am

    This is the best cake recipe I have ever made… and the bonus is that it is both chocolate and vegan! It is my go-to, and I get so many compliments every tim