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!
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…
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.
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.
To make the Ultimate Vegan Chocolate Cake: Add all of the dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk together.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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? ↓
If you're looking for the chocolate cake of your dreams, this is it. No one will even know it's vegan!
- 2½ cups all-Purpose flour
- 2½ cups white sugar
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 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
- ½ cup vegan butter (such as Earth Balance)
- ½ cup vegetable shortening (see notes)
- 1¼ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 - 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk (if needed)
- 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.
- In a large bowl whisk together all of the dry ingredients, then set aside.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
*I prefer using a non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening such as Earth Balance Shortening Sticks because it is slightly less bad for you, but let's get real, this is frosting, not health food. *Feel free to half or double this recipe as needed.
Bon appetegan!
Sam.
If you liked this recipe you might also enjoy:
This is my favorite vegan chocolate cake recipe I added fresh raspberries on top and it was a hit! Thank you!
Wonderful! So very happy you loved it so much, Cecilia 🙂
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!!! 🙂
Absolutely! Enjoy the cake, Sara 🙂
I made this for my daughter’s birthday, and it was a huge hit! Thanks for posting! It is moist and delicious!
Wonderful! So happy you enjoyed it! 🙂
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?
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!
Can this be made into cupcakes and then frozen?
Thank you
Yep! I would freeze the cupcakes and frosting separately, then thaw and frost. Enjoy!
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! 🙂
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 🙂
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?
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!
hi! i only have olive and coconut oil at home, would any of these work instead of the vegetable oil?
No, you really want a neutral oil for this one!
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!
Wonderful!! Thrilled you loved it so much, Deirdre 🙂
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!
Glad you enjoyed!
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
So happy you enjoyed it so much! You can always tag me on Instagram @itdoesnttastelikechicken 🙂
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 !
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!
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!!
That’s awesome!!! Thrilled you and everyone else loved it so much, Sara. Flattered that you thought of me!
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!
That’s lovely!! You’re most welcome, Allie. So happy you enjoyed them 🙂
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!
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
So moist and delicious! Best chocolate cake I’ve ever made (even before I went vegan). No one will know it’s vegan!
Woohoo!!! Love that! Can’t get a much better review than that 🙂
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!!
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. 🙂
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!!!
Awesome! So happy you enjoyed, Lily 🙂
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!
Wonderful! Thrilled everyone enjoyed it 🙂
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!
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.
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?
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?
Hey,
I really like your recipes but could you maybe include metric info for the ingredients?
Cheers
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!
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.
Wonderful! So happy you were able to make this one. Haha, yes it’s a rich cake for sure 🙂
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
Yay!! Thrilled to hear that, Val 🙂
Hi! This recipe is delicious!! I was wondering if you could give me the nutrition information without including the icing? Thank you
Glad you enjoyed! I’m currently working on updating my nutrition calculator so it should be up and running soon 🙂
Is that chocolate cake moist or very dry
Very moist.
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!!
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!
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?
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!
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!
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!
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!
Glad I could help 🙂
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!
Wonderful! So happy you enjoyed it, Rebecca!
Could I bake this in an oven safe bowl to make a round cake for a project I’m doing?
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!
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!!! ❤️
Wonderful! So happy you enjoyed it and were able to adapt it perfectly 🙂
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!
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!
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!
Hi Fleur, just make a 1 layer cake instead of a 2 layer cake, and bake for the same time. Enjoy!
The BEST!!!! The whole family loved it!! Vegan and all!
Yay!! Thrilled everyone enjoyed it 😉
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!
Yay! Great to hear that, Karen! Enjoy 🙂
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!
So happy you enjoyed it!
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?)
Yes, use a vegan-friendly margarine (that’s what I am referring to when I say vegan butter). Enjoy!
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!!
Really? That’s so bizarre! This cake works perfectly for me every single time and in fact I am making it again today.
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!
Yay! So thrilled you love it so much, Shannon. It’s my favourite chocolate cake too (but I’m biased) haha.
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.
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. 🙁
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!
Thanks so much, Mary! I’m Canadian so the recipe should definitely work fine for a fellow Canadian. I hope you enjoy the book! 🙂
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
Yay! Thrilled you loved it so much, nancy 🙂
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
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!
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
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!
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.
Thrilled you love it so much, Christy 🙂
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
Hi Mary, no the apple cider vinegar is crucial. I use it here as an egg replacer, it helps raise the cake.
If I don’t get some of this cake soon……..!
What about some stout or espresso… or coffee stout?
Haha! Great ideas!
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.
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!
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!
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 🙂
Hi. Can I use rice flour or almond flour in place of all purpose thanks
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!
Hi Sam
I was wondering what brand of apple cider vinegar did you use? Was it Bragg’s?
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. 🙂
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 🙂
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 🙂
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!
Perfect! Great to hear they work with the gluten-free mix as well 🙂
Hi! I’m planning to make this as cupcakes as well! How long did you bake them?
I did timed it for 20 minutes and started checking at 17 minutes. Depends how much you fill it too. Mine was 3/4.
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)!!
No problem! I love the recipes here too!!!!! Oh the vegan ganache sounds yummy! Good luck!
Thank you so much, Sara!! a two layer cake will equal about 24 cupcakes and they take 20 -25 minutes to bake. Enjoy!
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!
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?
Hi Laura, wow! That’s a lot. I have never made this recipe in a sheet pan before. Hopefully, this article helps you.
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
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!
Can less sugar be used than the recipe calls for? I prefer a less sweet, more cacao taste.
Hi Scarlett, I’ve never tried it myself but this article should be helpful for you 🙂
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!!
You’re most welcome! Thrilled you love it so much, Emma 🙂
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!
Yay!! So thrilled you love it so much 🙂
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.
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.
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
I hope you enjoy it!
I have to say, this cake was delicious…thank you so much
Woohoo! Thrilled you enjoyed it 🙂
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!
I use the tub because that’s whats available in my store, but I am sure the sticks would work well too!
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!!!
YAY! Can’t get a better review than that. So very happy you enjoyed it, Priya 🙂
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 🙂
Yay! So happy it was enjoyed 😀
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.
Aww yay! So happy you enjoy the recipe so much, Olle 😀
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).
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 🙂
Haha! Woohoo! So happy you loved it, Sophia 🙂
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?
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 🙂
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!!!
Hahaha! Wow! Thanks so much, thrilled the cake was such a hit! 🙂
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!
Yes that will work just fine 🙂 Enjoy!
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!
Woohoo! So happy to hear that, Linnea! Thrilled you love it so much 😀
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!
So happy you loved the recipe, Nikki 🙂
Still seems like too much sugar
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!
Woohoo! Thrilled you love it so much, amgine. THanks for the lovely comment 🙂
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!
Woohoo! So happy you loved it and that you will be making it again! 🙂
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
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!
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.
Hi Carol, this conversion chart should help you. 🙂
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). 🙂
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that gluten free flour works here, Megan! Glad it was enjoyed 🙂
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.
Hi Carol, this conversion chart should help you. 🙂
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.
Woohoo! So happy you and everyone enjoyed it so much Tamra 🙂
I made the cake again for my National Night Out party and everyone loved it! No need to even tell folks it is vegan.
Woohoo! Love it! So happy it’s a hit 🙂
Hi, I made another cake with gluten-free flour and it was exquisite again! Thank you!
You’re most welcome, Tamra!
I only have a 9″ springform. Any substitutions I need to make?
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!
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!
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 🙂
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.
Oh no! Sorry to hear that, Chris. I’ve never had that happen before. I hope you love the taste of it at least!
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!
Woohoo! Thrilled you liked the cake so much, porsch, and so happy you were able to bake it with success! 🙂
Hi there, planning to make cupcakes with your recipe! Was wondering, do you use raw cacao or Dutch processed? Thanks!
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.
I used Dutch processed as well and we all really enjoyed them, thank you for this recipe 🙂
My pleasure 🙂
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!
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!
Hi there… what can be used instead of apple cider vinegar?
Apple cider vinegar is the best for this recipe, but in a pinch you can use lemon juice.
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.
Yay! So happy you love the cake so much! I’ve tried that macadamia milk before and made a chowder recipe with it. Omnomnom 🙂
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
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 🙂
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
Haha, yep it’s rich and definitely a treat, so happy you love it, Linda! Lots of love from Canada 🙂
If I don’t have almond milk can I just use….water??
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!
I used oat milk and it turned out perfectly creamy and moist 🙂
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 ❤
Isn’t eating cake party enough? Hahaha. I love it!! So very happy it’s such a fave with you, your family and friends! 😀
Delicious cake, moist and decadent. When done right this cake turns out to be the best vegan chocolate cake you will taste.
Woohoo!! Thrilled you enjoyed it so much, Mil 🙂
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!
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!
Excellent, thank you! 🙂
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.
I’ve never tried using stevia, so I’m not sure of the results, but hopefully, this article will help you.
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.
I think it should hold up fine. Haha! You’re most welcome, thank you so much 🙂
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.
So happy you enjoyed it, Jon, and interesting about the hemp oil!
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!!
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 🙂
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!!!
Good luck!
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.
Ohh thank you so much! I will try to buy that one! All información is welcome 😀
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.
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 🙂
Could I use margarine instead of light oil in the wet ingredients? And if yes, in what proportion?
Thank you in advance!
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.
Thank you for your answer!
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.
Hahaha! That’s amazing! So happy everyone loved it! 🙂
If i use olive oil is it the same proportion? Thank you in advance
Yes, but you would taste the olive oil, which I don’t think would be very yummy.
Thank you for answering, I’ll figure something out!
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!
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.
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
Woohoo! So happy it was a hit and wife approved 😀
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!
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!!
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 🙂
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 ! 🙂
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!
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.
Thanks for the tip, Kafka! Vegetable shortening should be pretty easy to find (at least in North America). A common brand is Crisco. 🙂
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!
Great tip!
hi! 🙂
How many ml of glass do you use?
Hi! I’m sorry, I don’t understand the question. Can you explain more?
Can you tell me the amount of a cup in mililiter?
For example- 1 cup is a 200 or 250 mililiters?
This chart should help you out. Enjoy!
Thank you so much! So i believe it suppose to be 1 cup= 240 mililiters (140 gram flour in a cup), right?
Glad I can help! I do all of my measurements in cups and spoons so I don’t have the weight calculated of things.
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!
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!
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
Woohoo! So happy you loved it so much, Gabby, and that everyone enjoyed it. I look forward to seeing you around 🙂
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!
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! 🙂
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.
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!
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 🙂
Thank you!
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.
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!
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
Woohoo! So happy it went over so well! Your description sounds so good it makes me want to make cake right now!
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!
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 🙂
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!
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!
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.
I used fry’s cocoa. Enjoy! 🙂
Hi, what about not using the shortening and all butter for the frosting. That would work?
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!
Maybe try carob powder?
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!
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.
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!
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!
I have no vegan butter can i use just shortening??
You can, but the frosting might not have very much flavour other than sweet. Hope that helps
Hi Sam,
Do you think I can replace the white sugar with maple syrup?
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!
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 🙂
Wohoo! So great when everyone loves the cake! So happy you enjoyed it and flattered you found your new go-to 🙂
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!
Lemon juice or plain vinegar would work technically, but you might taste them a little. Enjoy!
Hi! Could you please tell me the difference between vegetable butter and shortening?
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!
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!!!
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!
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.
So happy you loved it Kelly!
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!
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 🙂
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
Woot! So happy you love it! Haha, yeah this isn’t a good cake for a spring form pan! Hahaha 🙂
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!
That’s adorable!!!! Thank you so much for sharing that story!
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!!!
Glad you enjoyed it and were able to make it your own 🙂 Orange sounds fabulous!
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.
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!
Thanks!!!
Can’t wait to try this 🙂
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 🙂
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!
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 🙂
Very interesting, so happy you enjoyed it! 🙂
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!
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.
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!
Hi can I freeze this? I am wanting to make cupcakes and need to freeze them. Thank you
Yes, just freeze the cake and frosting separately, then thaw and frost. 🙂
Would you then frost the cake and freeze it? How do I do that so the frosting does not stick to the plastic wrap?
I would freeze the cake and frosting separately. Thaw them both before frosting 🙂
Can I make the cake and freeze it and then just ice the cake the day before I am serving it?
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!
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.
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) 😉
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!!!!!
Awesome! You’re so lovely. You could always bake them into cupcakes instead to make them easier to give away if you like 🙂
Ahhh thanks and thats a great idea, I will do that, I just looooove this cake!!!!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
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.
Oh yum!! Sounds fab! So happy everyone enjoyed your cupcakes 🙂
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?
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!
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)
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 🙂
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!
I just your recipe and*
I just found your recipe* sorry for all these useless comments ^^”
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!
Ok, thanks 🙂
Hey
Can I use refined coconut butter instead of vegan butter ?
TIA
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.
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?
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!
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
Yay! So happy you loved the cake Iris and didn’t give up on finding a fab vegan cake recipe. That frosting sounds divine!
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,
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!
Thanks Sam,
Might just need to nip out to my local US cup suppliers then 🙂
Amazon sell them super cheap Jo (UK)
I have used metric cups instead of imperial and it works out fine, it is just ratios after all.
Glad it worked out!
Can I use coconut oil in place of canola vegtable oil in the wet ingredients?
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.
We are recently vegan and this recipe is amazing! Thank you so much for posting it! My family loves it
Yay! Congrats on your new veganism. So happy you loved the cake 🙂
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.
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!
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!
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!
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.
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. 🙂
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 😀
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 🙂
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
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!
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 time I serve it.
Easy to make, easy to cook, easy to double or halve, and easy to eat!!!
Haha!! Wow! So happy it’s so easy! 🙂 This comment just made my day. Always so honoured when one of my recipes becomes someone else’s go-to. Thank you Christine!
Good but I ready to try but I don’t have white sugar very bad time I try the cake tommorow
I have made this twice in two weeks and just have to let you know how amazing it is — raves from everyone who eats it, both veg AND omni. Thank you.
Yay! That’s so awesome! Thrilled you like it so much Rachael. Thanks for the lovely review. 🙂
I have just made this cake using half the cocoa powder (it’s all I had) and a cup of choc chips in its place. WOW!! It looks amazing. We are covering this in whipped soy cream and sprinkles to use as a smash cake for our daughters birthday and am now in the process of making another one for the rest of us!! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. It’s Divine and easy to make
I wanted this to be 5 stars but for some reason my iPad won’t recognise the 5th star!! I give it 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Yeah there are some glitches in the star rating still 🙁 Thank you for the 5th star! Haha
What sugar did you use please?
Just use regular white sugar. Check with the brand to make sure it is vegan (bone char free).
I had to look up what smash cake was and I am sure glad I did! So much fun. Those pictures will be precious! 🙂
Hi,
I made this cake for my vegan cousin and she loved it, this cake was great as it didn’t come out dry. I didn’t have any baking soda though, so I used 2 tsp of baking powder and removed the vinegar from the recipe. The result was a slightly more fudgy cake than you all describe, but tastet great!
So glad you loved it Iben 😀
I just made this and it was delish! Super easy, I only used 2 cups of sugar cause that’s what I had left, added some mini chocolate chips and I put it in a 13 x 9 inch ceramic pan and cooked it for just over 30 minutes – it kept it a bit softer in the middle which was a huge hit with my family – can’t wait to share this recipe – love your site too!
Yay!! So happy you and your family loved it Trish and were able to make it your own. 🙂
I made this cake yesterday with my son when he said “let’s make a chocolate cake!”, and my husband found this recipe. I had two thoughts. First, there is no way it can be this easy and be good, and second, there is no way mine would ever come out right like the one pictured. Happy to say I was wrong about both. This cake is as simple to make as it seems, and utterly amazingly fudgely chocolatey!! I used almond milk (because it’s what we have) and it came out perfectly. I used applesauce instead of oil which I normally do when baking and it works perfectly here also. I attend a vegan potluck once a year (which is coming up soon) and I plan on bringing this cake!! I’m sure I will be asked for the recipe. I will certainly point them straight to your blog!! Thanks for sharing this!! It is AMAZING!!
Yay!!!! So very happy to hear that you loved it so much, and it’s wonderful that the applesauce substitute worked perfectly!! Thank you so much for this lovely comment 😀
Hello 🙂 how much applesauce did you use tobreplace the oil pleasr ?:)
Can I use coconut milk? or almond milk?
Yes, almond milk would work well, or you can use the kind of coconut milk in a carton (not the thicker stuff in a can).