The Ultimate Vegan Chocolate Cake

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 is 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 of plant-based 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 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.

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

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

Print Recipe

4.96 from 238 votes

The Ultimate Vegan Chocolate Cake

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

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Course : Dessert

Cuisine : AmericanCanadian

Servings: 2 layer cake with frosting

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 plant-based 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 plant-based milk, (if needed)

US Customary - Metric

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• 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 plant-based milk. Blend until whipped and creamy. If the frosting is a bit too stiff, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of plant-based 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.

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.

Vegetable shortening is a vegetable fat that is solid at room temperature which is why it's great for frosting as it holds its shape. If you don't have that, you could use more vegan butter, but make sure everything is cold as the butter might be a bit meltier.

Alternative flours: I'm not an expert in alternative flours, so substitute at your own risk. For gluten-free, I have heard good things about Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 flour. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1Slice of Cake with Frosting (Recipe makes 12 servings) | Calories: 590kcal | Carbohydrates: 81g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 332mg | Potassium: 285mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 56g | Vitamin A: 580IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 110mg | Iron: 3mg

Did You Make This Recipe?Tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram and Hashtag #itdoesnttastelikechicken

Bon appetegan!

Sam.

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