Author: Fudgy, rich, moist, and decadent, this Vegan Chocolate Cake is a fan favorite for a reason! With hundreds of rave reviews, it bakes up perfectly every time, no one will ever guess it's vegan. Made with simple pantry ingredients and easy steps, you just mix, pour, and bake.
Many readers even say it reminds them of the Bruce Bogtrotter cake from Matilda - rich, indulgent, and unapologetically chocolatey.
FEATURED COMMENT:
This is hands down the best cake I've ever made, vegan or otherwise. I've made it so many times and no one can ever tell it's vegan. It's moist, chocolatey, not too sweet, and the perfect thing for any celebration. People are constantly ask me for the recipe, we love it! - Ivy ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
After years of perfecting and tweaking, I can confidently say this is the best vegan chocolate cake recipe... actually, the best chocolate cake recipe, vegan or not! And if you don't believe me, scroll down and read the reviews! It's moist, fluffy, and fudgy, full of rich chocolate flavor, with the most delightful vegan chocolate buttercream. And the best part is, it's so easy to make too. All of the ingredients can be found at your local grocery store so it's a cinch to whip up for parties, birthday cakes, holidays, or any time you have chocolate cravings.
Why This Vegan Chocolate Cake Always Impresses
- Bakery-style vibes: The cake bakes up soft, fluffy, and moist, but it's also sturdy enough for layering and frosting without getting crumbly.
- Big chocolate flavor: Dutch-process cocoa gives the cake and frosting a dark, intense flavor.
- Easy, no-fuss method: Simple ingredients, simple steps, and no complicated techniques required. Just mix the batter and bake!
- Perfect for celebrations: If you've never made a layer cake before, don't stress! I promise this vegan chocolate cake recipe delivers beautiful, delicious results that are sure to impress.
Ingredients for Vegan Chocolate Cake
- All-purpose flour - For a gluten-free version, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend that includes xanthan gum.
- White sugar - Sweetens the cake and helps keep the crumb soft and moist.
- Cocoa powder - I recommend Dutch-process cocoa for a darker color and smoother, richer chocolate flavor, but natural cocoa powder will also work.
- Baking powder & baking soda - Work together to give the cake lift.
- Salt - To enhance the flavor.
- Plant-based milk - Soy or oat milk work best because they add richness and structure, but any unsweetened plant-based milk will work in a pinch.
- Light oil - Like canola or vegetable oil.
- Apple cider vinegar or lemon juice - Reacts with the baking soda to help the cake rise and stay fluffy. You won't taste it.
- Vanilla extract - Enhances and rounds out the chocolate flavor.
- Chocolate buttercream - Made with firm vegan butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and plant-based milk. You can also use my Vegan Vanilla Buttercream if you prefer.
How to Make Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Mix the dry ingredients: Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, leaveners, and salt in a large bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients: Whisk the milk, oil, vinegar, and vanilla in another bowl, then stir the wet ingredients into the dry until just mixed.
- Bake: Divide the batter into pans and bake until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.
- Frosting: Beat the vegan butter, sugar, cocoa, and vanilla until fluffy, thinning with milk as needed.
- Start assembling: Carefully remove the cakes from the pans. Place one layer on a serving plate and frost the top.
- Finish: Add the second layer and frost the rest. Chill briefly to set the frosting if it feels soft.
Tips and Variations
- Don't overmix: Mix just until combined. A few small lumps are totally normal and will bake out. Mixing too much will affect the rise and texture of your finished cake.
- For thicker frosting: If your vegan butter is very soft, swap half of it with vegetable shortening for better structure for spreading and piping.
- Cupcakes: If you're looking for cupcakes, try my Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes, same rich chocolate flavor, but designed specifically for cupcake form.
Serving Suggestions
- Garnish with fresh berries or shaved vegan chocolate to fancy it up.
- Add sprinkles to your vegan chocolate cake for some festive fun.
- Serve with a scoop of Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream.
- Plate it with raspberry sauce for a restaurant-style dessert.
- And if you're celebrating a birthday, don't forget the candles!
Storage
- Refrigerator: Store the frosted vegan chocolate cake covered in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days.
- Freezer: You can also freeze the whole cake, slices, or unfrosted layers for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and bring to room temperature before serving. See the recipe card for full instructions.
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Vegan Chocolate Cake (Rich & Moist)
Fudgy, rich, moist, and decadent, this Vegan Chocolate Cake is a fan favorite for a reason! With hundreds of rave reviews, it bakes up perfectly every time, no one will ever guess it's vegan. Made with simple grocery-store ingredients and easy steps, you just mix, pour, and bake. Many readers say it's like the Bruce Bogtrotter’s cake from Matilda!
Servings: (makes one 2-layer 8" or 9" round cake)
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Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ cups white sugar
- 1 cup cocoa powder, (Dutch-process)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 2 ⅔ cups plant-based milk, (soy or oat work best)
- ⅔ cups light oil, (such as canola or vegetable)
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, (helps with rise, you can't taste it)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Vegan Chocolate Buttercream
- 1 cup firm vegan butter, (or ½ cup vegan butter + ½ cup vegetable shortening, see notes)
- 1 ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 - 2 tablespoons plant-based milk, (as needed)
Instructions
- Prep the pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly grease two 8" or 9" round cake pans, then line the bottoms with parchment circles.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the plant-based milk, oil, vinegar, and vanilla.
- Combine: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Some small lumps are totally fine. Overmixing can cause a dense cake so keep a light hand.
- Bake: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool fully in the pans before frosting.
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the vegan butter until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla and continue mixing until smooth. If the frosting is too thick, beat in plant-based milk 1 tablespoon at a time until it's perfectly fluffy and spreadable.
- Frost: Make sure the cakes are completely cool so the frosting doesn't melt. Run a knife around the edges of the pans, flip the cakes out, and peel off the parchment. Place one cake on a serving plate and spread ⅓ of the buttercream over the top. Add the second cake layer and frost the top (and sides if desired). Chill the cake briefly if your frosting feels soft.
- Serve: Store in the fridge or a cool place until serving. The cake will stay fresh for 5-7 days in the fridge.
Notes
Firm Vegan Butter: Some vegan butters/margarines are soft and spreadable, which is great for toast but not ideal for frosting as they can make it loose or melty. Use a firm vegan butter made for baking (it should say so on the package). If yours is on the softer side, you can swap ½ cup of the butter for ½ cup vegetable shortening to give the frosting more structure for piping and spreading.
Cupcakes: If you’re looking for cupcakes, try my Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes, same rich chocolate flavor, but designed specifically for cupcake form.
Gluten-free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend that includes xanthan gum (such as Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1). If your blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum, add ¼ teaspoon for better structure. The cake may be slightly more delicate, but many readers have reported great results, it will still be moist, rich, and delicious.
Freezing: This cake freezes beautifully, either fully assembled or in separate components. To freeze the whole cake (or slices), chill it for 20–30 minutes to firm the frosting, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe bag or container. To freeze unfrosted layers, wrap each cooled layer well and freeze. The frosting can be frozen separately in an airtight container. Everything keeps for up to 2 months. Thaw cake or slices in the fridge overnight (or at room temp for slices), and bring frosting back to room temperature before re-whipping and using.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving (recipe makes 16 servings) | Calories: 449kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 2g | Sodium: 272mg | Potassium: 185mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 42g | Vitamin A: 158IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 2mg
Sue says
Hi Sam - under "dry ingredients" you've written 2.5 cups sugar. What kind of sugar is that?
Also, I'm going to use Alpro Soya milk. Do I use the original (sweetened) or unsweetened variety?
Thank you
Sue
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Sue,
It's white granulated sugar. Thanks for pointing that out, I updated it in the recipe so it's a little more clear now. For non-dairy milk I generally use unsweetened because then I can control the sweetness of the cake, but either one will work just fine really, sweetened will just make the cake even sweeter. Enjoy!
Sue says
This is definately the BEST chocolate cake I've ever eaten, let alone made myself. I served it to 15 non vegans, and they all loved it too.
A simple and easy recipe to follow, and super yummy tasting- that's a winner !
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!! So happy you and your 15 friends loved it so much Sue! 😀 Can't get a much better review than that!!
Van says
I just developed a hankering for some chocolate cake and our wedding anniversary is coming up so I think this is being added to the menu. The frosting actually looks like frosting so I think that'll need doubling ;-p
Your little story about the "freezer cakes" made me LOL for real. When I was a kid my bestie and I used to get the family size one too, split it in half (I always flipped mine upside down so I had the icing last), and then gobble them down - also both scrawny kids, haha
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! I didn't know other kids were buying entire cakes to devour as well! That's too funny. I hope you enjoy the cake and frosting 😀
Rachel says
I am not vegan, but I have friends who are. I made this cake for their wedding today, and it came out great. Probably the easiest cake I have ever made, and according to my quality control measures, it is delicious. I made cupcakes instead of a layer cake, and it made 30 regular size cupcakes. If you make cupcakes, bake at 350 for 17-20 minutes. Mine took 19 minutes. If you make jumbo cupcakes, add 5 minutes, for mini remove at least 5 minutes. I highly recommend this cake. I will make it again for my family, none of whom are vegan.
Sam Turnbull says
Aww yay! So happy you loved the cake so much and that it was part of a wedding! Thanks for the tips on cupcake baking. So happy you will be making the recipe again, thanks for the lovely comment Rachel 🙂
Rachel Sessum says
I would like to add that someone told me that this was "the best chocolate cupcake that had ever had." When I told them it was vegan, they looked confused and said, "what is it made out of?" Then he shrugged and took two more and walked off. My vegan friend who got married messaged me later that night to ask for the recipe, so I sent her the link. And I think this will be my go-to frosting recipe, even when I am not cooking vegan. I've been looking for a great chocolate frosting recipe for years, and this is the best I have found. Thanks again for posting it.
Sam Turnbull says
Hahaha! I love that story! I always think it's funny when people assume vegan baking must taste gross, I have never heard a single person say "I wish these cupcakes tasted more eggy" haha. So very happy the recipe is such a hit for you 😀
Galilea Paez says
Hello!^0^ I bought all the ingredients I needed today for my bday tomorrow. Thank you, I'll be making it today. I just wanted to ask if it's safer to use white wine vinegar, rice vinegar, or lemon juice instead of the apple cider vinegar?
Sam Turnbull says
Happy Birthday! Apple cider vinegar is best, because this is what I tested the recipe with, but my second option would be lemon juice. Hopefully you can't taste the lemon flavour. Enjoy your cake!! 😀
Galilea Paez says
Thank you so much for replying to me! The cake came out perfect!!! It was so chocolatey and rich... My family loved it. I couldn't even taste the lemon in the cake at all.
Sam Turnbull says
Oh yay! So glad to hear that it worked out of you and that you couldn't taste the lemon! Definitely a good sub then. So happy your family loved it 😀
Ananya says
Hey, I don't have apple cider vinegar. Could I use normal vinegar instead? Also, would it taste the same if I used coconut oil instead of canola oil?
Sam Turnbull says
Normal vinegar would be too strong in flavour and you might taste it. I would try lemon juice instead. I wouldn't recommend using coconut oil, as I think it would cause the cake to be too heavy. You could use a vegetable oil, or safflower oil instead. 🙂
Jenn Ann says
I don't know how the batter even made it to the pan. I was eating it too fast! My husband and I recently had to give up dairy and eggs. I also can't have bananas. After the mourning period, I was determined to make a chocolate cake. THIS. This cake is THE. ONE. Thank you for a wonderful recipe. I did add a teaspoon or so of espresso powder. I had always done this in my pre-egg day. It just bumps up the chocolate flavor. And for a few of the cupcakes, I sprinkled a few chocolate chips in the batter, because that's how I roll!
Wonderful recipe. Thank you.
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!! So happy you loved to so very much Jenn! I sometimes add espresso powder to chocolate recipes too. Thrilled you can make your cake and eat it too 🙂
Melanie says
The first time I made this cake, I was told from someone who "eats a lot of vegan cakes" that this one was by far the best - a total winner. This recipe scored me big points with a very critical audience. Highly recommend it!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!!! "By far the best" I'm totally flattered! So happy you enjoyed the cake so much Melanie 😀
Mona says
HELP -I don't have vanilla extract, what else can I use?
Sam Turnbull says
You can skip it, and it should be fine.
Jim says
How many people can it serve? I need to make a cake for 8-10 ppl are these proportions good?
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Jim,
Oh it will definitely make enough for that. In the nutrition box, I suggest it can serve 18 people. It is very rich so this is one of those cakes where you really only want a thin slice. I hope everyone loves it!
Jim says
Wow that's alot of people haha! Sorry I hadn't seen that in the box, thanks for the info 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Haha, yeah sometimes when I am serving less people I half the recipe and make a 1 layer cake instead 🙂
Georges says
I tried this recipe tonight: the taste is good, but i think it needs more baking powder and baking soda, the texture is more like a brownie, it was hard to cut in the middle and fill it. Also, the baking time is more than one hour and not 40 minutes. I wouldn't add the apple vinegar next time because it tastes a lot on the cake. But thank you for sharing it.
Sam Turnbull says
Sorry the recipe wasn't exactly what you were expecting! Hopefully you can make the changes you like to suit your tastes better next time. 🙂
Sally says
Very very dense. Will never use this recipe again. I wish I had known before I spent the time making it 🙁
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Sally,
Sorry you didn't enjoy the recipe! I did describe this cake as "rich, moist, fudgey" so yes, it is a heavier cake, not light and fluffy. Also, if your baking soda or powder was old, it could have affected the rise of the cake.
Jaime says
First off let me just say that everything I cook from your website is delicious. THANK YOU!
Quick question, can I substitute Apple Sauce for the oil?
Sam says
Yay! Thank you Jamie. I have never tried substituting apple sauce for oil in this recipe so I don't know for sure. I know that when you cook with applesauce it tends to change the taste and texture of a recipe, so bake at your own risk! Haha. Here's an article that might be helpful.
Beth B says
Can organic cane sugar be used in place of regular sugar and is there an organic powdered sugar that I can use. Dr said not to eat sugar unless organic
Sam says
Yep! Should be no problem. There is such a thing as organic powdered sugar. You can buy it online here if you can't find it in your local health food store.
Jessica says
This is the BEST cake I have ever made hands down! I started eating plant based a few weeks ago, and my birthday came around when I was only about a week into it so I was bummed I couldn't have a birthday cake when my family came over. This cake is better than any non-vegan cake I have made and nobody in my family knew it was vegan! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Sam says
Yay!!!! Happy Birthday Jessica! I am so very happy that this recipe made your day even more special. Thanks so much for the lovely comment, it totally made my day 🙂
Kiki says
Seriously the BEST CAKE EVER! I love it!
Sam says
Aww yay!! So very happy you loved it Kiki 🙂
Paris says
I cannot wait to try this! There is always a good reason to eat chocolate cake. p.s. I love Chloe too! 😉
Sam says
Haha I agree!! Always a good reason 🙂
Anna says
I made this cake yesterday and I've never seen my family eat a cake faster than this! It was AMAZING!!! (notice the verb, its already past tense!) I'm definitely making it again soon 🙂
Sam says
hahaha!! I love that! So happy the cake WAS such a hit 🙂
Kim says
I'd like to make this for a friend who can't have nut or soy milk. Do you think coconut milk would be a sufficient substitute?
Sam says
Yes, but make sure you buy the coconut milk intended for drinking that can be found in a carton, and not the thicker milk in a can. Other great options would be rice milk or oat milk. 🙂
Kim says
Perfect! Thanks for the tips! I had no idea there are so many "milk" options!
Allyson says
I love dense heavy cakes and this one did not disappoint! I made this one on a whim today and. It turned out great! I would love to share a photo of mine if you would like (nothing fancy!). I frosted down the sides because that is my preferred frosting method
Sam says
Yay! So happy you enjoyed the cake so much Allyson 🙂 If you want to share a photo, you can share it on Instagram and tag me, or on my Facebook Page. I would love to see!
Livi says
Cake is delicious but it taste a little oily. Any suggestions how to correct that?
Sam says
Hmmmm you could try replacing some of the oil with applesauce. I haven't tried this myself however, so I can't guarantee results. Hope that helps!
Livi says
Can you freeze this cake?
Sam says
Yes, it should freeze no problem. I recommend freezing the layers before they are frosted, wrapping them tightly in plastic wrap so they keep fresh. Hope that helps!