This is the BEST vegan chocolate cake recipe you will ever find! This decadent chocolate cake is fluffy, and rich and will leave everyone begging for more.
I don't know about you, but I can eat chocolate desserts all day and every day.
This decadent vegan chocolate cake is not an exception. It's rich, moist, and indulgent. In fact, it's one of the best vegan cake recipes.
It will surely tantalize your taste buds.
This fluffy and moist cake is not only delicious but also cruelty-free and kind to the environment, making it a perfect choice for those who want to enjoy a sweet treat while sticking to their vegan lifestyle.
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It's simple yet decadent and perfect for serving at parties.
What's also significant about this best and easy vegan chocolate recipe is that it's not over-frosted. It means it has just the right amount of frosting, not too much and not too little.
👆 Here's Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's easy. The ingredients are simple, and you can find them in your pantry without going to the grocery store
- Crowd-pleasing. This vegan chocolate cake recipe is simply the best. It's a fantastic choice for when you have guests, Valentine's Day or for birthday parties. Everybody will be requesting a recipe.
- Not overly over-frosted. Have you ever eaten cakes with so much sweet frosting that everybody wipes it off? It is not the case with this best-ever vegan chocolate cake. You'll want to eat every crumb of it and ask for seconds.
Ingredients
Here's an overview of the specific ingredients for this recipe. For the exact ingredients and measurements, please scroll to the recipe card below.
Ingredient Notes
- oil. It's best to use flavorless cooking oil. I love using avocado oil for cooking because it is a good source of monounsaturated fat which is linked to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. In addition, avocado oil is suitable for high-heat cooking. (Make sure it says so on the label.) You can find avocado oil in any grocery store in the Cooking Oils aisle or on Amazon. Alternatively, you can use sunflower oil. If you want to use olive oil, I recommend using refined Olive oil. It has a lighter color than extra-virgin olive oil and is flavorless. I recommend staying away from vegetable oil because they're prone to oxidation once heated.
- sugar. For the cake layers, I'm using unrefined coconut sugar. It has a light caramel flavor and works really well in desserts. Alternatively, you can use organic cane sugar.
- cacao powder. I recommend choosing unsweetened cacao powder versus unsweetened cocoa powder. The latter is more processed and has fewer antioxidants than cacao powder.
- plant-based milk. In this easy vegan chocolate cake, I used cashew milk, however, you can substitute it with any dairy-free milk like almond milk, soy milk, or even coconut milk. Please be advised, if you use coconut milk, it may impact the flavor of this cake.
🔪 How To Make Vegan Chocolate Cake
This vegan chocolate cake is very easy to make. Follow my detailed step-by-step pictures below.
- In a large mixing bowl sift the dry ingredients.
- In a medium bowl melt chocolate chips and add in the remaining wet ingredients.
- Whisk all wet ingredients until combined.
- Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
- Whisk slowly to combine and stop when there are no visible patches of flour.
- Pour the batter into a prepared cake pan and bake for 35 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove the cake to a wire rack and let it cool. (That way it will be easier to cut it.) Using a long knife cut the cake in half.
- Using a cake spatula, frost the top of the first layer of the vegan chocolate cake using my vegan chocolate frosting.
- Top with the second half of the cake and frost the top and the sides. Enjoy this vegan easy chocolate cake with a cup of tea!
👩🏼🍳 Chef's Tips
As you can see, it's really simple to make this vegan chocolate cake. No special equipment or ingredients are needed.
However, there are a few things you should know to make this easy cake perfect each time.
- Quality cacao. Make sure your cacao powder is 100% pure and has a rich chocolate flavor.
- Don't overmix the batter. Over-mixing the batter can result in a dense and heavy vegan chocolate cake. To avoid this problem, when you add flour, mix gently, just until the ingredients are combined.
- Let the cake cool. The cake should be allowed to cool completely before frosting or decorating it. A heated cake may melt or become challenging to work with if you attempt to frost or decorate it. Good idea is to make the cake 1 day in advance, then cut it into layers and frost it just before serving.
💭 Frequently Asked Questions
If you don't like too much chocolate buttercream frosting on your cakes, simply skip frosting the sides. Use ¾ amount of all frosting on the cake layers.
The freshly baked cake is tender and so frosting it right away will result in a lot of crumbs and possibly breakage. For this reason, I recommend refrigerating the cake for at least 2 hours before frosting it.
Double the frosting recipe.
Absolutely. Divide the cake batter evenly between the cake pans and bake for 25 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean.
📖 Recipe Variations
You can get creative and make this vegan chocolate cake with other flavors, like raspberry or strawberry jam.
Fruit preserves. After you cut the vegan chocolate cake into two layers, spread a thin layer of fruit preserve followed by the chocolate frosting. You'll love a delicate fruity flavor in the cake.
Vanilla extract. Whisk in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in wet ingredients.
Espresso powder. 1 teaspoon of instant espresso powder added to dry ingredients will result in an intensified chocolate flavor.
💡Making Ahead Of Time
Make vegan chocolate cake, cool it on a counter, and then keep it in a fridge for about 3 to 5 days.
You can also freeze an unfrosted cake. Cover it in plastic wrap and freeze it for about 2 months.
Defrost the cake in a fridge until it's almost thawed and then spread the frosting.
Vegan Chocolate Frosting can also be made ahead of time and then refrigerated in a covered container for a few weeks.
When you are ready to serve, remove the plant-based chocolate cake from the fridge, cut it into two layers, and then frost.
♨️ Storage Tips
You can store this easy vegan chocolate cake at room temperature for about three days or refrigerate it for one week. There's no need to cover the cake.
🎂 More Vegan Dessert Recipes
If you make this recipe, please leave me a comment below and rate it. I always appreciate the feedback. Also, you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.
Recipe
Best Ever Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe (You'll Be Making On Repeat)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ c all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ c coconut sugar
- 6 tablespoon cacao powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅓ c vegan chocolate chips
- 1 c non-dairy milk cashew, almond or soy milk
- 1 c boiling water
- ½ c avocado oil
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 recipe vegan chocolate frosting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and line the 9-inch cake pan with a parchment paper. (You can also use two cake pans).
- In a large bowl sift all-purpose flour, coconut sugar, cacao powder, baking soda and baking powder. Whisk until combined.
- In a medium bowl melt chocolate chips and add in the remaining wet ingredients (non-dairy milk, water, oil and vinegar)
- Whisk all wet ingredients until combined.
- Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Whisk slowly to combine and stop when there are no visible patches of flour.
- Pour the batter into a prepared cake pan and bake for 35 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove the cake to a wire rack and let it cool. (I recommend cooling it on a counter and then for at least 2 hours in a fridge). Using a long knife cut the cake in half.
- Using a cake spatula, frost the top of the first layer of the vegan chocolate cake using my vegan chocolate frosting.
- Top with the second half of the cake and frost the top and the sides. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Iryna Bychkiv is the founder and writer of the culinary website Lavender & Macarons, where she shares clean, European-inspired recipes that are delicious, easy to prepare, and made with wholesome ingredients. Iryna loves creating meals that are simple yet healthy and unique, including vegan and vegetarian recipes.
Iryna is also a freelance writer for MSN and Associated Press Wire.
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