Four years ago this month, John and I were just kids planning our wedding. We decided to give up sweets during our engagement to feel our best on our wedding day, and to more fully enjoy our dessert bar and wedding cake.
The big day finally arrived. We had been so good, not even having an ounce of sweets aside from honey and the occasional after-dinner mint. And you better believe we pigged out at the reception. I was in sweet tooth heaven.
Like most, our honeymoon was a time of sheer indulgence so when we got settled back into “real life” we hit the reset button on our diet. Sweets were out the door again.
That was, until we attended the wedding of some close friends in Portland where I met the chocolate cake that perhaps changed my life.
Yes, big words for a cake.
I’d resigned to give desserts up indefinitely. But then we show up at this wedding and it’s absolutely charming and the food is delicious and the ambience is perfect and the music is a local bluegrass band…and all at once they bring out this giant chocolate cake.
I wrangled our entire table into a discussion over whether or not this cake was worth breaking my fast for.
Unanimously, we agreed yes. I took one bite into this luxurious, velvety, rich chocolate cake, and amidst so many layers of mousse, cake and ganache my mind couldn’t comprehend what my taste buds were experiencing.
Was it worth it? Without a doubt, yes.
These days my sweet tooth still wins once in a while, but I keep it to the occasional indulgence. A donut here, a cookie there, almost always something on the healthier side of the spectrum. But especially in the last 6 months, always dairy free. And so, it was a given that I had to make my dream chocolate cake vegan style.
Friends, I’ve done just that.
As the title suggests, this cake is made in 1 bowl in under 1 hour! You can even make your buttercream frosting in the same bowl you used for the cake. Simplicity at its finest.
The ingredients are fairly simple and considerably “healthier” than most chocolate cakes.
Coconut oil replaces vegetable or canola
Oil is reduced with the addition of applesauce
Cane sugar replaces granulated sugar
And the only (vegan) “butter” is in the (vegan) “buttercream” frosting
So, what does it taste like? Just like chocolate cake should! It’s:
Tender
Fluffy
Chocolaty
Sweet
Moist
Decadent
Generously frosted
& Perfect with a glass of almond milk
If you’re like me, chocolate cake (or any cake, for that matter) deserves a giant scoop of ice cream beside it. Melty ice cream and a thick slice of heavily-frosted cake – does it get any better than that?
But for the modest cake eater, a glass of almond milk is really all you need to wash down this vegan chocolate dream. Enjoy!
Speaking of almond milk, this recipe marks the first of several recipes we’ll be sharing over the next few months featuring Blue Diamond Almond Breeze! I’ve been using Almond Breeze for years and am thrilled to bring you guys some tasty recipes featuring a product I adore so much. For more information about the integrity of this brand, see their FAQ page.
Now bring on the cake!
1-Bowl Vegan Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
CAKE
- 1 1/2 cups original unsweetened Almond Breeze Almond Milk
- 2 tsp white or apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/4 cups unsweetened applesauce*
- 1/2 cup strong brewed coffee (or sub more almond milk)
- 2/3 cup melted coconut oil (or sub avocado oil)
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 heaping cups whole-wheat pastry flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 1/3 cups organic cane sugar (or sub granulated sugar)
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
FROSTING
- 1 cup vegan butter (softened)
- 2 1/2 - 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup dairy-free semisweet chocolate (melted and slightly cooled)
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ~1/4 cup unsweetened original Almond Breeze Almond Milk
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and lightly spray 2 8-inch round cake pans or 1 large rectangular pan with nonstick spray (see notes for cooking times for different size pans // adjust number or size of pans if altering batch size). Dust with cocoa powder, shake out the excess and set aside.
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Mix the almond milk and vinegar in a large mixing bowl, and let set for a few minutes to activate. Add the oil, coffee, vanilla extract, and applesauce and beat until foamy.
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Add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to a sifter and slowly sift over the wet ingredients while mixing with a hand-held or standing mixer. If you don’t have a sifter, simply mix dry ingredients in another bowl and add to the wet mixture while beating. Beat until no large lumps remain. It should be creamy and pourable. Taste and adjust sweetness as needed, adding more sugar if desired (I found it plenty sweet).
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Divide batter evenly between your cake pans or rectangular pan.
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Bake 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.
-
While cooling, prepare frosting by beating together all ingredients until light and fluffy, adding the powdered sugar in small amounts until you reach your desired consistency and sweetness. If it becomes too thick, add more almond milk. If it's too thin, add more cocoa powder or powdered sugar.
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Once the cake is cooled, frost generously with buttercream frosting, adding a thick layer between the top and bottom layers (if doing a 2-layer cake). Alternatively, omit the frosting and dust with cocoa powder.
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Serve with a scoop of dairy-free ice cream, a drizzle of chocolate, or caramel sauce, coconut whipped cream or a glass of almond milk!
Notes
*I tested butternut squash puree in the original recipe and it made it a bit too dense for my liking. Applesauce was perfect, which is why I highly recommend it over other purees.
*Double the recipe and use 4 pans for a 4-layer cake. Halve the recipe and use 1 pan for a 1-layer cake.
*Adapted from my Fudgy Vegan Beet Cupcakes
*Buttercream adapted from Martha Stewart
*Confused on how long to bake your cake when using different pans? Here's a helpful guide.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Nutrition Per Serving (1 of 10 slices)
- Calories: 524
- Fat: 26g
- Saturated fat: 15g
- Carbohydrates: 74g
- Fiber: 5.1g
- Sugar: 51g
- Protein: 4.8g
Holy moly this cake is obscenely good! I’ve made it for several birthdays and I’ve gotten overwhelming praise for it. I can’t believe I’ve only just now reviewed it! The only change I made is replacing the coconut oil with canola, which cuts down on the saturated fat significantly. The addition of melted chocolate chips to the buttercream is genius–it makes a huge difference! I’m sure we’ll be eating this for years to come. It makes birthdays that much better. Thank you Dana!
So glad you enjoy this recipe, Mia! xo
I baked this cake for my boyfriend’s birthday and shared it with all of his non-vegan friends / family. Everyone loved it and were surprised that it was vegan. A friend said it was as good as any cake you would get from a cake shop (we live in Italy, so this is a high compliment) and my boyfriend even said it is the best cake he has ever eaten. Thanks for this recipe!
Yay! Thanks!
Was wondering if this could also make a 3 layer 6 inch cake or if I’d have to alter the batch amount/cooking time!
That should work! Just reduce cooking time.
Is olive oil an adequate substitute for avocado or coconut oil? I tried to browse through the comments to see if anyone else had tried this substitution but have not seen any. I haven’t had luck baking with coconut oil and avocado oil is quite expensive!
Update: just made 24 cupcakes using this recipe, subbed the olive oil for the coconut and used a scant amount of brown sugar due to running out of cane. Baked for 23 minutes. They are delicious! And yes, this grown woman just had a cupcake for breakfast. Ill blame that decision on needing a quick bite while nursing my 6 week old
Hi Kristy, it will probably work, but expect it to definitely have a bit of an olive oil flavor. If you’re okay with that, we would say go ahead! If you give it a try, we would love to hear how it goes!
This cake turned out perfect! So rich and moist without being overly sweet. I used almond extract instead of vanilla, AMAZING.
I make this over and over, it turns out perfect EVERY time. Also the perfect quantity to make 24 cupcakes which I sent to my son’s childcare for his 5th birthday – nut, egg & dairy free! (I subbed the almond milk and coffee for soy milk). Love this recipe.
So glad to hear it, Jo! Thanks for sharing! xo
Hey Dana! I was wondering if I could use your gluten free flour mix in place of the flour on this one?
Check out the previous comments for gluten-free options! We’ve previously recommended (and this is a loose recommendation because we have not tested this particular recipe with these substitutes) using a mix of almond meal or flour, oats or oat flour, and a gluten free flour blend with a little xanthan gum for binding! We also have recommendations for substituting gluten-free flour in our Recipe FAQ’s. Let us know how it goes if you try it!
PERFECT!!! Have made this twice with flawless results and I’m not vegan ;) Deep, decadent, extremely moist without being overly sweet…. INCREDIBLY DELICIOUS!
I was really excited about this cake and followed the recipe exactly for my moms bday tonight. Unfortunately it came out a strange texture, it was almost chewy and rubbery. Bummed :\ Curious to know what you think happened?
Hi Kelly, Sorry to hear the cake didn’t turn out as expected! Our best guess would be that the batter was over-mixed. Hope that helps!
OK, thanks! I thought heaping was a lot more than that, so I easily used 2 1/4 or more cups. It came out good, we thought. Next time!
This is the BEST! I always use coffee when it’s called for in a chocolate recipe – just deepens the flavour. This is so good – the cake is not too sweet and the icing then acts as the sweetener to this rich cake. The consistency is just perfect – moist and mmmmm! I’ve made this many times as it’s an easy one and it’s a crowd pleaser every time! This and the cinnamon rolls from minimalist baker have become staples and friends and family eagerly await them when I say I’m bringing dessert. Thanks Dana!
Thanks so much for the lovely review and sharing your modification- sounds wonderful! xo
Hi Dana
Thank you so much for the recipe, the cake turned out great!!
I have a question about the buttercream frosting though.
I used Vegan butter but the frosting would just not give stiff peaks and I could not pipe with this ratio. However, it spreads really well. Is there something I am doing wrong or something I can do to improve the frosting for it to attain piping consistency?
Thank you :)
Hi Akila, thanks for the lovely review! We just updated our post on How to Make Vegan Buttercream Frosting and think that should help!
The first time I made the frosting I used 1/4 cup milk and it was quite loose. Subsequent times I use a splash of milk, say 1 tablespoon, and I am able to pipe with stiff peaks.
I wanted to ask if you ever made this red velvet? :)
Thank you for this delicious and easy recipe!
I prepared the cake last night as it’s my boyfriend’s birthday today and we just had a slice for breakfast ;-)
It turned out as creamy and moist as promised, it has a rich chocolate taste with a hint of coconut due to the oil used. Awesome!
I also had trouble with the frosting being runny but I just used four long and thin wooden toothpicks to hold the layers in place and overnight it “dried up” enough and turned out as it was supposed to!
Thumbs up, I highly recommend it! :-)
Hi Adriana, thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your tip! We are so glad you enjoyed this! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
I had a pretty major problem with this recipe that’s my fault but thought I’d put it out there so other people can learn from my mistakes!
I keep my almond milk in the refrigerator and so when I mixed my melted coconut oil in my cold almond milk it solidified into weird little clumps.
Hi ! Can I do it without a beater ?
You can whisk it (a lot), but you will probably be feeling it in your arm muscles!
Thank you ! I just saw that beaters can be pretty cheap so maybe I’ll by one :D
We made this recipe and it was a total fail. We halved it, but followed the instructions precisely, only exception that we measured a level cup of ap flour instead of heaping and used a different variety of almond milk called “malk”. We used a stainless steel 9 inch pan, gas oven. We baked well past the 30 min mark because the cake wouldn’t cook through in the center. About an hour later, the outside was crispy, the inside was still goopy, and we were super over it. I find it frustrating that the author pretty much only responds to the successes, it would be so wonderful to know what we did wrong. I did read similar reviews to our experience in comments. A friend of mine gave me this recipe at my request- their cake turned out fantastic! I would love to know what the difference was, and why our cake flopped??
P.S. Frosting had pretty good flavor but took a ton of powdered sugar to get to correct consistency, so was overly sweet, and regular Earth balance made it quite salty as well. Is there unsalted we should have used?
Sorry to hear this didn’t turn out as your friend’s did! We do our best to respond to as many comments as possible, but do miss some. It sounds like your cake may have been too wet and needed more flour. The heaping versus level cup can make a surprising difference! The batter should be creamy, but pourable. As for the frosting, buttercream classically does have a lot of powdered sugar, but it could have also been the Earth Balance. Earth Balance has been reformulated and we find it is less reliable now. We prefer Miyokos at this time and just updated our post on How to Make Vegan Buttercream Frosting with additional tips. We hope that helps and that you have better luck next time!
I love the cake recipe, I come back to this over and over, it’s just that I’ve always had problems making the frosting. Depending on the “butter” brand it just can never come together if it’s softened and is a runny mess. I’ve usually had to keep it quite cold because if it gets to room temp I’m done for.
Earth balance seems to hold up the best. This last time I tried “I can’t believe it’s not butter vegan!”, I went through a whole bag and still couldn’t get it past a runny batter.
That “I can’t belive it’s not butter vegan” bakes terribly in everything! It’s not made with the right stuff for baking, or really anything other than topping bread. I’ve made this cake atleast 10 times in the last few years and tried most of her suggestions and substitution variations. It’s best with Earth Balance baking squares , but pretty amazing with Miyoko’s Vegan Butter as well. I’ve also tried pumpkin instead of apple sauce and it was delicious but really dense and moist. Applesauce is definitely best. My second favorite variation was banana purée, made by putting them in the food processor as blending completely. Use vegan sugars and it makes it even better!! Keep the frosting ingredients cold to room temperature and it will come out the perfect consistency, keeping in mind your oven will heat up your ingredients & work area! Love this cake. It’s my go to favorite.
This is amazing and we have made it twice now (today for my loves birthday).
My buddy who is very picky said it was the best chocolate cake he has ever had!
I can’t give it enough praises😄
Thank you soooooooo much!
Thank you so much for the lovely review, Jamie! xo
Could you substitute Almond Breeze chocolate almond milk?
Hi Liz, we haven’t tried that, but think it might work. You may want to start with less cane sugar if the Almond Breeze is sweetened. Let us know if you give it a try!
Hi! I was wondering if you can make this gluten free? Thanks!
Hi! We would recommend subbing the all purpose with a mix of almond meal or flour, oats or oat flour, and a gluten free flour blend + a little xanthan gum for binding. Hope that helps!
First time cake baker. Tried this recipe today, and the cake came out great. But, it strikes me as odd that with ingredient measurements down to the precise teaspoon, the recipe calls for “two heaping cups” of flour. Why not just state 2 1/4 cups or 2 1/2 cups, or whatever?
Hi Warren, two heaping cups would be about two cups plus 1 Tbsp, but there isn’t a way to indicate this with our recipe plugin and 2 1/4 cup would be too much. Hope that clears up the confusion!
Great recipe but how about going metric and just using grams?
Far more accurate and used the world over
Hi Andrew, we include metric measurements for all recipes as well. Below the “ingredients” header, you will see an option to switch to metric.
Hello,
Can I use almond flour instead of whole wheat flour? My friend is vegan and gluten free! If so, would it be the same amount of flour? Thanks!
Hi Candice! I wouldn’t recommend using all almond flour, but potentially a mix. This is just a loose recommendation, but I’d sub the all purpose with a mix of almond meal or flour, oats or oat flour, and a gluten free flour blend + a little xanthan gum for binding. Hope that helps!
Do you use Dutch processsd cocoa?
Yes, that should work! See comments above for more info!
I have made this 3 times following the recipe to a ‘T’, and every time it comes out heavy, wet and dense. I haven’t had this issue with other recipes, but I liked this one because it seemed so easy and quick.
LOVE THIS RECIPE!
It’s super easy to make and Delicious! We have made this several times for family events. Getting ready to start today for Mother In Laws Birthday Bash!
It’s great for our family with members with dairy & egg allergies, a great find!
I love this recipe and it came delicious.
I’m just disappointed that the frosting didn’t come out in the light brown color as shown in the picture but rather with the same color as the cake. Did I miss something?
It will all depend on the brand of your cocoa powder! As long as it tastes good, the color doesn’t matter!
Oh my! this has become the only cake I make! I first tried it because my daughter in law cannot eat eggs or dairy. It rose up so beautifully, and the frosting was ultra delicious even without the choc chips as I couldnt find vegan ones. Since then I had a church do and made cupcakes using this recipe, they were also marvellous. thank you so much – this is such a great recipe.
Just made this cake for my son’s birthday- the family loved it! Baking doesn’t come easy to me, but this cake was easy to make. I left out the coffee,made it in a springform pan, and made the frosting w/regular butter. These were my altercations but the cake was a super hit! Thank you!
Can I sub date sugar instead of granulated sugar? Or maple syrup?
We haven’t tried it, but scan the comments to see if anyone’s had success with that. Best of luck, Jess!
this cake has become a family favorite. I like to put strained raspberry jam on the top of each layer while it is still warm from the oven – that way the jam soaks into the cake. I also put a tablespoon or two in the frosting. If it makes the frosting too soft, just add a little more until it gets to the right consistency again.
This is a fantastic chocolate cake! Yesterday was my third time making it, for my twins 4th year birthday. I suspect my son has been reacting poorly to dairy, and I’ve been trying to stir myself towards a more plant based diet. This cake was moist and delicious. Everyone loved it. Thank you!
I must tell you, I found your recipe through my vegan cousin. She said your recipes works and always delicious. Little did she know, I was trying to ask her which recipe she used to make chocolate cake.
I’ve made this for her surprise birthday party. All my family members loved this and raved how it was better than the restaurant’s (vegan) chocolate cake. They loved how moist and good it tasted! My aunts who doesn’t do dairy, devoured them.
I only had a small slice and wanted more 😭. So I’ve made another cake for myself, and shared with friends who are vegetarians.. they alllll loved it!
Thank you! I’m very picky about certain dessert recipes. This is a keeper!
Only thing diff was I used: Oat-ly brand oat milk (Gray/blue-ish carton). It did give it a more creamier texture instead of almond milk.
So good! I have made my husband a German chocolate cake. We cut out diary, eggs etc about 5 months ago so I was concerned about the cake. His birthday is today so last week I made another recipe (different site) and it was not good. Then I realized you had this cake so I baked it yesterday. I used almond milk, I used avocado oil for the coconut oil, I added the coffee, I used half whole wheat pastry flour and half unbleached all purpose because I had both, and I’m not a baker and couldn’t decide which would be better lol. The batter was amazing! I checked at 25 min, then 30, ended up baking for 50 min and it was pure perfection. So anyone who gets nervous about bake time, just keep baking until that toothpick is clean!
I didn’t do the frosting because I made this into a German chocolate cake but the cake was perfect. Thank you for this!
Thanks for sharing, Jenny! I am sure this will be helpful for a lot of readers :)
Hi , I just want to know what changes I would have to make for high elevation cooking ?
Hi Jenny! We don’t have much experience baking at high elevations, but you may find some useful tips here!
Hi Jenny I have made this cake 10 times- and 3 times at my new place which is in the mountains at 6,000 feet. I keep the recipe the same at my new elevation, except I make sure to use applesauce and almond milk, as it comes out best that way. I’ve tried pumpkin purée (the canned variety) at high elevation and it came out better than when I lived at a flat lander place, haha. Really rich and moist and super decadent. But not light and fluffy if that’s what you’re going for. Make sure to oil your pans well, I find everything sticks more up here. Also, you will have to bake it longer, depending on your oven, the last time I clocked it at 45 minutes with two round cake pans in the center rack of my oven. Just make sure the took pick test works, and is completely clean (use a new end of the took pick every time, and wait atleast 25-30 minutes before you start testing them so the oven retains proper heat for a long enough period of time.) I think it’s also more important to use baking racks at higher elevations, once it comes out of the oven pop them on top of baking racks to cool until you’re ready to frost. I found cheap baking racks at the dollar store that are made of thin metal but work great. Also make sure to use a good vegan butter, Earth Balance squares or Miyoko’s vegan butter are my faves.
I’ve made this cake twice now and it’s the very best chocolate cake ever!!! I made it once for family and once for a big birthday party, and being the only vegan, I was happy to see everyone devouring this cake. I haven’t made it with the coffee yet, but I know I’ll be making this again so I can’t wait to try it. After frosting, I topped it with raspberries and sprinkled a bit of powdered sugar on top, I wish I could include a photo since it looked beautiful! Some people wondered how a cake could taste so amazing without eggs. Someone asked for the recipe and I happily e-mailed them a link with my notes. My brother who is a picky eater and notoriously dislikes cakes even said it was the best cake he’s ever eaten. This cake does not last long as people are more than happy to eat it all up! It makes me so happy to be able to make a yummy dessert for everyone and show them how fantastic vegan baking is! Thank you for this wonderful recipe, Dana!
I baked this cake for my birthday party and served it to all my non vegan friends/family. Everyone LOVED it. It was so decadent and yummy and moist. Legit the most perfect chocolate cake i have ever tasted. This is a type of cake you would buy at a fancy bakery!! Everyone was amazed when i told them it was vegan!
Thank you SO much for this recipe. I will definitely be baking it tons in the future.
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Breanna!
This cake was a hit tonight for my husband’s51st birthday! My 8 year old daughter said it was the best vegan cake ever ! Thank you for this recipe for this delicious moist cake!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Rebecca!
I have to say I am in love with this cake. It’s very delicious and tasty. As we have lots of intolerances on daily ingredients, I had to adjust it a bit. I used GLUTEN FREE flours and 1tbs of ground chia seeds as a replacement for xanthan gum, half part of cacao butter instead of half coconut oil and rapadura/coconut sugar. Very satisfied
Thank You very much for sharing your recipes, wish you all the luck 🌷
I love this cake! I make it whenever I need a chocolate cake or cupcakes. My daughter has dairy and egg allergies so I was thrilled to find a cake that tasted so great.
I just recently doubled the recipe because I needed a lot of cake and it worked out well.
I find that I always end up with extra batter so I make those in to cupcakes to pull out for friends’ birthday parties. I have used almond and oat milk; they both work great. I also add more sugar than called for. Everyone who has tried it, loves it and can’t tell that it is vegan. Even people who can eat dairy and eggs, request this cake because it is so good.
Thanks Dana for the great recipe.
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Tina!
Could I use applesauce to replace oil in the cake? Eating WFPBNO.
Yes that should work!
I’m hoping to make this soon for my daughter who is vegan. Can you clarify what you mean by vegan butter? I looked online and found things like almond butter, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter, etc. Is there a product you recommend? If it didn’t cost a fortune that would be such a bonus! Thank you!
Hi JoAnn! We like a brand called Earth Balance which you can find in most grocery stores!
Hi, I had a quick question could I substitute soy milk for the almond milk?
Thanks :)
Yes that should work!
Thank you, can’t wait to try this recipe out ❤❤.
Made this for a vegan birthday. Everyone loved it! My only sub was the frosting, I used coconut oil in place of the vegan butter- gave the flavors a lovely blend. Delicious My non-vegan friends said they wanted this for their birthday as well.
Whoop! Thanks for sharing, Stacey!
Hi! Im going to attempt to make this cake for my partners birthday. For the frosting Can I substitute vegan butter for coconut oil? If anyone has done this how did it turn out? If so, what’s the recommendation amount to replace the vegan butter? Cheers!
I haven’t tried it myself, but let me know if you decide to try it! It will melt more easily than regular frosting, so just know that if it’s hot, it will probably slide off :(
Hi There, I am going to be making this cake in order to make an ice cream cake, and I was wondering if you can make it gluten free? I typically use King Arthurs GF mix. Thanks!
Hi Kristin! Check out the previous comments for gluten-free options! We’ve previously recommended (and this is a loose recommendation because we have not tested this particular recipe with these substitutes) using a mix of almond meal or flour, oats or oat flour, and a gluten free flour blend with a little xanthan gum for binding! We also have recommendations for substituting gluten-free flour in our Recipe FAQ’s. Let us know how it goes if you try it!
Hi! I am planning on making this cake today but I need gluten free flour. Would there be any measurement adjustments I should make? Would a certain GF flour work better then others? Please help!
Hey Dana-
This recipe rocks! But I desperately NEED it to be vanilla!! Help! I tried the V/GF vanilla cake on your site but I’d prefer to use regular AP instead of almond flour etc…
I’m imagining swapping the coffee for almond milk, and pulling the cocoa powder. Do I need to increase the AP? And by how much? Thanks!
Hi Liz! That may work, but we have also had people use our funfetti recipe to turn into cakes! Perhaps try a variation on that? I think people have even baked it in 9×13 and round pans, so look for tips there!
I just made this cake and had to dump two batches of frosting in the trash, it really did not work for me. I followed the recipe to a T the first time, and everything separated. The second time around, everything was going well but it was really dry and bitter, I added almond milk and it separated again!! Everyone is commenting that it’s great, what am I doing wrong?
Very odd texture and the cake was super dense. Despite putting more sugar in the dough, it was still not sweet enough. I did substitute coconut milk instead of almond milk. Perhaps that was the issue?
The frosting was good though.
This cake is amazing! Due to lack of ingredients at our house, I substituted the following- olive oil for coconut oil, tapioca flour for regular flour, and blended banana with a tiny bit of fruit juice to get an applesauce consistency puree. I also refrigerated the batter for a few hours before baking (out of necessity, not by choice!) Anyway all worked out great! The Tapioca flour gave it a little bit of a gummy tapioca consistency, but not in a dense way. It’s probably even more awesome with regular flour :) I also really appreciated not having to make any flax or chia egg substitutes.
Highly recommend!
Thanks for sharing, Emily!
Hi! :) I just baked the cake for my brother’s birthday today and it looks like it’s going to taste amazing! Didn’t leave any batter leftovers 😋… The only thing worrying me a bit is the buttercream. Mine is much darker, heavier and not fluffy at all. And kinda liquid. I added more powdered sugar and cocoa powder, but it didn’t help much. I would prefer to not keep adding sugar or cocoa, cause it’s already pretty sweet and chocolaty. What else could I do to make the buttercream lighter and fluffier? Quick answers appreciated, since I’m going to be seving the cake in 3 hours :)
Hmm did you happen to change anything in the recipe, Fanika?
I need to make 3 10 in cakes
How Do I have to double up or triple this recipe to accommodate 3 10in cakes.
And what about 12×18 in sheet cake
I’m allergic to apples and was wondering if you could substitute this with just more sugar or eliminate it all together without using butternut squash puree or something?
Thanks,
Teju!
I’d recommend using mashed banana in place of applesauce, Teju!
I just made this cake for my son’s birthday. It was easy to make and came out amazingly moist and delicious. I had to bake it for about 10 minutes longer that it said to but it still came out great. Thanks so much for this recipe!
This cake has seriously never ever failed me. Not only does it turn out great every time, it also has this special festive vibe – at least for me. It has become my go-to birthday and special occasion recipe. I have made it in one and in two pans, with and without filling/frosting. Friends and family refer to it as “the best chocolate cake ever”, vegan or not.
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Juliana!
Just made this AWESOME cake for my Best Friend’s Birthday and brought it over to her parents house. It was a Major Hit!!! Thanks so much:) Everyone raved about it. Best cake ever, let alone plant based:) Added sliced bananas around the base and blueberry ring round the top and blueberries in the middle. Drizzle with melted chocolate and chocolate chips all organic. Had help decorating and baking from our little one, really Fun Time! Thanks Very Much Dana:)
wow! your decorative touch sounds amazing, I am going to try it! Any pictures would be so appreciated!
Followed the recipe to a tee, only difference being that I increased recipe size to make three rather than two cakes. It turned out less than satisfactory, to say the least. First it stuck to the bottom of the pan, meaning I lost a bit less than half of each of my cakes (and I sprayed each of the pans with a generous amount of nonstick spray, and brushed them with cocoa powder), then they fell apart whenever I tried to move them. Very upsetting, considering this was going to be my birthday cake. :(
First time to make this, came out dense and rubbery despite rising OK and looking cooked on outside. Wondered if I should have used less liquid than recipe. Used canola oil.
Found the frosting to be too sweet also.
Hi Mark! Sorry to hear this recipe didn’t work out for you. Did you change anything else besides the oil? What kind of pan did you cook it in? Perhaps it was overmixed…
I did a few variations including subbing half of regular flour with almond flour and adding almond extract to frosting as well as reducing powdered sugar and compensating the density loss with a small amount of corn starch. It turned out incredibly moist and slightly heavier (in a satisfying way) than it probably would have been otherwise. It was sublime!
Glad to hear it, Julie! :D
Delicious! All the “non vegans” in our household claim it is better than “normal” chocolate cake, and I agree! I followed the recipe exactly… and it was perfect! YUM
Yay!
This cake is absolutely amazing!!! It’s actually my first time making a cake from scratch and I’m really happy with the results. I decorated it with fresh berries and everyone found it delicious. Thank you for the recipe!!
I feel flabbergasted by this recipe. I have made it twice, and both times cooked for over an hour but the middle was still completely raw. The flavor was delicious, but it was a dense goopy mess. I feel like I am reading incorrectly – can there possibly be almost three cups of liquid, plus the applesauce, to just oveer 2 cups flour? Seems extremely dense to begin with. * I make my icing using monkfruit in the raw w/ tapioca starch for half the powdered sugar, 2 T nutella and 1 package vegan cream cheese, with extra cacao. Yum!
I made this in a 13 x 9 instead. Loved the texture and the firmness. My only complaint is the overpowered flavor of the coconut oil. I wonder if i could use a different oil or maybe the earth balance butter?? Frosting was really good.
Earth balance should work!
I just made this today for my boyfriend’s family’s father’s day dinner. His dad is vegan but everyone else is not. This was an awesome cake to satisfy everyone!
Between the cake and the frosting, I think the frosting tasted a little better, BUT the cake was also very good. I didn’t have coconut oil or canola oil on hand, so I substituted for vegetable oil which seemed to work just fine. I also used bob’s red mill unbleached fine pastry flour. The cake itself wasn’t overwhelmingly chocolatey and was fluffy with even small crumbs. I mixed the cake a few stirs past just-combined so I was left with a few small specks of white flour in my cake but it didn’t bother anyone.!
The frosting is DELICIOUS. Arguably better than non-vegan chocolate buttercream frosting. EVERYONE was fooled.
All in all this is a great recipe for special occasions that will please a mixed-diet crowd. :D
Oh, one last thing. I halved the cake recipe and but not the frosting recipe. It yielded 5 5-inch layers with enough frosting for layers, crumb coat and outside frosting, and a upper and lower borders.
Thanks so much for this recipe!
Can I make this raw by not not baking it?
Question, if I make the cake a few days before I want to ice it should I freeze it or just put in fridge?
It should be fine for a couple days in the fridge prior to freezing!
This cake is a winner! Super moist, not too sweet, rich and soft. Vegan cakes can turn out too dense, and this one is NOT, yet the flavor is all there! We loved it. I played around with the frosting though. I added 8 oz of Kite Hill vegan cream cheese, and adjusted the powdered sugar (less) and chocolate chips (more + some coconut oil while melting the chips). It turned out DIVINE.
I have made LOTS of vegan chocolate cakes, and this one really does hit it out of the park! I like it better than non-vegan chocolate cake. And for those who think vegan cakes are not satisfying for non-vegans, make this one for your mixed gathering and no one will be unsatisfied!
Thank you for ALL of your recipes. You are my go-to for so many of the delicious foods I make. Your pesto is a staple in my house, as are many of your other recipes. XOXO! Shell
This has been my go-to cake recipe for the last two years, and it is PERFECT every. single. time. It also makes awesome cupcakes – just bake for 18 minutes. And, the frosting is absolutely delicious. I did find that if I didn’t allow my melted chocolate to cool enough before adding it, it melted my butter and made my frosting a weird texture (even after refrigerating and re-whipping). But that’s my lack of patience. ;)
Thank you, Dana for creating such an easy and delicious chocolate cake recipe!
Made my spouse this cake since he requested chocolate cake. Bought a regular decorated cake for the a large group who, I thought, wouldn’t want vegan cake. Was I wrong! Everyone ate the chocolate cake and the yellow cake was mostly left uneaten. This cake is amazing and delicious and I am so glad to have this recipe. Thanks. BTW, after the party, my spouse continued to scarf up the leftover crumbs, he liked it so much.
Could you make this with all purpose GF flour?
Yes! Check the comments above for suggestions.
Hi There Minimalist Baker Team!
You are my absolute favorite baker, so talented! I just wanna say that I made your oats, almonds & dates granola bar and adapted the recipe according to our taste. They turned out amazing! I have a food blog and I want to share the adapted version of your recipe, I want to mention you and Tag you ” that blue thingy” that people will click and see the original version of the recipe and land directly on Minimalist Bakers page. Please tell me how do I do that…I am totally new to blogging, just started 1 month back, I am learning and building my blog as I go. Thank you so much for your fab recipes! – Much Love Meghna.
I made the cake portion for my husband’s birthday, and he said it was the best cake I’ve made yet!
I substituted a substituted version of your DIY GF Flour Blend. My husband can’t have potato, so I substitute tapioca starch. It was super moist and rich.
Wooooowza!!!! I have made this cake at least 5 times so far…2 using the regular ingredients and the other times using gluten free ingredients…EVERY time I’ve made it people cannot believe it was vegan! And each time I’ve had non-chocolate fans (GASP) state that this is chocolate cake has been the BEST one they’ve ever had…I few people even said this was their favorite cake EVER! Thanks again for taking the time to create & share such amazing recipes!! Your 1 bowl vanilla cake is awesome too…can’t wait to try another one of your cakes!!!
Yay! So glad to hear it, Philip! We may be biased but you should try this one next :D
Too funny! That WAS the next recipe on my list to try…hahaha…I’ll let you know how it turns out!
I am not a vegan, but my son-in-law is lactose intolerant, and it was his birthday. I modified the recipe by adding a strawberry filling and using dark chocolate chips with soy milk for the frosting. I was shocked at how chocolately wonderful and moist the cake was. Everyone raved how delicious it was, and had seconds, and my daughter now wants it for her birthday. It was by far the best cake I have ever made.
One year ago I had my first vegan birthday and had no idea what to bake. I had invited loads of sceptical friends over and was anxious that their first impressions of veganism would be ruined by a dry or tasteless cake. To my absolute delight, this cake turned out to be the most delicious, fudgy, rich cake I’d eaten in years (and I didn’t even like chocolate cake at that point; I just thought it would be the most ‘normal’). Thank you for being a part of my own journey towards vegan cooking. I now run a blog full of the yummy food I have been able to make and this was the cake that set me on that path. Now, one year later, my Mum is so behind my veganism that she has offered to make this cake herself. Fingers crossed! I’m excited to show her how easy and delicious vegan cooking can be. Thanks again, Frances
Oh Frances, we’re so glad to be able to be a helpful resource for you in the kitchen! Thank you for leaving such a kind comment and we are glad you enjoyed this cake!
This is the best chocolate cake I’ve ever made. It’s so rich yet moist and really satisfies that chocolate craving. I made the mixture as one round cake and a few cupcakes. I am definitely making this again!
Yay! We’re glad to hear it, Shivani!
Has anyone tried freezing this, frosted or unfrosted?
Thanks!
It should freeze up to 1 month, unfrosted!
This cake has restored my faith in vegan baking. I have recently turned vegan and tried numerous efforts to get that perfect texture for the cake, but all in vain until, I stumbled upon this recipe. The cake is just perfect and sooooo much better than the cakes containing eggs and butter. Thank you so much for this recipe. Look forward to trying many more of your recipes :) I am from India so it is a little difficult to procure vegan butter here. It would be nice if you will share some recipes for preparing vegan butter. Thanks again!
We’re so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Gauri!
Just made it for my daughter’s birthday. Used DIY gluten-free flour (American Tatste Kitchen blend) and safflower oil instead of coconut oil. Used springform (did not have two cake pans) and baked it for 50 min, then sliced horizontally to put filling Between layers. Yes, amazing texture! Who would have thought, vegan AND gluten free!!! This recipe is a keeper!!! Thank you!
I hardly ever write comments but want to support this website so it never ever goes away! This vegan chocolate cake is the best chocolate cake I have ever made. It is officially my “go to” cake for any event. I am not a frosting person but this frosting is delicious and creamy and surprisingly not overly sweet. One thing I would suggest is to refrigerate the frosting prior to putting on the cake to make it a bit stiffer.
Thanks so much for the kind words, Zoe! We’re so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
In the end I used the recipe for the dough from your Glutenfree Birthday Cake recipe, replacing almond meal with 1/2 oat meal and 1/2 glutenfree blend (from your glutenfree flour recipe) and replacing almond milk for soy (the cake had to be almond-free). But the frosting I made from this recipe. It came out absolutely perfect – a huge fluffy and moist death-by-chocolate glutenfree, nutfree, vegan perfection! Can’t wait to see the surprise on my brothers’ faces. They are not used to being able to get such treats with all their allergies! Thank you so much!!
I hope they love it! Thanks for sharing your recipe changes :D
I just commented on your pumpkin pie, asking if I could replace Bob Mill`s flour for your DIY gluten free flour and I have the same question here! Would it be ok if I used that instead in a 1:1 ratio, add some oat flour (30-50g?) and an egg yolk or 2? What do you think? I am planning on making both the cake and the pie tomorrow for my brothers` birthday. I will let you know how it turned out with the substitutions!
I think that would work! Report back if you give it a try!
looks yummy….
Hope you love the recipe!
I wish I was eating this for lunch today – it looks so healthy and delicious!
Hi! I just found this recipe and I’m super excited! Quick question: do you think this recipe would work with cupcakes? I absolutely love you blog and all of your amazing recipes! Thanks for your time!
This recipe looks amazing! Would it work as cupcakes too?
Hi Abby! I had the same question and just found a comment that Dana replied to saying yes, this can be cupcakes! :)
Tried this recipe as cupcakes and they turned out great! Baked for about 18 minutes. I piped the icing on and then shaved chocolate curls on top. So so good. Will definitely make again.
Glad to hear it, Shelby!
Just a quick question. How many days in advance can I bake this cake and still be good?
Thanks in advance!
DEE-licious!!!! Love how little sugar I had to use for this. Followed the recipe exactly, except I used almond-cashew milk for the frosting. It really does help to have an electric mixer (I used my good ol’ Kitchen Aid Standing Mixer and used the paddle to whip that frosting until nice and fluffy!). The cake turned out so moist and rich—decadent just as chocolate cake should be. Can’t wait to make it again!!
Hi.
This cake looks amazing (I’ve been making the pumpkin chocolate loaf cake on Forks over Knives) but would love to shake it up a bit! (it’s sad when you know that recipe by heart).
QUESTION: I’m WFPB (health reason) so NO OIL! The other cake uses applesauce and almond butter (I buy one that only has almonds in it). I know the almond butter is oily-is that a substitute for the coconut oil? I know it’s not much but I have SLE, RA, and other gnarly auto immune diseases and I see a HUGE inc in my pain if I add oil to my diet.
I know this may be an older post-so if anyone has any suggestions to tweak it (I need GF-but that’s easy switch w/flour) but for those of us WFPB let me know (I scanned some of the comments-tbh didn’t get through ALL of them bc you are SO popular and recipe so good it was a lot of comments)
Hi! Just wondering if it would be alright for me to sub the cane sugar with coconut sugar? My family hasn’t been so keen with consuming regular sugar lately but I really want to try this recipe for them though! Thanks so much for sharing :)
Yes, that should work!
Just curious…sounds awfully high in everything… calories, fats, carbs… is this healthy?
It is a healthier option than other cake recipes, yes! While we wouldn’t recommend eating it as a meal, in moderation, it is a healthier option than other desserts!
So good! Never made vegan cake before, I’m pleasantly surprised! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe!
Hi! Hopefully to see this, I’m making this as a surprise birthday cake for my mom. i don’t be have cocoa powder but I have have cacao is that okay?
We haven’t tried that, but I think it would work! Let me know if you give it a try, Alana:D
This cake is outstanding!!! Best cake I’ve ever made. Huge hit for vegans and non vegans alike!!! Thank you for such a decadent and delicious recipe.
Can anyone help me with the frosting? Mine has the consistency of melted chocolate. Doesn’t look fluffy like on the pictures.
Using an electric mixer helps! I beat the ingredients for at least 3 minutes. I think it takes at least that much time to get it really fluffy. Hope this helps.
Wowwwwwww. This cake turned out AMAZING! Exactly as described and shown, but tasted even better than I imagined. I was so excited about how it turned out I immediately packed some slices up and dropped them off to loved ones. Dangerously easy too. Huge win!
I made this cake and waiting for it to cool. Batter tasted good and the cake rose in the oven. All it well. However, that coconut oil thing was very frustrating. Rather than hairdryers and heated bowls, try changing the order of operation. With a traditional egg and butter cake, the sugar gets creamed with butter and then the eggs are added. With this cake, cream the coconut oil (melted) and sugar before adding the other ingredients. You might need more than one bowl as you can have the non-dairy milk and vinegar activating on the side.
Also, don’t try to double this recipe unless you own a very large mixing bowl. At least 8qt.
What if I replace the coconut oil for peanut butter will it work? I run out of coconut oil.
Hmm I’m not totally sure how that would work, but if you give it a try, report back on how it goes!
I haven’t tried it yet. But I’m kind of thinking how can to replace coconut oil with a nice nut butter.
FYI the reply link is not showing as an hyperlink on my Gmail. I had to copy and paste in order to reply.
IM SO SORRY TYPO ERROR, I meant to say THIS IS EXACTLY
This isn’t exactly what I’ve been looking for, my best is a vegan and I want to bake this cake for her birthday next week. Where do i buy vegan butter ? Which brand of vegan butter have you used for this particular recipe.
Thank you for a such an amazing one bowl chocolate cake recipe. ???
I made this chocolate cake without any frost for an early Valentine sweet and it turned out very nicely! Thank you so much for the amazing recipes you always create! My family is still saying no for Vegan but they seem amazed by the quality of the cake haha!
Is the nutritional info for the overall cake or per slice?
1 slice (of 10)! But we’re with you.. the whole cake is tempting ;)
I have made this cake twice now and both times, it has turned out to be the BEST hoemmade chocolate cake. People who have tried it can’t get over how richa and decadent it tastes and they all prefer this recipe over regular chocolatr cake. Thank you so much for sharing! Do you think this recipe would work for cupcakes? Hoe long do you think they would need to be in the oven?
Thanks, again!
Hi! Other readers have made these into cupcakes, so scan the comments for suggestions/results. However, I would say just reduce the cooking time by half and check every few minutes thereafter for doneness. Hope that helps and good luck!
Can you recommend a substitute for vegan butter?
Thank you!
Love this cake! It’s my GO-TO. Do you think I could make cupcakes and freeze them? Would they freeze well?
Hi Sarah! Other readers have made these into cupcakes, so scan the comments for suggestions/results. However, I would say just reduce the cooking time by half and check every few minutes thereafter for doneness. Hope that helps and good luck! Also, I think they will freeze!
Great cake. I used abricot purée it worked very well.
This cake is all you described! So yummy. Definitely making this again and again. Your recipies have helped me transition to a plant based whole food lifestyle and I visit Minimalist Baker when I don’t know what to cook or need to be inspired.
Thank you
I think this may be the most delicious cake I have ever made! Thank you for sharing this recipe,
This recipe is amazing! I made both cakes and instead of layering I brought one to work and kept one at home! BOTH disappeared within hours. I substituted the coffee for same measurement of almond milk. The cake was so moist and perfect chocolate flavor! I’ll post on my page Kansasveganchik on instagram! Thanks so much! All my family and coworkers couldn’t believe it was vegan! Educating people and filling their bellies warms my heart!!!!
Everything was delicious, but my cake was so dense. There was no fulff at all. Any suggestions?
THANK YOU for posting this!!!! I made this recipe for a Christmas dessert but substituted peppermint extract for the vanilla. I made a vanilla frosting with a marshmallow flavored icing. The cake was incredible and EVERYONE loved it. The non-vegans couldn’t believe it was a vegan cake. So rich, dense and flavorful.
Thank you again for posting this recipe!
I made this for Christmas and it was perfect! I used a rectangular pan and omitted the frosting…. sprinkled powdered sugar and cocoa on top as suggested. I also added fresh raspberries for festive presentation. It was a huge hit! Fudgy, moist and full of flavor! Thank you!!
I made this cake and frosting for my Vegan niece. It was the best chocolate cake I’ve had. I will use this recipe every time I want to make a rich, decadent chocolate cake with wonderful ‘buttercream’ frosting.
Love this! Have made it 3 times. Studded it with chocolate chips. :) It’s the best of several vegan chocolate cake recipes I’ve found via popular online blogs.
I’m allergic to almonds, never tried almond milk but assuming I am allergic, what’s the best substitute for it in this respire? Soy/oat/rice premade? Home made cashew milk?
Hi! Any other dairy free milk should work!
making this again for christmas because everybody loved it at thanksgiving! my suggestion to anyone making this for the first time; mix all the powder ingredients for the cake into one bowl, set aside, then do all the wet ingredients in another bowl, the coconut oil being last, mix it as fast as you can and mix in the powder. make sure the oven is preheated before you start on the wet ingredients so that as soon as you mix it all up you can put it in the oven before the coconut oil hardens!! my only problem with this cake has been that the coconut oil gets cold and hardens super fast and even after the cake has baked and cooled there’s chunks of dry coconut oil scattered in the cake? it delicious none the less!! but presentation is a big deal too!
I made this for my friends birthday and she isn’t even vegan and everybody has now asked for the recipe!!! It was absolutely delicious and super easy to make!! Loved it and will be making again! Thank you!
This cake is delicious! Moist, fudgy but light and decadent. I’ve tried quite a few vegan chocolate cake recipes and this is easily my favourite. I really appreciate the measurements being converted to grams as cups are sometimes trickier to work with in the UK. I found blitzing up tinned pears is a good substitute for apple sauce. My icing did not need any almond milk adding as the vegan butters here have a higher water content.
Can I use brown sugar in this recipe? I don’t mind if the cake will be dense.
Hi! Been following your blog for awhile but had yet to try any recipes until I came across this one, which I decided to try since I had a chocolate craving. It didn’t wind up being quite as simple as the title had me believe (wound up using ALL OF THE MEASURING THINGS lol), but the cake turned out well. I made it in a bundt pan (since I don’t have 2 cake pans), and since I noticed a few others also asked about using a bundt pan in the comments, I figured I’d come back to say that it worked for me! I did thoroughly spray my pan with an oil/flour spray, and it did take close to an hour of baking for the toothpick test to come out clean, but my cake came out with no issues at all! I halved the frosting recipe and had more than enough to frost the entire bundt.
I absolutely adore this cake and use it for all my cake decorating, because it is so versatile and easy to modify in terms of flavor.
I’ll be making an 11×15 sheet cake for this first time and wonder – will one recipe be enough for one pan? I was planning to just bake two layers instead of having to cut the cake in half, later.
Would appreciate it if you get the chance to let me know. :)
Hi There,
Is the taste of the coffee strong? as I am not a coffee drinker. is it necessary? I am making this a birthday cake for someone and I want get it right. Thanks!
I didn’t find the coffee taste strong at all, you can’t really taste it. You can easily leave it out and sub extra almond milk, as the recipe suggests, but the coffee does add a nice depth to chocolate cake, so I’d give it a shot. :)
This looks amazing!!
I’d love to try it as a 4 layer cake for a friend’s birthday but only have 1 cake tin. Is it possible to bake the 4 layers seperately one after another (if I don’t mind the time effort)? Or will the batter alter if it sits too long before being baked?
Thanks very much in advance – can’t wait to try it!
Hi Hannah! That should work as long as you don’t mind how long it will take to bake! Happy Baking!
This looks delicious!
Do you know if this recipe would work for a cake pop maker?
Hi Jojo! We haven’t tried it, but if you do let us know how it turns out!
i didnt wait to long to mix the other ingredients to make the icing as i cooked the vegan choc in the microwave with rice milk instead of almond milk.Turned out taking like a oreo choc moose soo yummy daughter wants to use icing for her bday cake this year ;) tasted 100 times better than with dairy milk which i used months ago when nonvegan :P
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe, Dana! I made this into cupcakes (yielded 24), and both my boyfriend and I thought they were a-MA-zing!
Per my style, I made a few modifications without altering the recipe too much, so I wanted to share in case anyone else might be interested.
Instead of unsweetened applesauce, I used pureed dates since I’d been swimming in dates ever since I came into nearly 50lbs of them thanks to a local produce distribution organization. Since they are naturally very sweet, I cut the sugar by 1/3 c, and they came out perfect for my and my boyfriend’s tastes. I also subbed out half the flour with ground steel cut oats. I was worried it would weigh down the cupcakes, but they still came out nice and fluffy. However, of course, this gave the cupcakes a “grain-y” or bran-like flavor, but I’m also a lover of multigrain breads and other whole grains and whole grain-based foods, so it was great. Additionally, I’m kind of obsessed with add-ins and their textures when it comes to desserts, so I threw in a cup each of chopped raw almonds and dried cherries.
The frosting was probably the most experimental of this recipe. I had no vegan butter, so instead, I used a can of coconut milk and mixed in a few tablespoons of chia seeds to gel. Conveniently, I actually already had this stashed in my fridge for any future use, so this worked out great. Typically, though, allowing to set over night ought to do the trick. The chia seeds gave the coconut milk a thick, pudding-like consistency. However, it still wasn’t stiff enough to use as frosting…yet. I omitted the almond milk, and after adding the powdered sugar and cocoa (plus a teaspoon of Chipotle chili powder for a bit of a kick) and the melted chocolate, the chia-coconut frosting came out perfect (plus so many added nutritional benefits!). Bear in mind, however, there will be a pretty strong coconut flavor, and I know that isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.
To top half of the cupcakes, I dusted them with Chipotle chili powder and sprinkled with cacao nibs. For the remaining cupcakes, I sprinkled with cacao nibs and added one or two dried cherries on top.
I was extremely pleased with the results. I definitely plan on making this again in the future–probably with some other modifications since after years of tampering with recipes, I still haven’t learned to write anything down, and I know I won’t remember. Plus, I try to make it a habit (or challenge?) to use only what I have in the house. It’ll just be another new adventure in baking! ^_^
Hey!
I want to make this cake for my 18th birthday and I would be very happy if I could get some help, because I can’t find two of the ingredients in my country. Can I use coconut oil for the frosting instead of vegan butter and would regular all-purpose flour work instead of unbleached one?
I baked this cake this weekend with my daughter to celebrate some of her recent successes. It was a fun mother/daughter project and the cake was delicious! I don’t eat apple sauce, so we subbed that out and replaced with a mix of pumpkin puree (since I already had some leftover) and a little pureed avocado. The cake was moist and has a great chocolate flavor. We also only made one layer and sliced that through the middle and added a raspberry jam filling, delicious. We will definitely make this again.
I want to make this cake for my daughter’s birthday as several guests are vegan! Have you tried making this cake with the grapeseed or canola oil? Does it taste just as good if I choose those oils instead of the coconut oil? Or does it come out best with the coconut oil? If it’s worth it, I’ll purchase coconut oil if needed.
Hi! You could try vegan butter?
I love this cake. I’m gluten free/dairy free so I’ve made it a few times with your gluten free flour blend and it works incredibly well. I recently made it for a friend who is grain free using this flour blend: http://acalculatedwhisk.com/paleo-321-flour-blend-gluten-free/
and this frosting:
http://paleospirit.com/2013/avocado-chocolate-frosting-paleo-and-vegan/
with a raspberry compote between layers. I think it was the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had.
Thank you!
Maybe I’m not doing something right but before I added flour – my mix was not fluffy – it looked like coconut oil started creating curds. What am I doing wrong?
This has happened to me when I’ve made this cake (which I’ve done multiple times now) and it still bakes up beautifully.
This turned out horrible! Waaaaaay too much fat (160ml oil & 225g butter?!??). The cake got extremely mushy and literally calls for stomach ache. Too bad I spent so much money on the ingredients :(
Well at least I don’t have to moisturize my hands anymore!
So sorry to see your recipes use sugar. Why not brown rice syrup? It’s the only healthy go of sweetnercausing no insulin spike or health issues and is nutritious as well. True veganism does morning use sugar, not agave, honey, cane sugar, turbine do sugar… none of it. Most sugars in granulated form use “char” in processing. Char is hooves of cows.
I did not know that about sugar, Serena; I’ll have to look into that. I’ve successfully dried and ground dates into a date sugar, which is also a great sweetener, but I’m not sure if it causes insulin spikes. I’ve seen date sugar available at my local Mediterranean market as well but not really at large chain grocery stores.
Also, for those that may not be aware, animal products are sometimes used in processing flour, so be sure to read labels and look at the details of the manufacturer if this may be of concern to you.
I tried dusting pan with coco… I always dust with flour. The coco ones stuck. Cake is so moist and almost fudgy … yum!
Hi,
My husband recently baked this for my birthday and it was divine. I do have one question. Can we substitute sugar with something else , perhaps dates ?
Regards
Ramya Kailas
Hi! Each recipe will behave differently when it comes to sugar changes. For instance, I wouldn’t recommend substituting a dry sugar, like coconut sugar, for maple syrup because it will throw off the ratio of wet:dry ingredients in the recipe. With that being said, you can generally substitute cane sugar for coconut sugar. And you can generally sub up to half of the sugar in any recipe with maple syrup or agave nectar. Another option would be stevia if you’re looking to avoid sugar altogether, but use far less as it’s quite potent. Sugar substitutions will obviously vary in each recipe, so use your discretion.
I use coconut sugar with this recipe, and it works beautifully!
Hi,
I came across this recipe and would love to try it; but I need to see if there is any way I can do it without applesauce?
Thanks!
Hi Stephanie! You could use mashed ripe banana instead of applesauce if that works? Hope this helps!
I made this for a friend’s birthday and it turned out delicious!! It was definitely the best vegan cake recipe that I have used. I did make a couple of minor modifications – I ran out of all purpose flour and therefore I added 1/2 cup oat flour + 1/2 cup & 1 tbsp of almond flour in addition to 1 cup and 1 tbsp of all purpose flour. I also added only 1 cup of sugar instead of 1 1/3 since my friends and I don’t like very sweet cakes, that turned out perfectly as the frosting balanced out the sweetness. For the frosting, I used Dana’s Vegan Cream Cheese frosting recipe (I also added some cocoa powder to it and used only 70% of the recommended sugar proportions).
Best chocolate cake ever, thank you!
Thanks for sharing your changes, Amrutha! Glad it was a hit :D
Can I use white whole wheat flour?? And is there a substitute for using powdered sugar??
Hi Andrea! I think that would work, but no guarantees! Secondly, we have not found a sub for the powdered sugar in the frosting and would recommend using it!
Make your own. Just use a high speed blender/liquidizer and use normal sugar. Even coffee grinders work well.
This cake is so easy to make, and unbelievably delicious!
I substituted the flour with gluten-free flour.
Hi, this cake looks great !! Little question: my grandmother keeps telling me that cakes (especially chocolate ones) are best the day after they were made … do you recommend this as well ?
Thank you for your quick reply (kind of planning to make this between tonight and tonorrow) ;)
This looks amazing!! I have a question though, I was going to make make this for a friends birthday party and as a lot of people are attending I was going to use a 6”x4” tin and make 2 deep cakes – do you think this is possible or will the top just burn and the middle not cook? I debated using all the mixture in one tin, cooking on a lower temp for longer and then repeating the process for the second layer.
Thanks :)
So we made this cake and it tastes great but it split in the middle. Any tips to avoid this?
oh my god this cake is AMAZING. so light and moist and fluffy. Beautiful, can’t wait to eat more!
Would this recipe work if I sub the all purpose flour for your go-to gluten free flour mix?
Hi Bella! That would work!
An excellent chocolate cake recipe for the baking challenged like myself!! I made this for my husband’s birthday and we liked it so much that I made it a month later for my daughter’s birthday. I love how simple it is, and the cake is moist and fudgy without being overpoweringly sweet (although the frosting more than makes up for it).
This cake tastes great and has a super moist cake-like texture, and it was pretty easy to cut laterally to make a 4-layer cake. I frosted it with some homemade vegan buttercream the night before serving, and stuck it in the fridge overnight. But I woke up the next morning and found a pool of syrupy water in my fridge dripping from the cake. When I took the cake out of the oven, the toothpick came out clean for both 9-inch rounds. The only thing I can think of is that it’s from the applesauce. I altered the recipe and added 1/4 cup more applesauce so I could reduce the amount of oil; that amount should not make that much of a difference, should it?
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
This has become THE cake for all birthdays in my family. It is seriously the best chocolate cake any of us has ever eaten. Even the non-vegans admit this is true.
My only technical comment is that it takes a LOT more than 30 minutes to bake. Closer to 45 minutes or more. (My oven is accurate and I don’t have this issue with other recipes.) But that just means more time for warm chocolate aroma to permeate the house. :-)
Thanks…I ll look or it in the shops but I dont recall seeing it in uk supermarkets.
how do i make the apple sauce please?
Hi Sarah! You can buy applesauce from the store. Or if you would like to make it: Bring apples to a boil; then, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. If you prefer chunky applesauce, use a potato masher to mash the apples to your desired consistency. If you prefer perfectly smooth sauce, run them through a food mill, blender or food processor.
I’ve also had great success with simply pureeing or food processing raw apples, but it’s possible the end result isn’t as sweet? For my recipe, I used pureed dates instead of applesauce.
i always, always use reviews to help me decide if i’m going to make a recipe. to anybody who does the same: make this cake. immediately. you need it in your life. it is the moistest, fudgiest, delightfully not-too-sweet-but-wonderfully-chocolatey cake you will ever put in your mouth. and it actually gets BETTER each day in the fridge! mine lasted four days in the fridge and was still AMAZING. make this cake. all the damn time. it will change your life. Dana, i love you. don’t quit your job <3
is it possible to use this recipe in the Wilton Giant Cupcake cake pan? Also, what would you recommend to make this more of a red velvet cake? I’m not a great cook and my vegan daughter wants red velvet cake for her birthday! thanks!!
super good! definitely better than any non-vegan cake I’ve ever made. a little too moist though. would use a little bit less apple sauce next time!
If I want to make vanilla cake can I just eave the cocoa powder out? Or should I sub in more sweetener/sugar? Thanks!
Hi Lindsey! You can follow this recipe and use it as a cake instead, as many people have had success!
Thanks, will do! :) Can I use coconut in that recipe in place of the coconut butter? I don’t have access to coconut butter where I live and that’s why I was thinking of using this original recipe.
Hi Lindsey! I don’t see any coconut butter in the funfetti cupcakes. Are you maybe thinking of another recipe? Let us know and I will do my best to help!
Oh sorry, it says ‘vegan butter such as earth balance’, but I don’t have access to any vegan butter where I live (South Korea). So is coconut oil okay instead?
Hi Lindsey! That should work!
Hi! Just curious if you line or oil up the pans before baking.
Hi! Gaby! Lightly spray the pans with nonstick spray!
This is the very best vegan chocolate cake I ever ate! It’s incredibly delicious ?
I need to make a 3D stand up cake and the manufacturer recommends a firm textured cake batter. Would this hold the shape do you think, or would there be a way to make it act more like a pound cake?
Hi! Yes, that should work! Happy Baking!
Can I use Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten-free flour to replace the standard flour? Will that be adequate or do I need to make changes in other areas of this recipe?
Hi Sarah! Others have had success with using it but also adding 2.25 tsp xantham gum! Hope this helps!
I’ve been making this cake weekly…it is that delicious. I just have one question about storage. I’ve been storing it the fridge, which firms it up, and it’s not bad, but I love the soft and moistness of it when it’s freshly baked before refrigeration. Anyway, can this cake be kept on the counter rather than in the fridge? Aloha from Big Island, Hawai’i!
Hi! You can leave it out on the counter for a few days!
I’ve made this two years in a row for my birthday. It’s just that good! Even my non-vegan family and friends request that I make it.
I always make sure that my coconut oil is slightly cooled and that my applesauce and almond milk are at about room temp when I start. Also when I make the frosting I add only a few teaspoons of almond milk.
Made this into a Moana cake for my daughter’s 4th birthday this past weekend. OH man… THANK YOU! This was soooo good and everyone loved it! We ate it after it had been refrigerated for a few hours and it was delicious, but a little too dense for me, personally. BUT, I had it again after leaving the cake out for a little while and it was soft, and fluffy, and yummy. So good! This will be my go-to recipe. Thank you again for sharing your recipe, you genius, you!
Dana, Can you tell me how to store the cake if you want to make it in advance, should I refrigerate the layers or keep at room temperature? I want to make this prior to a big party and only frost the day of. I have your book and the Vanilla Cupcakes say they can be left at room temp but the recipe is slightly different so wanted to check. Also, once it is frosted should it be refrigerated or will that dry it out? Thanks for all these amazing recipes!!!
Made this for some of my non-vegan family to show them the possibilities of plant-based baking. They said this cake 1.) didn’t taste vegan but 2.) DID taste excellent. Major victory! Thank you Dana for yet another crowd-pleaser (your Thai spring rolls are another family favorite.)
Instead of 1/2 cup of coffee, I used 1/4cup (room temp leftover from the morning pot) and subbed in 1/4cup with Baccardi gold rum. I wouldn’t have minded if the cake was entirely rum-saturated, but didn’t want to mess up the chemistry. 1/4cup yielded a subtle rum flavor without compromising the cake texture.
The vinegar almond milk step was key for keeping this egg-less cake nice n fluffy. My cousin was amazed by how light it was!
As mentioned, I decided to complicate this cake’s flavor with a little rum, but I think lavender would also be a great addition, either as extract in the cake mix or in the frosting. The base chocolate flavor here lays a great foundation for experimentation! :)
Other specifications/modifications:
-AP Flour instead of pastry
-1tbsp vanilla instead of 2tsp.
-Baked for around 50 minutes in two 9″round cake pans (edges were a bit overdone — the toothpick test works best)
-For the frosting I attempted to adapt a whipped ganache recipe w unsweetened cashew milk. It failed utterly, because cashew milk does not behave like heavy cream under the electric mixer. In the future I wouldn’t try to whip a nut milk ganache, instead adding chocolate to thicken it. I’d also use an almondmilk or cashewmilk with some sugar (Silk’s “Original” cashew has around 6g per 8oz, would’ve made for a less bitter flavor.) Fortunately it still tasted okay. The cake underneath saved the whole dish since I messed up the filling/frosting bit. Next time I will use your recipe above instead!
Hi there, I am really enjoying looking through and trying out your recipes after adopting a plant-based diet 10 months ago. I am about to try your tofu omelette!
My question is, on this one bowl chocolate cake, is it possible to leave out the baking powder? I am very allergic to raising agents. Or could you suggest an alternative (would veganEgg be a good replacement?)
thank you :o) ps just subscribed, so I look forward to regular up-dates!!! Holly xxx
I just wanted to say this recipe is BOMB! I made it for my son’s first birthday and substituted the flour for a gluten-free flour blend as a few guests coming have an allergy to wheat. And I must say, that other than the fact that it didn’t rise evenly on one side (guessing that’s a mixing problem from me), the substitution worked perfectly. Thank you, Dana, for caring and so passionately creating delicious recipes and happy tummies.
Hi there,
Quick question….texture, mouth fell and crumb of this cake was perfect but my family and I thought the flavor was slightly off. We were thinking of maybe trying the chocolate almond milk in this recipe next time to amp up the chocolate flavor. What do you think? Thanks
Hi Julia! You can try that, let us know how it goes!
If I were vegan, which I’ve been considering, I would think I had died and gone to heaven, and my non-vegan coworkers also seemed to love it. If a vegan cake can please non-vegans, then it must be pretty good!
Sure looks worth trying! Unless I missed it, you don’t seem to use a sub for eggs. Am I wrong? Please help as I plan to try this.
Thanks kindly,
Murray
Hi Murray! There is no eggs or egg substitute needed! Hope this answers your question!
Hi. I want to try this, I love chocolate cake, dislike coffee. Can you make it without the coffee
Hi! Yes you can, just add more almond milk instead of the coffee!
Hey just wondering if you have tried this chocolate cake recipe with your gluten free flour blend?
Thanks
Hi! We haven’t tried it but it should work! If you try it let us know how it goes!
I made this last week for a get together I was throwing with some friends and family and it was a total hit! I didn’t have any of the ingredients for frosting, so I just used strawberry jam in the middle and put strawberries and drizzled chocolate on top instead. My uncle, who had previously been standoffish about eating vegan food, said it was one of the best desserts he’d ever had, vegan or not! Thanks so much, this is such a great recipe :)
Hi,
I assume you can easily make this into cupcakes or no? Thank you for all of your amazing vegan recipes!!
Hi! Other readers have made these into cupcakes, so scan the comments for suggestions/results. However, I would say just reduce the cooking time by half and check every few minutes thereafter for doneness. Hope that helps!
Forgot to rate!
Can we talk about how AMAZING this is!!!! I had one bit and I was craving more- took another, took another, Took another and now 3/4 of my first row is gone!
I decided to use a jelly roll pan and it turned out amazing!!! I can’t wait for people to try this- no way will they believe it’s vegan!!
Well done ??
I absolutely love your recipes, and when my boss’ birthday was coming up, I knew your website would be the first place I looked!
Unfortunately, I’m also in a higher altitude than I’m used to (7300ft versus 1200ft!), and I don’t quite know how to adjust the recipe for the difference! Any ideas?
Hi! We aren’t too familiar with this, but here is a resource that may be of help.
I made this for my niece who is vegan on Easter Sunday. I made a single layer in a spring form pan. I used chocolate ganache for the frosting. It was a huge hit! Non-vegan, non-sweet eaters all agreed…magnifique! My niece has asked me to make this for her birthday cake this year and my nephew as well. Thanks Minimalist Baker for a healthy alternative.
So good and moist!
I am a “new vegan” and this is the first dessert recipe I’ve tried. Oh, wow: this cake is delicious!! I shared it with a non vegan friend and she too couldn’t believe how rich and yummy it is! And I didn’t even make the frosting, it was awesome naked. I did have to cook it a little longer than the recipe said, no problem.
I have a convection over so I’m used to things baking a bit quicker than most recipes call for, however I’ve had this cake in the over for over 30 minutes and it is completely liquid still. Unfortunately I was making this for a special dinner outing and am very disappointed. Huge cake fail. Side note:I double checked and I followed the recipe to the t, including the exact brand of milk.
Also, the icing was so oily…melting oil everywhere. I ended up having to bake the cake on a much higher setting and it took almost an hour (like I mentioned, top of the line convection oven). It did turn out very delicious in the end but that oily frosting melting yellowy oil all over was not nice looking.
I’ve made this cake 3 times. I’ve made the icing with other vegan cake recipes too. I first made it for my daughter’s 18th birthday party. I didn’t tell her friends it was vegan. The whole cake was eaten in a matter of minutes! They went crazy over it! It’s so easy!
Has anyone tried this with gluten-free flour? I’m allergic to wheat and gluten. :(
Hi Heather! I’d sub the all purpose with a mix of almond meal or flour, oats or oat flour, and a gluten free flour blend + a little xanthan gum for binding. Hope that helps!
Can I make this and carry on a plane to a family reunion? It’s a west coast to east coast flight. Any tips on how I should do this? Thanks.
Hi! Is there any chance you can make it fresh once you arrive? If you are going to try to take it on the flight, I’d recommend a cake holder like this!
Sounds Delish! I will be making it tomorrow
Quick question! Is it possible to make the frosting using coconut cream instead?
Yes! Check the comments for tips!
Here in the UK it is hard to come by applesauce like it is sold in the US, any ideas what i could use instead as I cant wait to make this cake!?
Hi Jess! If you can find apples, grate the apples with a box grater – that should work. Otherwise, try pureeing cooked sweet potatoes or pumpkin!
Do you think its possible to replace some of the sugar with more applesauce? Thanks!
I made this cake tonight and my whole family loved it! I cannot believe how moist it was. The only thing I’d change is to add about 50% more frosting, as I didn’t have enough for the sides, although it tasted great and would have only improved the ascetic appeal.
I will never even bother trying another vegan chocolate recipe. Excellent work!
Hi Dear,
I was searching “how to make a chocolate cake?”. Recently, I’ve seen your article and read it. You’ve explained very good. I really liked it. So, keep up the good work.
Hi Dear,
I was searching “how to make a cake?”. Recently, I’ve seen your article and read it. You’ve explained very good. I really liked it. So, keep up the good work.
hi! recipe looks great! can you subsitute the vegan butter in the frosting with coconut oil or someother more available product? thank you so much!
Do you measure your flour by spooning flour in to the measuring cup and leveling, or just scooping from the flour container, and leveling?
Scooping into the measuring cup with a spoon and leveling off.
Thank you! So excited to try it for my daughters birthday!
My boyfriend and I just made this – he accidentally dropped and destroyed one layer so it just ended up being a single-layered cake, but still delicious! :’)
Definitely recommend!
Glad you still got to enjoy one layer!
The best chocolate cake! Most chocolate cakes come out dry, but this one was so moist! I followed the recipe exactly as stated with no substitutions. It was loved by all the vegans and non vegans in my family. This will definitely be my go-to chocolate cake recipe. Thanks!
The instructions in the beginning say beat the almond milk, vinegar coconut oil coffee etc.. until foamy. I have been whisking it with an electric mixer but I’m not getting foamy. Any tips on what to do? Should i proceed with the recipe? I really don’t want to screw up my friends birthday cake.. lol
I halved this recipe and tried making it last night and my cake would not cook all the way through no matter how long I baked it. Originally I set the timer for 30 minutes and then 5 + 5 + 10, and it still would not cook and was mushy in the middle. Anyone else have this problem? Thinking I must have messed up the measurements because it was not a success! Thanks all.
Hi Brooke! Oh no! What size pan did you cook it in?
My cake would not cook and I had it in the oven for nearly one hour. No matter what the toothpick always came out with batter on it. :( I used two 9 inch round pans and followed the recipe exactly.
Love this recipe and I haven’t even made it yet. I’m wondering however, what the vinegar is for? If it has anything to do with the applesauce, I’ll be using a vegan egg replacement powder instead. Or at least I’m planning on it and don’t want an ingredient in it if its not needed. Any advice or thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!
Hi Josiah! Vinegar is a surprisingly common ingredient in baked goods, considering that it has such a sharp flavor. But as an acid, vinegar is often included in cake to react with baking soda and start the chemical reaction needed to produce carbon dioxide and give those batters a lift as they bake. Hope this helps!
Brilliant. I haven’t seen that before in my baking but it definitely worked. While the cake portion of this recipe was perfect! ? the frosting was too runny and just soaked into the cake. Not a bad thing at all. I didn’t have ingredients for the vegan butter and what I had to use caused the runniness. Needless to say I’ll be making this again as soon as I get the frosting right.
I made this cake for a family get together. Mostly meat eaters. It was a hit. My brother after eating one piece and reaching for another exclaimed, ” I think I will become vegan!” It was delicious and even better the next day cold out of the fridge. Thanks for all the wonderful recipes on your site.
So glad to hear it was a hit, Michele!
Made this cake last night for my friends bday. IT IS THE BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE I HAVE EVER HAD!!! Everyone at the party couldn’t stop eating it. I substituted almond milk for canned coconut milk and it made the cake so moist. I also used dark chocolate instead of regular cocoa. SO AMAZING! I can’t believe it’s vegan. This is my go to chocolate cake recipe from now on. THANK YOU FOR SHARING!
I really envy all of you for whom this recipe worked. Except the fact that I used soya milk, I halved the sugar and used cherry pure instead of apple juice I followed the recipe however it’s more like brownie than a birthday cake. Maybe that’s how you do birthday cakes in US? In Poland we prefer spongy cakes for the birthdays.
BTW. with half of the sugar my daughter still complains that it’s too sweet and she loves sugar.
You have to use apple sauce not juice.
I didn’t use the juice. I used the pure. If I remember correctly it was written in the recipe that it must be a pure of any fruit but the best is apple sauce which I didn’t have
My husband baked this for me on my birthday (May 6th). This cake was divine! Everyone that ate it loved it and could not believe it was vegan. My daughter who abhors cake requested he make one for her birthday tomorrow! Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes.
I love this cake so much–thank you for such a great recipe!!
I make this cake often and everyone LOVES it. Always. I wanted to try another option for a birthday party…
I want to make two dozen cupcakes with this reciepe, I plan to just double it. Would that be correct? Also, what do you suggest for baking time adjustment?
Baking time should be shorter. And doubling the recipe should work!
HELP: can I use my whisk for this reciepe? I don’t have a hand held mixer, Thanks!!
Should work!
Hi!
I have just pulled the cake out of the oven.
I have one question: Did you cut the top off yours to make it so aesthetic and straight? Mine is convex at the top, as in really round. I fear it will be difficult to stable later.
Anyhow, thank you for this great recipe. I can not wait to have a taste tomorrow. :)
Mine wasn’t convex, but you can definitely shave off the top!
If you put the cake upside down on the cooling rack the dome-y-ness of the cake will flatten out.
I was wondering for the icing if I could use coconut oil instead of vegan butter?
It will melt if not in a cold room, but yes that can work! Won’t be as creamy or buttery though…
I made this delicious cake for Mother’s Day. Thank you for this recipe! My kids have several allergies and we don’t eat dairy, so I had actually never attempted a vegan cake before today. The joy of watching them eat a cake we could all enjoy – allergy free! – was the best Mother’s Day gift. My five year old was falling asleep and suddenly said “Mom, do you think that cake is doing ok downstairs?” Safe to say, we all loved it! Thanks again!
I love this recipe!! I’ve made it several times – a few times with Teff + Tapioca flour, and more recently with Garbanzo + Tapioca flour. I also sub carob powder for cocoa. It’s a fabulous cake! Making it today for Mother’s Day dinner! Thanks! 10 stars!
Made this cake back in July for a birthday. I used vegan peanut butter icing and decorated with pretzels and vegan m&ms. Made it again today (for mother’s day) and it’s just as amazing as I remember. This time I did use the coffee, homemade unsweetened applesauce, canola oil, and as the filling frosting I did a the one you made for your hazelnut chocolate cake, a layer of vegan coffee buttercream, and coated in a honey chocolate glaze. Before frosting, I soaked the cakes in coffee infused simple syrup. I was able to cut each cake in half, which I then turned into two separate cakes (served about 28 people). I was inspired by Proof Bakery’s Expresso Chocolate Cake I had long ago, which is full of butter (more than 2 pounds!), whipping cream (almost 2 cups), and eggs (10) but oh so yummy. This chocolate cake was a vegan lifesaver!
Holy cow, i made this for my dads birthday party (me being the lone vegan in the group) and it was a hit! No one could believe that it was vegan because honestly- it wasn’t just a fantastic vegan cake- it was a fantastic cake in general! I made my own pb icing for it and it was delicious. Thank you, i will definitely be trying more of your recipes and making more vegan cakes! :)
This is the first vegan cake I’ve ever made, and I will only make this from now on! I received so many compliments and its just delicious! Wondering if I could make this into a strawberry shortcake cake by substituting 2 cup fresh strawberries for coca powder in the cake ingredients?
Any recommendations would be appreciated =)
I can’t believe this actually worked (aha!)
I’m British, and for Brits apple sauce is usually a sweetened gloop reserved to be served with pork as part of a Sunday dinner (since I don’t eat meat, I don’t even eat it in this way!)
Anyway, I persevered and made my own apple sauce using two pink lady apples (I halved the recipe) – surprised to find it turned out great! I didn’t make the frosting as I ran out of cocoa powder, but instead I made my own version using espresso powder, vanilla pod, Vitalite (a vegan butter here) and icing sugar. It was great! Thank you.
Best Vegan Chocolate Cake I have made to date. So good!!!!
Hi there Dana,
do you think the frosting could work with avocado instead of vegan butter?
Thanks a lot,
Anikó
Hi Turi! I haven’t tried it, but if you do, report back on how it goes!
I made this cake substituting cane sugar with coconut sugar and 1/2 tsp of salt instead of 1/4 as another reader suggested that it needed more salt. The coconut sugar might have rendered the cake less sweet but i didn’t mind that. Any other readers might want to be mindful of that. I also used all whole wheat pastry flour and it turned out great. Thanks Dana, for the wonderful recipe!
What do I do if I can’t get my hands on an applesauce that’s unsweetend? Should I reduce the amount of sugar? In that case, how much should I then use (of the sugar)? ?
Hi Erik! Someone in the comments above used sweetened applesauce and reduced the sugar to 3/4 cups. I haven’t tried it, but I think this could work (and they had success with it!) hope this helps! Report back on how it goes if you give it a try!
Turned out fine! Nothing wrong with the taste at all, you could without doubt reduce the sugar to 3/4 cups if using sweetened applesauce! This was a really great and very filling cake. Love chocolate! ??
Glad you loved it, Erik!
THANK YOU for this recipe Dana!! My daughter just recently turned vegan and was soon to be graduating high school. While planning for her reception I had been looking for a vegan chocolate cake to make her. I found several..baked them for her to try and she wasn’t happy with any of them :( I found yours, baked it and she LOVED it!! I made another one but I also had a regular cake at the reception for everyone else. This cake was a HUGE hit!! The guest couldn’t believe it was vegan, and it was GONE before the regular cake. Thanks again ?
So glad that it was a hit, Michelle! :D
Just made this cake and it turned out perfect! It’s much darker than yours…almost black…but maybe that’s because of the swiss chocolate;)
Thank you and greetings from Switzerland!
Finola
I just made the frosting, not the cake. This recipe was amazing.
Hi this sounds awesome! I can’t do almonds so I need to sub it out. What do you think will work best coconut, flax, or rice milk? Thanx!
I think any of them would work quite well, Areema!
Hi Dana,
The chocolate cake looks absolutely miraculous. I have been admiring your work for some time and I have to say, this recipe is one of my absolute favourites. The pictures are amazing and I’m sure so is the cake itself. I’m not vegan and I’m usually never on a diet, but the idea of vegan food catches my interest every time. I definitely will be trying out this recipe, and thank God there aren’t too many ingredients, because some of them are too hard to find in our country. I’ve never used cane sugar, for instance. What do you think I should use as a replacement if I can’t find it?
Also its very good that you chose to stop eating sweet foods and actually were able to stick to it. That’s one thing I never would be able to do. But trying out vegan cake recipes? That I can do. I’ll especially try this for the frosting, it looks just flawless. I can eat frosting as a meal any day of the week, and I can never say no to a light and fluffy frosting on such a cake.
If I try this and it actually turns out good, I would love to share it with you!
Hi Daphne! So glad you’re loving this recipe! Check the other comments as other people substituted the cane sugar and there may be some ideas there for you! Hope this helps!
I made this cake for a wedding and it was an absolute hit! I only made a couple of changes which was using a gluten-free flour, adding cacao nibs to the batter and then when I iced it I added crushed fresh raspberries in between the layers and then garnish with raspberries on top. Guests from the wedding kept asking me if it was really a vegan gluten-free cake because it tasted so amazing. This is an incredible recipe and I have used it many times since. It is my official go to chocolate cake recipe. Thank you so much, Christina
PS it also freezes really well! Yumm
Have to say this is one of the best cakes I’ve ever eaten. Just made this as a birthday cake for my vegan friend. Everybody at the table couldn’t believe it was dairy and egg free. I made my own apple sauce from gala apples. One thing tho, if you don’t have a free standing mixer, don’t expect to make it with one bowl. My kitchen is fairly messy but 100% worth it.
Hi! I did not know how to email/contact you otherwise, so I was wondering if you could curate a recipe based like this one or help me w some subs I could use if you do not want to make whole post for it, which i would totally understand. It would be SO appreciated as I LOVE your chocolate cakes and i think you could do wonders to veganize this recipe! thanks so much https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018125-celebration-cake?em_pos=large&emc=edit_ck_20170421&nl=cooking&nlid=78400816
Hi! We’ll be sure to add it to the recipe request list. Thanks!
Is it possible to replace almond flour for the unbleached flour, entirely or partly? And if it’s partly, then what ratio of almond flour: unbleached flour would you suggest?
Hey everyone,
has anyone tried subing margarine for something else? In my country there’s no healthy-ish version and don’t really want to use butter. Thanks
Is there a substitute for the flour? Can I use almond flour instead?
Not all almond flour, but potentially a mix. This is just a loose recommendation, but I’d sub the all purpose with a mix of almond meal or flour, oats or oat flour, and a gluten free flour blend + a little xanthan gum for binding. Hope that helps!
This looks lovely. Has anyone tried substituting for gluten-free flour? Thanks, Frances.
I made this recipe with a lot of subs and – surprise – it didn’t quite come out correctly. I used Pamela’s dairy free gluten free flour, coconut milk instead of almond, and banana instead of applesauce (this last because I wanted to cut the sugar). I am not sure if those were the reasons I went astray, or if the bits of extra coconut milk I added to the extremely thick batter dried it out. It had a great taste, was just overly dense and rubbery. I am determined to try it again and get it right! Maybe next time I will use applesauce and dates for the puree, and try a different gluten free flour combo. Also, coconut milk never works for vegan GF pancakes so I wonder if it is somehow a problem here…
I have just made this as a test cake for my son’s 1st bday and it tastes amazing. I used Almond milk instead of coffee, all purpose flour and granulated sugar (because I couldn’t find the other type).
I had two issues though:
1 – the two halves of the cake slid one over the other because of the frosting, I had to put toothpicks and put it all in the fridge so that it would stop sliding. Is it normal?
2 – my frosting is dark brown, like the cake. How did you manage to get the light brown colour in the photo? Did I do sth wrong?
Thanks.
Hi Juliana! Did you wait for the cake to cool before icing it? That would have caused the cake-slide. Additionally, if you added any extra cocoa or chocolate to the icing, this would have given it a darker appearance. Hope this helps!
I just wanted you to know that I made this cake and It was wonderful! It was everything you said it would be moist, fluffy, rich tasting, chocolatety, just delicious! It even looked like the cake in your photo. The layers were level, dense without being heavy and perfectly formed.
This will always be my go-to chocolate cake recipe from on.
Will it crumble if I level the cake when cooled
Hi,
I am new to vegan baking… I live in New Zealand. Would the olive oil, avocado oil, or nut margarines be correct for the vegan butter?
Thanks. X
Hi Elisabeth! Check the other comments above as others had some recommendations on subs! Good luck! :D
I made this yesterday for my niece’s 6th birthday and it was perfect! I modified the frosting and used real butter just because I am not a huge fan of EarthBalance. Next time I might do the ganache topping that you have for your peanut butter pie:) I love that pie!! Thank you so much for all of your recipes! Although I am not vegan I am mainly eating plant based and your blog has been so helpful on this food journey of mine! I love your blog and you are a true inspiration! xo
Help! Where can I get / how can I make vegan butter??
Louise
p.s. I live in Thailand.
Hi Louise! While we don’t have a vegan butter recipe (yet) you can buy vegan butter at most grocery stores in the US/Canada. If you are unable to find it in Thailand, I’d suggest checking the other comments as there are substitutions that other people had success with! Good luck!