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 ½ cups original unsweetened Almond Breeze Almond Milk
- 2 tsp white or apple cider vinegar
- 2/3 cup coconut oil, melted (or sub avocado oil)
- 1/2 cup strong brewed coffee (or sub more almond milk)
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups unsweetened applesauce*
- 2 heaping cups whole-wheat pastry flour or unbleached all-purpose flour (heaping implies 1 cup + roughly 2 Tbsp)
- 1 ⅓ 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 ½ – 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
- 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.
- 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. If coconut oil hardens, microwave the mixture in 10-15 second increments until melted.
- 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).
- Divide batter evenly between your cake pans or rectangular pan.
- Bake 25-40 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.
- 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.
- 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!
Video
Notes
*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.
leiana says
This looks amazing! I was wondering if you can use coconut sugar instead of normal cane sugar? thankyous
That should work! It’ll affect the texture, but other than that it should be fine!
Alisha says
Hi Dana,
I know I’m so late to the party (with the hundreds of comments above!) but I wanted to ask – your icing is so much lighter in colour than mine (I made a test one and demolished it within 2 days.)
Any ideas? I’m making this for my engagement party so I wanted to have your opinion.
Thank you SO much.
Alisha x
It will all depend on the brand of your cocoa powder! As long as it tastes good, the color doesn’t matter!
Molly says
I almost never take the time to write reviews but I just made these brownies and I’m amazed. They are so. Damn. Good. And I’ve had many vegan and non vegan brownies and this recipie is by far the best. I didn’t make them in a muffin tin but just a regular pan, but I used parchment paper to line it and it made it so easy. But they look like the pictures shown, and they’re just so good. Mine were done exactly at 22 mins of cooking.
So kind! Thanks for sharing!
Q says
I love this recipe and I use it all the time! Everyone I make it for absolutely loves it :) However, the cake often doesn’t rise well. Is this a mixing problem? I usually mix it by hand, and not very long. Would I have better results with an electric mixer? Thanks!
YL says
Hi Dana! I’m looking to make this amazing looking cake for a party I’m attending. Do I have to refrigerate the cake after frosting? I live in a hot climate but I could ask the restaurant to keep the cake in the fridge – which will you suggest? I am worried that refrigerating it might dry the cake up and make it hard. Thank you in advance!!!
You shouldn’t have to!
Sonali says
Can you use cacao powder for this cake?
I wouldn’t recommend it.
Nora says
Oh my word !! I know I’ve already commented, but that was before I made this scrumptious cake! Now let’s get one thing straight…. This cake deserves a standing ovation ! It was SOOOO delicious. The best chocolate cake I’ve ever made. I’ve recently ditched dairy from my diet and this cake makes the transition a whole lot easier. Thank you so much for the recipe! And yes I will be making it again next weekend for me and my boyfriends Bday party! PS. I baked the cake in one 10″ cake pan and was a bit concerned wether it would cook through… I baked for 45 min and it was perfect!
Ha! Thanks Nora!!
Zach says
Made this for a dinner party and everyone loved them!!
So great! Thanks Zach!
Zach says
I’m making it for my girlfriend’s birthday today. I’m going to try putting vanilla ice cream in the middle :)
Allison says
Made this cake yesterday for my boyfriends birthday, best cake ever! I don’t even normally like chocolate cake or chocolate frosting, but I haven’t been able to think about anything besides this cake since I tasted it! Awesome!!!
Nora says
Can’t wait to have my cake and eat it too!!! Mmmmmm….. looks yum.! and the fact that it’s vegan – can’t go wrong! Thanks! X
Betty says
I eat chocolate cake on occasion but I’m not a chocolate cake lover as most cakes I’ve tasted are heavy, have an unbalanced chocolate flavor, too dry, too wet, and almost all leave me feeling heavy. However, your cake is hands down the best, moist, prettiest yet simple chocolate cake I’ve ever made and tasted! It’s just so light compared to dairy alternatives. My husband (chocolate cake connoisseur) took the cake to work and apparently it disappeared in 30 minutes and no one believed it was a vegan cake! Thank you Dana!
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Betty!
JenHicks says
My first shot at a vegan cake. Made it for my daughter’s birthday. Delicious!
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Jen!
Brenda says
Can I substitute all purpose gluten free flour for the unbleached flour? If so, would it be the same quantities?
Yes! I would use the same quantities. Let me know how it goes!
Arti says
Hi Dana! I’ve made this cake and the chocolate hazelnut cake a few times and it’s been such a hit every time! Thank you for continuing to post amazing recipes! I had a question, I’ve been asked to bake a chocolate cake for a wedding event and I wanted to use this one or the chocolate hazelnut. However, they’re requested a sheet cake so I wanted to ask how to adjust the measurements of the ingredients in this recipe. I’m thinking of a two layer 13″ x 9″ cake. I’m also looking to bake a classic sponge or vanilla cake, would you have a recipe for that?
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Arti. I don’t have a recipe for vanilla cake, but I have had people use my 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!
Steffe says
Help! I’m allergic to apples.. so the applesauce is a no go. Can I substitute this with something else? Perhaps avocado?
Jenavicka says
I love this recipe! I don’t have access to ingredients like vegan butter so instead I use the sauce recipe from the Coconut No Bake Cookies as icing. It works great!
(https://minimalistbaker.com/coconut-no-bake-cookies/)
Hiromi says
Would it taste good the next day? I want to bring it to a school where I work on Friday, so I would have to make it the night before. Maybe I can bring the sponge cake and cream separately and put the cream on at school. How is the cream the next day?
Kara says
I made this for a birthday party with a chocolate ganache filling. I substituted coconut milk for almond milk and used homemade applesauce with a gluten free cake mix. Some said it was the best cake they had in years. It was a huge hit.
Shirin says
I’m new to baking and having been planning this cake for a birthday in a couple of weeks. Is it ideal to serve warm or chilled in the fridge? I really can’t remember how I like my cake. Also, if I have to make it the day before the party, should I wait to ice it? If I wait to ice it, should I also wait to make the icing?
Thanks!
Iris says
Hi Dana! I made my own tweaks and used five Wilton 6″ baking pans and I baked them for 20 minutes instead. I ended up making a naked cake with matcha frosting. I don’t know if you like green tea but it’s worth a try if you haven’t already. Everyone couldn’t believe how moist and good this was sans egg. I love this recipe!
Christina says
I have this cake baking in the oven and I just looked down and realized I TOTALLY FORGOT to add the half a cup of coffee. Do you think it will still be okay?? :/
Hmm, it might be a little dry. Let me know!
Yui says
Hi Dana, this cake looks just amazing. I’d love to make this for my boyfriend’s birthday, but I found it difficult to get the applesauce where I live. What should I sub or can I omit it? Also, if I follow the recipe, how tall is the cake going to be without the frosting and the layer? Thanks!
You can just finely grate an apple! Without the frosting, the cake should be about 5 inches tall? That’s an estimate!
Ritam says
Hey Dana, this cake looks amazing… One thing I wanted to know was is it possible to make without the coffee? I really don’t like coffee in my cakes but wasnt sure If the recipe could be adapted to leave it out? Please let me know :)
Yes! I would just sub water.
Vania says
Congratulation Dana! This cake is simply F A B U L O U S! Everyone loved it and were surprised at the ingredients! Yeah, I popped a vegan cake without saying a word just to check the results! Amazing how big it grew! Next time will do the buttercream…
I replaced the coconut oil with sunflower oil, because I can’t find it here in Portugal and it was okay! Still, not the same, I bet. Do you have other suggestions to replace it?
; )
Bridget R says
Yum! This was the most delicious cake I have ever tasted. I made it with my kids for my birthday. I was wondering, I am new to vegan recipes ( I have a little one that can’t eat eggs) do you have a vanilla cake recipe that is good for birthdays. The ones I have tried are very dense. I would love to find a vanilla recipe too as my hubby has a food sensitivity to chocolate. Thank you so much! Loving all your recipes!
You can try this one!
Bridget says
Thanks! I’ll try it!
Amber says
Hi, so I have a little issue haha, this cake looks amazing however I have attempted the recipe 2 time now and it turns out without rising properly and quite dense, very much like a mousse tart kind of thing, and that’s devious but not this haha. Any advice? X
Hmm, perhaps your leavening agent is expired?
Shellie says
This is the BEST chocolate cake! Nevermind that it is Vegan…haha! I discovered it when searching for a birthday cake recipe for my Vegan daughter. I have made it 3 times now and it is always a hit with vegans and non-vegans alike! We like it so much, I made if for my definitely non-Vegan husband’s birthday, too. He loved it! The only sub I made was to use coffee to thin the frosting instead of nutmilk. mmmmmmm. Thank you for sharing!
Yay!! Thanks for sharing, Shellie!
Susie says
This cake is incredible. I initially discovered it when I was nursing my daughter and I had to give up dairy, soy and eggs because she was allergic. I missed baking and I missed eating delicious baked goods and I decided to try this cake and it was incredible. I’m not on a restricted diet anymore but I still come back to this cake time and time again because it is the best. Definitely my go-to chocolate cake. I love everything about it.
Ah yay! Thanks for sharing, Susie!
Ella says
This looks delicous dana! Could you sub the cane sugar for coconut sugar? Xx
That should work!
Michelle says
I made this cake today and it turned out perfect. I made 1/2 the recipe so just a single layer cake. It is already half gone and everyone went back for seconds. The texture and taste and the frosting are all wonderful. Thankyou for sharing this recipe, it will become a regular in our house from now on.
So wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Michelle!
Chelsea Gorman says
I haven’t yet made this cake, but have made the frosting a few times. It is amazing! Hands down the best chocolate frosting there ever was.
Kylie says
This recipe was incredible. My vegan aunt came over and I wanted to make her something sweet and this was a real hit, for the non-vegans, too!
Oh yay! So glad you all enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing, Kylie!
Vanessa says
Hello. This is so far the best recipe for vegan ive found. I wonder if i can use rice flour and honey and instead of applesauce use dried dates? Im going to try different varieties because my son is turning 1 in 3 months and id like to perfect a vegan cake. Perhaps i can use another icin that doesnt have so much sugar and butter. I dont like vegn products. Theyre more overly processed amd still aid in tooth decay and a poor diet. I can maybe do some sort of honey icing. If anyone has ideas id appreciate them!!!
Julia says
Wow! This is so delicious! I made this cake for my friend’s baby shower. I made double size. Everyone loved it! I will do it again and again. Also, I added raisins in one layer and nuts in other one. And I left two layers just plain. I would definitely recommend this cake to everyone! Thank you so much for the recipe!
Amy Mac says
I can’t believe this is a vegan cake. It tastes amazing. I made just the cake part last night and will do the frosting tonight. I made this for my son (with dairy and egg allergies) as his birthday cake.
I have made fondant from Marshmallows as well (I know, not vegan, but does the trick for his situation) I am wondering what you think about the frosting holding up to fondant. If I chill the frosted cake for an hour or more, will the frosting become hard enough to stand up to be covered in fondant?
I’ll definitely report back after. ;) Thanks for the great alternative to chocolate cake.
Amy Mac says
So yes, It held up really well. Didn’t get a reply so I went ahead. It was a hit! :)
BeaH says
OK…tomorrow is my husband’s bday and I am trying to make the cake…..I think I messed it up…. because I forgot to activate the milk with the vinegar…I put all liquids together…since I used all organic, I didn’t want to throw all away- expensive. I proceeded to do everything else as indicated but the batter was a bit watery… I took them out of the oven and the toothpick does not come out totally clean…almost but they were baking for about 35 minutes. I need help NOW!!!!!….please. what happens is you don’t activate the milk???…should I throw it away and do not bother with the frosting? …the batter did not taste as sweet as I would like ..is it because the frosting will do the trick?
Bee says
Despite what happened with the milk I finished making the cake and it was AMAZING!. Of course the batter was not as sweet because is the perfect sweetness combination with the frosting.
The frosting was also perfect. My husband was in cloud nine.
Anna says
I made this cake and when I took it out the oven it had cracked on the top, it was very soft and when I moved it onto a cooling rack one of the layers split in two. I tasted delicious though. I was wondering if anyone knows what I did wrong? Thanks :)
Hmm, that’s odd! perhaps it was a little underbaked?
Vanessa says
What i do to prevent cracking is lower the heat and when its almost done i crack the oven and let it finish that way. It works with my cheesecakes!
Caroline says
Is any vegan milk substitutable for almond milk in this recipe?
rice milk or coconut milk beverage (in the carton)
audrey a says
Does the almond breeze’s almond milk contains any oil or salt added to the carton? I can’t seem to find anything that does not! Perhaps the salt is for preserving the milk.
Danica says
Hi! This cake looks delicious! I was wondering if there was a way to make this gluten free as well?
Try this one!
Danica says
Thanks!!!?
Emily says
I made this cake and it was heavenly, but when I tried to mix the applesauce and other ingredients to make them foamy it never works. Do you have any suggestions?
Natalie says
I have made this 3 times now and it’s perfect, moist, chocolatey, but not too sweet! Everyone asks for seconds too. Best chocolate cake ever! I now get requests to make it for birthdays in the office! Thank you, Dana! :)
Mona says
Dana-
This cake was fabulous! I made it last week and everyone simply loved it. Thanks so much for a great recipe. I didn’t have any almond milk at home so I substituted regular 1% milk and it turned out just fine. I have used many different eggless cake recipes in the past and none of my cakes were ever so perfect…they were either too moist or too dry and never really rose much. I will be making this cake again and again for sure!
Sylvie says
Before committing to this cake recipe I read the reviews, and a lot of them were just people who wanted to make the cake but had not tried the recipe yet.
I can confidently say this is the best vegan chocolate cake recipe I have made. All my friends who ate it had no idea it was vegan. It was perfect, delicious and moist.
I didn’t use the icing recipe, I ended up using coconut cream mixed with cocoa and icing sugar which turned out great.
Thank you for a wonderful recipe xxx
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Sylvie!
Florence says
Tried this recipe yesterday and everybody in the house loved it! It’s hard to stop after one bite…
So glad you enjoyed it, Florence! Thanks for sharing!
Jenny says
This cake looks amazing! I plan on making it tomorrow. Do you think it would mess any baking time or texture if I mixed in some chocolate chips? If not, could you suggest a good amount to add?
Not at all! I think it would be a lovely addition. Let me know how it goes, Jenny!
Bonnie Mount says
My son’s girlfriend is having a birthday and I plan to make this cake for her. She is vegan; we are not. That should tell you how much I like her. Has anyone ever used cashew milk instead of almond milk?
Emma says
OH my gosh I have tried this recipe today and its amazing. I didn’t have applesauce so I substituted with avocado and it tastes amazing!!!!! :)
Ann says
Thanks Emma, I was scanning comments to see what I could replace the apple sauce with. Sounds perfect. I’m on a low FODMAP diet and craving something sweet today :)
Bella says
Is there a way to make this without almond milk? I want to make it for my brothers bday but he is allergic to dairy, almonds, gluten and eggs.
I’m pretty sure you can sub rice or hemp milk!
Nesha Johnson says
Hey Dana…Thank you so much dear for share this lovely recipe of vegan chocolate cake…Especially my father in law loved it when i made this chocolate cake.
Yay! Thanks for sharing! So glad everyone enjoyed it. xoxo
Kirby says
thinking of trying for my sons bday party :). Is it possible to substitute raw cacao powder for cocoa powder?
I haven’t tried that, but I think it would work! Let me know if you give it a try, Kirby :D
Emma says
I want to make this cake for my birthday, but where i live we don’t have vegan butter available, what can I use instead??
Anna says
This cake was the BEST! I made it with my 3 small girls for my husband’s birthday. He didn’t want cake. He isn’t a cake kinda guy– but the kids insisted we have cake at a birthday party! It was easy to make and used simple ingredients. I doubled the recipe to make an extra large 4-layer cake. My frosting turned out to be more like a ganache, which was fine with me! Maybe because I didn’t add as much powdered sugar as the recipe called for. I was nervous to serve this cake to my mother and grandmother (who have both been baking for many more years than me), and to my dad who is pretty critical of vegan cooking. Well, I’m happy to say it was a SMASH HIT! My mom and grandmother both want the recipe ASAP, and my dad and anti-cake husband raved about it. Thank you!
Caroline says
Hey Dana! This cake looks delish! It’s my birthday on 15 th of August and I am planning to use your recipe! Just one question, can I bake it one day before and store it for the next day?
That should work!! Mine kept for 2 days, but I think it’d even keep for 3 in the fridge!
Caroline says
Thank you for your kind reply Dana! x
Andrew says
This recipe is amazing, I had to bring a dessert to a friend’s pool party and a couple of my friends are vegan so I thought I would try it out. They all LOVED it. I didn’t make a two-layer cake but instead I made some cupcakes, which turned out quite well I must say. It made about 28 cupcakes which was perfect even though there would only be 10 people at this party. Let’s just say that I didn’t bring any cupcakes home. Highly recommend this to anyone.
Deanna says
I made this cake for my Vegan BF for Valentine’s Day and again for his birthday last night. I used a peanut butter frosting this time around. Still so good! Thank you for this!!
Peanut Butter Frosting:
1/2 cup Earth Balance
1 cup Creamy PB
2 cups Powdered Sugar
2 tsp Vanilla
Splash of Almond Milk
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Deanna!
Rich says
Thanks for the recipe.
I didn’t have some of the ingredients when I came across your recipe so I used what I had.
I used Aluminum free baking powder, Dextrose (instead of sugar) and I used Organic virgin Coconut oil and plain unbleached spelt flour. I didn’t use coffee but used the Almond milk.
For the frosting I didn’t have vegan butter so I melted some Cacao butter and Dextrose then added the other ingredients you had.
When it was finished the icing firmed slightly and I took a tub of nice fat sweet juicy Strawberries and decorated the top with them.
The cake was a huge success, very rich & decadent yum.
Andy says
How many cupcakes would this recipe make?
Daisy B says
Anyone know if it’s possible to use anything other than wheat flour in this recipe? Has anyone tried? I’m wondering if ground almonds might work.
Danna says
Just made this cake for my two year old’s birthday. Was amazing! Made it with vegan avocado frosting (avocado, date syrup and cacao), probably would have been even better with your buttercream. Just wanted to say thank you for this and all your other awesome recipes. I’m a big big fan!
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Danna!
abi and the fab 4 says
Amazing results! We swapped the sugar for coc0nut sugar and the cocoa in the frosting to coconut choc shot (sweet freedom) oh wow we are in cake heaven! happy birthday to me this birthday cake is amaze!! Thankyou xx
Whoop! Yay, thanks for sharing, Abi!
gabi says
This is a truly, seriously, decadent but guilt free, cruelty free overall AMAZING chocolate cake–if you can’t tell it just made me really happy. I made it for my sisters birthday and my non-vegan family loved it! I would highly recommend this recipe and I am thankful that it exists!!!!!!! I also put raspberries on top as an outside circle!
So great!Thanks for sharing, Gabi! xoxo
Stephanie says
So excited to try this vegan (and dairy free!) cake! I have all the ingredients this time! Thanks so much for posting!!!!
Mindy says
I made this a few months ago and loved it! I really want to put a vanilla frosting middle in my next rendition. Do you have any suggestions for a yummy vanilla frosting?
Try this one! Or, this one.
Gloria says
You had me right up to the end. Powdered Sugar, my dear, is not VEGAN (Powdered sugar is as white as it is because of the bone meal used to make the sugar white).
But I’m not discouraged, I’m going to put my natural sugar through a coffee grinder until they are powdered. Then I’ll truly have a Vegan cake to boast about. It works and you don’t have to compromise the recipe!
There ya go! Sounds like you found a solution.
Kandice says
Glad you found an acceptable solution. Just want to point out that vegan powdered sugars do exist.
While not vegan, we utilize many vegan baking recipes due to my son’s egg allergy. My typical go-to chocolate cake recipe is the classic Crazy or Wacky cake. I was looking for an alternative chocolate cake. Perhaps one with a more solid structure that has a better chance at being stackable and carvable. My test run of a half recipe in an 8″ round pan is very promising. My only sub was to use soymilk instead of almond milk as it was all I had in the house. Love the flavor and texture. Next up will be a test in a larger pan. Thanks for a great recipe.
Noelle says
This cake was amazing. I made it for my brothers birthday. I suggest you give it a try
zana says
I do not know how is possible in your ricepe have kind of orange color cream,my is black and realy you can see difference from cake.
Emma :) says
Mine is black too, but that’s mostly dependent on the cocoa you use. In the process of making mine now but the cakes themselves turned out nearly perfect!! Can’t wait to frost
Carmen says
Hi :)
I would like to bake this wonderful cake tomorrow but i need your help! In the receipe you use a 8 inch round pan, i have an 8 inch square pan (20 cm x 20 cm)
how do i have to modify the receipe?
I don’t think so – should work fine!
Carmen says
Hi!
COuld you please tell me for what size of springform this is for?
Thank you
Benjamin says
My girlfriend and I made this cake following your recipe and it turned out PERFECT! Thank you so much! Incredibly rich, moist and delicious! The only problem I have is stopping myself from eating all of it! :D
Yay! Glad you guys enjoyed it, Ben and thanks for sharing!
india matysiak says
Is it possible to use maple syrup/brown rice syrup/honey/agave instead of sugar. As i wanna bake this for my boys 2nd birthday!
I haven’t tried it, but scan the comments to see if anyone’s had success with that. Best of luck, India!
Deb says
I made this cake today and its quite thick and gooey. Quite delicious and I would make it again, however I also had problem with the coconut oil solidifying but was OK in the end.
BakerChic says
Cake still not set after 40 minutes. Followed recipe exactly. What went wrong ? :-(
Arti says
Dana,
Amazing, amazing recipe! Not to mention this is my first vegan recipe. I actually substituted a few items though – Flax milk + protein for Almond milk, part agave for cane sugar. And Bob Mills gluten free flour. Really incredible, my taste buds were jumping with joy! [And so were my entire family’s! :) ] I’m making it again this weekend for my niece, cannot wait to see what she thinks. I’ve tried a few of your recipes in the last few months and I must say, by far, the most simplest, straightforward, and on point recipes I’ve ever tried! Thank you, thank you, thank you!! Xx
Prul says
Can I make this cake with your gluten free flour?
Dana says
Dana , I just landed on your page and I LOVE IT. I loveeeee this recipe, A LOT, I read it three times from top to end. desperately trying to cram the ingredients and steps into my head, will be trying this as the first vegan recipe I make. Seems difficult a bit, but I am up for the challenge. Loving loving your page!!!
wishing you the best,
Dana
x
Thanks Dana! Sweet name, btw. Let me know if you try this one!! xoxo
Dana says
hahah, will be sure to keep you updated :), fingers and toes crossed all comes out perfect.
Marianne Odell says
I would also like to try making cupcakes with this recipe. I’d like to freeze them. Would you recommend freezing them minus the frosting and frosting after thawing? Also, baking time-15 to 20 minutes?
I’m a relatively new vegan (4/6/15) so I’m still researching,exploring and learning!
Yes, frost after thawing from the freezer. And in general, cut back on cooking time by a 1/3 and then check for doneness from there. Best of luck!
Marianne Odell says
I know coconut oil is all the rage these days, but I’ve been hearing that it raises LDL cholesterol (the “bad”stuff).
I am re-designating the huge jug of it in my pantry to the boudior for skin moisturizing!
Can I sub Earth-Balance Vegan “Buttery Sticks”?
Yes!
Joanna says
Hi Dana, I really want to try this cake but I can’t have granulated sugar – can I swap this for something natural like agave syrup? X
Sarah says
I used this recipe to create a mustache-shaped cake for a surprise party that my co-workers and I threw for our manager — his wife is expecting their first child: https://instagram.com/p/3mA-nQkBUi/. The cupcakes in the photo are vanilla because I wanted to add blue-colored centers, but I used the same chocolate buttercream frosting from the cake.
For the cake, I used white vinegar (instead of apple cider vinegar), espresso (instead of subbing more almond milk), melted virgin coconut oil (instead of grape seed or canola oil), unbleached all-purpose flour (instead of pastry flour), and cane sugar (instead of granulated sugar). Then I followed the recipe as is — it was easy to make this dessert, especially for someone who is new to making cakes and vegan baking like myself. I’m not vegan, but I liked how I could safely taste test the batter (yay for no raw eggs) and the ingredients are pretty simple ones that I either had on hand or can easily use again. I did follow someone’s tip of keeping the bowl of liquid ingredients on a relatively warm stove, thanks to the pre-heating oven — it’s very important to keep the coconut oil completely melted before the batter goes in the oven.
I normally don’t like chocolate cake (much too rich and sweet for me) or buttercream frosting (grocery stores give it a bad wrap), but this is definitely the best chocolate cake (and probably one of the best cakes overall) I’ve ever tasted! The cake was on the moist, fudgy side, and the sweetness level was great for my personal taste. It’s fine even without frosting! Speaking of frosting, that added some additional sweetness without being overwhelming (I used 2.5 cups of powdered sugar). Only a couple people in my office knew the desserts were vegan (including my vegan friend, who wanted the recipes afterwards), and I received so many rave reviews from this mostly omnivore crowd.
Thanks for the awesome recipe! By the way, cool website! I’m definitely curious to try out more of your recipes (the photos definitely “sell” them) and do some more vegan baking overall! :)
Awesome! thanks for sharing!!
Emma says
I made this for my sister’s birthday dinner last night and it was excellent!! I added chopped hazelnuts to the frosting and decorated the top and sides with strawberries. Thank you for a great recipe!
Mallory says
Taste is delicious, outcome wasn’t so great. The toothpick came out clean after 25 minutes, but the cake was still a jiggly consistency and fell apart when I tried flipping it out of the pan. What is the reaction that the vinegar and almond milk is supposed to create?
Swati says
Hi Dana!
Thanks for this fabulous recipe. I’m going to use it for my friend’s birthday cake this week. I was wondering, though, how I could make it a chocolate-lavender cake! Any suggestions?
Thanks once again for your blog :)
Cheers!
Swati
Hmm, grind up the lavender and mix it with the flour? Or, sprinkle it on top!!
Mary says
I use ground oats instead of flour but it gave the cake a gritty texture. Next time I’ll just use wheat flour. Tastes fine though. I also poured a cup of sweetened coconut milk and rice milk over the cake in lieu of buttercream frosting. Sort of a “tres leches” redux?
Anyway, I like Blue Diamond way better than other almond milk brands. They taste more almond-y to me. Good on you for getting endorsement money from them. :-)
Lilan says
Wow this looks absolutely stunning and I can’t wait to try it out. Do you think I could make this cake in muffin tins, so I get single servings instead of one huge cake?
Kathy Furneaux says
AMAZING !!! I made this today for my vegan daughter’s 23rd birthday and we all loved it. The flavor is so spot on and the texture was to die for. I will be making this again and again and again. Thanks for a great chocolate cake !!
So great! thanks for sharing, Kathy!
Glores says
This is the best chocolate cake! I used GF flour instead and sub the sugar with coconut sugar and OMG, honestly the most moist, dense cake. Taste is sublime. Im not a vegan but I’m sure considering it now!! Im now working my way through all of the recipes :-) Many thanks guys, Big love from Australia!!
Vienna says
Is there a substitute for vegan butter (besides butter, of course)? Is coconut oil okay for the buttercream?
Yes! See this recipe for pointers.
Vienna says
Thanks, Dana! I will be making this on Monday for my pair of twin brother and sister’s birthday. Since there are two people having birthdays, they requested me for a double layer cake. This recipe would be perfect, and they both LOVE chocolate cake. I’m coming back to rate this recipe after making it. So excited…
Sophie says
Hi there
I made this cake a couple of days ago for a friend’s birthday. I don’t know what I did wrong but the texture was so heavy, it was like it didn’t rise at all. It was solid and rubbery, rather unpleasant! And tips to achieve a fluffier texture?
thanks
SOphie
Hmm, not sure! Did you change anything? What kind of pan did you cook it in? Perhaps it was overmixed…
Bethany says
Do you think it could work with mashed ripe banana instead of applesauce? I have everything except the applesauce but I have some very ripe bananas that need to be used!
Yes, I think so! Let me know how it goes!
Kelly says
I just have to say, I made this and two other chocolate cake recipes, and had a bunch of friends taste test them with me. I used a gluten free flour mix in all of them. The people I tested them on are not vegan or gluten free. This cake was the clear favorite! I got so many comments of “Amazing!” “The best chocolate cake ever!” I then made it again for my son’s birthday party (this time used plain all-purpose flour) and got all the same raving reviews! This really is the most amazing chocolate cake EVER!!!!!!
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Kelly!!
Danielle says
I absolutely love this cake, and I’m not vegan. My mom is vegan so I made this cake for her birthday. Silly me, I left out the baking soda so it ended up being more of a brownie texture. It was still delicious and next time I will try it the correct way. I also use this frosting on other baked goods, even if they are not vegan :) I’m going to try the sugar cookies for mothers day, thank you so much :)
So great! Thanks for sharing, Danielle!
Vusala says
I’ve made this cake 4 times now and each time it comes out wonderful! Delicious! I brought it to work for potluck, served at the house party…i don’t use the frosting, i just cake a ganache with coconut cream and dark chocolate and it is divine! Thank you!!!!! Vegans Rule!!
So great! thanks for sharing!
Brooke Fokker says
This recipe should come with a TFA warning- totally freaking addicting. I always mean to share more of it than I do.
And my son loved it as his 1 year old birthday cake! He smashed it up and didn’t want to share either :).
Ha! Thanks for sharing, Brooke!
Erin says
My husband and I are vegetarians who dabble in veganism. He works in a very masculine industry and the guys all give him a hard time about it. He had a work pot luck this week and signed up to bring dessert. We made this cake and didn’t tell them it was vegan until they had all raved that it was one of the best chocolate cakes they’d ever had.
Yay!!! totally made my day! Thanks for sharing, Erin!
Jill says
I loosely followed the recipe (use my own gf flour mix) and improvised the buttercream as I didn’t have any powdered sugar and it was the best chocolate cakes I have ever had vegan or not. My question is…how do you store it? And how long does it stay good if you leave it out? I don’t like eating it cold BC the buttercream firmed up too much for my liking and the cake loses it’s soft, spongey texture that I love.
Great! To store it, you can leave it out at room temperature for up to a few days!
Megan Livengood says
This is an amazing recipe! Made for a baby shower and people just loved it. I doubled the cake recipe for a half sheet cake, and it was too much batter, so I got several cupcakes too which is never a bad thing. I also used cake flour, and added an extra half cup or so since its lighter. Turne out beautifully. Thanks!
Maren says
I wonder if there is a way to make this gluten free? That would be amazing!
Try this cake instead!
Maren says
Thanks so much! I’ll totally try that one!
Ellie says
Amazing recipe! Pinned!
Claire says
omg. THIS. It’s the best vegan chocolate cake I have ever tasted. Thank you so much for the great recipe.
Jenn says
Dana, I thought I owed it to you to finally leaving a glowing review. I’ve made this cake at least 8 times, and I’m working on making another right now, so after this many times everyone should know this is an excellent recipe. It is my go-to cake for my 3 vegan boys. My fourth son, a carnivore, loves it so much he requested for his birthday. I think the most important part of making this recipe is just to pay attention to each step. When I cook for a crowd I’m doing a lot of tasks at once and I’ve noticed that when I multi task my cake has been a little too moist. Either way this cake has never failed me! Today I’m changing it up a bit by making mint chocolate frosting as per a request. Oh, and of course, no one would ever know it’s vegan. Thanks!