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.
Claritza says
This is fantastic, simple recipe and is a real crowd pleaser. I found i had to bake mine about 10 minutes longer than was suggested which was fine by me. The frosting however gave me a rather difficult time. First off, if your using Baker’s semisweet chocolate bar, heat it up slowly in a saucepan. I wanted to speed things up and so i put it in the microwave and it left me with small lumps of over cooked chocolate in the melted chocolate. Also i found i had to add a considerable amount more of confectioners sugar to have a fluffy and thick consistency. But my biggest mistake was not refrigerating the buttercream before frosting the cake. It ran down the sides of the cake even though my cakes were fully cooled. It doesnt help i live in south florida in the middle of hurricane/ rainy season ?. My next go around with this recipe i will follow those steps for sure. ?
Levana says
Hi Dana, thank you for this recipe. I recently tried making this cake and the cake came out like the pictures. however, the frosting was a bit too thin even though I’ve added some more sugar and cocoa powder. I didn’t want to put too much sugar because it would be too sweet. Is there any suggestion as to make the frosting thicker without using too much sugar? thank you
Claritza says
That happened to me too, i added more powdered sugar ( about a cup) and also refrigerate the frosting before applying on the cake. It will harden it up.
Marie-Noëlle says
I made this cake for my son’s second birth day yesterday – he’s allergic to eggs and I cut out dairy while breastfeeding my daughter so it was a perfect alternative for us! It turned out great and moist, everybody loved it! I just made another frosting because I wanted something a little lighter (I used avocado and cocoa) and added a layer of raspberry jam between the top and bottom cakes (seriously, this addition was just WOW). Honestly, this was the best cake I have ever made (I’m a poor baker!) and I will definitely make it again! Thanks!
Mary says
Is there an alternative to the coconut oil? Can I use vegetable/olive oil?
Linda says
Can I use some other non dairy milk , like oat or soy?
Louise says
Quick and simple. Love it!
Kristina says
So I am not a great baker and new to veganism.. But did anyone find the recipe made too much for the cake pans? They filled my cake pans to the top which are standard cake pans. I know you are suppose to leave room for rising but thought hmm maybe since there are not eggs and dairy it doesn’t need a lot of space for rising. Well the cake pans spilled over and made a huge mess in my oven. So epic fail over here. I will try again and not fill to the top I just don’t want to waste ingredients next time. My husbands birthday is tomorrow so idk what I’ll make instead now
Nicole says
This cake was amazing! just made it for my partner for his birthday and he loved it! was thinking this recipe could also work for cupcakes too :) thanks for the amazing recipe
Lisa Lauziere says
Not a complaint at all but just think it’s only fair to be accurate: prep time is longer than 15 minutes: gathering ingredients, measuring, slow sifting, beating, prepping pans, etc – took me at least 30.
Baking time for me (using two 8″ round pans) was 40 minutes (I live in NH) before the toothpick came out clean.
I used applesauce, the apple cider vinegar and the amount of sugar you suggested – the cake is sublime.
Thanks for this recipe!
Robin says
The only change I made was I used rice milk instead of almond due to allergy. Everything was room temperature. I waited about 5 minutes after adding the apple cider vinegar to the milk and nothing seemed different so I moved on. The liquids did not foam. What exactly does “activate” refer to?
Sometimes it foams, sometimes it doesn’t. You’re fine!
Erica says
What brand of vegan butter did everyone use? Which do you think was the most successful?
I prefer Earth Balance! And the sticks are best for baking.
Anne says
Amazing recipe! I’m not even vegan and was just looking for a birthday cake for a friend. This is so good, I will attempt making a Sachertorte from that next time (Austrian classic).
Rezz MY says
Thanks for this amazing recipe! It lifted my mood so much after a few rounds of higher than expectation vegan recipes which I tried. :) I might have taken a break from baking if I’d not chanced upon this recipe!
I really love the frosting! But that’s because I’d run out of icing sugar (only used 180g) so the frosting was “buttery” and slightly more salty. Though runny, it stayed in place after placing it in the fridge overnight. And my only concern was solved :)
I used more soymilk instead of coffee cause I didn’t know where to get that – I only have instant ones at home. I might buy a cup outside and use it for baking when I make it again for a friend’s birthday in 3 days’ time. Was just thinking if using water/coffee instead of subbing more milk, will it make the cake just a lil’ more fluffy? Am also thinking of using melted vegan butter instead of coconut oil to give the cake a bit more taste. :)
Thanks again for the recipe, Dana. One more affirmation from me doesn’t hurt – at least my oven can continue churning out good cakes now.
Oh yes, I did bake a non-vegan chocolate cake last Christmas and.. I felt SO guilty when my friends had to eat it because it was just tough, dry and hard. Even the cream frosting was bad. HAHA. Now, I don’t have to feel bad feeding people low quality bakes and this is VEGAN! I’m in love :)
~MY
Keri says
Hi can I use coconut flour instead? or would that not work?
Vera B says
Hi Dana!
This recipe looks great, and I’m wondering if I could make cupcakes from it (by simply pouring the batter into muffin tins). I prefer apple sauce as opposed to beet puree, which is why I’d rather use this recipe for cupcakes than the fudgy beet cupcakes.
Thanks!
Rezz MY says
Hello Vera,
I used 7-inch tins instead of 8-inch tins so I poured some batter into cupcake liners. I added in some blueberries and chocolate chips to spice things up a little. They don’t rise much so you can fill them till quite full. My only gripe is that they weren’t too fluffy – probably because I’d used more soymilk instead of strong brewed coffee. But they work! :) And they were done after 20-25mins. I was baking the cake and cupcakes together so I only checked on the doneness at 25mins. Once out of the oven, they were really soft and moist! After refrigeration, they became more dense and harder. I’d probably thaw them before consuming them again :) hope this helped in any tiny way :)
Loa says
Hi Dana!
– Does it taste a bit of coffee?
– Is it fine if I replace the coffee with more almond milk?
– I have pear puree, can I use that instead of applesauce?
– One more question! I only have one baking pan, can I put all the dough in one pan and cut in two halves when baked? Or will the texture be ruined?
Thanks for your recipe :)
No.
Yes.
Yes.
The pan needs to be 9×13 to accommodate more batter.
Good luck!
Mila says
This was fantastic! I used GF flour, subbed more coffee for some of the oil and replaced half the sugar with soy protein powder and it still rocked the tastebuds of everybody at the party :) Everything was so moist and dense, and the frosting super rich. Thanks for the recipe!
Marina says
Would you be able to sub coconut or soy milk instead of almond milk?
Yes!
Linsey says
This has been the best vegan frosting I have come along yet! Thank you for such a great recipe.
Amy says
Hi I’d like to replace the cocoa powder with cacao powder (as that’s easier on my system), but would I need to use less quantities?
Loren Albert says
How long will the cake or cake leftovers last in the fridge? Can you make this a day before you you serve it?
I think it would freeze up to 1 month. Just thaw before serving! I wouldn’t recommend it in the fridge…
Kylie says
This is the first vegan cake I’ve made and my husband said it was the best! Thanks for the great recipe. Such a moist and chocolatey cake. We used a double espresso for the coffee and it tastes divine!
Yay! Thanks for sharing Kylie!
Joe McD says
Excellent cake
I subbed the coffee in the recipe for very, very stiff Earl Gray tea, and cashew milk for the almond milk. It came out perfect.
I used orange marmalade and gran gala to make a glaze for the middle layer, and my only critique of myself is figuring out how to get more earl gray flavor into the frosting. Advice appreciated?
An excellent cake. good job!
Sally says
I believe the “secret” of the Earl Gray flavor is bergamot, so maybe you could try adding 1-2 drops pure essential oil? A couple companies (Young Living and DoTerra) claim their oils are safe to consume.
Grace says
oh. my. gosh.
I made this cake for my 17th birthday dinner tonight – and it has been the first of my vegan cake recipes that has not turned out boring, bland and distinguishably vegan! my strictly omnivorous family absolutely devoured their slices – and I mine! I even iced it before the cakes had fully cooked, so the chocolate in the buttercream melted a little in the middle layer leaving gooey warm chocolate oozing from the centre! thank you so much for a truly wonderful recipe!
Emily Klesick says
Oh my gosh this is the BEST CAKE I’VE EVER HAD. EVER. And my mom said so, my 4 year old said so, oh my gosh. SO SO GOOD. Thank you!! I did make the frosting with regular butter because I couldn’t find vegan butter and we don’t usually go vegan, but I wanted to try vegan cake and I’m SO GLAD I DID!!! Thank you so much for this!
Laurie says
First time making a homemade cake. I am new to veganism. Planned on making it for my niece who is vegan. Made a practice cake a week before the event and other than taking longer in the oven than recommended the practice cake was a hit. So delicious. Better than any cake I have ever had before… This will be my go to cake for all the chocolate lovers in my family….
Amber-May says
Instead of the flour stated in this recipe, could I use coconut flour? Would i have to use the same quantity? Ive made this cake heaps of times with plain flour, but I have been asked to make it gluten free and I have to use coconut flour. So was wondering if it works!
Thanks
Cindy says
Hi there-
I’m just wondering if the cakes dome when they bake, and if they’ll need to be leveled? Thinking about using this recipie for my birthday party (one of my friends is vegan)!
Katarina says
I poured my first cake mixture into a round cake pan and I had to bake it for 1h20min and later on realized that the cake hadn’t risen much in the oven so I couldn’t cut it in half like I planned to. So I ran to the store to get more ingredients, tried a different type of flour and made another cake layer which turned out a lot drier.
The frosting turned out waaay different than yours so I ran back to the store again, bought some coconut whip cream which added colour and fluffines to the frosting.
In conclusion, it was worth the trouble. A+ recipe
Charli says
OMG! This cake is absolutely delicious! I have never had better cake, vegan or non-vegan! I also wanted to let people know who may need to follow a wheat free or gluten free diet that I used Pamela’s Artisan Flour and it was flawless, we made them cupcake style and it took between 18-23 minutes (first batch was bigger than the second) but we used both your cake and icing recipe and the only change I made was using GF flour (which I always have luck with that brand) because I have to avoid wheat. This is beyond delicious! thank you so much for this amazing recipe, you made my husband’s birthday perfect! PS: can’t stop eating the icing! and the cake is so moist!
Rebekah says
This cake was fantastic – thanks for the great recipe! We have egg & nut allergies in our family so I do a lot of vegan baking (subbed rice milk; thanks for providing the alternative subs!). Loved that this cake wasn’t too sweet but rich and gooey. We will definitely be enjoying it again for future family celebrations!
Amy says
Can I use oat milk insted of almond milk?
Amanda says
Hi, I’m fructose intolerant, do you have any suggestions for replacing apple sauce and apple cigar vinegar? Thanks
Hannah says
Okay, this cake was absolutely DELICIOUS!! Seriously incredible, gooey, and moist. My whole family couldn’t get enough. Some notes for others- I tried (and failed) to get the liquids foamy, and in the process the coconut oil got cold and clumpy. I reheated the whole batch and blended it more, and it turned out fine. Thank you Dana!!!
Vanessa O says
Hi Dana! Your recipe looks great and I really want to try it! The person I’m making it for has a peanut allergy so I’m a bit shaky about the almond milk. Is it fine that I substitute the almond milk with skim milk, or will it mess up the whole recipe?
Gail says
Hi can you make this cake gluten free? And what would you use as a substitute for the flour?
Chef Katie says
Great recipe, thanks for sharing! I’ve been looking for a good vegan chocolate cake for my personal chef clients, and this was so moist and delicious. I just used a cashew cream frosting, though, instead of vegan buttercream. 1 cup cashews, soaked overnight, drained and pureed with 6 dates, 1 tsp. vanilla, 1 tsp. cinnamon + 1/4-1/2 cup water = Cinnamon Cashew Frosting. It’s legit :)
Rosy says
This cake is absolutely amazing.
I made it for my son’s 3rd birthday and my entire family loved it! So much for, that my mother asked to bake it for my step-father’s birthday as well!
Delicious, moist and decadent ♡
Melissa says
This cake. It’s the best I’ve ever had or made. Everyone(even my non vegan friends) asks for it, “please make your cake for……”. It truly is a go to! I like moist fishy chocolattey things and it’s hard to impress me with deserts..by this cake does it every time! Now Dana…my question is…..do you have a vanilla version in the works? Mexican vanilla and cinnamon maybe…or just a basic vanilla cake and icing recipe that can be turned into whatever you like? I’d love something that’s just as moist and an icing that’s just as delicious!
P.S. I always make this cake Gluten Free simply by switching out the flour for pilsbury’s GF flour blend…and it’s still as wonderful…if not better actually!
Jessica says
I just made this because my three year old son has entered an “I LOVE TO BAKE” phase. I trust the Minimalist Baker recipes. They’re pretty much always fantastic.
We used this recipe to make cupcakes. They turned out the perfect density, and not too sweet. I really liked that. I was also pleasantly surprised at how much batter it turned out. A couple months ago for my son’s birthday it took 4 boxed cake mixes to make a decent size cake! The only thing was that I found the bottoms very greasy. I didn’t notice in the cake, just the the liners were totally soaked with oil and to touch the bottoms you could feel it. I’ll cut it back slightly next time. I subbed regular flour for spelt flour, I’m wondering if maybe spelt acts a bit differently with oil than regular flour?
Sam says
Hi,
I’m interested to try this recipe for a friend who’s vegan. This will be my first time attempting a vegan cake. Is it possible to make this cake ahead and freeze it? Also, what can I use instead of applesauce?
Thanks
Cupcake Sonagi says
Dana wrote before that you can sub with roasted beets or pumpkin puree and I think bannana puree can be used too (hopefully)
sandy says
hi dana!
i made this last weekend in my pressure cooker and it came out really fudgy. It was still really good just very dense lol. so i’m gonna try it again this weekend in the oven but as cupcakes.
do you think i can substitute honey for the cane sugar?
Thanks!
DonnaB says
Are you supposed to strain the applesauce before using it in recipes?
Cheri says
Can you use soy milk instead of almond milk?
I think so, yes!
Donna says
Hi,
This recipe looks great. However, my vegan daughter doesn’t want to use coconut oil. Do you think I could use vegan butter instead?
Thanks. This cake looks GREAT!
Donna
I do!
annie says
This is definitely the best vegan chocolate cake recipie out there. I subbed the butter in the frosting for vegan cream cheese, and it tasted amazing. I also added a little lime juice into the frosting and lime zest on the top of the cake and the combination is really sooo good.
Tatiana says
I would like to make this cake, but i have a question: the saturated fat comes from?
Karen says
I’ve made this cake 3 times in the past few weeks. It is absolutely PERFECT! If you’re looking for the yummiest chocolate cake that just happens to be wonderfully vegan you’ve found it!!
Karen says
P.S. I don’t use the coffee and I bake for 35 minutes. Comes out perfect every time.
Liz says
Delicious! I made this for a Father’s Day celebration this weekend and it was a huge hit. Everyone loved it! Non-vegans had no idea it was a vegan cake until I told them, and one of my family members said it was the best chocolate cake he’d ever had. I made the two-layer cake with canola oil (instead of coconut oil) and coconut sugar (instead of cane sugar). Will definitely be making this again! Thanks, Dana!
clare says
Can I use buttermilk instead of applesauce or is there another alternative?
That should work! Otherwise, another light fruit puree, such as roasted beets.
Ally says
Is there anything else you’d recommend using to sub in place of the applesauce? I’m allergic to apples and banana, so vegan baking is a nightmare…
pumpkin puree?
Angie says
I just did a test run of this cake today. I’m hoping to make it for my sins births weekend. It came out beautifully. I used coconut milk instead of almond (I’m allergic), and added more coconut milk instead of coffee. Not sure if it ruined it. The texture looked perfect and toothpick was clean, but when you eat it…it’s so moist it turns to mush in your mouth. I cooked an extra 10 minutes, 35 minutes total…still way too moist. I love moist but is more mushy in your mouth than moist. I didn’t let it cool all the way so I’ll taste again when cooled. I’m not a baker…can you give any advice as too what did wrong? What I can do to fix it? Thanks
Angie says
Um, that should say sons birthday party ?
Angie says
UPDATE!
I let the cakes cool completely and OMG, delish and moist. My son loves it. He’s allergic to milk and eggs but LOVES chocolate cake. Thank you for this. Will be trying to frosting today
Smita says
I made this cake yesterday for my husband’s birthday. At first he was skeptical when I declared that I was making a healthy cake. However, he loved every bite of it! :)
I did make some changes though, as I wanted play it safe. I used 1 cup of unbleached white flour, 0.5 cup of oatmeal flour and 3/4th cup of almond meal. I was okay with not having a GF cake, but still something that we can indulge in without any guilt :)
I found the batter was too runny, so had to add in more flour to make it thicker. It was still runny as compared to the other cakes I bake, but it came out dense and fully done in 40 minutes. I wonder if I had kept it runny, would the cakes have been fluffier?
For the frosting, I used ripe avacados instead of almond milk, pureed along with unsweetened cocoa powder, agave syrup and some coconut oil.
Will surely make this cake again! Thank you so much for the recipe :)
Beth says
HI! I have made this cake many times with rave reviews. I’d love to make cupcakes with the recipe. Do you have any advice? Do I need to alter the recipe at all? Do I just need to alter the baking time? Also, how many cupcakes do you think it will make? I appreciate any info or tips! Thank you!
try this one!
Cameron says
I just wanted to let you know that this is my go-to chocolate cake and frosting recipe- so perfect, so amazing, so universally admired by vegans and omnivores alike! I’m curious if you also happen to have a white or vanilla cake recipe that is as consistently perfect and scrumptious as this one??
You continue to be my first online stop when looking for recipe inspiration!
Thanks Cameron! I have a vanilla one in our new cookbook!
Allison says
This was amazingly decadent and really rich. Thanks for the recipe
Hanna says
Used this recipe for my daughter’s sweet 16 and it was a big success! The only thing was it was very dense, not sure if we did something wrong. We had to cook it for 35 then cooled it for a while before frosting g it and placing it in the fridge. Anything you recommend?
LindaJ says
I made this yesterday for my daughter’s birthday and she LOVED it! It was the most moist cake I ever made and everyone loved it. No one even knew it was vegan!!!
De-Ann says
I would like to avoid the refined flour. Can I sub coconut flour or almond flour?
Chelsea says
I’m looking for a vanilla cake recipe for my daughter’s upcoming birthday. her godparents are vegan so i thought i’d come here in search of a recipe. this cake looks delicious but I’m wondering, am I able to make it a vanilla cake simply by leaving out the cocoa and coffee or are there other steps required?
You can try this and leave out the sprinkles, or we have a recipe you could try in our new cookbook!
Chelsea says
Oh, thank you!
Maddy says
Oh this is fantastic!! I recently went vegan and it’s my birthday. It’s perfect moist and CHOCOLATY!!!!! I highly recommend you make this.
Cindy says
I made this cake and absolutely loved it!! Nobody noticed it was vegan.
Cindy says
I made this cake and absolutely loved it!! Nobody noticed it was vegan. Going to start doing more of your recipes!
Carolyn says
I just made this one again for my daughter’s birthday party… And I simply cannot describe how happy I am to have found this recipe. I have so many food allergies, but am the only person in my extended family who has to avoid eggs/dairy. They all LOVED it and didn’t believe me when I told them about the recipe. It is perfect. Thank you!
Ntmt says
I made this cake for my daughter’s birthday, it was a BIG HIT, it was rich and delicious. I made a double recipe so that the cake would be tall. That was a bit of overkill for this rich delicious cake. I cooked it for about 10 minutes longer than the recipe time, maybe that is my oven, but this is a very moist cake. It lasted a week in the fridge with minimal quality reduction. It is almost like eating fudge, delicious….I will make this cake again for sure.
NTMT says
I made this cake for my daughters birthday, it was very good, lasted a week in the fridge, and was a lot like eating fudge. I doubled the recipe because I wanted a substantially sized cake. The cake is so rich that a double recipe was a bit of over kill. I will make this cake again.
James says
I love your recipes, I’ve made your vegan & gluten free banana bread many times with favorable results. I tried your gluten chocolate cake and decided to try this recipe as well to compare. Made this with gluten free flour, it’s in the oven now will update after a taste test but judging from a batter taste test, it should be perfect. I found the batter to be a little on the watery side so I added more flour. also, I thought chocolate chips would be a good addition and per my wife’s request I added some.
James says
Update: Subbing gluten free flour for the wheat flour worked like a charm! I’ve made this two more times and both times it turned out delicious and perfectly fluffy. Not too sweet and I have it for breakfast with coconut yogurt and blue berries on top instead of icing!
Lovely! Thanks for sharing.
Jemma says
Hi Dana!! My sister and I made this cake yesterday and OH MY GOODNESS it is THE BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE EVER!! We had guests over for dinner and they could not stop raving about it. It is the most moist, gooey, chocolatey cake ever – a foodgasm to put it simply. We used applesauce as the fruit puree and apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar. We were out of semi-sweet chocolate chips and used 2 tablespoons of maple syrup instead and it added this lovely rich aftertaste to the frosting that was positively delightful. Also, we did not add the coffee because we do not like coffee. Thank you so so much for this incredible recipe – I will be making it for years to come for any event possible. :)
Helen says
I made this cake but I too had a crumbly cake, the taste was fabulous and the chocolate frosting was great – not too sweet. Thanks for the recipe.
Kalyn says
I’m not a baker by any means, but… I had a problem with the frosting coming out the same consistency yours did. I kept adding and adding powdered sugar to thicken it, but it never got there. I used it as it was, and it was pretty thin and slippery (the top layer of cake started sliding off). Any tips?
Try this recipe next time! It’s my new go-to. You can substitute coconut oil for the butter if desired!
Erica says
Can I make this a day ahead?
That should work, yes!
Judi says
Baked goods are always difficult when you have to leave out dairy and eggs. Actually, scratch that, leaving out dairy has been mostly a breeze thanks to coconut milk, coconut oil and Earth Balance “butter”. But cakes without eggs are always challenging. Minimalist Baker has been a great resource for our house, so I was excited to try this cake for my daughter’s birthday cake. I baked it all in one large round silicon cake pan, so the baking time was 1 hour 10 minutes. The frosting whipped up perfectly, and was deliciously, decadently chocolatey. The cake was like a moist, fudgy pudding cake. The only criticism I have of the recipe is that the frosting is overwhelmingly more chocolately than the cake. When I make it again, I might try increasing the salt in the cake batter to 1/2 a tsp, to see if that enhances the chocolatey-ness of the cake itself. Because, for a lower calorie indulgence, I’d love to just make this cake and dust it with powdered sugar, but I’d like it to be more intensely chocolate. Great recipe!! Thank you!!
Kylie says
I just made this to satisfy my chocolate/sweet tooth craving and it’s definitely hitting the spot! I added allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, paprika, cayenne pepper, and ground clove into the frosting mix along with coconut flakes and it tastes SO GOOD! I will be using this recipie again and recommending it to others.
Emily says
The BEST vegan cake!! My (non-vegan) family and friends loved it. It’s so nice to be able to share a delicious cake that aligns with my values and tastes superb. THANK YOU for another fabulous recipe!
Jen says
If I use gluten free flour will the cake taste different? Do I need to change anything?? I can’t use regular flour since I have allergies to wheat and gluten
Megan | The Uprooted Beet says
Just made this for my sister’s graduation party! Thanks so much for the recipe :)
Tracy Peterson says
Just made this for my husband’s 33rd birthday! I have always made him the beet cupcakes and I made no alterations to this recipe other than using beet purée. One other way to get extra chocolatey goodness is to use half unsweetened nut milk and half chocolate, it makes this so decadent! Thanks for another great recipe!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Tracy!
Jaina says
I am a very inexperienced baker, and i’m not vegan but I am allergic to eggs (*always* a cake ingredient so I am experimenting with vegan recipes as an alternative). (which means I made the frosting with regular butter — it was great).
I had a couple struggles with the cake — I had melted the coconut oil in the hot coffee, which cooled the coffee, and I used the almond milk straight out of the fridge. I wasn’t sure whether the vinegar had ‘activated’ in the almond milk, but after 15 mins or so I added the coconut oil, coffee and applesauce. Then i wasn’t sure what ‘foamy’ might mean — there were lots of little bubbles but only on the surface. So I thought maybe MORE mixing was better to make it even more foamy — but suddenly, all the coconut oil re-solidified and the wet batter was a huge mess. (I hadn’t added the dry ingredients yet). I considered starting over but didn’t have enough coconut oil left, SO I tried warming the messed-up batter over a pan of hot water — kept stirring and soon the coconut oil re-melted and everything was smooth again. I put it back on the mixer [after a slight mixer malfunction in which a half-cup or so of liquid landed on the floor and all over the cabinet door under the mixer], beat it till there were SOME bubbles, and decided that was foamy enough. I then added the dry ingredients [after i removed several spoonfuls to account for the wet components that had escaped the bowl onto the floor].
My next mistake was using a rectangular pan that was probably too small — then my last mistake was taking the cake out of the oven too early — 35 minutes at 350 and everything smelled great — I couldn’t find a wooden toothpick and it looked like it was probably done.
Once it cooled the center was kind of sunken, but I put the frosting on anyway (that recipe makes a LOT of frosting, incidentally — might be fine to cut in half if you make the cake in a rectangular pan and not in 2 layer pans). When I sliced the cake, i realized it was still liquid in the center, so it was kind of like ‘vegan chocolate lava cake.’
The parts that WERE cooked — the edges — actually came out really good! the cake had a great texture, very tender and not too sweet, but very definitively CHOCOLATE.
I will DEFINITELY make this again — i will warm the almond milk and applesauce slightly, at least not use them refrigerator-cold, i will not worry so much about ‘foamy’ — i will bake it till it’s actually cooked, (and i will secure the mixing bowl to the mixer so that it doesn’t sling a half cup of batter onto the floor).
because considering all those mistakes — this cake was Objectively Delicious Chocolate Cake. Not just for vegans (or the egg-allergic) anymore!
Thanks for sharing your experience!
Stephanie says
I had a similar issue. While I didn’t mess with temperatures of ingredients at all, I had the exact issue as you with the waiting until foamy thing. It never got foamy; it went from a smooth, creamy liquid to a curdled liquid. I just added the dry ingredients and moved on. I to ended up with laba cake. I guess we weren’t sciencing quite right!
Radina Milcheva says
Hello :) The cake looks amazing! I tried the recipe yesterday, but halved the quantities and made only one crust in 26 cm cake pan. It came out very tasty, but the texture is not like on your photos … It became more crumbly and you can`t make a good slice. Do you have any suggestions why it happen? I used wheat flour Type 1050 and baked for 28 minutes.
Thank you,
Radina
Susana says
Hello !
I’ve done these cake so many times and I just love it !!
Though I have a question… what’s the role of the brewed coffee in here ?
Thank youu
Susana.
For more depth of flavor, as the two complement one another (chocolate + coffee). But just sub almond milk or water if you prefer!
Hannah Wainwright says
This cake is absolutely delicious! I’ve never been that fussed about chocolate cake before – this is far more delicious than any other chocolate cake I’ve had. Took it into work today and my colleagues can’t compliment it enough, I’ve been told it’s ‘restaurant quality’, ‘stunning’ and had lots of people mmmm-ing in delight while eating it! Thank you :)
Colette says
I made this and my family really enjoyed it. Did have a problem with the frosting..it did not emulsified as my normal butter cream does, I used earth balance butter could this be the problem. It still tasted good .
I have a new recipe – try this one!
Ellysa says
Just made this for my partner’s birthday. I ran out of applesauce so I added some extra maple syrup and it still turned out nice and moist. He gave it the following rating:
8/10 for chocolate
7/10 sweetness
7/10 moistness
8/10 taste
9/10 appearance
6/10 fork feel
9/10 mouth joy.
Overall a super delicious cake that goes great with coffee. Thanks for the recipe!
Katelyn says
This recipe is amazing. I wanted to make one cake that would accommodate everyone at my daughter’s birthday and this one was perfect. I used King Arthur Flour gluten free flour in 1:1 sub for the flour and had no issues at all. Thanks for such an easy, accessible, delicious recipe!
Joann says
What can be used to replace almond milk? My mom is allergic and I would love to make this for a birthday party so that everyone can enjoy. Thanks!
Carly Syms says
Please see Dana’s Recipe FAQ for substitution questions: https://minimalistbaker.com/recipe-faq/
Sabrina says
Made this cake for Mother’s Day brunch yesterday and I must say everybody was so surprised that it was vegan! They all loved it and some asked for seconds.
The only issue I had was with the buttercream, if I make the frosting again I won’t use any almond milk because it made it too liquidy.
Michelle says
Sooooo tasty. Made this today. I of course didn’t read the recipe properly and put the whole mixture into 1 cake tin instead of 2. My guests turned up early and we ended up eating the cake slightly warm and potentially a tiny bit undercooked which I actually think made it even better. Put a dollop of the icing on top of each slice as opposed to icing the whole cake and ending up with it melting all over the place. I used olive oil spread as the vegan butter which worked well (though check ingredients as I noticed some have palm oil). Definitely making it again. Thanks!
Kathryn Tate says
I made your cake then bought your cook book from amazon.com.
Just wanted to say thanks.
Kathryn Tate
Burlington, Vermont
Mina says
What can I sub the vegan butter? I don’t think we have it here in my country.
Christina says
Usually, coconut oil works in place of vegan butter perfectly.
Resep says
yummy! I will try this one next week!!
Gina says
Can I make this in a bundt pan instead? Hate to ruin a perfectly would be delicious cake.
Staci says
Will this recipe work if I use almond flour?? It sounds delicious I am going to make it regardless ^.^
Tatiana says
Spectacular! By far, the most delicious vegan dessert I’ve made (and I’ve made a bunch!) For some reason, I have found that previous vegan muffins, cupcakes and other baked goods don’t keep well after a few days and I’m never sure why, but this cake is flawless. So moist, fluffy, chocolatey. I will say it’s not very sweet. I prefer it that way honestly, but if I were making it for a party I’d probably add more sugar. I used canola oil because I didn’t want to risk it tasting coconutty, and I didn’t make the frosting (never liked frosting). I made the amount listed but I didn’t split it into two pans, so it made for a denser cake. Perfect nonetheless. Thank you Dana!
L says
Can I use gluten free flour instead?
sam says
I once tried that and I figured out the hard way that gluten-free flour will make a cake much denser, because it needs different dry-to-liquid ratios, so try not to use it! Find a recipe that specifically uses GF flour :)
James says
It depends on what gluten free flour you use. Try and find a one to one gluten free baking flour. I use Pamela’s or bobs red mill and works great.
Margarita says
I loved this cake! I just made this one for my family.
JENNIFER says
I very recently went vegan. My son’s 16th birthday party was today, so instead of paying insane prices for a vegan cake, I needed to find a good recipe for a cake that everyone would enjoy. I searched and found this recipe and decided to give it a go. Btw, I haven’t made a homemade cake in years.
I made a double batch (4 layers). The first two came out kind of dense. I think it was because I couldn’t get the liquids to foam up. Considering that coconut oil is involved, and the almond milk and applesauce were both cold from being in the fridge, I’m guessing that temperature played a part. So for the second batch, I microwaved the almond milk and applesauce so they were Luke warm. The liquids foamed up wonderfully. The second batch layers came out super fluffy and moist. Also, a friend said to always sift flour before measuring, so I also did that. 2 cups if sifted flour was about ⅛ cup less than unsifted.
My boyfriend who is also vegan liked the first two denser layers, while my family who are not vegan loved the second two fluffy layers. I guess it’s all about preference, but I have to say that I’m saving this recipe for all future cake making adventures!
Lucy ♡ says
Does the Almond milk need to be unsweetened? I have the original Almond Breeze, but I don’t believe it is unsweetened.
that should be fine!
Annie says
Dana, the cake is delicious. Thank you! Did anyone else find that the cooking time was considerably more than 30 minutes?
Stephanie says
Yes. I did, too. Maybe it’s an elevation thing. I took mine out at 35. After letting them cool, I turned them out of the pan to stack and frost, and one of them splashed into a big chocolaty pile of goo. It was delicious goo, and I jokingly called it a lava cake, and we ate the whole darn thing, but I did not get to take my two-year vegan anniversary picture with a beautifully put together chocolate layer cake.
Katie says
Yes! In waiting for mine to come out the oven and it’s been 1 and a half hours…..
Maggie says
Yes, mine came out beautiful in 45 minutes.
I’m in northern California.
Hugo says
Yes! I’m baking it right now and I’m at least at 50 and it’s just starting to set!
Hayley says
Yes. A lot longer.
Lauren Kelly says
I have used this recipe so many times and each time it is simply perfect! So moist…so chocolatey…so delicious! Everyone loves this cake…even non-vegans (who couldn’t even tell it was vegan)! Amazing recipe Dana!!
Desiree says
I made this cake for my family and friends. They are not vegan and loved every bite! It is so delicious and rich. Thank you so much for this recipe.