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.
Meeka says
This cake was amazing! Made it for a holiday bake-off, added some fresh fruit to the top, and everyone loved it!
Two comments–another reviewer mentioned getting raw coconut oil chunks in her cake since they solidified. I started to notice coconut oil chunks solidifying in my batter, so I heated the batter over some boiling water (making a double boiler) which melted the coconut oil again before I put the batter in the oven.
Second thing–my frosting turned out darker than the picture even though I used the same ingredients. Not a problem at all (it was still delicious!) but just a heads up since I was worried I did something wrong. Thank you for this awesome recipe, it will be a staple for all celebrations now haha :)
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Meeka!!
Carolyn Rordam says
Made this using the Date-Sweetened frosting! OMG FUDGY GOODNESS!!! You are my spirit animal! Thank you for your amazing content I go to you for almost every meal! I’m thinking of trying to make this with no refined sugar Question-Do you think combining dates with the apple sauce would be too much? Probably would back off on the other liquid. Do you have an expert opinion on this one?
Hi there! I’m not sure on that. It will likely make the cake too fudgy and dense. But if you try it let us know how it goes!
Jojo says
The consitency of this cake was super dense and not very enjoyable and I also had to bake it at least 60 minutes. Wouldn’t recommend it to anybody.
Oh no! So sorry to hear that was your experience, Jojo. Did you make any modifications?
lena says
This was my first time making food for my vegan friends, and I was nervous, but it came out absolutely amazing! They went home with the recipe and massive leftover slices. I used almond milk in place of the coffee, and self-raising flour with half a teaspoon of baking soda – it came out incredibly fluffy and moist. My default chocolate cake for sure going forward :)
Whoop! We’re so glad you and your friends enjoyed it, Lena! Thanks for sharing!
Haley says
Made this for my uncle’s birthday cake, and as dessert for our vegan thanksgiving. It was a hit! So fudgey and decadent. Made with 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 cup oat flour. Had to bake for ~40 min, then left out overnight. Frosted the next day and the consistency was perfect. Also used extra almond milk instead of coffee and it was still rich and delicious. 1000/10
What a great niece! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Haley. Thanks so much for sharing!
serena says
can i use cake flour instead of all purpose flour?
I think that should work well! Let us know how it goes.
Valentina says
Hello! Can I use persimmon puree instead of applesauce? I have loads of persimmons at the moment and i’ve done some baking with them, hasn’t been bad but I don’t want to mess up this cake because i’ll be giving it as a bday present…
Hi Valentina, We haven’t baked with persimmon puree and aren’t sure. Let us know if you give it a try!
Hadassah says
Delicious! I used vegetable oil instead of coconut/avocado oil, did not add the extra 1/3 cup of sugar, and used almond milk instead of coffee. Next time i’ll probably use a higher fat non dairy milk like cashew or soy.
Thanks for sharing your experience! We’re so glad you enjoyed it!
Emmett Slack says
I’ve been making this cake every year for my birthday since I went vegan 3 years ago. My birthday is always right around Thanksgiving so I usually make it for our family dinner. Even my mom who won’t eat anything vegan loves this cake! It’s just so good!
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoy it, Emmett! Thanks for the lovely review!
Amandine says
Hi Dana. I can’t wait to make this cake for my partners birthday. Quick question! The party is Saturday so I was going to bake this Friday evening. Do you suggest I put the cakes in the fridge over night and then frost them on Saturday? (Very newbie baker here)
Thx so much!
I’d say leave it at room temperature!
June says
Do you think this would be good as cupcakes? I’d like to make for my son’s birthday.
Yes! Some other readers have done so with success. If you press “ctrl+f” on a PC or “command+f” on a mac, a find bar should pop up that allows you to search for “cupcakes” in the post and comments to see what others have done.
Sam says
If I want to make cupcakes how long would I bake them and at what temp please? Should I keep the cake recipe the same?
Hi Sam, we would recommend using Use this or this as a guide. Hope that helps!
Annmarie Dinan Hansen says
Super moist! I would add balsamic vinegar as my vinegar; it adds a little something special. Other than that it’s a perfectly moist not overly sweet treat! I didn’t even frost it; it was perfect as is. If I wanted to up the presentation I would have dusted confectioners sugar on it and garnished with a strawberry!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Annmarie! Thanks for sharing! xo
Amanda says
Hi there! I’ll be trying this recipe tonight and I have a few questions, what’s the recommended pan size? Can I do it all in one pan without halving the recipe? Last question if you’d recommend any sort of chocolate ganache instead of frosting?
Thank you so much :)
Ganache frosting here!
As for the pan size, I’d suggest 2 8-9″ pans, or 3 6″ pans, or 1 9×13″ pan.
kate says
man oh man oh man oh man, this is truly the most perfect cake I’ve ever baked from scratch, vegan or otherwise. I used organic cold-brew from Trader Joe’s, apple cider vinegar, and avocado oil, whole wheat pastry flour, and also added a few drops of almond extract on a hunch. 30 minutes was perfect in my oven, and I wanted to pair with peanut butter, so frosted with your ‘vegan peanut butter mousse,’ which was so unbelievably yummy, I need more friends so I can have more excuses to make. Didn’t have quite enough of the peanut butter topping to fill between layers, so I used fig jam I had on hand, instead, and found the fruit balances the richness of the chocolate and peanut butter so nicely, it’s basically the best thing I’ve ever done. I can’t thank you enough for putting this out there in the world! xoxo
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Kate! xo
Rebecca says
Can I use a mix of avocado and coconut oil used for cooking instead of melted oil?
Thank you!
That should work!
RunningPath says
I’m not sure if I’ve reviewed this before, since I’ve made it many times, but I need to leave this new review. In my family this has become known as “Ari’s chocolate cake,” (apologies to Dana as the originator!) and the reason that’s relevant is that Ari is my 11-year-old son. He makes this cake regularly, and everybody who tastes it adores it. He’s made it with many different icings (his favorite is vanilla buttercream). He’s made for guests, for friends.
Point being: not only is this cake the most delicious vegan chocolate cake, it’s easy enough for an 11-year-old to make unsupervised. I really couldn’t recommend it more!
Love this! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Alicia says
Hi, thank you for this great cake recipe. I’ve made it round and now square. It’s fantastic!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Alicia. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Maitreyi says
Hi!
If I’m replacing the coffee with additional almond milk, how much almond milk should I add?
I’d say the exact amount as the coffee. Hope that helps!
Anu says
Hi!
I have yet to try this recipe however I noted that some of the advertising on this page involving reptiles, makes it very difficult for me to look at this page and bake. I have a terrible fear of these legless reptiles! Is there a way to remove such content from the page?
Thank you and I look forward to making this cake! I have made your vegan raw brownies and they have been a hit from children to adults! I have made peanut sauce from your recipe and it was almost licked from the bowl by my guests!
Thank you!
Hi Anu! So sorry to hear you’ve had an odd experience. Those ads are generally populated based on searches / purchases made on your computer. I know this sounds odd, but they’re often personalized and have nothing to do with anything we’ve selected to be shown.
Hope you love the cake!
Mary says
I’ve been making this cake every year for my brother’s birthday for at least 5 years now. It is now a regular request, not only from my vegan brother but from other non-vegan family members as well! Absolutely delicious and there are never any leftovers. I do use regular vegetable oil instead of coconut oil, and regular sugar instead of cane sugar. I also decorate with strawberries or raspberries on the top.
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Mary!
Amanda says
Do you have a suggestion for making frosting w out butter? I’ve been searching for a recipe that doesn’t require butter / coconut cream
Hi Amanda, we have several frosting recipes. If avoiding vegan butter as well, this date-sweetened frosting might be your best bet! Hope that helps!
Sharon says
Could you beore special fuc amount measurements and tines? How long does the vid egar sit in the milk? How much is a healing cupful of flour? My batter was thin and the cupcakes didnt rise much.
I don’t fully understand your question, but you only need to let the vinegar sit in the milk for 5-10 minutes. And 1 heaping cup of flour is equivalent to 1 cup + about 2 Tbsp.
Were your leavening ingredients fresh? Sounds like you needed more flour.
Court says
I made this cake last night, substituted half a cup of flour for toasted almond meal, used canola oil, soy milk and baked it in a bundt tin (took about an hour).. it was soo amazing, so moist and incredibly rich, really one of the best chocolate cakes I’ve had, let alone baked. It reminds me of a chocolate mud cake you’d buy from your favourite bakery. I am vegetarian trying to convert and this cake amazed me, thank you
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Court!
Amy says
Can one use GF all purpose flour to make this cake? Thank you.
Hi Amy, 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!
Sharon says
How would canola it vegetable oil wok instead of coconut oil? Thanks!
Hi Sharon, that should work. Let us know if you give it a try!
Yolanda says
This cake was easy to make and DELICIOUS! I used oat milk instead of almond milk. The texture was still a little runny so I added a little more flour. It baked wonderfully! Unfortunately my toddler wanted pink frosting so I used your dairy free buttercream recipe. I will have to make the chocolate frosting another time!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Yolanda!
Megs442 says
Any suggestions on substitutes for the almond milk? Would coconut or oat milk work? Thanks!
Both should work! Let us know if you give it a try!
Alysia says
Such a delicious chocolate cake!! I have made this for birthdays, work parties, anniversaries, just because, whatever reason. It is so easy and so freaking good. I haven’t made the frosting because I usually buy one, or make a vegan cream cheese frosting to pair with it. I sub almond milk instead of using brewed coffee (probably just laziness on my part). I also don’t use coconut oil, I use canola. I used coconut oil once and struggled to stop it from solidifying. We sliced into a cake with coconut oil clumps, which just looked gross. Probably laziness again but I’d rather use canola and be sure I’m not getting white solids in my cake :) It’s the greatest chocolate cake recipe to date though!
Thanks for sharing!!
Deepa says
Loved the simplicity of the recipe. Tried it yesterday and my daughter said this – loveliest vegan cake ever. I substituted a few ingredients as I am from Bangalore, India and don’t get them here. I subbed peanut milk for almond milk + brewed coffee, put jaggery instead of sugar as I believe the former is healthier, skipped apple sauce as I don’t get apple sauce and didn’t have any other fruit also at home. Made up with extra peanut milk. Rest same as what was advised in your recipe. Looking forward to doing two cakes and putting dark chocolate filling next time as my daughter wants something with fluid chocolate in the middle of the cake :)
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Deepa. We are so glad you and your daughter enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
Deepa says
I am writing this from India. Thanks for the easy recipe. I am stuck with what unsweetened Applesauce is and I don’t think I will get anything to substitute it. Please suggest an alternative.
Hi Deepa, we would recommend trying mashed banana in place of the applesauce. Hope that helps!
Lynn says
A hit! Made this for my daughter’s vegan friend for their sleepover, and she gobbled down a huge slice and happily took home the leftovers. My daughter said she had never seen her friend eat a whole serving of any dessert before, even pre-vegan. My other daughter, who tends to pooh-pooh anything vegan, loved it as well. In fact, she was really sad to find out that I had given away the leftovers! Thank you so much!
Yay, thanks Lynn!
Lucy Mitchell says
I’m not a huge chocolate cake person as a rule, but had a hankering and need to find something to satisfy. This recipe did not disappoint! As I was doing this on the fly I didn’t have a few of the ingredients but substituted as follows: I didn’t have applesauce to hand so used 2 ripe bananas instead. and subbed in almond unsweetened dark chocolate milk with 1/2 cup unsweetened oat milk instead of coffee and milk. I also subbed coconut sugar instead of granulated and use the avo oil substitute. Baked 350 for 25 mins… omgosh THE most decadent delicious chocolate cake I’ve ever had. A little crumbly when still warm so let cool completely [my one layer wasn’t quite cooled enough so ended up being a “must eat now” – I served up with strawberries no frosting – mmmmm]. The left over tier I’m on the fence about frosting now as I don’t think it needs it but I already made it up… I’ll let you know how it goes but this has officially become my go to recipe.
Do these cakes freeze well if I wanted to make ahead?
Thanks for sharing!!
I think they would freeze beautifully!
Kate J says
Hi, I would like to use up the gluten-free as well as hazelnut flour that I bought for your one bowl carrot cake (which was amazing btw) thoughts on using them, and the ratios for this? Thanks!
Hi Kate, this recipe might be a better fit. You could try replacing the almond meal with hazelnut flour, perhaps? If you give it a try, we would love to hear how it goes!
Nicole says
Hi – could this be made as a red velvet cake if I just add food colouring?
I think so but we haven’t tried it and aren’t sure! Let us know if you do.
Molly says
Turned out absolutely fantastic!
I put in a cup of sugar plus sweetened cashew milk. I actually think that a cup and a quarter would have been closer to the original recipe, but I prefer things less sweet in general (I also added extra coffee extract). Anyway, it turned out rich and delicious. If anyone is trying to sub in a sweetened milk, just check the grams per serving (I can’t believe I didn’t think of this before), and compare it to the amount of sugar in grams in the recipe. I think this is 266 grams, but I’m guesstimating – I couldn’t find it on the website. The cashew milk I added only had 22 grams total (plus that coffee extract) so the cake has the chocolate taste of a 90% cacao chocolate bar – pow! Husband approved!
Anyway, thank you for making baking less scary. I hate repeating things, but I may even make this cake again (very high compliment).
?
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Molly! We are so glad you enjoyed it!
Shir says
Hi! I would like to make this delicious looking cake tomorrow and wanted to know if I could bake all of the batter at once in one pan and than just cut the cake in two layers when cold. If it’s possible, how do you think would it change the baking time?
Another less important question, could I substitute maple syrup for the sugar?
I’m not sure how maple syrup will react in place of sugar as baking can be quite a delicate dance. Let us know if you try it. As for baking it all in one pan, that should be fine assuming the pan is large enough to accommodate the batter (at least a couple inches room for it to rise). Bake time may be a little longer, so adjust as needed.
Molly says
This sounds so delicious. I have sweetened cashew milk in the fridge, do you think I could sub it in, and take it a cup of sugar. Or would that throw off the wet/ dry ratio?
Thank you so much!
Hi Molly, we haven’t tried that and aren’t sure, but we think it will be okay. Let us know if you give it a try!
Molly says
Well, the batter tastes great ;)
amanda says
I was wondering if Oatly oatmilk can be used instead of the almond milk? I have a nut allergy):
That should work!
Ashley o says
I made this but ir came out very wet. I even cooked it an extra 20 min. Any advice? Or more dry cake recipes? Thanks
Hmm, did you alter any of the ingredients?
Molly Berg says
Amazing. I made this for the first time for my daughter’s birthday party. It was a huge hit. Tons of compliments ( from non vegans who of course didn’t realize it was even vegan!). Came together beautifully. No modifications necessary! Will be making again and again. I see it as a staple for holidays, special events and for the everyday event of needing chocolate cake. Thank you!
Carl says
I baked this cake yesterday for sharing today—very excited to eat it—and I ran into a small issue while preparing the batter. I believe that because my applesauce had been refrigerated, when all the wet ingredients were combined, the coconut oil began to solidify. I was able to save it by microwaving the liquid components, but I wonder if this recipe could be updated to state that the liquid ingredients should all be at room temperature?
Hi Carl, thanks for the suggestion! We will take a look and make modifications as needed.
Marlo St James says
Best vegan chocolate cake!! Soo moist and tasty. My whole family loved and asked for the recipe!
Leah says
My dad made this for my 19th birthday! Was the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had. (Compared to all Vegan and non vegan chocolate cakes) love love love this recipe! Thank you!
Thanks, Leah!!
Kadiann says
Another excellent recipe, thank you! This was easy to make and was so yummy. Everyone loved it.
Thanks for sharing!!
Macy says
I’ve been making this cake for years and even non-vegans love it!
Jocelyn says
I’ve made this at least three times and it always comes out perfectly!
Mia says
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
Halina Myers says
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!
Chelsea Podowski says
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.
Kristy says
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!
Kristy says
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!
Jodi says
This cake turned out perfect! So rich and moist without being overly sweet. I used almond extract instead of vanilla, AMAZING.
Jo says
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
Anna Morton says
I have made this cake so many times over the years. It is always a huge hit! I’ve done cupcakes, too. Seriously the best.
I brought a big piece of this to the hospital to eat after giving birth to my daughter and I’ve brought it to a charity cake auction, too. It’s such a crowd pleaser and I always pass it along when someone asks for my favourite vegan recipe. The icing is also THE BEST.
Aw, we’re so glad to hear it, Anna! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Elisa says
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!
Jodie says
PERFECT!!! Have made this twice with flawless results and I’m not vegan ;) Deep, decadent, extremely moist without being overly sweet…. INCREDIBLY DELICIOUS!
Kelly says
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!
Warren Hetrick says
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!
Lauren says
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
Akila says
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!
Jo says
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.
Shruti Boddu says
I wanted to ask if you ever made this red velvet? :)
Adriana says
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
Alli says
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.
Alizée says
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!
Alizée says
Thank you ! I just saw that beaters can be pretty cheap so maybe I’ll by one :D
Rsb says
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!
Rebecca says
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.
Beck says
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.
Jamie says
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
Liz says
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!
Dina Ferera says
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!
Warren Hetrick says
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!
Andrew says
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.
Candice says
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!
Tori says
Do you use Dutch processsd cocoa?
Yes, that should work! See comments above for more info!
Alli says
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.
Franziska says
Same here, although to be fair I only tried it once. The taste of the cake is really good and the moisture is great in general, but I aimed to make the cake in a bigger pan and cut it in half as I didn’t have two equal-sized smaller pans. It was in the oven for at least 60 minutes and still wet in the middle after that, so it was near impossible to cut without it falling to pieces as it was quite hard on the outside. Still great taste, but definitely better to bake in two smaller sized pans.
Shane Anderson says
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!
Roberto says
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!
Roberto says
After all this time since your reply, I finally used a different brand of cocoa ( from Ghana; more expensive but not made out of modern-time slavery), and as you pointed out, I got the lighter brown color for the frosting we see in your pics. So happy. One think I’ll make sure of is not to use some cheap, non-dairy butter for the frosting. I read on another comment you recommended Myoko’s so I’ll try that next time. 🙏🏻🥂
Gillian says
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.
Preshita Barot says
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!
Jess says
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!
Meg says
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.
Gabi says
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!
Belinda says
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.
Jenny says
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 :)
Jenny Wolf says
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!
Beck says
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.
Ash says
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!
Breanna Martin says
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!
Rebecca says
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!
Ivana says
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 ?
Tina says
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!
Teresa Morgan says
Could I use applesauce to replace oil in the cake? Eating WFPBNO.
Yes that should work!
JoAnn H says
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!
Γιούσσεφ Μπαρχαζάκι says
Hi, I had a quick question could I substitute soy milk for the almond milk?
Thanks :)
Yes that should work!
Γιούσσεφ Μπαρχαζάκι says
Thank you, can’t wait to try this recipe out ❤❤.
Stacey says
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!
Julianna Coronado says
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 :(
Kristin Currie says
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!
Monica says
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!
Liz Menke says
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!
Aislinn says
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?
Scott says
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.
Emily says
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!
Fanika says
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?
Ingrid clay says
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
Teju says
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!
Kat says
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!