This is the most amazing vegan chocolate cake ever. It is extremely rich and moist, loaded with chocolate flavor and topped with a fabulous vegan chocolate buttercream frosting.
You simply will not believe how moist and chocolatey this vegan chocolate cake is. It’s actually more like a chocolate mud cake in that respect.
It’s so moist and delicious that NO ONE would ever guess this is a vegan cake. You will just be told over and over how it’s the best cake ever! Because it is.
The recipe is based on the classic Hersheys chocolate cake recipe and with a few small changes it was easy to veganize.
So it’s basically just that classic American style ultra moist fudgy chocolate cake that is to. die. for.
For more amazing vegan cakes check out our vegan coffee cake, vegan oreo cake and our vegan white cake.
Ingredients You’ll Need For The Cake:
Ingredient Notes
- Cocoa powder – should be natural unsweetened cocoa powder, something like Hersheys will work great.
- Instant espresso powder – can be replaced with instant coffee powder. It doesn’t make the cake taste like coffee, but it brings out the chocolate flavor beautifully. You can leave it out though if you prefer.
- Canola oil – can be replaced with vegetable oil or any other mild flavored oil that you like. If you use coconut oil then melt it first.
- Flax eggs – this recipe uses two flax eggs which consists of 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseeds mixed with 6 tablespoons of water. This can be replaced with 6 tablespoons of applesauce or any egg replacer provided it is replacing the equivalent of 2 eggs.
- Hot water – should be boiling hot water from a freshly boiled kettle. It’s added into the batter at the very end and makes for a thin batter, but this is exactly how it’s supposed to be.
- Vegan buttermilk – this works with the other ingredients to make this cake super moist. We mix apple cider vinegar and soy milk and let it curdle into a thick buttermilk. You can also use almond milk. Almond milk isn’t as thick and rich as soy milk so soy milk is the best option. Alternatively you can use any non-dairy milk but just keep in mind that some non-dairy milk won’t curdle when mixed with the apple cider vinegar. You can still use it though.
Ingredients You’ll Need For The Frosting
Frosting Notes
The frosting is our vegan chocolate buttercream frosting and works beautifully on this cake. It’s smooth and luxurious and matches perfectly with this rich, luxurious cake.
Another option would be to top the cake with our delicious vegan chocolate ganache. If you’re not a fan of sweet frostings like buttercream, then the vegan ganache is a good option as it’s just a mix of two ingredients: coconut cream and chocolate. So it’s not super sweet at all.
How To Make This Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe
You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
- Sift all purpose flour and cocoa powder into a mixing bowl and add white granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and instant espresso powder. Mix together.
- Prepare your vegan buttermilk. Add apple cider vinegar to a measuring jug and then add soy milk up to the 1 cup (240ml) line. Let it curdle into vegan buttermilk.
- Prepare the flax eggs. Add 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed to a bowl and add 6 tablespoons of hot water. Let it sit for a minute to thicken and become gloopy.
- Add the vegan buttermilk to the mixing bowl along with the flax eggs, oil and vanilla extract. Stir into a thick batter. Don’t over-mix.
- Add hot water and whisk it in with a hand whisk. The batter will be thin but this is exactly how it is supposed to be.
- Divide the batter evenly between two 8-inch cake pans (sprayed with non-stick spray and lined with parchment paper circles at the bottom).
- Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cakes comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool in the cake pans for a few minutes before removing from the cake pans and transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Frost with a delicious vegan chocolate buttercream frosting.
Recipe Tips
Spoon and level or weigh the flour. If you accidentally use too much flour then this cake won’t be as moist as it is supposed to be. So it’s ideal to measure the flour correctly. You can use the spoon and level method, which is to spoon the flour into your measuring cup and then level off the top (don’t scoop it and don’t pack it into the cup) or weigh it out on a food scale for the best accuracy.
Baking pan sizes. This cake can be made in either two 8-inch cake pans or two 9-inch cake pans. Both options work great, the 9-inch layers are just a little thinner. Bake for 35 minutes for two 8-inch cake pans and bake for 30 minutes for two 9-inch cake pans. For a 9×13 sheet cake, bake time will be 35-40 minutes.
Recipe FAQ
To make this cake gluten-free simply swap out the flour for a gluten-free all purpose flour blend. Or check out our fabulous vegan gluten free chocolate cake recipe.
This recipe will make 18-24 cupcakes. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Alternatively check out our recipe for classic vegan chocolate cupcakes.
Keep this cake stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the fridge (covered) for up to a week.
You can freeze the frosted or unfrosted cake for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and bring to room temperature before serving.
More Vegan Cakes
- Vegan Strawberry Cake
- Vegan Victoria Sponge
- Vegan Lemon Cake
- Vegan Biscoff Cake
- Vegan Coconut Cake
- Vegan Carrot Cake
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
The Most Amazing Vegan Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour (250g)
- ¾ cup Cocoa Powder (63g) Unsweetened
- 2 cups White Granulated Sugar (400g)
- 2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Instant Espresso Powder
- 1 cup Vegan Buttermilk (240ml) 1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar + Soy Milk up to the 1 cup line*
- 2 Flax Eggs 2 Tbsp Ground Flaxseed Meal + 6 Tbsp Hot Water*
- ½ cup Canola Oil (120ml) or Vegetable Oil
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Boiling Hot Water (240ml)
Frosting:
- 1 Recipe Vegan Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and spray two 8-inch cake pans (*see notes) with non-stick spray and line the bottoms with circles of parchment paper. Set aside.
- Sift all purpose flour and cocoa powder into a mixing bowl and add white granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and instant espresso powder. Mix together.
- Prepare your vegan buttermilk. Add apple cider vinegar to a measuring jug and then add soy milk up to the 1 cup (240ml) line. Let it curdle into vegan buttermilk.
- Prepare the flax eggs. Add 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed to a bowl and add 6 tablespoons of hot water. Let it sit for a minute to thicken and become gloopy.
- Add the vegan buttermilk to the mixing bowl along with the flax eggs, oil and vanilla extract. Stir into a thick batter. Don’t over-mix.
- Add hot water and whisk it in with a hand whisk. The batter will be thin but this is exactly how it is supposed to be.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared 8-inch cake pans.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cakes comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool in the cake pans for a few minutes before removing from the cake pans and transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Frost with vegan chocolate buttercream frosting.
Notes
- Spoon and level or weigh the flour. If you accidentally use too much flour then this cake won’t be as moist as it is supposed to be. So it’s ideal to measure the flour correctly. You can use the spoon and level method, which is to spoon the flour into your measuring cup and then level off the top (don’t scoop it and don’t pack it into the cup) or weigh it out on a food scale for the best accuracy.
- Cocoa powder – should be natural unsweetened cocoa powder, something like Hersheys will work great.
- Instant espresso powder – can be replaced with instant coffee powder. It doesn’t make the cake taste like coffee, but it brings out the chocolate flavor beautifully. You can leave it out though if you prefer.
- Vegan buttermilk – this works with the other ingredients to make this cake super moist. Mix apple cider vinegar and soy milk and let it curdle into a thick buttermilk. You can also use almond milk. Almond milk isn’t as thick and rich as soy milk so soy milk is the best option. Alternatively you can use any non-dairy milk but just keep in mind that some non-dairy milk won’t curdle when mixed with the apple cider vinegar. You can still use it though.
- Flax eggs – can be replaced with 6 tablespoons of applesauce or any egg replacer provided it is replacing the equivalent of 2 eggs.
- Canola oil – can be replaced with vegetable oil or any other mild flavored oil that you like. If you use coconut oil then melt it first.
- Baking pan sizes. This cake can be made in either two 8-inch cake pans or two 9-inch cake pans. Both options work great, the 9-inch layers are just a little thinner. Bake for 35 minutes for two 8-inch cake pans and bake for 30 minutes for two 9-inch cake pans. For a 9×13 sheet cake, bake time will be 35-40 minutes.
- Gluten-Free: To make this cake gluten-free simply swap out the flour for a gluten-free all purpose flour blend. Or check out our fabulous vegan gluten free chocolate cake recipe.
- Cupcakes: This recipe will make 18-24 cupcakes. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Alternatively check out our recipe for classic vegan chocolate cupcakes.
- Storing: Keep this cake stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the fridge (covered) for up to a week.
- Freezing: You can freeze the frosted or unfrosted cake for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and bring to room temperature before serving.
- Nutritional information is for the cake only and excludes frosting. Nutritional information for the vegan chocolate buttercream frosting can be found on that separate linked recipe.
Delicious, moist cake, so easy to make. I used chia egg instead of flax, because for some reason I can never get flax eggs to swell. I also used half the amount of sugar, and it was perfect, quite sweet enough. And I used your chocolate ganache recipe to fill and cover the cake, perfect! My friends couldn’t believe it was vegan.
Wonderful! Thanks so much for the awesome review!
I’m not a chocolate lover but this is the most delicious chocolate cake!
Easy to bake, I replaced the sugar with maple syrup and didn’t add the coffee.
Question – is it possible to add rum or any other liquor?
So happy you enjoyed it! I haven’t had luck adding liquor to cakes, as it can affect the structure and makes them really crumbly. But I do often love to add a little something something to the frosting! 🙂
Hi Ivon! Curious how much maple syrup you used?? thanks!
I made this cake yesterday and added a vegan ganache filling with homemade strawberry jam! The cake was delicious. It was moist,rich and tasted amazing, the filling just gave a different texture (and it tasted great) but the cake alone was the best i’ve ever tasted! I’ve been vegan for thirty years so i’ve had a few vegan cakes!! Best ever!!!!! Thank you
That is the best news, thanks so much Lorraine!
I just made this and it is moist and delicious!! Thanks for great recipe:)
Awesome! Thanks so much Tracy!
Looks amazing! Want to make quickly as a last minute birthday cake but I’ve run out of baking powder. Is it ok to not have it or should I add a little extra baking soda? Thanks
Hi Emily, you could use an extra 1/4 teaspoon baking soda and leave out the baking powder. All the best! 🙂
This cake is amazing! Just made it for the second time today 🙂 I used applesauce as the egg replacer.
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed it Brenna!
This is my fave recipe of all time <3 Thank you for this beautiful creation!!!
That’s so awesome, thanks so much Yssa!
Hi
Can this cake be covered with fondant.
Hi Uzzi, I think so. I haven’t tested it but I believe it should be fine based on reader feedback on our other cake recipes. 🙂
Amazing recipe! Definitely in love with this vegan chocolate cake!
Thanks so much Greta!
Hi pLease could you qualify what you mean by baking soda and baking powder for British users. We have bicarbonate of soda and baking powder. The coffee cake recipe called for baking soda, so I used baking powder and the cake was tasty but totally flat. I figured that for baking soda, I should have read baking powder, but this recipe mentions both….help! Have done several of your recipes and love them, but this confuses me.
Denise
Hi Denise, baking soda is called bicarbonate of soda in the UK. It’s crucial not to use baking powder in place of baking soda as baking powder is MUCH weaker, which explains the flat cake! Hope you’ll enjoy this cake if you try it! All the best! 🙂
Holy mother this cake was absolutely amazing! I made it for my son’s birthday and it was a huge hit. My own mom couldn’t believe it was vegan, it was so fluffy and rich, and it puffed up quite well. Here’s how I adapted mine: I used a packet of instant coffee powder, subbed olive oil for the canola oil, used Silk Almond + Cashew Protein Milk instead of soy milk, and reduced the amount of sugar to ~1 cup. SO SO SO good, I wrote this down in my recipe notebook and I will definitely be making it again and again! Thank you!
Awesome Julia! So happy to hear that! Thanks a million. 🙂
Can you make a square version of this cake in 8×8 inch glass pan? I don’t have round cake pans.
Hi there, I think you may need to reduce the recipe in that case. I’m not entirely sure, but I think it would be best to halve the recipe for a single layer 8×8. Baking time would likely be around 20-25 minutes but keep a check on it.
Absolutely the most fudging epic, allergy friendly cake.Made it in 9 inch form. Might never go back to other recipes tbh.
Thank you!
Yay! Thanks so much Kira, your comment made my day! 🙂
Seriously the most delicious chocolate cake! Easy to make!
Thanks so much Tracey!
Just in time for my husband’s birthday! Last year I made him your German chocolate cake and this year I’ll delight him with this moisty extra chocolaty one.
Wonderful! Hope he loves it! 🙂