Description
A moist, rich, and delicious vegan chocolate cake made without eggs or dairy, featuring a smooth chocolate buttercream frosting. Perfect for vegans and anyone looking for a dairy-free dessert that's both indulgent and easy to make.
Ingredients
Scale
Chocolate Cake
- 1 cup unsweetened soy milk or almond milk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup canola oil or melted coconut oil
- 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 cups vegan butter, softened baking sticks, not the tub
- 4-5 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4-1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk or almond milk
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pans: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease two 8 or 9-inch cake pans. Line them with parchment rounds to ensure easy removal of the cakes later.
- Make Vegan Buttermilk: Measure 1 cup unsweetened soy or almond milk and add 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar. Stir slightly and set aside to curdle.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar, 3/4 cup cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda, and 1 teaspoon salt until well combined.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add 1/2 cup canola or melted coconut oil, 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, and the curdled milk mixture. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed, mix until well combined.
- Incorporate Boiling Water: Lower the mixer speed and slowly pour in 1 cup boiling water while mixing. Continue until the batter is fully combined; the batter will be very runny, which is expected.
- Bake the Cake: Evenly divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool the Cake: Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then carefully remove and cool completely on wire racks before frosting.
- Prepare Frosting: In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup cocoa powder to remove clumps. Add 1 1/2 cups softened vegan butter and beat until creamy with a hand mixer.
- Add Sugar and Milk: Add half of the powdered sugar (about 2 cups) and half of the milk (about 2 tablespoons) to the cocoa-butter mixture and mix until combined. Then add the remaining powdered sugar (2-3 cups) and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Mix on low, then high speed until fluffy.
- Adjust Frosting Consistency: If frosting is too dry, add more milk a tablespoon at a time. If too wet, add powdered sugar until it thickens to desired consistency.
- Frost the Cake: Use an icing spatula or butter knife to frost the cooled cakes with the prepared chocolate buttercream.
Notes
- To make cupcakes, fill liners half full and bake for 25 minutes; this recipe yields approximately 24 cupcakes.
- Double the recipe for a 4-layer cake, or halve it for a single-layer cake. For a bundt cake, bake for 45 minutes. For a 9x13 inch pan, bake 40 minutes.
- If you prefer less frosting, cut the frosting ingredients in half for thinner layers.
- If you don't have applesauce, substitute with 2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons ground flaxseed mixed with 5 tablespoons water), whipped aquafaba, or another egg replacer equivalent to 2 eggs.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/16th of cake)
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 250 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
