Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe with Vegan Chocolate Frosting

This easy vegan chocolate cake recipe is so delicious and filling! And, the vegan chocolate frosting is rich, chocolatey, and lick-the-spoon good!

Fellow dairy-free friends, rejoice: you CAN have your chocolate cake and eat it, too!

Before going dairy-free, I would wonder: can a traditional chocolate cake really taste just as good when it's a vegan cake, with no eggs, no dairy?

The answer is a resounding, joyful YES!

This amazingly easy vegan chocolate cake recipe will rock your world.

❤️ Why you'll love this vegan chocolate cake

This vegan chocolate cake has been a huge hit with friends and family whenever we've served it.

• The cake is moist, fluffy, and spongy.
• The frosting is rich, decadent, and chocolatey.
• It's easy to make with ingredients you can find at your local grocery store and online.
• You can make it ahead of time, freeze, then thaw and serve when you're ready!

This recipe uses my absolute favorite vegan chocolate frosting recipe. It's light and fluffy, buttery, sweet and rich, but not too saccharine sweet. The frosting alone is a divine treat, but it's especially decadent with this easy vegan chocolate cake!

🍫 Ingredient notes

The full list of ingredients and measurements is in the recipe card below. Here are some notes about some of the key ingredients.

Almondmilk - I use almondmilk, but you could use almost any dairy-free milk alternative, such as coconut milk (use full-fat), soy milk, or cashewmilk.

Egg substitute for baking - I use applesauce in place of eggs for this cake recipe.

Vegan chocolate - The chocolate in the cake comes just from cocoa powder, which is dairy-free. For the frosting, use your favorite dairy-free chocolate. This is my favorite dairy free chocolate that I use for most of my baking recipes.

✅ Step-by-step instructions

Preheat your oven to 350° degrees.

Lightly grease two 8-inch round cake pans and add parchment paper cut out to fit the inside bottom of each cake pan here. Then, lightly cover with cocoa powder, swirling the cocoa powder around the sides and bottom of pan to ensure it's sufficiently and evenly covered. Set aside. This step helps ensure the cake batter doesn't stick to the pan.

🍰 Make the vegan chocolate cake

1. In a stand mixer or large bowl, add the almond milk, apple cider vinegar, coconut oil, vanilla, and apple sauce and mix on low until well blended, just 1-2 minutes.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the mixer and combine dry and wet ingredients until well blended. The batter should be wet but not too runny.
4. Pour an even amount of the batter into each prepared cake pan.
5. Bake for 22-28 minutes. You can check by inserting a toothpick into the middle of each cake; if it comes out clean, it's ready. Set out to cool at room temperature for a couple of minutes, and then place in the refrigerator to chill while you make the frosting.

🍫 Make the vegan chocolate frosting

1. Add all of the frosting ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Beat until the frosting turns a lighter color and is light and fluffy, which can take anywhere from 3 to 6 minutes.

🎂 Assemble the cake

1. Remove the cake from the refrigerator and frost as desired.
2. Top with fresh fruit, a light dusting of sifted cocoa powder, or chocolate shavings.

👩🏻‍🍳 Vegan baking FAQs

🍽 Serving ideas

Serve slices of this vegan chocolate cake with Dairy-Free Chocolate Chip Ice Cream.

More vegan dessert recipes

Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you really loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!

Easy Vegan Chocolate Cake with Vegan Chocolate Frosting

5 from 7 votes

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 45 minutes mins

Recipe by Marlynn Schotland

This delicious, tender, sweet dairy-free chocolate cake is layered and topped with the best ever light and fluffy vegan chocolate frosting. Each bite is vegan, dairy-free perfection!

Servings: 10 slices

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Ingredients

CAKE

• ▢ 2 cups unsweetened almond milk can substitute soy or cocount milk
• ▢ 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• ▢ ⅔ cup melted coconut oil
• ▢ 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
• ▢ 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1⅓ cups granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• ▢ 2 teaspoons baking soda
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ¼ tsp salt

FROSTING

• ▢ 1 cup softened vegan butter
• ▢ 2¾ cups powdered sugar
• ▢ ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ▢ ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk or soy milk
• ▢ ¼ cup melted dairy-free semisweet chocolate
• ▢ 2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Lightly grease two 8-inch round cake pans (I use vegan butter to grease the pans). I also add parchment paper cut out to fit the inside bottom of each cake pan here, but you can skip this step. I personally find that it helps ensure the cake batter doesn't stick to the pan. Then, lightly cover with cocoa powder, swirling the cocoa powder around the sides and bottom of pan to ensure it's sufficiently and evenly covered. Set aside.
• In a stand mixer or large bowl, add the almond milk, apple cider vinegar, coconut oil, vanilla, and apple sauce and mix on low until well blended, just 1-2 minutes.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
• Slowly add the dry ingredients to the mixer and combine dry and wet ingredients until well blended. The batter should be wet but not too runny.
• Pour an even amount of the batter into each prepared cake pan.
• Bake for 22-28 minutes. You can check by inserting a toothpick into the middle of each cake; if it comes out clean, it's ready. Set out to cool at room temperature for a couple of minutes, and then place in the refrigerator to chill while you make the frosting.
• Make the frosting by beating together all of the frosting ingredients in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or hand mixer. Beat until the frosting turns a lighter color and is light and fluffy.
• Remove the cake from the refrigerator and frost as desired.
• 
  Top with fresh fruit (as pictured here), a light dusting of sifted cocoa powder, or chocolate shavings.

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Nutrition information is a general estimate. Actual nutrition details may vary depending on the exact foods & brands you use to make this recipe. It does not take into account any substitutions, toppings, or optional ingredients.

Cake recipe adapted from Minimalist Baker | Frosting recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

This post was originally written November 13, 2015. It was updated February 5, 2020 with edited photos and new relevant information to help you make the best dish possible!