Sumptuously moist and fork-tender, this vegan chocolate cake is made in just one bowl! I've been making this cake for 20 years, and it's never failed. Top it with your favorite non-dairy frosting and enjoy.
Why bake a vegan chocolate cake? Why not?! When it's this good, you don't need to bother with dairy or eggs. The peculiar alchemy that occurs when vinegar meets baking soda means you can ditch any worry about the cake's rising, and the rich, cake-y crumb is worth swooning over.
I used whole wheat flour here for an extra hit of whole grains, but all-purpose flour works just as well. The rest of the ingredients include pantry staples like cocoa powder and oil, making this recipe a great option for when you want a last-minute dessert option.
Like vegan chocolate cupcakes, the cake is rich and moist. You seriously won't notice the lack of butter. Read on for how to make it. I've included some tips and variation ideas, too.
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What You'll Love About this Chocolate Cake
- It's made in one bowl. My girls love baking this cake, and it's easy enough that they can put it together with no help. I love a one-bowl recipe, and prep time for this beauty is seriously less than 5 minutes.
- So moist. Yes, even without butter! This cake is fork-tender and gloriously moist.
- Just simple ingredients are needed. I am so bummed when I feel like baking a cake like my buttermilk cake, and not only do I not have buttermilk, but I don't have milk either! Relying on pantry staples means I can make this recipe any time.
Ingredients
Scroll down to my recipe card to see the full amounts and detailed instructions.
- Whole wheat flour - I love whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour in chocolate cake recipes, but you can use all-purpose flour if you wish.
- Brown sugar - Light or dark brown sugar is fine.
- Cocoa powder - Use unsweetened cocoa powder so that the cake doesn't turn out overly sweet.
- Baking soda
- Salt - I use fine sea salt or table salt.
- Oil - Any type of oil will work, including vegetable oil, olive oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil.
- Vanilla extract - Use pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
- Vinegar - I used apple cider vinegar, and distilled white vinegar is also fine! The vinegar reacts with the baking soda to help the cupcakes rise.
- Water - For a richer flavor, try coffee instead of water.
Instructions
Here's a look at photos of how to make this cake:
- Step 1: Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl.
- Step 2: Stir in the oil, water, and vinegar until smooth.
- Step 3: Pour batter in a greased and lined baking pan.
- Step 4: Bake at 350 F for about 30 minutes until a tester comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
Tips & Recipe Notes
- Make these gluten-free. For easy gluten-free vegan cupcakes, swap 1 ¾ cups of gluten-free all-purpose flour (like my homemade gluten free flour blend) for the wheat flour.
- Make these refined sugar-free. Substitute coconut sugar for the brown sugar for a natural sweetener option.
- What size pan? This recipe bakes up beautifully into either an 8 or 9-inch cake layer. You choose!
- Double the recipe. Want a layer cake? Great! Just make double the recipe for a 2-layer cake.
- What frosting? Use this vegan chocolate cake recipe as a base for all sorts of frostings! Try cream cheese frosting, vanilla buttercream, salted caramel frosting ... you get the idea.
- Or leave it plain. You can also leave the cake plain or dust it with a little powdered sugar.
Proper Storage
- Counter - Cover the cake with foil or place it in an airtight container and store on the counter for up to 3 days.
- Fridge - Store the cake in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezer - Leave the cake unfrosted and transfer it to a freezer-safe, airtight bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months, then thaw completely in the fridge before frosting and serving.
Happy baking! If you make this vegan chocolate cake, I'd love to know. Please leave a comment below, reach out with any questions, and tag me on Instagram @Cucina Nicolina ❤️
Recipe
Vegan Chocolate Cake
A super easy vegan chocolate cake that calls for easy pantry ingredients and NO eggs or oil.
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup coconut milk or non-dairy milk
Instructions
- Lightly grease an 8-inch cake round and line it with a round of parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, sift together the 2 cups whole wheat flour, ½ cup almond flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, and 2 teaspoons baking powder. Stir in the coconut milk until a smooth batter forms. Note: if your batter is very thick, add a tablespoon or 2 more of coconut milk or water.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, let it rest for 20 minutes, then place in the oven and bake for about 40-45 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from the oven, place on a wire rack, and cool in pan 15 minutes. Turn out onto the rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Rest the batter! In this cake in particular (although all gluten-free bakes need time to hydrate the flour), because there are so few ingredients, make sure to rest the batter for at least 15-20 minutes before baking. This will help to eliminate any grittiness.
- Try oat flour. Instead of gluten-free flour, try gluten-free oat flour. If you don't eat oats, use brown rice flour.
- Any type of non-dairy milk works. I love the richness in coconut milk, but any non-dairy milk will work here.
- Pan sizes. I like a thicker cake, so I bake this recipe in an 8-inch round. Also, try a 9-inch round. Or make a batch of 12 cupcakes. You'll need to adjust the baking time if you do cupcakes.
- Make it with coconut sugar. I originally developed this recipe to include coconut sugar, then later updated it to call for granulated sugar to keep things easier. Coconut sugar adds a unique sweetness that I like. If you want to use coconut sugar, substitute ¾ cup of coconut sugar for the 1 cup of sugar.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 sliceCalories: 233kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 5gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 148mgPotassium: 208mgFiber: 4gSugar: 20gVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 66mgIron: 3mg
Did you make this recipe?Let me know in the comments how it went!
Lisa says
I cannot even begin to tell you how I've been daydreaming of this cake ALL DAY. I thought for sure I'd make it with A while C napped - but she wouldn't nap. Then I thought I'd make it after they were both asleep. But she is STILL attached to my boob. Long day. I need chocolate.
Peter says
Looks great! I might try it out sometime, just not with extra virgin olive oil! That stuff is far too good to put in cake! :)
helen spiridakis says
Nice post...like the historic reference! This cake sounds lovely.