Description
A rich and moist vegan chocolate cake made with simple ingredients, topped with creamy vegan chocolate buttercream frosting. Perfect for any occasion and easy to customize for cupcakes or layered cakes.
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 paper rounds for easy cake removal.
- 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.
- Combine 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 blended.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add 1/2 cup canola or melted coconut oil, 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce, 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, and the curdled milk mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix on medium speed until combined.
- Incorporate Boiling Water: Lower mixer speed and carefully pour in 1 cup boiling water. Mix until the batter is smooth and runny, which is expected for this recipe.
- Bake: Evenly divide batter between prepared pans. Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove and allow to cool completely on wire racks before frosting.
- Prepare Frosting: Whisk 1 cup cocoa powder in a large bowl to remove clumps. Add 1 1/2 cups softened vegan butter and mix until creamy.
- Add Sugar and Milk: Mix in half of the 4-5 cups powdered sugar and half of 1/4 to 1/2 cup unsweetened soy or almond milk. Add remaining powdered sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Beat on low then high speed until fluffy and combined.
- Adjust Frosting Consistency: If frosting is too dry, add more milk by tablespoon increments. If too wet, add more powdered sugar until thickened.
- Frost Cake: Use an icing spatula or butter knife to frost the cooled cakes as desired.
Notes
- For 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. For a bundt cake, bake for 45 minutes. A 9x13 inch pan requires 40 minutes baking.
- If you prefer less frosting, halve the frosting ingredients to reduce amount.
- No applesauce? Substitute with 2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons ground flaxseed mixed with 5 tablespoons water), whipped aquafaba, or a commercial egg replacer equivalent to 2 eggs.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/16th of cake)
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 35 g
- Sodium: 250 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
