Description
This rich and moist vegan chocolate cake is perfect for any occasion, featuring a tender crumb made with applesauce and a luscious vegan chocolate buttercream frosting. Easy to prepare and delightfully decadent, it is dairy-free and egg-free, making it suitable for vegan and vegetarian diets.
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 your oven to 350 degrees F and grease two 8 or 9-inch cake pans. Line the pans with parchment rounds to ensure easy removal of the cakes after baking.
- Make Vegan Buttermilk: Measure 1 cup of unsweetened soy or almond milk and add 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. Stir slightly and set aside to curdle, creating a vegan buttermilk substitute.
- 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 milk/vinegar mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix on medium speed using a hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment until combined.
- Incorporate Boiling Water: Lower the mixer speed and slowly pour in 1 cup boiling water. Continue mixing until fully incorporated; the batter will be very runny, which is expected.
- Bake the Cake: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing and cooling completely on a wire rack.
- Prepare Frosting Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk 1 cup cocoa powder to remove clumps, then add 1 1/2 cups softened vegan butter. Mix with a hand mixer until creamy and well combined.
- Add Powdered Sugar and Milk: Add half of the 4-5 cups powdered sugar and half of the 1/4 to 1/2 cup soy or almond milk. Mix until combined, then add the remaining powdered sugar and 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract. Start mixing on low and increase speed until frosting is fluffy.
- Adjust Frosting Consistency: If the frosting is too dry, add milk tablespoon by tablespoon until desired consistency is reached. If too wet, add more powdered sugar to thicken.
- Frost the Cake: Once the cakes are fully cooled, frost using an icing spatula or butter knife to create thick, luscious layers of vegan chocolate buttercream.
Notes
- For cupcakes, fill liners half full and bake for 25 minutes. This recipe yields approximately 24 cupcakes.
- Double the recipe to make a 4-layer cake, or halve it for a single layer. You can also bake a bundt cake for 45 minutes or a 9 x 13 inch cake for 40 minutes.
- Reduce frosting quantity by half if you prefer a lighter layer of frosting.
- If you don't have applesauce, substitute with 2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons ground flaxseed mixed with 5 tablespoons water) or whipped aquafaba, or use another egg replacer equivalent to 2 eggs.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 35 g
- Sodium: 250 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
