Vegan Chocolate Cake
1 hr + 20 min
Dessert
Servings
Total
1 hr + 20 minPrep
15 minCook
35 minCool
30 minContains
gluten
Swap out
soy
Free from
peanut
tree nut
sesame
Ingredients
Buttermilk
-
1 cup (240 mL)unsweetened soy milk†
-
1 Tbsp (15 mL)white vinegar
Dry ingredients
-
2 cups (276 g)all-purpose flour
-
1½ cups (336 g)granulated sugar
-
2 tsp (7 g)baking powder
-
1½ tsp (8 g)baking soda
-
½ tspsalt
Wet ingredients
-
¾ cup (180 mL)unsweetened applesauce
-
½ cup (120 mL)brewed espresso
Frosting
-
7.9 oz (224 g)unsalted vegan butter, at room temperature
-
2¼ cups (302 g)powdered sugar
-
⅓ cup (80 mL)unsweetened soy milk
Decoration ideas
-
fresh mint leaf
-
chocolate shavings
-
fresh mixed berries
Make your own
Directions
- Lightly grease two 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pans with oil and line the bottom with cut-out round pieces of parchment paper the size of the base of the cake pans.
- To a medium bowl, add the milk and vinegar, and mix. Set aside. You will see it starts to curdle. This creates vegan buttermilk.
- Place a sieve over a large bowl, and sift all the dry ingredients through it. Mix together, and then create a shallow well in the middle. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Returning to the medium bowl containing the buttermilk, add all of the remaining wet ingredients. Mix thoroughly.
- Add all the wet ingredients to the shallow well in the dry ingredients and mix until everything is just combined, but be careful not to overmix.
- Divide the cake batter between the two cake pans. Gently tap the pans on the counter a couple of times to level out the batter and to remove any air bubbles. Bake in the centre rack of the preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until a thin wooden skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Meanwhile, make the frosting. To a large bowl, add the butter and use a electric hand mixer to beat the butter until fluffy.
- Then add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, milk, and vanilla. Start mixing at a low speed and then gradually increase until smooth. Once the melted chocolate has cooled off a bit, mix it in as well.
- When the cakes are done baking, let them cool off for 10 minutes in the cake pan before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely*. If desired, the cakes can be levelled out with a serrated knife to create a flat surface for stacking the cakes on top of each other.
- Rip a piece of parchment paper into 6 pieces and place these in a circular shape on the cake stand just wider than the size of your cake. These papers help to keep the cake stand clean and will be removed later. Place one of the cakes on the cake stand.
- Spread a layer of frosting on top of the first cake. Place the second cake on top upside down and frost the top and sides with the leftover frosting.
- Remove the parchment paper squares from under your cake.
- Decorate the chocolate cake with desired toppings, and enjoy!
Notes
- †We recommend using either soy or pea milk for this recipe, as the high protein content of these milks are what allows the milk to curdle to create vegan buttermilk. We can't guarantee other plant-based milk will be successful.
- †We do not recommend swapping out the coconut oil for other vegetable oils, as other oils will affect the final texture of the cake. Refined coconut oil is recommended as it doesn't impart a coconut taste and scent. If you don't mind the taste of coconut in your cake, unrefined coconut oil can also be used here.
- * Be patient with this, as a warm cake will cause the frosting to melt when applied.
Storage
- Best if this is enjoyed immediately. The cake can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. But among friends and family, this cake won't last very long!
- The frosting can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
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Nutrition info
We believe that focusing on numbers can harm our relationship with food. Instead, our philosophy is to Nourish the Cells & the Soul. If you require specific nutrition information due to a medical condition, please consult with a dietitian or physician. The nutritional information provided is composed with the utmost care. However, we cannot guarantee the correctness of the displayed values, see also our disclaimer.
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Discussion & Rating
This was one of the best cakes I have ever made. It tasted better that non-vegan cakes. Thank you so much!!
Best cake ever! Thank you for the recipe! :) Wish you all the best
Trying to make these into cupcakes! Oven heat and time?
Hi, I’m planning to make this on the weekend for my vegan friend’s birthday and I’m so excited. But quick question, I can’t seem to find a vegan butter for the frosting (they’re out of stock atm.) Could I use a vegan butter spread instead? Don’t know how I would adjust the rest of the ingredients for that. Please help! 🙏🏻
Hi, This looks divine!
Could I use something else in place of the 180ml of applesauce? it's not so readily available in my town.
Thank you :) x
Me and my sister made this cake yesterday for my birthday and it's one of the best cakes I've ever had. We baked it in heart shaped cake pans and added a lot of strawberries on top of the cake afterwards which made it look really cute! Thank you for such a delicious recipe :)
Wonder I am about to try this recipe out once I get all the ingredients ready thank you
Regards,
Mr Mwangi
I'm wanting to make this for my husbands birthday! He doesn't like coffee, is there a way to make this without coffee?
This!!!! This has to be the perfect chocolate cake! It has become a definite favourite in my family (non-vegan) and they even ask me to make it now when they come over for a birthday, haha. I also make it whenever my husband and I have to be at a celebration and we just know there'll be nothing vegan; also, hubby is lactose-intolerant, so there simply would be nothing for him. Normally he would get some sad substitute, but now never feels left out anymore.
Thanks sooo much, I really enjoy trying out your recipes and watching your videos for some good vibes!!
For my father’s birthday I made this cake with german buttercookie crumble on top :) Everyone really enjoyed it.
„Stopft‘n Loch“, as my German grandmother would say. (Literally= fills a hole).
I prepared the cake and frosting one day ahead separately and was a little worried as I saw how hard the frosting has got. I could have guessed it’s gonna be that way, nevertheless, I microwaved some frosting for 30s to make it spreadable again and it turned out great!
Thank you for this awesome recipe. If I want to make a good chocolate cake or frosting again, I will turn back to this recipe
Made this cake for my boyfriend and our friends and it was such a hit! One of the best chocolate cakes I’ve ever had! Thank you for the recipe : )
I’m visiting my parents for a week and I’d like to make this cake again for the family, however, I cannot seem to find applesauce anywhere and was thinking of replacing it with mashed ripe bananas this time, do you think that would turn out okay?
I really want to make this for son’s 2nd birthday. He has allergic to eggs and dairy but what can i replace expresso with?
I made this one for my birthday last year and no-one believed it was vegan. It was an absolute hit. Brilliant recipe, thank you! I 😘
First time making vegan cake and it tourned out just perfect.
I made this cake for my friend's birthday party and it was gone before I even got to try a piece! So good and no one knew it was vegan!! Thank you for the recipe <3
Hi! I made this today but it was a bitter. I wonder if I used the wrong cocoa powder.
Muy rico bizcocho, lo llevo haciendo hace un tiempo ya y sigue siendo mi favorito ♡
An absolutely splendid and rich cake. The texture and fluffiness of the cake is exquisite. Truly enjoyed making this recipe and will make it again
I made this for my birthday last year, it was awesome!
This iz incredibly yummy
Helo, loved your work i have a question for u my girlfriend she's a lactose intolerance person can she eat this cake ?
I made this cake everybody loved it!!! They went wild!!! I didn't add the frosting. I will try jam next time. Thank you for blessing our taste buds!!!
Dear Pick up Limes!
I would like to thank for this recipe. My daughter has 6th Birthday and she has milk protein allergy. This is the first birthday cake what she had become. The first perfect recipe. Thank you so much 💝💝💝🥳🥳🥳.
She was very happy and the cake was very delicious. 💝💝💝
Ps: we used a little bit less sugar
love it!!
Sooo good, despite having a lot of mishaps in the kitchen, like 1/2 tsp short of baking power and having to use yogurt instead of soy milk since I only had oat milk and my scale being off. Somehow was so delicious. Thank you I finally have a signature dessert to take to friends or when I entertain.
Dear Pick up Limes team,
Thank you very much for sharing the recipe. We baked the chocolate cake yesterday for our twins' third birthday. Everyone loved it.
May you all be happy.
I'm not even fully done with this recipe and I know it's gonna taste amazing!! The consistency and taste of the batter!! - it's the only time I could ever taste raw batter since it's vegan. So decadent.
I'm about to start working on the frosting. I have a strong feeling this is going to be my staple recipe for chocolate cake! Please make more vegan versions of traditional desserts <3 You clearly have a nack for them! Well done :)
Hi PUL,
Love your work, this is my first time ever baking and I did it for my 4 yrs. Son's Bday, which it is today! I found it to be a bit to sweet for me but everyone love it.
Question: I don't drink coffee. It make me feel funny. what would you suggest to sub coffee with? I simply didn't add it to my mix but the consistency was a bit thick.
Thank you, immensely for what you do. May the Lord continue to bless your work.
Hello PUL!!
I have made the cake multiple times this season now and everytime it has been soo decadent and tasty ! I even made it for my sister with a dark chocolate frosting and she loved it !
I did have a quick question to see if there was a substitute for the bleached white flour ? Would almond flour or wheat flour work for this recipe ? Or any other healthy substitute ?
Thank you again for all the recipes, it just helped adopt to a healthier and vegan lifestyle ! Happy Holidays !
I've made this cake SO many times for different occasions and everyone is always floored that it's vegan! I cannot thank you enough for creating this magic of a cake!!
Thank you so much for the recipe! The cake is very delicious, moist and chocolatey! I baked it for my daughter's birthday. Her friends could not believe it was totally vegan. I followed each recipe step and did not change anything, using a scale. I will bake it again for sure! THANK YOU!
Oh, yes. Made with King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten free flour. This cake is decadent, and no one would guess it’s vegan (and gf, in my case). No hint of coconut flavor either. And the top baked perfectly flat. This is a winner. Thanks for posting!
Following your instructions to the letter! My daughter swears she doesn't like anything plant-based but when she tried a piece of this delicious moist cake, she at first didn't want to believe the cake was purely vegan. She ate more than her fair share of the cake and hounding me now to make another! It was quite good so no doubt I will make another for the holidays. Can't wait to share some with the women at the Holiday Bizarre. Thanks for a lovely recipe. Happy Holidays!!!
Could I bake this as a loaf?
This was my first time making a cake from scratch - it turned out great! Made it for my husband's birthday and it was a hit with all of our friends. You truly cannot taste the difference at all from a non-vegan chocolate cake. I used an oven thermometer to ensure the oven was at 350F and the cake took ~38 minutes. :)
This is my first ever successful cake. Baking is not my thing. I had so many disappointments so I gave up making cakes.
Many confectioneries in my country struggle due to the higher energy costs caused by the war in Ukraine. Our favourite confectionery had to close its doors for the winter, right before my sister's birthday. They had amazing vegan cakes. Now I decided to surprise her with a homemade one. And she loves chocolate - lots of chocolate! So it's the perfect cake for her!
Thank you for the detailed instructions and tips. Maybe baking can be my thing after all. ☺️
Amazing!! My daughter.made it for my birthday. Absolutely delicious 😋
Thanks for the recipe. This cake is amazing! Delicious and not that complicated to make. Followed the instructions without any issues :-)
I usually don't cook or bake or anything, but yesterday I made this and it turned out to be soo amazing. it was like heaven on earth!!! the cake was literally the softest, and the sponge created was also good... I felt like I messed up a bit but when I tasted it, I couldn't believe that I made it... lol
Hi , can I just use self raising flour instead of plain and baking powder and baking soda ?
Thanks
Best cake ever 😊
Absolutely delicious, thank you! (In line with some of the other comments, I baked it at about 200C and then needed to have it in for about 50-55 min.)
Tried this in cupcake form (love the scaling feature of the website) and it is absolutely brilliant.
I am lactose sensitive and I am so grateful for this dessert. Thank you Sadia and Robin :) Would love for you folks to add more such recipes!
Hi, I plan to make this cake but 8" is too big for me. Can I halve the recipe and use 6" pans?
I made this cake for my own wedding cake- (I needed to prepare a cake that suited everyone's allergies/ food intolerances). It was a major success; moist, not too sweet, just a perfect balance between the chocolate+ coffee+ coconut flavours. Thank you lovelies for the wonderful receipe!
I plan to make this in the next few days and have a stupid question. I went to the store to buy refined coconut oil. They had 2 types, one in liquid form like a vegetable oil. The other was a solid-like crisco. Would I use the solid form and just melt it? Your video does use the word 'melted', but was unsure if the store bought liquid form that was already 'melted' was what you are meaning. Thanks so much
Can I substitute gluten free flour instead?
Hi I don't have a hand blender I tried making frosting by my hand it turned out fluffy but the powdered sugar is noticeable when i am tasting it. I something wrong with my powdered sugar or it cannot be made without electric blender
This was so delicious! I only needed one of the layers when I baked this, so put the other one in the freezer and it held up really well! Still moist and delicious, and held it's structure when defrosting ☺️ Couldn't really tell the difference. 10/10 💛
One of the best chocolate cakes ever. Moist, rich and deeply flavored.
Hey Sadia!
This looks delicous. I am going to try and create muffins out of this recipe, so I can take the leftovers to the office. Think it could work?
This is the best cake my family and I have ever eaten. We normally don't like cake all that much, but in the two times that I've made this cake, it was gone in two days. Love this recipe.
I made this cake for our non-vegan friend's recent birthday. A 10 out of 10. It was a big hit. I followed the recipe exactly and it came out and presented perfectly. I used the same fresh fruit garnish, as suggested, and it was as good-looking as it was good-tasting. I'm always pleased that non-vegans are amazed how good things taste when they find out it's plant-based! Greetings from West Kelowna, BC.
Best vegan cake I've ever had!
Turned out to be the best cake ever!<3
Made this cake with some modifications based on our diet and ingredients available and it turned out amazing, thank you PUL! I halved the recipe since I was only making it for 2 people (so 6 servings) and skipped the buttercream to reduce the calories from butter & sugar in our diet. Just the sponge cake alone is pretty tasty with tea or coffee. Here's the modifications I made if it helps anyone else for 1/2 the recipe / 6 servings -
1. Swapped applesauce for 6-7 tbsp of yogurt (based on how liquidy the yogurt is).
2. Swapped espresso for instant coffee
3. Swapped soy mil with regular cow's milk, coz we're not fully vegan and that's what I had on hand. Worked great, did need to warm up the milk like 15 seconds in microwave for it to curdle with vinegar.
4. Reduced the 3/4 cup of sugar to 1/2 cup and it's still pretty sweet.
5. Took 40-45 min in the oven instead.
It came out a bit hard on the edges when it was warm, super soft on the inside. But it was all super soft the next day (had cut the pieces and stored in an airtight box). So delicious, adding it our favorite recipes list!
I did the recipe for my friend's birthday yesterday, everyone loved it ! Pretty easy to make. I swaped the flour for a gluten free flour mix and it worked just as well. The only downside : it is waaaay too sweet omg, next time I'll cut the sugar by 2 at least ! ;)
This was the best cake ever!!!! I made it for a wedding and everyone loved it. Will definitely make it again. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe :)
This was the best chocolate cake I’ve had in a long time! I cut the recipe in half and used unrefined coconut oil and a bag of vanilla tea to make the coconut oil less prevalent. I also just used black coffee flavored with vanilla in place of the espresso. I put a layer of homemade strawberry jam and coated the cake in a dark chocolate ganache. The texture was perfect and the cake was delicious. Thank you for sharing your recipe and for including the weights of the ingredients! .
I cut the recipe to 1/3rd and split it between two 5 inch circular tins. I didn’t have espresso but used a 1/2 teaspoon of instant coffee in 40ml of water. Oddly, there were white chunks after baking and I’m not sure if this was the curdled soymilk or coconut oil but it tasted fine. Everyone thought they were walnut chunks.
I topped it with a matcha buttercream and everyone raves about it! Will definitely make again
Hi Miss Sadia! I am planning to make this cake for my baby's upcoming "monthsary". However, kids here have G6PD deficiency and because of that peas and soy milk are not okay to consume. I was wondering if I can use cashew milk as substitute? Thank you so much!
This cake is amazing! I made it for our son and husband's father's day! I did not do the berries, instead I made the top super flat, sprinkled coco and cinnamon and had little plastic dinosaurs walking around. Kids were impressed. Dad loved it also. Also had quite a bit of icing left over which I threw in the freezer to use on cupcakes down the road. 5 stars for sure.
Hello! This looks amazing and would loveeee to try to make it into a bento cake, could I ask how to convert directions to fit a sheet pan (9x13)? Thank you!
I tried baking it (was my first time baking a cake) and I must say it was DELICIOUS!! Thank you so much Sadia for the recipe :).
Tastes and looks AMAZING, the recipe is so easy to follow and takes so little time. I wasn't a fan of butter-based frostings, but this one is so delicious 😊 Will be making it again very soon!
I’m definitely going to try this recipe and I’m wondering if I could limit the sugar. I’m not used to baking and I know cakes are a delicate chemistry so I don’t want to ruin it, but I’d prefer to lessen the sugar.
Doable?
Thank you!
Best ever vegan chocolate cake!!! Hubby only likes specific cakes, but since I have a lactose intolerance and he us gluten intolerant, I was so nervous in making it, but it turned out P-E-R-F-E-C-T-L-Y. Officially converted hubby to homemade cakes only...was definitely the best- no IBS side-effect initiator cake. Thank you sooo much @PickUpLimes
I made it first for my colleagues, and I was incredible. The texture is so perfect, the chocolate, the frosting... a-ma-zing !
The only trouble is now my friend want it to, and same for my family 😂 but as I'll have a bite each time, I guess I can handle that 😏 thanks so much, it''s perfectly... perfect.
I finally posted the recipe on instagram and on my website;
Thank you, thank you, thank you
I made this cake for my birthday and it was such a great choice! The sponge was really soft, light and airy and the frosting was the cherry on top. I cannot wait to find an excuse to make this again. I also loved that you talked us through the cooking process, that was insightful and as a lover of cooking, I love to learn about the details of why things work and I do not easily find information on the science of vegan baking, so thanks for sharing your knowledge, Sadia.
Hei! I chose this for my birthday cake few months ago. It turned incredible! Súper beatiful súper tasty,
Your web is very nice, userfriendly AMD géneros of details!
Oh my god, I made this cake twice in row because it tasted so good and I had leftovers! The second time I baked the batter in flat dish so I could roll the frosting inside. I will make it my new tradionnal yule log recipe!
Holy Moly!! Made this cake &, boy, it delivered! My son & his vegan girlfriend visited. Girlfriend was so excited, & beyond thrilled how this turned out. I would 10/10 recommend & would make it for any occasion (vegan or not). One thing I did do different was take the parchment paper from the making the circles for the cake pans & cut the in half. Then I placed the 1/2s on the cake plate w/ a slight overlapping at the cuts, w/ the cake on top (instead of cutting many pieces) then frosted & removed when done. Looking forward to delving more deeply into your recipes, moving my family’s diet to vegan. Thanks!!!
This was an amazing amazing cake!! Thank you so much for sharing! Dense but light! And baked in the time perfectly 🤩
I had used miyokos butter for the icing, which trended to run as it’s quite warm here…any tips on vegan butter? The flora plant butter which is the other plant based butter has a very distinctive oily taste but it does hold better..
Amazing! Not just 'good for a vegan cake,' this is the only chocolate cake recipe I will be using. Make this cake, you will not regret it!
it must be delicious ..... only, I would like to try to make this cake without using sugar: is it possible??
Hi! I’m making your cake recipe this weekend and I wanted to use 4 inch pans. Do I have to change the temperature/time or recipe ingredients since the recipe is for 8 inch pans?
<3 <3 <3
Hi!
I used your recipe to make cupcakes and they sank :( Is there anything I should do so that I can this recipe for cupcakes?
Great recipe by the way! The cupcakes are still super moist :))
I made this for my grandmother. And she was in a state of awe. We loved the perfect level of sweetness and loved the berries on top. The balance of sour and chocolatiness. I would do a black forest next time with cherry jam in the middle and a little bit of whipped vegan cream. Totally would make again. (no one knew it was vegan).
Honestly the best chocolate cake I’ve ever ate
I made it for my Sis, it's her 21st birthday tomorrow <3
The frosting wouldn't harden - it was too 'watery', but maybe I just overmixed. I put it in the fridge for some time and it was all good.
The taste is amazing, thank you!!!
My husband made this cake as a surprise for me to celebrate Eid, and we thoroughly enjoyed every bite! One of the best vegan cakes I’ve eaten in the 9 years of being vegan. Can’t wait to make it again for future special occasions.
I made them into cupcakes and my family and coworkers loved them, many people couldn’t believe they were plant based!
Hey guys, I think you have an error in your metric measurements with the sugar. It says 336g which would be more than the flour. So I put 236g in my batter....worked fine. Maybe you can change it? Great recipe otherwise!
Thank you for the cake recipe I was wondering what brand of Dutch cocoa powder did you use as well as the soy milk, vanilla extract and coconut oil?
I made this cake two times now and it had atomic success. Beautiful, delicious and just big enough for a group of 10-12 people on a birthday party. It has so much sugar though, that it really is a special treat, only for celebrations.
THANK you PUL for an amazing recipe! I just attempted this recipe, for my two teenage brothers joint birthday celebration. It was a hit! It looked beautiful, and tasted even better! So deliciously chocolatey, and perfectly moist and fluffy. Everyone just loved it!
Sincerely thank you for taking the time to create such a fabulous recipe. Xox
Fantastic cake! I made it at least 10 times now over the last couple of years and every single time I managed to impress my guests with it. It is rich and scrumptious and now my go to festive dessert. Thank you so much Sadia for sharing it! 🤗🤍🤗
Have you tried making this recipe in cupcake form? Would you recommend it? Thanks.
I need to remind you that mls have nothing to do with weight or grams .. unless you're weighing water.
Could you fix that in the printed recipe please? Thanks!
Super Kuchen hab ihn jetzt zum zweitenmal an Ostern gemacht:)
This cake was delicious! It was the perfect texture and not overly sweet.
Everyone loooved it!! I didn't have two smaller tins and instead used one slightly bigger tin, baked it about 5 minutes longer and then cut the cake into two layers -- turned out great! I will definitely make this again for a special occasion!
Made this cake for my partners birthday! It was out-of-this-world delicious!! Everyone loved it and I even made it with gluten-free flour, turned out perfect!
Loved making this, and it tasted divine!
Only question I have is if you know any alternatives to applesauce I could use? Because where I'm from I can't find any unsweetened applesauce.
All the best!
Jack
This is going to be our wedding cake! We have even tested it with GF flour, and our friend (who has recently had to remove gluten tdue to a sensitivity) says it's still amazing :D
This cake is a serious crowd pleaser. I made it as a birthday cake for my son and everyone wanted to take some home afterwards. Thank you Sadia!
can I make a gluten free version just by replacing the flour to a GF flour or do I have to make any other adjustments?
I made this cake for my family and they loved it!
I added a raspberry coulis on top and it was AMAZING!
It was also relatively easy to make :)
Hello Sadia,
My husband made this cake for our wedding anniversary and it was incredible. The texture and flavor of both cake and frosting was perfect. The aroma oh my. We specifically ordered the linked Dutch cocoa powder and refined coconut oil you recommended and so glad we did. This is truly the best! My husband is 70 and says it’s the best he’s ever had. I sent you an email photo of him making it and the finished product.
Warm regards,
Patty
Hi! Thanks for the recipe! May I know what can i substitute with for the apple sauce?
Hi Sadia,
Love your recipes!
If I wanted to do a marble cake would it be safe to just omit the cocoa powder from some of the batter to create a vanilla?
Hello, Sadia . My name is Mėta .
I wanted to ask you if I can change the flour into oat flour or
coconut flour? Will it still be delicious
This was a wonderful cake. Even those who were concerned that it would not taste good because it was vegan thought it was very tasty. Recipe was easy to follow and I really like the feature in which you can cross out the ingredients and instructions once complete. Thank you.
Hi Sadia, I don’t have any all purpose flour but I have whole meal flour or self raising flour. Can any of these be substituted instead? Thank you!
I love love love your blog! And so glad I found this recipe. I am not a vegan but we don’t eat eggs. So I will alter this recipe by using milk products and gluten free(allergies) flour. If I scale the recipe to 6 servings, will it fit in a double 6” pan? How can I make it fit 6” pans?
Amazing cake; a super hit with the kids and adults alike. Simple to make and clear instructions. The video was superb as well. So many people who ate the cake asked for the recipe. Thank you so much!
Dear Sadia, just another delicacy! I tried it for my son's nameday celebration and it was a crowd pleaser! Thank you very much! Since my cake pan was 28 cm wide, I doubled the frosting (the cakes were just shorter than yours I guess) and it was actually perfect!
I’m so glad y’all made a video for this recipe! I made this cake a couple of years ago for my birthday and wished there was a video. It turned out delicious! I’ll have to make it again!
Hi Sadia, this recipe looks easy and yummy!! I want to bake this cake and I have a question before doing so.
Would I have the same results by using granulated sweetener instead of sugar and do I have to change the grams used?
Also, I don't have 2 round cake pans but only 1 in a heart shape. If I pour the entire mixture in the cake pan I have will it bake? Or do I have to decrease the serving portion to 6 servings so it can bake?
Hi Sadia. Thank you for the recipe. This is such a lovely moist cake. And very easy to bake. Everyone in the family without exception loved it. I followed your recipe precisely, but yet the cake cracked at the side and rose enevenly. Secondly, the centre of the cake was relatively less cooked than the sides. Even so the cake was a big hit, and none could believe that it was vegan. I am going to try your other recipes too. 😊
Hey my lovely PUL friends,
As Sadia warn us baking is science that I really want to stick and just follow the recipe you give us. But when it comes to pour coffee part i got trouble. I am allergic to anything contains coffeine, should i just miss this part or simply substitute to water/ coconut water? Thank you guys so mcuh, can't wait to try this delectable cake.
Just made this, and it is wonderful! Rich and moist. No one will know this is vegan. Great cake, but please make a vanilla too!!
I baked this cake today and it turned so tasty and rich. Thank you for sharing!
Made this cake today and perfect with ☕️
Thanks for the recipe
Hi very excited to make this it looks amazing!! I was wondering if almond milk or oat milk could be used instead of soy? I have never found pea milk so I don't think that an option for me here.
This cake looks delicious so I´m planning to make it for my best friend´s birthday, but I only have one cake tin in the right size. Would it work to bake one huge cake and cut in in half for the frosting later? Or is it too much batter for one tin and baking one after another would be better?
This cake is very good but the icing is the BEST chocolate icing I’ve ever had!
This cake is the best! My MIL has severe allergies and we have been on the hunt for the perfect cake for her- she loved it!
We made it gluten free by using 1 for 1 flour!
Thank you!!
Hello Amazing Team
Thanks for this recipe. I made it this cake. It was okay. For the baking soda it is reading as 8g for 1.5 tsp but 7g for 2 tsp. Is that correct in your recipe? I only wish it was softer. The taste is good. Thank you.
Who thought of the idea to enable a way to check off ingredients and steps in the recipe? It's brilliant! And so satisfying. Also, have you tested this recipe using a gluten free flour or any other flour alternatives?
I cannot describe how delicious this cake is! Thank you for sharing such amazing recipes with us! Lots of love from Germany xx
Tested for a birthday and it was a 10 ! Easy to bake, easy to eat ^^
I was excited to see this video just before my kids’ birthdays! It was a huge hit among my non-vegan extended family, and the tips were so helpful. I feel like I improve my cooking skills every time I try one of your recipes. They never disappoint! 👏
Hi! I watched the youtube video today and inmediately wanted to try the recipe! Just one question. We don't consume coffee, so is there a substitution for it? Or can I simply skip it?
Is it possible to switch to gluten free flour for this recipe. By the way I love all your vegan recipes. My son has multiple food allergies and these have helped me be more creative in the kitchen. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
The Frosting is sooooo good! I made the cake for a birthday party and everybody loved it. 😊
I am an avid baker (and chocolate lover) and this cake is by far the best chocolate cake recipe I've made! It reminds me of some of the cake I used to have at fancy restaurants before my dairy allergy. I made this for a family birthday and I have been told never to make another kind of cake but this one! Even my husband who is not usually a huge fan of chocolate absolutely loved it. Thank you for this recipe!! It's everything I've ever wanted in a cake recipe. <3
I have quite a few vegan cake recipes that I'm quite happy with, as I've been vegan for a long time. So I was a bit skeptical that such small details would make a big difference, as I've made decent vegan cakes with any type of oil or any type of plant milk. But I was really blown away by how well this cake turned out, I think it was the best chocolate cake myself or any of my non-vegan friends had ever tased. Big thank you for the recipe and the video and the explanation of why each ingredient is important.
I made this cake for myself as a birthday cake on Sunday. I've been trying your recipes for some time now, but this was my first foray into vegan baking. I had heard so many horror stories, but hey, its my birthday and its a chocolate cake, what could go wrong? Apparently nothing! This is a wonderful recipe to follow and understand. I watched the video too and love that you explain why its better to use pea or soy milk than other plant milks for the 'buttermilk'. It helps understanding baking and how things work together so much better than simply adding an ingredient - thank you for that and I hope you continue to add little nuggets of knowledge like this for us :)
Back to the cake! It came out far better than any other cake I have made in the past and on my goodness it tasted so good!! There were a lot of healthier ingredients in there than an average cake, so I didn't feel too guilty going back for a second slice.
I love your channel and your website (I actually found you on YT when searching for how to cut and layer my own hair would you believe ;) ), thank you so much for making cooking a joy again for me and thank you for being such an effortlessly beautiful soul :)
Happy 5th to PUL and looking forward to many more! Cheers :)
This cake is truly amazing. I made it with Bob's red mill one on one gluten free flour. Everyone in my family loved it. I recommend this to everyone. Thank you for creating this recipe.
This cake was so rich and decadent! Dark chocolate is my favorite chocolate. My notoriously hard-to-please 5-year old-niece said the cake AND the frosting were "SO YUMMY!" As much as I wanted to eat the whole thing myself, I had to share it with the neighbors. It was so much! I don't think I'd change anything.
This cake is the BEST cake I have every made - thank you so much for that! I want to make it for way more people now, so I am contemplating using 10-inch cake pans instead of 8. Do you think I can just raise the amounts a bit, and keep the same oven temperature & time (with regular checking)?
I was hoping this would be epic, and it didn't disappoint! I've tried so many vegan chocolate cake recipes and this is by far the best and now the only one I will bake. Its moist, but not heavy, chocolatey, rich and above all... blooming delicious. A lot of my vegan friends were won over and I have 2 requests to make this for birthdays next month. So easy to make, quick as well. Wish I could post a pic to show my baking efforts. Thank you for posting this and for ALL the recipes you kindly give us. I've always been a keen cook and baker but PUL has opened up my options so much more and helped me continue my love of vegan food. Thank you 🥰
Love this cake! Next time I will try to add some fruit inside or an orange marmalade maybe!
In any case, the best vegan cake I'll tried so far!
Hi Sadi and Team, I'm very happy that you shared this wonderful recipe, I've been looking for a chocolate cake recipe for a long time that meets all the requirements and that is different from the ones that commonly appear, thank you for sharing with us.
I'm testing the recipe today and in Brazil we don't find applesauce easily, however, I decided to make my own applesauce using two large apples and two glasses of water, letting it boil on the fire for approximately 20 minutes.
The cake is turning out amazing, I will share it with the whole family tomorrow.
Thank you again, and thank you especially for being an example of dedication and care for the ingredients, we vegans need people like you, who inspire us to keep going.
♥♥♥♥
Hi Sadie,
Love the recipe! Can we make this cake the night before and put it in the fridge to assemble the next morning? I just want to make sure it doesn’t fry out. Or if I end up making it entirely the day of, would you recommend placing it in the fridge until serving at night?
Delicious cake!! I didn't have much time, so I had to bake the whole amount in one 20cm form, but the cake still turned out great, I just had to bake it for longer and keep checking it ❤️ then I just cut it in two afterwards 😊
I pre-baked your cake this weekend, I just changed the sugar and flour proportions
We had my daughter's friends for dinner, 4 omnivores and one vegetarian.
They were delighted!
I hope you like it if I post it on my site
My family (7 & 5 yr olds, husband and helpers) watched this video on YouTube like 20 times? And they made this cake for my birthday today. It tastes as good as it looks! The cake is yummy enough on its own, almost as rich as brownies. But of course, the frosting brings it to a whole new level.
p/s: the explanation on choices of ingredients is really helpful.
This is the best chocolate cake ever! I followed this recipe to a T and it came out absolutely perfect. My non-vegan friends loved it too and did not believe it could be totally plant-based. Thank you for this awesome recipe <3
Absolutely the best cake I've ever made! I really appreciated the scientific explanations behind why certain ingredients work. I am admittedly a terrible baker because I never follow recipes and wing it a lot, but I followed this one closely and it came out amazing. Non-vegan family approved as well. I will for sure be making it again and trying out different toppings and flavorings, like orange and mint. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
You have the most functional recipe websites I have ever seen. Thank you!!!
Made this with a few subs. Halved the recipe to make a single 8 inch sponge cake. Used cow’s milk instead of plant-based. An egg and a couple of spoons of yoghurt instead of apple sauce and sunflower oil instead of coconut oil. Was the best homemade chocolate cake I’ve had or made. Definitely a keeper.
Easily the best vegan cake I've ever made/eaten. Where has this recipe been my whole life? I baked it for my non-vegan friend's birthday party and everyone loved it! Couple of them even asked for the recipe! Lots of love<3
My baby wants THIS cake for his birthday ! But I think I'm going to do a first cake as a training... We never know !
Best from France xxx
hi, this cake came out SO GOOD, it is my birthday and im so happy i chose this cake to make!. thank you for this recipe :))
Hi Sadia!
This cake looks delicious! Can I replaced palm sugar for cane sugar in this cake? Thanks!
amazing
Baked these as muffins instead of one big cake. Best chocolate cake recipe I've tried in a long time. Beautifully rich and moist.
I cant wait to make this again, came out amazing on the first try!
Forgot to add the milk 😭, skipped step 2…
It looks great
It’s quite dry
Used gluten-free flour (mix of almond, buckwheat and gluten free all purpose mixed flour) and that went pretty well
Hi Sadia,
thank you very much for this recipe, it sounds so mouth-watering I definetly want to give it a try.
I wonder what kind of heat you use with your oven, as it can make a huge difference in the outcome of the cake. Many German ovens have a least two different heat sources: Upper + lower/bottom heat (no fan) versus convection heat (=> used heat spiral at the back at the oven plus fan, which allows you to bake at multiple levels at the same time, usually with a reduced temperature). My oven even has a third option: Upper+lower heat + fan.
What kind of heat do you bake your cake with?
Hi, I would like to ask if I can use all purpose gluten free flour for this recipe? Thank you for sharing those recipes 😊
Claudia
Hi Sadia! I love your recipes! Is it possible to use gluten free flour, would it work?
Thanks,
Svetlana
Is there a way to make this as a vanilla cake instead of chocolate?
Wow that looks great! Do you have suggestions for using another shape pan? For example, would it work as a sheet cake in a 9x13 pan, and do you have an suggestion for the baking time?
Wow. wow. wow! Just made this for my friend's birthday and we were all blown away. It's soooo good! Very moist, rich and chocolate-y. And we loved the frosting! I'll be making this again for sure!!
I love this cake! I don't have 2 same size cake pans so I use a normal baking tray and cut it half. It makes 1 big rectangle cake or 2 smaller cakes if cut in 4 pieces.
Hi Sadia
Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
There's one thing I wanted to ask,the outside texture of the cake seemed to be very crumbly while the inside is moist.
Could you please help to fix this. What could be the reason.?
Thanks
so....i normally love your recipes and they turn out amazing.
however - i followed this recipe exactly.
1. the buttermilk did not come out. it was plantmilk with vinegar. is there additional stuff i need to add?
2. it has been in the oven now for abt 2 hrs and it is still liquid on the inside. i dont know what i did wrong but i guess i will bring frosting to the birthday party tomorrow. (which did turn out great btw)
Hi, here in Germany the baking powder already contains baking soda (natron). Do you know how many teaspoons I should use in order for it to have the same effect?
Thank you!
Love this! Never actually made a cake before because I’ve been terrified of it turning out dry but wanted to make one for my sister’s birthday in a few weeks. Decided on this one and my first practice run was definitely a success! Very moist and so chocolatey. Topped it with roasted hazelnuts, fresh raspberries and mint, and shaved chocolate. Definitely had some trouble with it falling apart when cutting but after refrigeration it cuts perfectly!! Will be making again for the real event!
Thanks to the PUL team for this easy, stress free chocolate cake. Made this for my uncle's birthday in a bit of a time crunch. Skipped the frosting. He is a strict vegan, and misses out on most birthday cakes, cause where i live, it's difficult to get a good vegan dessert in bakeries. But this turned out so moist and flavourful. Used a blend of cashew and oat milk. There were about three diff cakes cause it was a big party and everyone agreed this was the best - proud of myself that i could compete with frosted bakery cakes, aaarrrrhhh...i was so happy cause he could enjoy his party with something he could actually eat and have his guests feed him back instead of just picking the fruit on the frosting!!!!
Awesome cake!
I made this cake so many times and it never disappoints ! It's the easiest vegan cake recipe I found and it is also easy to follow so you are guaranteed to end up with an amazing cake !! :) I really like the taste of it as it is not tasting too heavy like some other cakes I've tried.
Hi! I've made your other baking recipes many many times and they always turned out fantastic -- this was the first time ever making a cake. It went so well and I'm so pleased with the result and taste! It's so rich in flavour and so light at the same time. Thank you!
Hi PUL team,
Thanks for all the wonderful recipes! Quick question: would it be possible to freeze the cake?
I made this cake for my boyfriends birthay and it was AMAZING! It's light and filling at the dame time and there is just so much chocolate. Impossible to resist. It also keeps quite long in the fridge. A lot of my non vegan friends asked for the recipe stating it was the best chocolatecake they ever had!
I just made this for my sister’s birthday and it was incredible. So chocolatey and soft and rich. It was a big hit! Topped it with some strawberries and chocolate bits. The tip for lining the bottom of the pan with parchment paper was very helpful; it really helped in holding the cake together while taking it out of the pan.
Thank you thank you for the wonderful recipe, Sadia! 🌟
This is my go to recipe for birthdays. Even when I think I did something wrong or my oven is being funny about temperatures, it still turns out absolutely delicious! Non vegans cannot believe there are no eggs in there, it is so fluffy!
I usually make less frosting. I find that 1/3 (even 1/2) of the frosting recipe is enough.
Thank you!
This cake......no words! It is so unbelievably moist and delicious that my family can do nothing but moan and groan when eating it!! It's always highly requested, literally THE BEST chocolate cake!!!
My roommate made this and it’s so goood. I love it! It’s definitely worth the effort :)
I baked that cake as a surprise for my girlfriend for birthday.
Although I cook a lot I never did any sweets baking - I must say "easy" in title is true.
This was delicious!
Even though I made a horrible mistake... I added apple juice instead of apple sauce :D
I baked it for 30 minutes and realized that it is kind of fluid when I checked it and got scared, I went back to check the recipe and realized my mistake. Fortunately I baked it for almost an hour and it got stable, I think it might be more squeal(not sure if it is right word as I am not native) - more like brownie than cake, but still delicious!
Next time I will fix my stupid mistake :D
Absolutely amazing!! Thank you so much Sadia.
Hey Sadia!
I made this cake during last Easter. I was a bit intimidated to make such a sophisticated cake but I gave it a go.
It was so worth it. Everyone was shocked that it was vegan.
It is now "my" hit:)
This cake is absolutely amazing!! I've baked it 3 times now, and every time people wanted to know the recipe and couldn't believe it's vegan! It's very rich and filling, but the berries give a great bite of freshness! Whenever I bake a chocolate cake, it'll always be this one!
What a delicious cake recipe! It was a huge hit at our neighborhood dinner party. Berries on top perfectly complement the rich cake.
This one i tried ! A friend of mine teased me by saying that "it was great to rediscover the real taste of sugar" because i was maybe a bit too generous with it 😂 otherwise it was delicious as always !
This chocolate cake is an all time favorite of my family! It’s sooo delicious but not overly sweet. I did make the mistake to use vegetable oil instead of coconut oil, which made the cake a bit crumbly. But it was perfect the second time we used coconut oil. Much love xx
SO GOOD! I made this for non-vegan friends and they absolutely loved it as well. It is rich and delightful and I hope to make it again soon!
I've already made it three times and each time even non-vegan said it was the best chocolate cake they ever had. Thank you !
I made this cake for my husband's birthday and it was a big hit! Our daughter has a severe allergy to dairy, nuts and eggs, and this recipe allowed me to make a delicious cake that she could also enjoy. She even took a piece to her friend's birthday party so she could eat cake with the rest of the kids. Not only did this recipe taste delicious, it also allowed my daughter to participate in the celebrations without fear of anaphylaxis. I can't tell you how much I value finding safe and delicious recipes. Thank you. You made a little girl smile (and her parents too!).
Yum! Such a good cake.
The best plant-based chocolate cake recipe I've tested. Period. :D~
Hello, if i dont want to use espresso or any kind of coffee, should I just skip this step or how to chage this 1/2 cup of liquid ?
Hello, I don't have Expresso, shall I use instant coffee powder, if yes any recommendations on how much to use?
Dear PUL-Team,
I'd love to bake this so good looking and beautiful cake for my boyfriend's birthday! 🙋🏻♀️
in advance I have one question: I have only one baking pan - would you recommend to bake the dough in two batches or to bake the whole dough at once (with longer baking time) and cut the bottom in half after baking?
I would be very grateful for your recommendation!
Love, Kiki ❤️
Hello. I want to try this recipe for my bday.
Can I replace sugar with coconut sugar? Does it change anything to the cake consistency?
Also, I don’t have vanilla extract, can I use 1 tbsp flavored sugar?
Thank you 😊
I just assembled the cake and the frosting was a bit of a struggle! Had a couple of questions - all the vegan butter I could find was quite salty, and although the sugar took away most of that taste, there's still some salty taste left. Do you have any suggestions for butter brands, or other suggestions? Also, a general issue was that the frosting was quite runny - I added more melted chocolate to help it set but it didn't whip up into the sturdy frosting texture. Would appreciate any advice on this, and thank you for the recipe!!
I've made this like 4 times now and it's always amazing! I finally got to make it for my mom on her birthday yesterday and she and the whole family loved it!!
This is my go to cake recepie for any birthday in the family and always turns out delicious.
Just wanna thank you so much for this recipe!Thank you so much! I just wanted to tell you that this chocolate cake version of yours was also a success! ( I tried also the vanilla one of your and it is just so fab !!! It came as you posted and it is a real delight! Love your recipes and the new website is even more amazing. xxx Love and happy Vegan days ahead to everyone! xxx Silvia
the cake itself was really delicious but I had to bake it much longer than the recipe timings
Other than that I LOVE IT!
I've been dreaming about chocolate cake with chocolate frosting for a long time. And for my birthday I decided to finally make it. The cake turned out so yummy that I and my husband ate it in two days.
Thank you for such an excellent recipe. Will definitely do this again.