Vegan Chocolate Layer Cake
🌱 Vegan Chocolate Layer Cake 🍫
This Vegan Chocolate Layer Cake is a tall, dark slice with a tender crumb and a thick coat of chocolate frosting. No eggs. No dairy. Just cocoa, plant milk, and a simple buttercream that spreads like the bakery kind. It’s the birthday cake, the Sunday cake, the “I needed chocolate” cake.
I love how ordinary pantry ingredients turn into something that looks this rich. Cool the layers all the way before you frost or the icing slides. 💚
Jump to Recipe ↓ 🌱
Why You’ll Love This Cake 💚
- 🌱 Completely vegan
- 🍫 Deep chocolate flavor
- 🎂 Tall frosted layers
- 🥄 Soft, moist crumb
- 🎉 Birthday-ready
- 🛒 Pantry ingredients
The Secret to a Moist Vegan Chocolate Cake
Use hot coffee or hot water with the cocoa. It blooms the chocolate and keeps the crumb from tasting dry. Don’t overbake — a few moist crumbs on the toothpick is perfect. Frosting loves cold cake, so chill the layers 20 minutes if your kitchen is warm.
Frequently Asked Questions ❓
Can I make this as cupcakes? 🧁
Yes. Bake 18–22 minutes. This batter makes about 24 cupcakes.
Does it taste like coffee? ☕
No. Coffee just makes the chocolate taste darker. Water works too.
How do I store it? 🧊
Covered at room temperature for 2 days, or in the fridge for 5. Bring to room temp before serving.
🌱 Vegan Chocolate Layer Cake
Ingredients 🛒
For the Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1¾ cups sugar
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsweetened plant milk
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- ½ cup oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup hot coffee or hot water
For the Frosting
- 1 cup vegan butter, softened
- ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup plant milk, plus more if needed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions 👩🍳
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line two 8-inch cake pans.
- Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Stir the plant milk and vinegar together and let sit 2 minutes. Add oil, vanilla, and the milk mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix until combined.
- Pour in the hot coffee and whisk until the batter is smooth. It will be thin.
- Divide between the pans and bake 28–32 minutes, until a toothpick has a few moist crumbs.
- Cool 10 minutes in the pans, then turn out and cool completely.
- Beat the frosting ingredients until fluffy. Frost between the layers and all over the cake.
Nutrition
| Nutrient | Per slice (1/12) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 430 |
| Protein | 4g |
| Net carbohydrates | 60g |
| Total carbohydrates | 63g |
| Fiber | 3g |
| Total fat | 20g |
| Sodium | 380mg |
Estimates based on cocoa cake layers and vegan chocolate frosting. Exact numbers may vary by vegan butter brand.
Notes & Tips 💡
- A pinch of espresso powder in the batter makes the chocolate taste deeper.
- If the frosting is too thick, add plant milk 1 teaspoon at a time.
- For cleaner slices, chill the frosted cake 20 minutes and wipe the knife between cuts.
- The layers freeze well, wrapped, for up to 2 months.
This Vegan Chocolate Layer Cake is tall, dark, and covered in frosting. The chocolate cake you’ll make again. 🍫🌱
If you make it, I’d love to hear how it turned out — leave a comment or tag me!
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