The Cake Merchant

The Easiest Vegan Chocolate Cake

Vegan Chocolate Cake

I’ve got 3 exciting things to share with you today. First, a new post! This shouldn’t be all that unusual on a food blog, but considering how rarely I’ve been posting lately, I think this counts as exciting. Second, a new blog design! It was long overdue. No more of me trying to navigate code, because it’s not cute. Third, it’s my 4th blogiversary! It was a total coincidence that my new design was completed today, and I forgot about it until after I wrote this post, but Happy Blogiversary to me! I would have put a candle in this cake had I remembered.

Easy Vegan Chocolate Frosting

At first, I didn’t think this cake was exciting enough to post. I’ve probably made it a hundred times. In fact, the cake itself is the same recipe of my very first blog post! It’s a cupcake recipe that comes from my favorite vegan baking book, but it also makes a great cake. There are no fancy layers here. Not that I have anything against fancy layers. I mean, fancy layers are practically my life, but sometimes a simple chocolate cake will do. Perfect for small gatherings, and even more perfect for snacking.

The frosting is a super simple veganized version of this frosting from Smitten Kitchen made in a food processor. I love it because you can just dump everything in together, hit process, and you end up with a super fluffy creamy dreamy frosting that you’ll never guess is vegan.

Vegan Chocolate Frosting

For the sprinkles, I used a combination of these from Sweetapolita’s shop (probably the most beautiful vegan sprinkles I have found) and these non-pareils from Sprinkelz

Vegan Chocolate Cake

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The Easiest Vegan Chocolate Cake

Yield: 1 8-inch x 8-inch cake

Serving Size: 12-16

Ingredients

    For the Cake:
  • 1 cup (240 ml) non-dairy milk
  • 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
  • 3/4 cup (150 grams) sugar
  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup (40 grams) cocoa (I used Dutch-process but natural will work too)
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • For the Frosting:
  • 2 ounces (55 grams) unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
  • 1 1/2 cups (180 grams) powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup (56 grams) vegan butter (from the stick, not the tub)
  • 1/4 cup (48 grams) vegetable shortening
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 tablespoon non-dairy milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350.
  2. Grease and line an 8-inch x 8-inch pan with parchment paper.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the soymilk and vinegar. Set it aside for a couple of minutes to curdle.
  4. Add the sugar, oil, and vanilla to the “buttermilk.” Whisk until the mixture is foamy.
  5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until combined.
  6. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 2 batches, whisking after each addition until no large lumps remain (a few small lumps are ok).
  7. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 27-32 minutes (It took about 30 minutes in my oven).
  8. Cool completely before frosting.
    9. For the Frosting:
  9. Place all of the frosting ingredients in the food processor and run until combined.
  10. Scraped down the sides with a spatula and run again until fluffy.
  11. Spread the frosting on the cooled cake with an offset spatula and top with lots of sprinkles!
https://cakemerchant.com/2016/05/19/vegan-chocolate-cake/

Comments

  3. This cake is AMAZING!!! I’m not a complete vegan, but for some reason vegan cake is so much better than regular cake. This recipe, along with the frosting, was easy to make and delicious. My family and I love it! Thanks! 🙂

    Reply

  5. Could I turn this into a Red Velvet cake…? Hmmm…. Maybe reduce the cocoa for adding food coloring? What do you think? 🙂

    Reply

    • I haven’t tried it, but you could try 1 1/4 cups AP flour, reduce the cocoa to 2 tbsp, and replace some of the milk with red food coloring. I’m guessing that would work. I am working on a vegan red velvet cake for Valentine’s day, so I’ll let you know what I come up with.

      Reply

  6. This cake sounds great!
    Did you cook this cake in a fan forced oven or regular oven? I am thinking of making this cake a a layer cake for my nieces 21st. Birthday.

    Reply

  7. Is there an alternate for vegetable shortening used in frosting?
    Also, could you please share a recipe for 6 inch chocolate cake?

    Reply

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