This BEST vegan chocolate cake recipe is quick and easy with no unusual ingredients. Hundreds of readers have loved this moist fluffy vegan chocolate cake.
Commissioned recipe.
When you think about vegan cake, you might think it will be dry, crumbly and somehow inferior to a typical chocolate cake filled with eggs and butter. Well, you’re wrong. Very wrong.
This vegan chocolate cake really is the BEST. It’s like a super-amazing, delicious, decadent chocolate cake that just happens to be vegan! If you didn’t mention that it’s vegan, people would honestly never know. It’s rich, fluffy, moist and very easy to make.
The BEST vegan chocolate cake
I love making cakes, but I hate it when I need to seek out expensive unusual ingredients first. So, this cake doesn’t need any unusual egg or dairy substitutes like flax or chia.The most unusual ingredient is dairy free milk (almond, soy etc…), but you can pick that up at any shop.
Instead of butter, I’ve used a vegan spread (butter/margarine whatever you like to call it!). It’s just a super-easy, light and fluffy chocolate cake that’s vegan that can be made with store cupboard ingredients. Trust me, nobody will guess that it’s vegan. It’s great as a vegan birthday cake, party cake or everyday cake!
WHY IS THIS THE BEST VEGAN CHOCOLATE CAKE?
- Quick and easy to make
- Rich, chocolatey flavour
- No unusual ingredients
- Light, moist and fluffy texture
- A perfect vegan birthday cake
- Nobody will guess that it’s vegan
The BEST vegan chocolate cake
Many many readers have made this cake and loved it! Here are some of their thoughts:
Testimonials – Vegan.Chocolate Cake
A few reader reviews:
“I made this cake today (first attempt at vegan baking) and I was truly surprised! It was light fluffy and moist and despite the lack of eggs the rise was excellent and the taste was super. I will be wowing vegans everywhere with this.” – Ollie
“I just made this! It is absolutely gorgeous, as a chocoholic myself, I didn’t think I could ever find a vegan chocolate cake that was as good as the real stuff. But this is so good, of not better!” – Isabella
“This is a delicious and moist vegan.chocolate cake! And very simple to make, some vegan cakes require an awful lot of expensive ingredients. A* for taste, ease and texture!” – Natasha
“Best vegan cake recipe ever! I made mine into cupcakes and subbed the vegan butter for vegetable oil and it came out perfect! I also added some vegan chocolate chips and it made it extra good so I’ll totally be making these again” – Lisa
“Thank you. This is an excellent recipe and better than some (non-vegan) cakes I have tasted. I made this gluten free by using gluten-free flour and baking powder. I don’t like the taste of baking soda in cakes so I omitted it completely. I used 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum with the gluten-free flour.” – Suzanne
“It’s just perfect,. I’ve gone through a few recipe’s now but never been happy with the results. Now I’ve found this I won’t be looking anymore. It’s now my forever chocolate cake recipe. Thank you.” – Janet
How to Make A Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe – Video
This cake really is super easy! Take a look at this ‘How To’ video below to see just how simple it is to make the best vegan chocolate cake.
Vegan Vanilla Cake
Try this light, fluffy and easy to make vegan vanilla cake! No unusual ingredients and nobody will guess that it’s vegan. It’s also a perfect vegan birthday cake!
How to Make a Vegan Cake
Now, you might be thinking that to make a vegan chocolate cake you’re going to need some strange ingredients. But this one doesn’t contain flax or chia to replace the eggs. The most unusual ingredient is dairy free milk, but you can pick that up at any shop. Instead of butter, I’ve used a vegan spread.
I’ve found that vegan spreads/margarine work the same as dairy spreads in baking. For my cake I’ve melted some with golden syrup (you could substitute maple syrup) for the cake, and I’ve whipped some straight from the fridge for the fluffy, chocolatey frosting.
I used Flora Freedom vegan spread which has 60% less saturated fat than butter. It’s certified by The Vegan Society and is free from artificial preservatives, colours and flavours.
Get the Vegan Cake Recipe
If you make this easy vegan chocolate cake recipe, please tag it with #veggiedesserts on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook. I LOVE seeing your recreations of my recipes!
Also, pop down to the comments and let me know how you got on with the recipe. It’s always great to hear from my readers. Your support allows me write this UK food blog and bring you vegetable cake recipes as well as vegan desserts, plus savoury vegetarian and vegan recipes and breakfasts and drinks.
This really is the BEST vegan chocolate cake recipe ever. It's decadent, fluffy, rich and easy to make with no unusual ingredients!
- 300 ml dairy-free milk (soy, almond etc...)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 150 g non-dairy margarine (I used Flora Freedom)
- 3 tbsp golden syrup agave or maple syrup (maple will make a slightly less sweet cake)
- 1 tsp instant coffee granules or espresso powder
- 275 g self-raising flour (or plain all-purpose flour with 3 tsp baking powder)
- 175 g granulated sugar
- 4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 75 g non-dairy margarine
- 200 g powdered icing sugar (confectioner's sugar)
- 4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp water
- Preheat the oven to 180° C/160° C fan/Gas mark 4 (350F). Lightly grease 2x20cm/8inch round baking pans.
Stir the lemon juice into the milk and set aside.
In a pan over a medium heat, melt the margarine, syrup and coffee granules together. Set aside to cool slightly.
Sieve the flour, cocoa, sugar and bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) into a large mixing bowl.
Pour the milk and melted margarine mixture over the flour mixture and stir well until it becomes a smooth batter.
- Divide the mixture between the two prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
- Allow the cakes to cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, to make the icing beat together all ingredients until smooth.
- When the cakes are completely cold, sandwich together with half of the icing. Spread the remaining icing over the top of the cake.
Based on a recipe from Flora.
Disclosure: This recipe for the BEST vegan.chocolate cake was commissioned by Flora Freedom. All opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that make it possible for me to mess up my kitchen and write Veggie Desserts – with vegan dessert recipes, vegetarian desserts, vegetable cakes, as well as vegan and vegetarian savoury dishes.
Aish Das-Padihari says
I love chocolate cake and cant even express how much. But never baked a vegan type. I should try once.
J @ Bless Her Heart Y'all says
This does not look like the typical vegan cake! This looks so moist and soft and delicious! I am 100% sold on this cake! YUM!
Chef Mireille says
wow looks so moist – especially for a vegan cake
Bintu - Recipes From A Pantry says
I could eat the whole cake now! How delicious and moreish and even better that it is suitable for vegans too.
Sarah says
This looks delicious! I love that you’ve added coffee grinds to it…totally amps up the chocolate flavor, yum!
Angela says
That cake looks amazing and I would never believe it was vegan. Well done Kate!
Platter Talk says
There is nothing ” telling” that this cake is vegan. Beautiful, moist chocolate! Looks amazing,
Mark, CompassandFork says
Vegan or not, this is one delicious and moist looking chocolate cake. It looks delicious and inviting and I love the photos.
Alyssa says
I can usually spot a homemade vegan cake a mile away, the appearance is usually a little off and the layers quite thin but THIS cake oh no, you had me fooled. This looks delicious, light and so chocolaty. I realize you posted a frosting recipe but one of my favorite things is making a homemade cake and topping it with Dollop Gourmet frosting — they are 100% vegan and the Salted Caramel flavor is ah-mazing! I’m imagining it now on top of your cake and I’m sure it’d be divine!
Amanda says
Where can you buy the frosting from?
Igor @ Cooking The Globe says
I am not vegan but this chocolate cake looks amazing. I love how moist it is!
Sarah says
Do you need to use soya milk or can you use rice or almond milk instead?
Kate Hackworthy says
Any non-dairy milk should be fine, but I only tested soya (as that’s what I had). If you try it with rice or almond milk, please let me know!
Helen Tench says
My friend just made me this cake for my birthday, he used almond milk – the cake was absolutely delicious.
Sylvia Hale says
I made this cake in 3 layers for my grandaughters 21st birthday it looked amazing and I used almond milk. She was absolutely delighted with it, thank you for the recipe.
Sonia says
I’ve tried coconut milk. Was absolutely fine.
zizi says
I simply love anything to do with chocolate.. and total time 50 mins. Perfect.
Margarita Hill says
Kate, first of all I wanna tell you that moving from vegetarian to vegan has been a harsh job. But it has already been all worth it! Thanks to people like you and to blogs like yours. Awesome choice of work, yours. Thank you.
Eating Adventures says
Looks delicious. Definitely going to have to try out the recipe. I like the idea of Soy Milk!
Agness of Run Agness Run says
This cake looks so delicious! It doesn’t look like a typical vegan dessert!
Melissa Novotny says
This cake was deeee-licious. I’ve found that if you make it the day before you want to eat it, it is even better. (it actually seems a little more moist when it is not REALLY fresh). I have also taken the advice of another reviewer and made this cake without the cocoa, adding 2 mashed bananas and replacing the vanilla with banana extract. It turned out like banana bread and was fantastic frosted with banana frosting(1 cup powdered beet sugar, 1 tsp banana extract, 1/4 cup margerine and 1 tbsp. soy milk beaten until smooth and fluffy)
Morgan says
I just made this recipe as cupcakes, and they were truly fantastic!
Baked for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. I ran out of maple syrup so I use 1 tablespoon molasses + 2 tablespoons of honey. Next time I’ll try the maple syrup since the molasses made them a little salty.
Thank you so much for the recipe. I’m definitely making it again. <3
George says
Hi there! Can you omit the coffee granules? Just wondering if they are for taste or function. Thanks a lot! ????
Kate Hackworthy says
Hi, you can definitely omit them. I just like to add coffee as it compliments the flavour of the chocolate. But no problem to omit it. Happy baking!
Mia says
Hi I’m not sure what “Soya” milk is…unable to find it in Whole Foods.
Kate Hackworthy says
Hi, you may see it as soy milk? You can also try almond milk! I hope you enjoy the cake 🙂
Amy says
Coffee brings out the chocolate flavour. Leaving it out may reduce how intense the chocolate flavour is
Isabella says
I just made this! It is absolutely gorgeous, as a chocoholic myself, I didn’t think I could ever find a vegan chocolate cake that was as good as the real stuff. But this is so good, of not better! I was wondering though, do I store this in the fridge or outside?
Kate Hackworthy says
I’m so glad that you liked the cake! Best to keep it covered but not in the fridge. Thanks for coming back to let me know how you got on with the recipe!
Ellie says
Looks so delicious and moist! But I was wondering can you use normal sugar instead of golden syrup?
AmyW says
I’m so pleased that this worked out so well. I was desperate for cake but I’d run out of eggs, so this was just the kind of recipe I was looking for, I’ve been disappointed by vegan cakes in the past so I really wasn’t expecting much, but it’s really delicious! Thank you for sharing the recipe! 🙂
Margaret gallagher says
Looking to bake a cake for my sister as she’ has an egg and dairy allergy
She’ll be utterly shocked when I present her with this beauty
Tends to about cake -what a treat ????????
Margaret gallagher says
Looking to bake a cake for my sister as she’ has an egg and dairy allergy
She’ll be utterly shocked when I present her with this beauty
Tends to about cake -what a treat ????????
Ollie says
I made this cake today (first attempt at vegan baking) and I was truly surprised! It was light fluffy and moist and despite the lack of eggs the rise was excellent and the tast was super. I will be wowing vegans everywhere with this. I also added mint essence to the frosting and it was delicious.
jenna kenneally says
Hi! This is the first vegan cake I’ve found that isn’t stodge! However, mine has come out awfully crumbly… any suggestions as I can’t put icing on it as its falling apart! X
Kate Hackworthy says
Hi Jenna
How odd, I have made it loads it it hasn’t been crumbly. I’m really not sure what could be the cause. Perhaps your oven is running a bit hot so it didn’t need to be cooked so long? Glad you still like it though!
Cindy says
Same result for me. Cake tasted amazing, but it was really crumbly and stuck to the cake pan – even though they were brand new and non-stick. I ‘glued’ it all back together with the frosting, though!
Kate Hackworthy says
Hi, such a shame that you’ve found it to be crumbly. I’ve made this cake quite a few times and it’s never been crumbly. I still always grease non-stick pans, so perhaps try that next time so it releases easier. Also maybe try lowering your oven slightly as it could be running high and overbaking it – resulting in it drying enough to crumble. I hope you have better luck if you try again!
Caroline Grover says
I have found it essential to let any baked goods cool right down before trying to get them out of their pan/mold. Try waiting longer after they’ve come out of the oven before trying to remove.
Sonia says
Mine came out great from the oven but after turning it out the pan after 5 mins as suggested on to a wire wrack it started to crack. Managed to glue it back together with the icing though.
Will probably leave it a little longer in the baking pan a little longer next time. It still tasted gorgeous though.
Vicky says
Hi I am really looking forward to trying this recipie
But I wondered my daughter has a wheat allergy so would it be possible to swap the flour for a rice flour? Xx
Kate Hackworthy says
Hi Vicky
I haven’t tested the recipe with any other flours, but if you usually swap wheat for rice flour then hopefully it works. Please report back if you try it as it could help other readers. Happy baking!
Debra says
Can you freeze the cake before icing it? I’d like to have a supply in the freezer,
Kate Hackworthy says
It should be just fine if frozen before icing it!
Helen says
This cake is wonderful! I followed the recipe exactly as listed and used golden syrup. Made for friends with 2 young boys (none of whom are vegan) but, honestly, no one could believe it’s a vegan cake. So light, and absolutely delicious. – everyone loved it. I’m about to make another one now, and know I will be making it again and again. Thank you so much for posting it, you have made me one happy vegan 🙂
Em says
Hello. Is the cake moist enough to eat without the frosting? My cake audience dislike any cakes with cream or frosted toppings. I know. They’re crazy.
Kate Hackworthy says
It’s fine without any icing!
Lisa Aliamo says
Best vegan cake recipe ever! I made mine into cupcakes and subbed the vegan butter for vegetable oil and it came out perfect! I also added some vegan chocolate chips and it made it extra good. I will totally be making these again
Kate Hackworthy says
I’m so pleased that you liked the recipe!
jess says
How much vegetable oil did you use insted of the vegan butter?
Lisa Aliamo says
Same amount 2/3 cup
Jenny from jennyisbaking.com says
Hi Kate, I am not a vegan, but decided to try a vegan recipe (for the first time in my life). I made a mango chocolate version with your basic chocolate cake recipe. You may have a look at it here: http://jennyisbaking.com/2017/07/02/vegan-mango-chocolate-cake/ I was pleasantly surprised with how it worked out. Thanks for this recipe, which I only increaed a little for a 26cm tin. It was moist and delicious, thank you!
Natasha Rogers says
I made this recipe yesterday, after having some disappointing vegan cake results. This is a delicious and moist cake! And very simple to make, some vegan cakes require an awful lot of expensive ingredients. A* for taste, ease and texture!
Kate Hackworthy says
I’m so pleased that you enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to let me know. x
Jules says
Hi Kate, we want to make this for vegan guests and enjoy for ourselves! Never made a vegan cake before though – can we omit the golden syrup /swap out/increase something else?
Kate Hackworthy says
Hi, you can use agave, or maple syrup (but the maple syrup won’t be quite so sweet). I hope you all enjoy it!
Mel says
Amazing cake! I added vegan chocolate chips and frozen raspberries to the mix which worked really well.
Kate Hackworthy says
oooh that sounds great – I’ll try it with those!
Teresa Barquet says
Hi! Instead of “Flora” (it is not for sale in my country) may I use coconut oil?
Kate Hackworthy says
Hi Teresa, I haven’t tested the recipe with coconut oil, but if you have any margarine-like spread it should work. Like Earth Balance?
Kayla Davis says
Hello!
can you use granulated sugar instead of agave or golden syrup? If so how much sugar would you recommend to substitute?
Suzanne says
Thank, you, this is an excellent recipe and better than some (non-vegan) cakes I have tasted. I made this gluten free by using gluten-free flour (and baking powder). I don’t like the taste of baking soda in cakes so I omitted it completely. I used 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum with the gluten-free flour.
Janet says
It’s just perfect,. I’ve gone through a few recipe’s now but never been happy with the results. Now I’ve found this I won’t be looking anymore. It’s now my forever chocolate cake recipe,. Thank you
Kate Hackworthy says
I’m so pleased! THanks for coming back to let me know you loved the cake 🙂
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says
I plan to drop everything to make this chocolate cake now. 🙂 Looks so lush
Bryony says
I’m a bit confused. The cake looks smashing but it the sponge isn’t chocolately. I used 4x level tbsp of green and blacks cocoa powder. In non-vegan recipes i’ve made it uses about 2oz of cocoa powder for an 8″ cake pan. Have i gone wrong on my measurements? The tbsp measure i have is a standard uk one. Thanks
Prerna says
Hi Kate,
I was looking at making a cake just without eggs. So is it okay that I still use butter or is the non dairy spread a must?
Thanks, Prerna
Kate Hackworthy says
Hi Prerna, it’s fine to use normal margarine or softened butter. Happy baking!
Prerna says
Thanks so much Kate.. Gonna give it a try this week ????
Ebonie says
Just made this cake! It’s delicious! I must say, I was skeptical. I did add about a tsp of vanilla extract to cake mixture, I used “raw cane sugar” ground “espresso beans” from Wholefoods, & Almond milk. I also added “grated” cinnamon to the frosting. Topped with coconut & chocolate chips. My cake is lighter than yours. Is it because I used “almond milk” ?
Jennie says
Making this for the first today, with rice milk and omit the coffee…….im a newish vegan and fancy making a cake…….i shall be back with my results 🙂
Christine Tyler says
This really is the best vegan chocolate cake! My husband has egg intolerance and I’ve tried quite a few recipes, but this is by far and away the only one that ticks all the boxes. Brilliant!
jane says
I made some cupcakes with this recipe. I am disappointed. taste and texture not nice. looks nice but that’s all. not sweet enough and didn’t like the texture in my mouth.
L says
Hi – I want to try this as a birthday cake. Can I use cacao powder instead of cocoa?
Thx 🙂
Kate Hackworthy says
That should be fine! Let me know how it turns out. Happy baking!
Jodi says
I used the ingredients last night to make coconut vanilla cupcakes. I added coconut to the batter mix. I made 18 cupcakes with frosting. I can’t decide which I prefer the chocolate or vanilla both were very tasty and moist. All my friends loved both. It’s also nice to find a recipe that shows metric measurements.
Steve says
Made this as a birthday cake but left out the coffee to make just a chocolate cake as it was for the kids. It was absolutely delicious. And so easy to make!
Then I had an idea. We love lemon drizzle cake but have only once found a vegan one in a tea shop in Wales. So I made this recipe again, only this time left out the chocolate and coffee, and replaced it with the zest of 1 lemon. Put all the mix in one deep tin and baked at 160 (fan-assisted) for 45 mins. For the drizzle, juice 1.5 lemons and mix with 85g caster sugar. Has a slightly gingery taste and smell because of the golden syrup, but it’s pretty damn good!
Thanks for the recipe. I’ve never baked a vegan cake before and now we have two that our whole family enjoys.
Kate Hackworthy says
Snap! I have a lemon version of the cake ready to post soon! I’m glad you liked the chocolate and your version of lemon 🙂
Millie says
OMG! Made this today and I’m so so impressed. I’ve been baking most of my adult life and have recently become vegan and was concerned having never tasted a beautiful choc vegan cake that my life was seriously compromised. This is hands down THE best vegan cake I’ve had…and I’ve tried a lot! I substituted the water in the frosting recipe with almond milk and added a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Sheer perfection all in all! ???? x
Mildred says
I am new to vegan lifestyle and baking, but this recipe is super easy. I made it last night and it is really delicious and moist. Can I make this as a basic non chocolate cake? I am really happy and excited about the way it turned out.
Kate Hackworthy says
I’m so pleased that you like it! I have a similar recipe for vanilla cake on the blog – just search vegan vanilla cake. 🙂
Mildred says
Forgot to give my rating ????
Prerna says
Hi Kate,
I loved how the cake tasted and it’s gonna be my go to vegan choc cake for sure!
However, I baked it in a 7″ deep pan and even after 60 mins in the oven at 160 Deg fan forced it came out gooey in the center but the upper crust hardened. I used regular full fat milk and butter.
Could you suggest what I did wrong? Also, do you hv more such vegan cake recipes?
Thanks, Prerna
Laurence Fava says
I have just made that cake. I had never made a vegan cake before and I am so impressed by and happy with the result. It is moist and so spongy. Amazing.
Natalie says
I made this yesterday for my boyfriend’s birthday and it was absolutely delicious, so light and fluffy! I omitted the coffee and it still tasted amazing.
Martin says
Lovely cake and easy to make best vegan chocolate cake
Larissa says
Hi, want to make this tomorrow for my boyfriends birthday. Can I use any cocoa powder or does it have to be unsweetened? I’m thinking of using either cadbury’s or cacoa powder. One review said it wasn’t chocolatey with the green and blacks unsweetened cocoa powder, which did you use?
Can’t wait to make this, looks delicious and reviews are brilliant 😀
Kate Hackworthy says
Hi Larissa, I use Green and Blacks and I’ve also used Cadbury’s Bourneville cocoa as well and both worked great. I’ve never baked with hot chocolate type chocolate powder (and I didn’t know any were vegan), but I presume you could try it. Please let us know how you get on if you do. Most reviews on here, pinterest, instagram etc.. have found the recipe to be chocolatey enough so I hope you like it!
Larissa says
I used organic cacoa powder from Aldi (cacoa is different to cocoa) in the end and the cake was absolutely delicious. It’s the best chocolate vegan cake recipe! Everyone was very impressed with how moist and chocolatey the cake was! Definitely going to be baking this Cake endless times. Thanks so much, can’t aait to try the vanilla one ???? looking forward to more recipes!!!
Leighann Butler says
I’ve tried a few vegan chocolate cake recipes and this is the best by far, delicious! My daughter has a dairy and egg allergy and this is so simple and quick to make for her to enjoy. Thank you!
Kristyn Wakeford says
Made this cake last week and it was delicious! I took to work and it went down a treat. People never realised it was a vegan cake, so moist and light. Thank you
Vicki says
Substituted a couple of ingredients but wow what a great recipe! Haven’t eating a cake in two years BV (before vegan) and this is the first one I tried…..made vegan cupcakes. They rose like a dream and were perfectly fluffy. Easy to make. Quick to cook. Great job !!!! Only thing that didn’t work for me was the icing – tried it twice but it kept separating. Might have been the type of margarine I was using
My subs:
Coconut palm sugar instead of caster sugar
Cacao instead of cocoa
Used soya spread for the butter
Used organic soya milk
Used organic plain white flour and added the baking power
Kate Hackworthy says
I’m so pleased that you enjoyed the cake, Vicki! Thanks so much for coming back to let other readers know that you substitutions worked well 🙂
Nene says
Just wanted to say that I made this cake over the weekend and it was AMAZING. So delicious – light, fluffy, and moist. Not at all stodgy like some other chocolate cakes. I used Oatly oat milk instead of Soya and it worked a treat. I’ve recently gone vegan, and this is 100% better than any non-vegan chocolate cake I’ve ever made! Thank you so much!
Chloe says
I used this recipe to enter a cake in my works Halloween bake-off competition. (It was halloweened up by adding cocoa powder on top for soil with creepy marzipan fingers and almond fingernails emerging out the top ;). Not only did the cake win best vegan cake, but it only went and win best cake overall!! Am so impressed- and grateful. Thanks for fab cake!
Diana says
Looks good, I have been looking for a good vegan chocolate cake for some time. I think I will try this! Can I substitute dairy-free spred for some dairy-free butter?
Kate Hackworthy says
Hi, yes, any dairy-free margarine or butter will work well! I hope you enjoy it.
Cindy says
I commented on a review from May where the baker said s/he found the cake very crumbly. Me, too, unfortunately. Not sure what I did wrong. Still, the taske was amazing – chocolately, moist and yummy. Just had to ‘glue’ the whole thing together with the frosting!
Kate Hackworthy says
That’s such a shame. I’ve made this cake often and never found it to be crumbly. I wonder if your oven is running a little high and the cake is overbaking a bit? That might cause it. I’m glad you still enjoyed it and were able to rescue it though!
Cat says
HELP! First time making this cake. Have made other vegan cakes and they turned out great! The consistency of this batter is really thick and sticky and it doesn’t pour into the pans at all. Should I add more Soy Milk?
Kate Hackworthy says
Hi, that does sound very strange! It should be a normal thick pouring consistency. I wonder if a measurement was off? I hope it turned out okay!
Libran Williamson says
Myself and one of my daughters are vegans and the things we miss most are good desserts/cakes. I thought I would give this recipe a try and was not disappointed. Easy to make and absolutely delicious! Instead of making the two layers I made one and iced the top but it worked out perfectly. Very moist and moreish..
Mel says
I love this cake so so much! Everyone was so impressed with it at my son’s 1st birthday (even the non-vegans!)
I would love to make it for my partner’s birthday but he loves chocolate orange, any ideas on how to tweak it to make it orangy?
Thank you so much!
Cat says
Thank you for sharing this recipe! This was the first vegan cake I have tried and didn’t really know what to expect. It by far exceeded my expectations. I tweaked the recipe and turned it into a chocolate orange loaf cake and chocolate orange gluten and vegan cupcakes and each were so delicious. Such a fantastic recipe x
Vicki says
I made this cake for my daughter who has recently decided to eat vegan, but we all enjoyed it! It was delicious, simple and quick to make. No creaming butter and eggs was so much easier !
I’m thinking of using the recipe to make a Christmas Yule log, any tips?
Vicky says
I made this yesterday for an 18th Birthday cake – very easy recipe, timed to perfection in my oven and despite the fact I would never use margarine or soya milk for anything normally, it was a huge hit! Beautifully moist and chocolatey. You would never know it was a vegan recipe. Fantastic!
Shannon says
Hi!
Can I use regular granulated sugar, instead of the caster sugar? I’m looking to make this for a work party, and don’t have that on hand. Thanks in advance!
Kate Hackworthy says
That should be absolutely fine, Shannon. I hope you like it!
Sam Knackton says
made this last night. it was seriously good.
Pavlina says
Made it with coconut butter (cake and frosting) and it’s got lovely flavour! I don’t usually bake, let alone vegan cakes, however this was really nice recipe, soo easy to follow and gives great results! Thanks!
Geeta says
i’ve used this about 5 times and it’s always been a crowd pleaser! i’ve tried it as both a cake and as cupcakes and it works both ways. Thanks for a simple recipe without all the weird flax egg/ chia seed stuff as i never tend to have those things handy!
Joanne says
So I made this and loved the taste but I found it really crumbly, which I don’t mind but I want to make this for Christmas and would really like to decorate it without it falling a part. Does anyone have any tips for making this recipe a bit more sturdy?
Rosemary says
Hi I also found the cake very crumbly , but the taste of the cake is lovely , I have made it for my daughters birthday so hope she likes it
Anne says
This cake looks amazing! Would it work if I subed the coconut oil with apple sauce?
Anne says
Sorry I meant margarine!
Kate Hackworthy says
Hi Anne
I haven’t tried it with applesauce. I usually use applesauce instead of oil, but have never tried substituting it for margarine. Sorry but I have no idea if it will work. If you try it, please let me know how it goes.
Danielle says
This cake was incredible.
I originally had issues with the lemon juice curdling the almond milk but i played around with the quantities and found the perfect balance.
So glad i persisted as this cake was so tasty & moist; came out a little fudgy even after cooking it for ten extra minutes but i liked it like that 🙂
Might try halving the sugar amount next time to as it was a little on the sweet side however I will definitely be making this again very soon.
Thank you for this recipe 🙂
Kate Hackworthy says
I’m so pleased that you enjoyed it! Let me know how you get on with less sugar next time 🙂
Catherine says
Hi I haven’t read all the comments, but I love the look of this recipe, no dairy, eggs AND refined sugar, but do you have quantities if I was to make it gluten free too? Please!
Kate Hackworthy says
Hi, I’ve made it gluten free loads of times. Just use your favourite gluten free plain flour. If you’re in the UK, I like Asda’s – it rises well and is lovely and fluffy. It seems less ‘chalky’ than Dove’s Farm.
Catherine says
Hi Kate, why not GF self raising flour?
Kate Hackworthy says
Hi Catherine, yes GF self raising would work well too!
INEZ JOYCE says
Hi..could you tell me what size cake tins you used please x
Kate Hackworthy says
Hi, it’s: 2x 20cm/8inch round baking pans.
I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Kate
Sue Wade says
This cake is REALLY easy to make , all the ingredients were already in the cupboard, no one guessed it was vegan, thanks so much for the recipe, it’s the ‘go to’ birthday cake in our house now ! ????????
Chrissy says
Despite the persistent message that this cake would be moist and amazing, I still doubted the claims. Even after it was baked I was convinced it would be dry. My cake looked exactly like the picture although I sprinkled vegan choc chips on top. Now I turned vegan on January 1st so I have had no chocolate for nearly a month. When I bit into this cake I was literally the happiest I had felt all year! It’s the BEST chocolate cake I have ever eaten and the frosting was fudgy and awesome. Unreal! Thank you!
Marie Winship says
I made this cake but disaster. It fell apart. I noticed in the o en while it was cooking that big splits were forming. Where did I go wrong?
Kate Hackworthy says
Oh no. Sorry it didn’t work for you. The usual reasons for a cake cracking and crumbling would be that the oven temperature is too high or the batter was over-mixed. Perhaps it’s one of those?
I hope if you try it again that it works out better for you.
Marie Winship says
Thank you.
christie says
This cake is so lovely! Do you think I could freeze the cake once made and iced? thanks
Kate Hackworthy says
Hi Christie. I’m so pleased that you like the cake! You can freeze the cake un-iced. Then just let it defrost in the fridge and add the icing. Once it’s been iced it’s not great for freezing – though you could scrape off the icing and then freeze. Hope that helps!
Eli says
WOW!!!
this cake worked so well! making it for a friends birthday- she’s not vegan, but I have just cut out all animal products from my diet for health reasons and I want to be able to have some cake at her birthday haha
just made the full cake and kept enough batter aside for a few cupcakes to check what it tasted like- and its so fluffy and light 🙂
thank you for sharing the recipe
Kate Hackworthy says
Thanks Eli! That’s lovely of you to make it for your friend. I’m so pleased that you enjoyed the cake! And great idea to make some cupcakes so you could taste it before the party!
Kate says
Hi!
I’ve made this twice now and it’s absolutely delicious! I would say its better than any cake I’ve made using eggs and dairy.
Anyway, thought I’d comment to tell anyone who is considering making this to just do it! It’s lovely and everyone will love it, Vegan or not.
xx
Kate Hackworthy says
I’m so pleased that you liked it so much, Kate (great name, by the way). Such a lovely comment, thanks!
Julia says
Hi,
Would you use the unsweetened version of milk for this recipe? Hoping to.make later as a treat for my vegan daughter who’s been outside in the snow all day working with horses while the rest of us have had a duvet day!
Kate Hackworthy says
Hi Julia
Unsweetened is best, but if you only have sweetened that would be fine too. So lovely of you to make her a cake! I’m exhausted from lots of sledging this morning 🙂
Laura says
Gorgeous cake recipe. I have tried recipes upon recipes and have never tasted something as good as this recipe is. I completely demolished the cake. I ended up freezing parts of the cake but the buttercream and the overall cake was still decedent and moist. Will be making this again!
Kate Hackworthy says
I’m so pleased you like the cake Laura! Great that you were able to freeze it so well, too. 🙂
Amber Sparks says
Hi! Just wanted to say this is my go-to favourite cake recipe, I make it all the time now! Everyone loves it, vegan or not, and most people don’t realise its vegan (and don’t believe me when I tell them)! It’s moistand fluffy, rich and chocolatey (and not too sweet) – and best of all it’s super easy, with ingredients anyone would have on hand!
If have any dark chocolate vegan chips on hand, I loosely mix them in the batter before baking to have some extra-gooey moist bits inside 🙂 thanks so much for sharing!
Kate Hackworthy says
Thank you so much for coming back to comment. I’m so pleased you like the cake so much!
Cindy says
This cake is delish, vegan or not!!
Jane Brown says
Just made this to take to work for no particular reason other than that I fancied baking. I substituted the water in the frosting with Tia Maria. ????????????????
Kate Hackworthy says
Tia Maria frosting. Ooooooooh, that sounds AMAZING!!
Julie says
Hi, can you freeze it?
Kate Hackworthy says
Absolutely! Just wrap the un-frosted cake well and it should freeze fine.
Mary Kubley says
When I click on American Measurements, the measurements are confusing-as in 2.2 cups ? Do I round these up ? .66cups of margarine ? Could you clarify these please?
Kate Hackworthy says
Hi Mary, I’ve converted the decimals just now to fractions to make it easier! I hope that helps and you enjoy the cake 🙂
Mary says
Thank you so much ! I’ll try this and get back to you 🙂
Clare says
My first ever vegan cake-and I bake a lot!😃-this was delicious, as my guinea pigs (family) will confirm.
Linda says
I’m having trouble with some of the conversions. Can someone who has made this with success please post what quantities to use in cups (rather than ml, grams)? Thanks!
Kate Hackworthy says
Hi Linda,
Just under the ingredients you can switch to US cup measurements. I hope that helps!
Kate Hackworthy says
Hi Linda
Under the ingredients list you can switch to US cup measurements. I hope that helps!
Kate
Sharlene says
I made the chocolate cake recipe and followed it axactly
My batter was thick and not thin like the video
I am wondering if the amount of liquid posted in the recipe was correct
The flavor was great but the cake was dry and over cooked at 30 min
Any advice?
Thanks
Kate Hackworthy says
Hi Sharlene, that’s such a shame. Many other people have had success with this recipe, so I wonder if it was the measuring. Did you use cups or ml?
Sharlene says
I used cups
but even though the cake was dry the flavor was great and we ate the whole thing
Sneh Arora says
Hello Kate, Can i use dairy milk instead of non dairy milk. Is there a substitute for maple /agave syrup. Can homemade sugar syrup or honey be used instead. Thanks Sneh
Kate Hackworthy says
Hi Sneh,
It’s fine to use dairy milk. As for the syrup, I haven’t tried it, but honey would probably better as it’s thicker than homemade sugar syrup. Let me know how you get on with the substitutions!
Claire Smith says
I’ve made this cake twice now and each time after bringing it out of the oven and putting it onto a cooling rack it has cracked terribly, gutted both times, why is this happening?
Kate Hackworthy says
Hi Claire, that’s such a shame. I wonder if your oven temperature might be running a bit high? That could cause it to crack. Perhaps also mixing a bit less – so that it’s just combined and not over mixed.
I hope you enjoyed it regardless of the cracking and have better luck if you try again.
Kate x
Caroline says
This really is an amazing cake receipe. I modified it and made fiary cakes with the same mixture. Worked out really well. I’m going to top with dates and walnuts. Thank you. It’s my vegan daughter’s birthday tomorrow. She’s going to love them.
Kate Hackworthy says
I’m so pleased that they worked out well for you Caroline! I hope your daughter has a lovely birthday.
Hil says
I never leave comments on Internet sites but having just made this cake I wanted to say THANK YOU! I needed to make a vegan birthday cake for my daughter and have tried other recipes with really horrible results. I can’t believe how easy, moist and delicious this is and don’t believe anyone would know it was vegan! Definitely 5*
Lisa Holroyd says
Just baked this for a friend and it looks that delicious I’m finding bits to nibble whilst icing. For aesthetics of course. I had to use orange juice instead of lemon but it looks brilliant.
Rubal says
I made this cake twice and it tasted absolutely amazing. I followed the receipe to a T. However is it normal for the top layer to crack?
Kate Hackworthy says
I’m so pleased that you like the cake!
The top cracking is usually due to the oven running a little hot. Perhaps turn it down a few degrees next time and that might help. 🙂
Helen says
This is the best chocolate cake I have ever made. I cannot believe it is vegan. It is delicious 😋