Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe

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A rich, moist and fluffy Vegan Chocolate Cake recipe with creamy chocolate buttercream. This easy three-layer celebration cake is perfect for birthdays, parties and special occasions, and can be decorated simply or finished with a decadent chocolate drip.

TL;DR

• Rich, moist vegan chocolate sponge
• Smooth and creamy chocolate buttercream
• Perfect celebration cake for birthdays and parties
• Easy to decorate with a chocolate drip or piping
• Makes 16 generous slices

Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe

Ingredients

For the Sponge

• 540g plain flour
• 600g caster sugar
• 75g cocoa powder
• 1½ tbsp baking powder
• 1½ tsp salt
• 180ml sunflower oil
• 180ml maple syrup
• 390ml soya milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Icing

• 1kg icing sugar
• 250g dairy-free butter block
• 250g dairy-free margarine
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 100g cocoa powder

How to Make this Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe

For the Sponge

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F and grease and line three 8-inch round cake tins.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the plain flour, caster sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
3. In a separate bowl or jug, combine the sunflower oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract and soya milk.
4. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients while mixing until you have a smooth batter.
5. Divide the mixture evenly between the three cake tins (around 600g of batter per tin).
6. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
7. Leave the cakes to cool completely before decorating.

For the Icing

1. Beat together the dairy-free butter block, dairy-free margarine and vanilla extract until light and smooth.
2. Sift in the cocoa powder and icing sugar.
3. Beat until smooth, creamy and fully combined.

To Decorate

1. Place one sponge layer onto a cake board or serving plate and spread over a layer of chocolate buttercream.
2. Repeat with the second sponge layer.
3. Add the final sponge layer and cover the top and sides with the remaining buttercream.
4. Smooth the buttercream using a palette knife and cake scraper.
5. Decorate with a chocolate ganache drip, piped swirls or your favourite toppings.

Serving suggestions

• Decorate with a vegan chocolate ganache drip.
• Top with fresh berries for a simple finish.
• Add chocolate curls, sprinkles or chocolate shards.
• Serve with vegan vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Storage

Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving for the best texture. The undecorated sponge layers can also be frozen for up to 3 months.

Top tips

• Weigh the batter into each tin for even cake layers.
• Allow the cakes to cool completely before icing.
• If the buttercream feels too firm, add a splash of soya milk.
• Chill the cake briefly before adding a ganache drip for the cleanest finish.

FAQs

Recipes Similar to Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe

• Chocolate Cupcakes
• Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes
• Vanilla Cupcakes

Vegan Chocolate Cake

Difficulty: Easy

Servings

16

servings

Prep time

1

hour 

40

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Total time

2

hours 

10

minutes

An easy vegan chocolate sponge recipe with a rich chocolate buttercream.

Ingredients

• For the Sponge

• 540g Plain Flour

• 600g Caster Sugar

• 75g Cocoa Powder

• 1.5 tbsp Baking Powder

• 1.5 tsp Salt

• 180ml Sunflower Oil

• 180ml Maple Syrup

• 390ml Soya Milk

• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

• For the Icing

• 1kg Icing Sugar

• 250g Dairy Free Butter Block

• 250g Dairy Free Margarine

• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

• 100g Cocoa Powder

Directions

• For the Sponge
• Preheat the oven to 180ºc/350ºf and grease and line three 8 inch round cake tins.
• In a large bowl mix the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
• In a separate bowl mix together the sunflower oil, maple syrup, vanilla and soya milk. Slowly pour this into to dry ingredients while mixing. 
• Divide into the three tins (there should be about 600g in each tin). Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until the middle is cooked. 
• Allow to cool.
• For the Icing
• Beat together the butter block, margarine and vanilla extract until smooth and whipped.
• Sieve in the cocoa powder and icing sugar and mix until smooth.
• Use a palette knife to spread over the cake and a cake scraper to create a smooth finish.
• You can use my chocolate ganache recipe to create a drip and use a piping bag with a star tip to pip swirls around the top of the cake (or decorate however you want!)

Comments

Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out.