The Best Vegan Chocolate Cake. Period.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Prepare 8 or 9-inch baking pans by cutting out circles of parchment paper and oiling the pans.

Make vegan buttermilk by combining 1 cup of dairy-free milk, 1 tablespoon of vinegar, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Let it sit.

In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, cane sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together until well mixed.

Add oil and the prepared vegan buttermilk to the dry ingredients and fold together with a spatula.

Add boiling water to the mixture and whisk until smooth, breaking up any lumps.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared baking pans and place them in the oven.

While the cake is baking, prepare the frosting by creaming together dairy-free butter and cocoa powder in a large bowl.

Add half of the powdered sugar and half of the dairy-free milk to the butter mixture and mix until combined.

Add the remaining powdered sugar and dairy-free milk, mixing again until smooth. Add vanilla extract and mix thoroughly.

Check the cakes for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center; if it comes out with crumbs, they are done.

Let the cakes cool slightly before inverting them onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Once cooled, place one cake layer on a turntable or lazy Susan and add frosting to the middle layer.

Apply a crumb coat of frosting to the outside of the cake and chill it to make frosting easier.

Frost the rest of the cake and add chocolate chips as a topping.

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary