You'd Never Guess This Chocolate Cake Is Vegan

Imagine a cake that’s perfectly moist, delightfully fluffy and packed with chocolate flavor. Now what if we told you that cake was made without any dairy or eggs? We wouldn’t blame you for doubting us, but that’s the reality of this to-die-for vegan chocolate cake recipe from Joshua John Russell, star of our super-popular Man About Cake series (and our new Man About Bake show).

The secret? Oil and almond milk stand in for butter and dairy, and instead of eggs, JJR uses a mix of baking soda and vinegar (the stuff of school science project days) to help the cake rise. If you’re not into baking a full-blown layer cake, check out the video below — JJR shows you how to turn ’em into mini bundt cakes while serving up five super-fun decoration ideas.

Vegan Chocolate Cake

Yield: Two 10″ round cakes

Ingredients

  • 4 cups white sugar
  • 5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1⅓ cups cocoa
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 cups unsweetened soy or almond milk
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
  • 2 tablespoons white vinegar
  • 1⅓ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon Madagascar bourbon vanilla extract
  • Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease pans and set aside.

    2. Using a stand mixer and whip attachment, combine sugar, flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda in the mixer. Turn on low speed to sift the ingredients.

    3. Add espresso powder to the water and set aside.

    4. Add vinegar to the milk and set aside.

    5. Add vanilla to the oil.

    6. While the mixer is running on low, add the oil mixture, milk mixture, and half of the water mixture. Mix until incorporated and no lumps are found.

    7. Add the last bit of water and blend until fully incorporated.

    8. Fill pans and bake for 30-45 minutes, checking the cakes at 30 minutes for doneness. When the cakes are done, they should be set to the touch.

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    3 Responses to “You'd Never Guess This Chocolate Cake Is Vegan”

    1. Ania Shirley

      Hi,how much is one cup in your recipe?

    2. DeLisa Fischer

      This is a most requested cake for me! It is so easy and the recipe is big! I love it!

    3. Gitty

      I love this cake, it is my go-to chocolate cake and my whole family loves it. 5 stars from me.