Best Vegan Devil's Food Cake ❤️ A devilishly delish, chocolate lover's dream dessert. This decadently rich & moist cake topped with a luscious chocolate buttercream frosting is everything you want in a classic devil's food cake, but without dairy or eggs!
It seems like every family has that one very special cake recipe that is handed down from generation to generation. A recipe so legendary over time, it becomes part of our heritage . . . our DNA. In my family, it is this one for the best vegan devil's food cake inspired by a recipe from my Swedish great Aunt Velma.
Being vegan doesn't mean you have to give up all of your traditional family recipes. We discovered that by replacing animal products with plant-based ingredients, not only could we veganize our favorite recipes, we made them so much better! A perfect example is my aunt's scrumptious old-fashioned applesauce cake and my mom's spectacular vegan lemon meringue pie recipe. They're both simply fabulous!
★★★★★"This was such a fantastic recipe! I made this cake for my boyfriend's birthday and plenty of non-vegan folks were there and everyone was blown away. The cake is scrumptious, but the frosting is even more mouthwatering." Sara
Table of Contents
★★★★★ "I made this cake again as a cookies and cream cake for my son's birthday and it was delicious. I think this is my favorite chocolate cake recipe- it's moist but doesn't crumble easily and the chocolate flavor is more pronounced than many others I've tried." Vanessa
What is Devil's Food Cake?
Devil's food cake is known for its dark, intense, and rich chocolate flavor. Traditionally made with cocoa powder, the result is a deep, robust taste. This recipe for the best vegan devil's food cake includes soured vegan milk, which provides a very subtle tart undertone and enhances the wonderfully moist and fluffy texture.
Ingredients
🥕See the recipe card below for quantities & instructions
- Vegan milk - your choice
- White vinegar
- Flour - all-purpose sifted
- Salt
- Vegan butter - softened
- Sugar - granulated
- Egg replacer - powdered or carbonated water (see FAQ's below)
- Vanilla
- Baking soda - fresh is best
- Cocoa powder - unsweetened
- Water
Equipment
These are the tools I use to prepare this recipe:
- Electric hand or stand mixer, or a whisk to hand-mix
- Large mixing bowl
- Two medium mixing bowls
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- One rubber or silicone spatula
- Sifter or mesh strainer
- Two 9" round cake pans, one 9"x 13' baking pan, or a cupcake pan
- One flat spreader for frosting
The crowning glory of this cake is the creamy, fudge-like chocolate buttercream frosting made with vegan butter. We decorated our cake with fresh ripe strawberries and raspberries. If you're a chocolate purist, you can keep your cake basic without adding sweet accessories, like decorative icing or berries. Just spread on that frosting as thick as you want and indulge in pure chocolate fudge heaven.
For decades, every year, on my brother's birthday, our mom made this scrumptious cake. And every year, my brother always requested that she made the frosting at least one inch thick!
FAQ's
There are different types of egg replacers you can use. My first choice is this one by Bob's Red Mill or this by Ener-G. I have also had very good success simply using carbonated water. Just use slightly less than ½ C carbonated water instead of 2 eggs in this recipe. You can also make your own egg replacer with flax seed (1 tablespoon ground flax seed mixed with 3 tablespoons water = 1 egg).
This cake should stay soft and fresh up to 3 days when covered in an airtight food storage container, covered cake plate, or wrapped in food safe plastic. It can be stored in a cool room or refrigerated.
If you love this delish dessert, you might like to try these sweet vegan treats!
If you love this recipe ★★★★★ please be sure to rate it below! Sharing your experience lets me know that you enjoyed it and will help other readers decide if they should give the recipe a try too. Thanks a bunch!🥕
Recipe
Best Vegan Devil's Food Cake
Equipment
- Electric hand or stand mixer, or a whisk to hand-mix
- Large mixing bowl
- Two medium mixing bowls
- One rubber or silicone spatula
- Sifter or mesh strainer
- Two 9" round cake pans, one 9"x 13' baking pan, or a cupcake pan
- One flat spreader for frosting
Ingredients
- ¾ C non-dairy milk I use rice milk
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1-¾ C all purpose flour sifted
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ C vegan butter softened - not melted
- 1-½ C white sugar
- 2 vegan egg replacer* equivalent of 2 eggs using vegan egg replacer (see notes below)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ⅔ C cocoa powder unsweetened
- ½ C warm water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Prepare cake pans by coating lightly with butter or oil and dust with flour, or line cupcake pan with paper cupcake liners.
- In a measuring cup or bowl, stir together milk & vinegar. Let sit for a few minutes to sour.
- In a medium bowl sift together flour and salt.
- In a large bowl, using electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar.
- Blend in egg replacer with creamed butter and sugar.
- Add vanilla to sour milk.
- Begin adding flour and salt to creamed mixture, alternating with sour milk (a little at a time) ending with the dry ingredients.
- In a small bowl, stir together baking soda, cocoa and warm water. Add to batter and mix well.
- Pour batter into pan(s)
- Bake at 350° for 30 - 35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out dry. For cupcakes, reduce baking time to 18-20 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on wire rack
- Once cool, ice cake or cupcakes with vegan chocolate buttercream frosting.
Vegan Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- In a large mixing bowl, combine powdered sugar and salt
- Add vanilla and butter, mix at medium-high speed
- Add melted chocolate, continue mixing
- Gradually add milk, a small amount at a time, until desired consistency
Notes
Nutrition
These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you're using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
Sara says
This was such a fantastic recipe! I made this cake for my boyfriend’s birthday and plenty of non-vegan folks were there and everyone was blown away. The cake is scrumptious, but the frosting is even more mouthwatering. I used Just Egg in the cake batter and it was perfect. This recipe is such a keeper. Thank you so much for sharing.
Connie says
Oh my gosh Sara, you just made my day! I'm delighted that the cake was hit with you and your friends.Thank you so much for sharing your experience & the 5-star review!
Vanessa says
I always make this with soy milk and carbonated water instead of the egg replacer and it turns out great. Today I made it with vegan yogurt to use up some leftover yogurt I had and it didn't rise at all. Is that from the yogurt?
Connie says
Hi Vanessa, I'm curious, did you use yogurt instead of the milk, the carbonated water, or both? One thing I have learned is, the baking soda needs to be fresh, as an open box can lose its rising power in a fairly short amount of time.
Vanessa says
I made this cake again as a cookies and cream cake for my son's birthday and it was delicious. I think this is my favorite chocolate cake recipe- it's moist but doesn't crumble easily and the chocolate flavor is more pronounced than many others I've tried. I used 3 ounces of carbonated water instead of Ener-G.
Connie Edwards McGaughy says
Yay Vanessa! I've been on pins and needles wondering if you decided to give the cake recipe another go! So happy to hear it turned out great! Love the idea of a cookies and cream cake. Thanks so much for your wonderful review & 5-star rating. Happy birthday to your son!🎉
Lola says
What about using dates or maple for sugar substitute?
Connie Edwards McGaughy says
Hi Lola, I haven't attempted to make this cake with dates or maple, but if I did, I would use either type in granulated form only in the cake batter. As for the frosting, powdered or confectioner sugar is what gives it the smooth, creamy, fudge-like texture. Granulated sugar of any variety would tend to make it grainy.
Vanessa says
Hi, if I use the carbonated water instead of Ener-G, when should it be added?
Connie Edwards McGaughy says
I would add it when you would have added the Ener-G, using the same quantity of water equal to the prepared egg replacer.
Vanessa says
Hi, does the cake rise a lot? Just made it today and mine look like they barely raised. Also, I used carbonated water but wasn't sure when to add it. I ended up doing a couple tablespoons when the Ener-G was added and then the rest with the water and cocoa powder. What do you recommend?
Connie Edwards McGaughy says
Hi Vanessa! This cake is fairly dense, and doesn’t raise a lot, but the layers should look like the cake in the photos on the site. I think perhaps part of the issue is you might have used too much liquid. We sometimes use carbonated water as a substitute to egg replacer, not in addition.
Vanessa says
Thank you for the reply. I didn’t use both. I just added some of the water when the Ener-G is listed as being added in the recipe. Is that the right time or should I add to the cocoa/water/baking soda?
I will try again with new baking soda.
Connie Edwards McGaughy says
Did you use plain water or carbonated water to mix with the Ener-G? It should be plain water. Fresh baking soda is a good idea, as it can lose its rising oomph over time.
CHRISTINE Redgrave says
Please could I have the recipe in grams? I am in the UK.
I have done the obvious and googled it but it's confusing as different ingredients convert to different weights.
Thanks
Connie Edwards McGaughy says
Hi Christine. Thanks so much for asking! I ran the conversion to metric and have emailed it to you. I'd love to hear if you make the cake! It's incredibly scrumptious!
Connie Edwards McGaughy says
Christine, you can now find the metric conversion on the online recipe. Just click the green METRIC link, located below the PRINT RECIPE button.
Susie Edwards says
Love chocolate....
Connie Edwards McGaughy says
Susie, you would LOVE this cake. It's a chocolate lover's dream! ❤️
Janet Sowell says
This looks scrumptious!
Connie Edwards McGaughy says
Thank you Janet! It's pure chocolate bliss!❤️