This vegan chocolate birthday cake is super delicious! No eggs or dairy, but completely moist, tender and flavorful! It can also be made gluten free if need be. I love this cakes texture and taste and I especially love how it’s fairly easy to make.
Jump to Recipe
The trickiest part is whipping your chick pea liquid or aqua faba and that is a cinch with an electric mixer or handheld mixer using a whisk attachment. This can also be done manually but it will take a little arm work.
After you whip the aqua faba, the rest of the cake is just dumping in ingredients, stirring and then baking in a 9 x 13 inch pan or in 2 – 9 inch round baking pans.
The vegan buttercream is a very traditional American buttercream with vegan butter and plant based milk replacing the full dairy version. It’s simple to make and delicious. I do have a few other vegan options on my website like these:
Vegan Marshmallow Creme
Vegan Caramel
Italian Meringue – I am working on getting the vegan version of this up on my website, however, If you replace the egg whites in this recipe with the same measurements of aqua faba (similar to how the vegan marshmallow creme is made), it will work beautifully.
If you are baking this cake for a friend or relative who is vegan, egg or dairy free, this cake is a great allergy free cake option! It will make their day extra special to have a delicious cake that is going to leave them feeling great and happy that you thought about them.
What you need to make vegan chocolate birthday cake:
Makes 1 – 9 x 13 cake (or 2 – 9 inch round cakes)
- 1/2 cup aqua faba – the liquid from a can of chickpeas
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 2 cups flour or gluten free baking mix
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 Tablespoon pero coffee substitute -optional (just adds a deeper chocolate flavor)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups boiling water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Add aqua faba to an electric mixing bowl and with a whisk attachment or using a hand held electric mixer, or manually by hand with a whisk, whisk aqua faba for about 5 minutes, (if using an electric mixer, hand whisking will take longer) or until it fluffs up.
- Add sugar to aqua faba and continue mixing.
- Add vegetable oil and mix.
- Add flour, cocoa powder, Pero (optional), baking powder, salt and begin mixing as you add boiling water.
- Blend until batter is smooth, batter will be thin.
- Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish and pour batter in.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until the center is risen and feels cooked when gently pressed on with a finger or a tooth pick can be inserted and comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
- Frost with vegan buttercream (recipe below) or favorite frosting.
What you need to make Vegan Buttercream:
Makes enough to frost one 9×13 cake or 2 – 9 inch round cakes
- 1/2 cup vegan butter -room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- Generous pinch of salt
- 1/3 cup plant based milk (almond, oat or cashew or water will work)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Whisk together ingredients until it’s completely smooth.
- If you want it thicker add a little more powdered sugar until it’s at desired consistency.
- Frost cake and enjoy!
Here are a few other vegan dessert recipes you may love:
Vegan French Macaron Cookies
Vegan Vanilla Muffins Four Ways
Vegan Blackberry Lime No Bake Cheesecake
Vegan Chocolate Birthday Cake
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup aqua faba – the liquid from a can of chickpeas
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 2 cups flour or gluten free baking mix
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 Tablespoon pero coffee substitute -optional just adds a deeper chocolate flavor
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups boiling water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Add aqua faba to an electric mixing bowl and with a whisk attachment or using a hand held electric mixer, or manually by hand with a whisk, whisk aqua faba for about 5 minutes, (if using an electric mixer, hand whisking will take longer) or until it fluffs up.
- Add sugar to aqua faba and continue mixing.
- Add vegetable oil and mix.
- Add flour, cocoa powder, Pero (optional), baking powder, salt and begin mixing as you add boiling water.
- Blend until batter is smooth, batter will be thin.
- Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish and pour batter in.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until the center is risen and feels cooked when gently pressed on with a finger or a tooth pick can be inserted and comes out clean.For 9 inch pans bake for 22-23 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
- Frost with vegan buttercream (recipe below) or favorite frosting.
Vegan Buttercream
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup vegan butter -room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- Generous pinch of salt
- 1/3 cup plant based milk almond, oat or cashew or water will work
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Whisk together ingredients until it’s completely smooth.
- If you want it thicker add a little more powdered sugar until it’s at desired consistency.
- Frost cake and enjoy!