If you’re on the hunt for the ultimate dairy free chocolate cake, your search ends here. As someone who has been dairy free for over 10 years, this is my favourite, works-every-time chocolate cake recipe. It’s rich, decadent, and full of deep chocolate flavour. Topped with the creamiest fudgy vegan chocolate buttercream, it’s perfect for birthdays, celebrations, or just when you want to bake a cake.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐egg-free, dairy-free and vegan but definitely NOT disappointing!!! Easy to make, lovely texture and taste. this will now be my ‘go to’ chocolate cake recipe. – lynn
There really isn’t much a slice of good chocolate cake can’t fix. It’s honestly perfect for most occasions. But when you’re dairy free, chocolate cake can end up tasting too dry, too dense, or just simply lacking in that rich chocolate flavour that we are craving.
That’s where this chocolate cake recipe comes in. This is the dairy free chocolate cake that I have been making for YEARS. I have served this to so many people I’ve lost count and the feedback is always disbelief when they find out it is both dairy free and egg free.
This recipe creates a cake that is delicate and soft, but still holds together enough for layering, and is so full of rich chocolate flavour (the most important part right!). This is the perfect chocolate cake if you ask me.
I like to finish this cake with a generous amount of my favourite vegan chocolate buttercream which I can and will eat with a spoon while frosting. It is super easy to make and has a thick, rich and super creamy texture.
🤓 The secret to the richest chocolate flavour? Coffee. You won’t taste it in the cake, but it enhances the chocolate flavour creating a richer tasting cake. Even if you’re not a coffee drinker, trust me on this one.
Key Ingredients
Just like all of my baking recipes, we’re not using any unusual substitutes in this dairy free chocolate cake, just pantry staples!
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Plain flour – also known as all purpose flour in the US.
- Cocoa powder – for the rich chocolate flavour you want to use a good quality cocoa powder. I’ve used Cadbury Bournville cocoa powder my entire life because it’s made from the same beans Cadbury uses to make their chocolate so you know it’s going to taste good. For those in the US, this is a Dutch-processed cocoa powder.
- Baking powder and bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) – a combination of both ensures that our cake rises in the oven and has a soft and light texture.
- White sugar – for flavour and moisture.
- Canola oil – to create a soft and moist cake. You can use any light tasting/flavourless oil. You could also use melted coconut oil but your cake will end up with a slight coconut taste to it.
- Vanilla extract – works to really enhance the chocolate flavour.
- Strongly brewed coffee – I promise you don’t taste it, all it does is make the chocolate flavour so much richer. If you must leave it out, you can use extra dairy free milk instead but note that your cake may not be as rich in flavour.
- White vinegar – works to react with the bicarbonate of soda and keep this cake light and fluffy.
- Dairy free milk – my preference is oat or almond milk in my cake, but you can also use soy with similar results. I don’t recommend canned coconut milk in this cake.
You’ll Also Love: Dairy Free Vanilla Cake
Step-By-Step Instructions
This cake begins with a simple batter. All you’ll need for the cake layers are a couple of bowls, a whisk and a rubber spatula. I often will grab my electric handheld mixer just for ease, but honestly a whisk is all you need. You’ll also need 2 x 7 inch pans, or you can use 8 inch pans which will just mean the layers are a little thinner.
Step 1: Start by mixing together the oat milk with the white vinegar and set aside.
Step 2: Mix together the sugar, canola oil, and vanilla until combined. Add in the coffee and continue mixing.
Step 3: Sift the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients. Start mixing, slowly adding the milk as the batter starts to combine. Always make sure to only mix until just combined and then stop. Vegan cakes have a tendency to get rubbery and dense when overmixed, which is the opposite of what this cake should be, so once the batter comes together, put the whisk down.
Step 4: Pour the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and place them in the oven to bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick when inserted in the centre comes out clean. The tops should also spring back when lightly touched.
Step 5: Let the cakes cool for about 20 minutes in the pan before turning them out onto a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
Assembling the Cake
Cake decorating can be intimidating so with this simple dairy free chocolate cake we have kept things really easy.
First, you’ll need to make a batch of vegan chocolate buttercream. If you want to do extra piping on the top, then I recommend increasing the recipe to 1.5 x the amount, but for frosting as I have, one batch should be plenty!
Start by adding a small amount of your buttercream to your serving plate or cake stand to secure the first cake. Top with buttercream and then layer on the second cake. I usually prefer to add the top cake upside down so that I get a flat top.
Top with more buttercream and add some around the sides and then using a knife or a small offset spatula to spread the buttercream evenly around.
Set the cake aside in the fridge or freezer if possible to chill before slicing which will help the cake set and be less likely to crumble and fall apart.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! You have a couple of options. You can make the cake itself ahead of time and freeze the layers. Just wrap each layer tightly in plastic wrap and then in aluminium foil and freeze for up to three months. To defrost, leave the cake in the fridge or on the counter overnight before unwrapping. Frost and serve as if freshly baked.
For any leftover cake that has already been frosted, simply slice and wrap in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for about a month.
I haven’t tested this cake with gluten free flour, so I can’t say for sure how it will turn out. If you want to try it, I would suggest using all purpose gluten free 1-1 flour. If you have tried it, please leave a comment below for other readers!
Yes you can. You can instead make this cake as a 2 layer 8 inch (20 cm) cake. You can also just use whatever you have available, just be sure to check the cakes as they are cooking and cook until a skewer when inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean, rather than just based on a time.
Yes you can. It would probably yield about 18 cupcakes and cooking time would need to be reduced to closer to 20 minutes. Otherwise you can try my vegan chocolate cupcakes recipe instead which is one of my all time favourite cupcake recipes!
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More dairy free cake recipes:
Vegan Red Velvet Cake
Vegan Coffee Cake
Vegan Carrot Cake
Vegan Vanilla Cake
Dairy Free Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup dairy free milk
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 cup white sugar/granulated sugar
- ½ cup canola oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup strongly brewed coffee
- 1 ⅔ cups all purpose flour plain flour
- ⅔ cup cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda bicarbonate of soda
- 1 batch
vegan chocolate buttercream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and grease and line 2 x 7 inch round cake tins with baking paper and cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, mix together the oat milk with the white vinegar and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, canola oil, and vanilla until combined. Add in the coffee and continue mixing.
- Sift the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients. Start mixing, slowly adding the milk as the batter starts to combine. Make sure to only mix until just combined and then stop
- Pour the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and place in the oven to bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick when inserted in the centre comes out clean. The tops should also spring back when lightly touched.
- Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 20 minutes, before turning out to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once the cakes are cool, prepare a batch of vegan chocolate frosting and assemble the cake.
- Cover with a layer of frosting before placing the second layer on top, upside down to ensure you have a flat top. Cover the top and sides of the cake with another thick layer of frosting using a cake knife and gently smooth it around so the coverage is even.
- Chill the cake in the fridge for a few hours before serving to make it easy to slice and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
This recipe was originally published in 2022 and has been updated in 2025 with new photos and more helpful information. The recipe remains the same!
Lynn G. says
Egg-free, dairy-free and vegan but definitely NOT disappointing!!!
Easy to make, lovely texture and taste. This will now be my ‘go to’ chocolate cake recipe. Buttercream is excellent! Will have to give ganache another try, it was the only disappointment, but maybe I chose the wrong dairy free chocolate?!?
Sally says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for sharing Lynn 🙂