Vegan Chocolate Birthday Cake
This website uses affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you click on the link and make a purchase.
This Vegan Chocolate Birthday Cake is one of my all time favorite cakes, and I'm not even vegan! I love this simple, rich, and moist cake that's complimented with a creamy Vegan Chocolate Frosting!
If you are looking for more vegan cake inspiration, check out my Vegan Strawberry Carrot Cake, Vegan Chocolate Sheet Cake, or my Vegan Lemon Chamomile Tea Cake.
Table of Contents
I will start this post by saying, if you are not vegan, keep reading as this cake is for everyone! This is a simple two layer moist chocolate cake with chocolate ganache frosting. This is the birthday cake recipe for the ultimate chocolate lover!
I love making vegan desserts, but I don't want them to taste any less – like dessert. And this organic cake checks all the boxes! This vegan cake couldn't be easier to make either, it's basically a one bowl cake where you can throw all the ingredients into the bowl and just mix. Which are the best kinds of cakes in my mind, because they're so easy!
To top it off, this chocolate ganache frosting is so good! This is more of a rich chocolate frosting, richer than traditional buttercream frosting. But, because this is the ultimate chocolate birthday cake, it's totally warranted. I added simple plant based rainbow sprinkles here, but you can leave them off or add even more if you want.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Chocolate Lovers: This vegan cake is for all the chocolate lovers. Rich and moist chocolate cake is topped with chocolate ganache frosting for the ultimate organic cake if you love chocolate!
Easy: I love making this birthday cake because it's so easy! It's a one bowl cake, basically meaning you can just dump everything into one bowl and mix it up. This organic cake is quick and simple.
Dairy Free & Vegan: This organic cake is both dairy free and vegan. If you have someone with allergies or avoiding dairy, this Vegan Chocolate Birthday Cake checks all the boxes. And, it's so good that even non vegans will love it!
Organic Cake: While you can get a birthday cake at grocery store bakeries, they can be filled with potentially harmful ingredients. Making your own organic cake at home will give you a healthier dessert that also tastes so much better!
Ingredients
- Coconut Oil: The base of this vegan cake.
- Cane Sugar: I use organic cane sugar, which is less processed than granulated white sugar. This makes it a little better for you (but, hey, it's still sugar!). It also gives desserts a more natural sweetness without being overly sweet tasting.
- Apple: I use Fuji apples here, but you can use any sweet variety like Gala or Pink Lady.
- Coconut Milk: I use organic coconut milk, which is my favorite nondairy milk for cakes. Coconut milk is thick and creamy, its consistency is most similar to whole milk. While you can substitute almond or oat milk, these milks have more water in them and that can dry out cake.
- Dutch Cocoa Powder: I use organic Dutch cocoa powder for a rich chocolate flavor.
- Cake Flour: I use organic cake flour for a light and tender crumb. Pastry flour also works if you can't find cake flour.
- Baking Powder: Use baking powder, not soda. Be sure to check out my post the Difference Between Baking Soda and Baking Powder for more info on leavening agents.
- Salt: Use fine sea salt.
- Vanilla Bean: I use organic ground vanilla bean as it provides more depth of flavor in this chocolate birthday cake. But, if you don't have this you can also use vanilla extract.
- Powdered Sugar: I use organic powdered sugar for the frosting. Be sure your powdered sugar is sifted for a smooth and creamy frosting.
- Chocolate Ganache: You'll need Vegan Dark Chocolate Ganache (be sure to make the sauce recipe). This goes inside the frosting, so you'll want to make this ahead of time so it has time to cool before making the frosting.
- Rainbow Sprinkles: I use India Tree Nature's Colors Fiesta Sprinkles, which are rainbow sprinkles made with plant based dyes.
Tools Needed
- Scale: Always use a digital food scale for the best results.
- Stand Mixer: I use my stand mixer for ease, but you can also use a hand mixer if you prefer.
- Cake Pans: You’ll three 6-inch cake pans for this organic cake.
- Parchment Paper: I always use nontoxic parchment paper cake rounds to ensure I can easily remove the cakes from the pans.
Subscribe to Mimi's Organic Eats Channel
Subscribe to my YouTube Channel for all the latest videos. Bake and cook along with John John and me on YouTube!
Subscribing is easy and just by subscribing, you are directly supporting my site!
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two 6-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
Step 2
To make the batter: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add all ingredients and mix until combined. You can also use a hand mixer or a bowl with a wooden spoon. Divide evenly into the cake pans, about 226 grams each.
Step 3
Bake for 30 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in the cake pans. (If you're baking at high altitude, be sure to check the Notes at the bottom of the recipe for high altitude instructions).
Step 4
To make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add all ingredients. Mix on low and then slowly increase speed as ingredients start to combine (so powdered sugar doesn't splatter). Whisk on high until light and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Step 5
To assemble the cake: Place one layer on a cake stand, add about half the frosting and spread evenly. Top with the second cake layer, and add the remaining frosting on top. Spread evenly, and top with rainbow sprinkles.
Baker's Tips
- Make the Vegan Dark Chocolate Ganache Sauce first, so that it has time to cool while the cake is baking. That way it's ready for the frosting once your cake comes out of the oven.
- Make sure your coconut oil is completely melted. You could also substitute for a canola oil as well if you don't have coconut oil on hand or if you don't want the flavor of coconut oil.
- If you don't have ground vanilla bean, you can substitute 1 teaspoon of organic vanilla extract instead. I love to use vanilla bean with certain chocolate recipes as I feel it really brings out the flavor of the chocolate and compliments it more so. But, I know it can be difficult to find and it's expensive right now, so vanilla extract is fine to substitute it. You just want to add in double the amount as ground vanilla bean has a more potent flavor than traditional vanilla extract.
- Be sure to store extra cake in an airtight container in the fridge.
FAQ's
Yes, feel free to use any kind of dairy free milk you like. I really prefer coconut milk for baking as it's sweet, which is why I use this one.
Yes, if you want vanilla frosting instead, then check out my recipe for Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting. You can replace the butter with vegan butter and the milk with coconut milk to easily make that frosting vegan vanilla!
Yes, there's a simple adjustment in the Notes at the bottom of the recipe to make this gluten free. I even link the gluten free flour that I used to test this.
Yes, if you want to frost the whole cake you can definitely do that. I just love the naked look! Either way is totally fine.
Craving More?
Vegan Chocolate Birthday Cake
Ingredients
Batter
- 113 grams coconut oil (melted)
- 226 grams cane sugar
- 170 grams finely grated apple (about 1 apple)
- ½ cup coconut milk room temperature
- 43 grams Dutch cocoa powder (sifted)
- 142 grams cake flour
- ½ teaspoon ground vanilla bean
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Frosting
- 57 grams coconut oil (melted)
- 57 grams Vegan Dark Chocolate Ganache Sauce
- 354 grams powdered sugar (sifted)
- 28 grams Dutch cocoa powder (sifted)
- ¼ cup coconut milk
Topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two 6-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
- To make the batter: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add all ingredients and mix until combined. You can also use a hand mixer or a bowl with a wooden spoon.
- Divide evenly into the cake pans, about 226 grams each. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in the cake pans.
- To make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add all ingredients. Mix on low and then slowly increase speed as ingredients start to combine (so powdered sugar doesn't splatter). Whisk on high until light and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- To assemble the cake: Place one layer on a cake stand, add about half the frosting and spread evenly. Top with the second cake layer, and add the remaining frosting on top. Spread evenly, and top with rainbow sprinkles.
- Store in a cake dome or airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Join Our Organic Community
The best vegan chocolate cake!