Chocolate Vegan Birthday Cake

Name: Chocolate Vegan Birthday Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour; 1 1/2 cups raw cane sugar (or sub white sugar); 3/4 cup cocoa powder; 3 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp baking powder; 1/4 tsp salt; 2 cups almond milk; 1/2 cup coconut oil (melted); 1 cup applesauce; 2 tsp apple cider vinegar; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 3/4 cups dairy free butter; 1/4 cup dairy free chocolate chips; 1/2 cup cocoa powder; 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar; 1/4 cup almond milk; 2 tbsp almond butter; 1 tsp vanilla extract

By Erin · March 12, 2019 · Updated August 28, 2019 · 58 Comments

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Celebrate your big day with this moist and rich Chocolate Vegan Birthday Cake. Made with easy to find ingredients, this sprinkle-filled cake will satisfy your sweet tooth in no time!

**This post originally appeared in 2016 but has since been updated with new content+photos. It’s still the same great recipe though!

Can we all agree that the one non-negotiable item on birthdays is a birthday cake? Every year for my birthday, my mom asks me what kind of cake I want, and without fail I either choose an almond cake or a carrot cake. But, this chocolate birthday cake was for my brother’s birthday per his request, so a chocolate cake he got!

Birthdays are exciting, right? You get gifts and dinner and dessert and to spend quality time with the ones you love. Yeah, birthdays rule, especially birthdays with vegan birthday cake.

Why do I love this vegan cake so much? Let me tell you!

It’s chocolate-y
Super rich
It’s vegan-friendly
The applesauce makes it moist
The icing is made with the BEST ingredients
Optional: it’s covered in sprinkles

I remember being 23 like it was yesterday, even though it was actually 730 days ago, or something like that (I can’t decide if that sounds like forever ago or not long at all…). I was one year out of college working a desk job and hating every second of it. But I had this blog and I had Miguel and I still lived in Pittsburgh, so I suppose 23 wasn’t so bad. The one thing I remember about turning 23 was that Miguel threw me a surprise party and bought me a delicious cake. Yes, I have a horrible memory, but I can still remember that delicious cake.

Now, let’s talk about what you’re going to need in order to make this cake.

VEGAN BIRTHDAY CAKE INGREDIENTS

all purpose flour
sugar
cocoa powder
dairy free milk
coconut oil
applesauce blah

CHOCOLATE ICING

dairy free chocolate chips
dairy free butter
cocoa powder
powdered sugar
almond butter
dairy free milk

So, this cake recipe is pretty similar to this chocolate mint cake, minus the eggs and maple syrup. Oh, and it’s a two layer cake and covered in sprinkles because it’s not just any cake, it’s a birthday cake, and birthday cakes must be covered in sprinkles.

TIPS FOR MAKING THE PERFECT VEGAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Leave the cake in until it’s done. I know this may seem like common sense, but don’t just assume it’s done after 45 minutes because mine was. Every oven is different, so be sure to do the toothpick test to check when yours is done. This cake is super moist, so it might take a bit longer to bake.
Don’t put the icing in the refrigerator. The icing is super thick, so it actually doesn’t need refrigerated at all. My suggestion is to wait until your cakes are completely cooled and THEN make the icing and ice the cakes right away, rather than prepping the icing ahead of time. If you DO refrigerate the icing, it will harden a bit and you’ll have to add a splash of milk in order for it to be spreadable.

Enough with the tips already, let’s eat this vegan chocolate cake!

MORE CAKE RECIPES