Moist fluffy cake, the creamiest frosting, party-perfect dessert decadence on a fork – this Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Cake is NOT messing around!
THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY VITAMIX.
Vegan Chocolate Cake from scratch!
Not from a box. Not from fruits and seeds and other not-typically-found-in-cake ingredients. Believe me, I love a good slice of funfetti just as much as I love a hippie raw hemp date cupcake with sweet potato frosting too. But we all need a solid, serve to anyone, healthier than it looks, homemade chocolate cake recipe in our back pocket. For birthdays and holidays and rainy saturdays and all the I-just-want-cake occasions.
This recipe is pretty damn close to classic. As close as vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, and developed by me is going to get. Not too hard to make. Not too healthy. Birthday level impressive, but still one bowl + one blender approachable. The cake is moist, the crumb is light, the frosting is trying to steal the show with its creamydreamy richness. It’s decadent with a hint of wholesome. If baking balance was a perfect bite of frosted cake, it’d be this one.
I know, I know. Homemade cake, homemade frosting, homemade chocolate curls on top, not eating all the frosting with a spoon while the cake is cooling – this sounds like a lot of work. But we don’t need the all-purpose flour in the cake or the butter in the “buttercream” or two bowls and three whisks because we have something better than all of that combined. The Vitamix!
This amazing machine is our co-worker the entire way through the cake-making process. And just about everything else I do in the kitchen ever, but that’s another story of kitchen appliance obsession. For now CHOCOLATE CAKE…
This recipe starts out wholesome – everybody’s favorite breakfast food turned flour. Oats + the Vitamix + 30 seconds and DONE. Don’t be afraid to kick the blender up to high speed here, you want the oat flour extra fine for optimal light cakey texture.
Combine with the rest of the dry ingredients – cocoa or cacao powder, tapioca starch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. If we were being on our best baker behavior we would sift. But laziness is real, I don’t own a sifter, and whisking them works almost as well.
Next comes the wet ingredients – almond butter, applesauce, almond milk, apple cider vinegar, vanilla extract, and coffee extract (optional but highly suggested for extra rich chocolatey flavor!). We could mix by hand, but why would we in a world where the Vitamix exists and can do that better and faster for us.
I am using the Vitamix A3500 in this recipe and video, btw!
Now the frosting – this is where the Vitamix really shines. You won’t get nearly as creamy a cashew-based frosting without it. Soaking the cashews overnight and using the tamper to keep it blending but not too thin are both key too. You can use almond milk to blend the frosting, but better yet is coconut oil so it will set like buttercream. Coconut milk or cream could work too.
This might be my favorite part. The decadence is REAL.
Frosting meet (cooled!) cake. This is a good moment…
Chocolate shavings meet frosting. This is an even better moment…
But the BEST moment is the first bite moment. As your fork finds it’s way around those fragments of dark chocolate, through that thick layer of cashew-y cocoa heaven (a.k.a. frosting) on top, and sinks into a couple fluffy inches of seriously GOOD chocolate cake.
You need to experience this moment for yourself.
Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 35
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 12 pieces 1x
- Category: dessert
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: american
Description
Moist fluffy cake, the creamiest frosting, party-perfect dessert decadence on a fork – this Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Cake is NOT messing around!
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups(240g) oat flour*
- 1 cup (80g) cacao powder
- 3/4 cup (90g) tapioca starch**
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cup (360g) almond milk
- 1/2 cup (130g) almond butter
- 3/4 cup (105g) coconut sugar
- 1 1/2 cup (360g) applesauce
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp coffee extract (optional)
Frosting
- 1 1/2 cup (180g) raw cashews soaked overnight
- 1/4 cup (80g) maple syrup
- 1/4 cup (20g) cacao powder
- 1/4 cup(50g) coconut oil***
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Combine the oat flour, cocoa powder, tapioca starch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Sift or whisk until no lumps remain.
- In a blender combine the almond butter, coconut sugar, applesauce, non-dairy milk, apple cider vinegar, vanilla extract, and coffee extract.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine. Don’t over mix.
- Pour into a 9-inch cake pan (round or square).
- Bake for 30-35 minutes at 350F or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and cool completely.
For the frosting:
- Comine all the ingredients in a high speed blender.
- Blend on high until smooth, using the tamper and/or stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary. Try not to add extra liquid, but you can add 1-2 tbsp nondairy milk if necessary.
- Refrigerate until firm and spreadable (at least 2 hours).
- Once the cake is cool, frost, top with chocolate shavings, and enjoy!
- It’s best fresh, but you can keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Notes
*Store-bought or make your own by grinding oats (rolled, quick, or steel cut) in a high speed blender until fine.
**You can substitute with arrowroot or cornstarch.
***You can use non-dairy milk instead, but it won’t be as creamy or set the same way.
Looking for a fruit-sweetened chocolate cake? Try THIS recipe.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece (with frosting)
- Calories: 389
- Sugar: 20
- Fat: 20
- Carbohydrates: 50
- Fiber: 6
- Protein: 9
Keywords: chocolate, birthday, cake, vegan, gluten-free, oil-free
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Oh my goodness this looks amazing, especially the frosting. I have your brownie cups in the freezer so I may have to make some later today!! Is this the blender you usually use? I’m wanting a vitamix but unsure of which one suits my needs the best. Thanks!
★★★★★
Hi Kendra! How did the brownie cups turn out? I love those, probably my favorite brownie recipe to date😋 But this frosting is DIVINE you gotta try it. Yes, this is the Vitamix I’ve been using most often but honestly I’ve worked with 3-4 of their models at this point and they are all wonderful. This one is a bit more pricey and has built in programs for blending certain things which is nice but not essential if you want to save some money. I would recommend one with the Smart Blend technology since you have more cup size options that way, so any of these would be great: https://www.vitamix.com/us/en_us/shop/smart-system-blenders Hope that helps!
I pretty much have your brownie cups in my freezer at all times. That’s how amazing they are. I undercook them a little so they are extra fudgey straight from the freezer. Thanks for the recommendation about the blender, especially keeping money in mind!!!. I will talk a look at them.
I really should do a whole post on them, but like I said to Kendra I’ve worked with 3-4 of their models at this point and they are all wonderful. This one is a bit more pricey and has built in programs for blending certain things (smoothie, soup, nut butter, etc.) which is nice but not essential if you want to save some money. I would recommend one with the Smart Blend technology since you have more cup size options that way, so any of these would be great: https://www.vitamix.com/us/en_us/shop/smart-system-blenders Hope that helps!
Your video says cocoa but the recipe says cacao, will either work? Thank you!
Either will work, yes!
YAY! Thank you! I will be trying to recipe tomorrow. Can’t wait!
Perfect, let me know how it goes🤗
Hi,
I like Kendra is in wants/needs for a blender so would love yo hear your valued opinion.
I love your blog and recipes
Thanks,
Robin M
Helloooo Monday! No better start to my Monday than with chocolate! Who are we kidding, everyday that is the best start, bahaha. Chocolate cake is so classic and one can never have enough OR too many chocolate cake options. Loving the creamy cashew swirls on top and of course the chocolate shavings on top! You know my love for those chocolate shaved swirls on top for cakes runs DEEP, haha. That’s always my favorite way to decorate cakes and the little extra bites of chocolate in each mouthful, mmmm. Thanks for starting Monday off with a bang Natalie!! I always love to drool this early in the week, bahaha. I love that overhead shot, gorgeous!
Ha any day/week/month–starting with chocolate sounds like a good plan to me. I agree, I love cake and cupcake recipes too, plus developing them for the blog gives me a reason to eat birthday level leftovers for a week for now reason🤗 I almost went sprinkles but the curls make me feel just a little fancier. Although I think a less dark chocolate would’ve worked better they turned into more shavings than curls. Ah well chocolate is chocolate😊
You’ve outdone yourself again, girl! I never enjoyed chocolate cake until I started making your recipes, and now I’ve made your date-sweetened chocolate cupcakes a couple dozen times. I am clearly going to LOVE this recipe just as much. And OMG yes to making everything in the Vitamix. It’s my answer to hating whisks and bowls and messes and clean up in general. Vitamix? is the first question I ask myself when I am deciding what dessert to make 😉 This recipe checks all my boxes, and more!
A couple dozen times–you are the best Ashley, that makes me so happy! Those have been my go-to for all cake occasions for a while now, but um this one kinda blows them away tbh🙊 I still love those for a healthy option, but for parties and sharing with non-vegan people this will probably be my new go to. Ugh THAT FROSTING🙌 Oh and everything in the vitamix, please and thank you😊
I ditched my sifter years ago when I discovered I could use my large strainer (not colander), just tapping the side until everything sifts through. One less gadget taking up valuable space in my cabinets. Sifts better than whisk.
Yes that’s what I usually use too, works great! But I actually left even that at my moms house, so for now whisking works😆
Hi! Can I just use normal oat flour? What is the tapioca flour for? Thanks btw! Lovely recipe!
The tapioca flour binds and makes the cake crumbly without using eggs or an egg replacer. You can sub cornstarch or arrowroot, but I don’t recommend skipping it. Hope that helps!
Can I use normal oat flour instead of gluten free oat flour? Will it affect the texture? Thank you!
Yep, absolutely! Won’t affect the texture at all 🙂
Thank you so much! Will give it a try❤
HI!! I have a quick question, can i use almond flour instead of oat flour?
Not for this recipe unfortunately. It’s SO much more moist it would turn out very mushy if you do. I will work on a grain-free cake recipe soon though! Or if you want to make my favorite almond flour muffins and add 1/2 cup cocoa powder you could try that too: https://www.feastingonfruit.com/easy-chocolate-chip-muffins/
This chocolate cake looks and sounds ah-mazing!!Thanks for sharing!
It’s SO GOOD. I just finished the last piece of leftovers last night and I’m already missing it😆 Thanks Emily!
The cake is so delicious. I made it today! Thank you for the recipe!
★★★★★