Vegan Devil's Food Cake

Total time2 hr 5 min

Prep time30 min

Cook time35 min

4.5

(29)

Deep, dark, and intensely chocolatey, this layer cake is the kind of showstopper that makes people ask for the recipe before they've even finished their slice — and then do a double-take when they find out there are no eggs or dairy involved. The secret starts with a simple vegan buttermilk made by combining plant-based milk and apple cider vinegar, which curdles just enough to give the batter that tender, moist crumb you'd expect from a classic devil's food. Hot brewed coffee deepens the Dutch-process cocoa powder in a way that's hard to put into words but impossible to miss in the final bite. Melted vegan butter and neutral oil work together to keep every layer rich and springy without any heaviness. The frosting is whipped from softened vegan butter, more sifted cocoa, and powdered sugar until it's fluffy, silky, and absolutely worth licking off the spatula. This recipe yields 12 generous servings, making it ideal for birthdays, celebrations, or any occasion that calls for a genuinely impressive centerpiece. Once you see how straightforward the process is, this will be your go-to chocolate cake regardless of who's coming to dinner.

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Ingredients

12 servings

For the cake

1 cup plant-based milk
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup dutch-process cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp fine salt
1 ¾ cups organic cane sugar
½ cup vegan butter, melted and cooled
½ cup neutral oil (such as canola or sunflower)
1 cup hot brewed coffee
2 tsp vanilla extract

For the frosting

1 ½ cups vegan butter, softened
¾ cup dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted
3 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
¼ cup plant-based milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp fine salt

Instructions

1
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, and grease the parchment.
2
Stir together the 1 cup plant-based milk and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl and set aside for 5 minutes until slightly curdled — this is your vegan buttermilk.

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