Best Vegan Chocolate Cake (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Chocolate Cake

01 - 1 cup unsweetened soy milk or almond milk
02 - 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
03 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
04 - 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
05 - 3/4 cup cocoa powder
06 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
07 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
08 - 1 teaspoon salt
09 - 1/2 cup canola oil or melted coconut oil
10 - 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
11 - 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
12 - 1 cup boiling water

→ Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

13 - 1 cup cocoa powder
14 - 1 1/2 cups vegan butter, softened
15 - 4-5 cups powdered sugar
16 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
17 - 1/4-1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk or almond milk

# Instructions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease two 8- or 9-inch cake pans. Line them with parchment rounds for easy removal of the cakes.
02 - Measure 1 cup of unsweetened milk and add 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Stir slightly and set aside to let it curdle.
03 - In a large bowl, add flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk well to combine.
04 - Add oil, applesauce, vanilla, and the milk/vinegar mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix on medium speed with a hand or stand mixer until well combined.
05 - Lower the speed of the mixer and carefully pour in the boiling water. Mix until fully combined. The batter will be runny, as expected.
06 - Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
07 - After 10 minutes of cooling in the pans, carefully remove the cakes and let them cool completely before frosting.
08 - In a large bowl, add cocoa powder and whisk to remove clumps. Add softened vegan butter and mix with a hand mixer until creamed.
09 - Mix in half of the powdered sugar and half of the milk, then add the remaining sugar and vanilla extract. Mix until fluffy, adding more milk or powdered sugar as necessary to achieve the desired consistency.
10 - Use an icing spatula or knife to frost the layered cake evenly.

# Notes:

01 - For cupcakes, fill liners halfway and bake for 20-25 minutes. This recipe yields approximately 24 cupcakes.
02 - Double the recipe for a 4-layer cake or halve it for a single layer. Bake bundt cakes for 45 minutes.
03 - Substitute applesauce with flax eggs, aquafaba, or egg replacer as needed.
04 - Cut frosting ingredients in half for lighter frosting coverage.

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