This easy dairy free chocolate cake recipe is incredibly soft and moist yet also uses no eggs, and is gluten free. It's also lower in calories using pumpkin puree instead of oil. This easy vegan cake is perfect for birthdays and holidays for all diets.
This is dairy free chocolate cake is an easy homemade cake made in one bowl, and using only wholesome pantry ingredients. The texture and flavor is like devil's food chocolate cake, yet it tastes better than boxed cakes. It's free of dairy, gluten, eggs and oil, and yet even people who don't have diet restrictions love this cake!
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Why This Dairy Free Chocolate Cake Works
This cake is vegan, gluten free, and oil free. Instead of eggs, I use canned pumpkin puree, applesauce and lemon juice to create an incredibly fluffy texture. And it is gluten free if you use a gluten-free baking flour.
The flavor of this dairy free cake is rich and fudgy, and similar to my other vegan cakes including my chocolate tuxedo cake, and my healthy chocolate cake with applesauce.
And this recipe uses one bowl, and has a short ingredient list so you can have a cake on the table in a little over half an hour.
Ingredients
flour - use all purpose or a gluten-free mix or even oat flour, although you'll need to increase flour to 2 cups.
sugar - use organic cane sugar if you can for the flavor.
cocoa - use unsweetened, dutch process or cacao powder.
dairy-free milk + lemon juice - a mixture that helps the cake rise.
pumpkin puree - used here as an oil and egg replacer. Or use sweet potato puree. I use canned organic.
unsweetened applesauce - used here as an egg replacer.
supporting ingredients: baking powder, baking soda, salt, vanilla, coffee
Step by Step Instructions
Here are general steps but you can find the complete detailed recipe for this dairy free chocolate cake in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
Preparation. Preheat your oven to 350 F (180 C). Be sure ingredients are at room temperature. Measure out ingredients, activate your dairy free milk by adding lemon juice and stirring, coat pans with butter or cooking spray and dust with cocoa powder.
Step 1: To a large mixing bowl, add sugar and wet ingredients and mix until combined, about 2 minutes to be sure the sugar is dissolved.
Step 2: Through a sifter or strainer, add dry ingredients. Sift in the flour and cocoa to be sure there are no clumps. Then use a hand mixer or whisk to combine these dry ingredients.
Step 3: Mix until just combined, under a minute if possible, to avoid a rubbery texture.
Step 4: Divide the batter evenly between prepared cake pans and bake according to times in recipe card below. Remove cakes when a tester comes out clean. I used a long toothpick.
Step 5: Let the cakes cool for ten minutes in pans, then put cakes onto a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
Substitutions
Pumpkin puree. Canned is the most convenient and has the proper amount of moisture. You can replace with sweet potato puree, butternut squash puree or unsweetened applesauce.
Unsweetened applesauce. You can replace with aquafaba (liquid from a chickpea can), or make a chia seed or flaxseed egg -1 tablespoon seed stirred into 3 tablespoon water.
Flour. Use all-purpose flour, or a gluten-free baking 1 to 1 mix.
Cocoa. Use Dutch processed for a darker cake, or cacao powder for a healthier option.
Recipe Tips
1. Be sure to buy canned pumpkin puree with only pumpkin in the ingredients, no added sugar. Don't mistakenly buy pumpkin PIE puree.
2. Be sure all ingredients are at room temperature.
3. Be sure to measure the flour and cocoa carefully, using the fluff and spoon method detailed in my how to measure a cup of flour post.
5. Use baking strips if you can to keep the layers flat. Buy the baking strips here. Soak them in ice cold water while you mix up batter. Squeeze dry a bit. Wrap the strips around the pans before you put in the batter, but after you have greased and floured the pans. Pour in the batter, bake and you will have nice flat layers.
Make Ahead & Storage
Make ahead. Perhaps you want to make a dairy free chocolate birthday cake in advance. You can make this cake in advance as much as 3 days.
Storage. Store the cake unfrosted as described in make ahead. But once frosted, keep the cake loosely covered at room temperature. It will last about 48 hours before it tends to dry out or become overly moist.
Freeze. Wrap the unfrosted cake layers in cling wrap and put into storage bags or a container and freeze for up to 3 months.
FAQS
Yes, triple the recipe and follow the baking instructions as is.
Yes, it is vegan because no eggs are used. To make it gluten free, be sure to use a gluten free flour. My chocolate fudge cake and my chocolate tuxedo cake are both also vegan (egg free) and gluten free as well as dairy free.
Yes, you can reduce it to ¾ cup, but the top won't have the gloss and the cake might be drier.
No, it will taste rich and chocolatey, but be of a heavier texture, kind of like the gourmet tortes you get at a restaurant.
In the recipe, I provide baking instructions for a two layer cake using 6-inch round pans, 8-inch round pans, and cupcakes.
More Healthy Cake Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Dairy Free Chocolate Cake (gluten free)
Equipment
- Measuring cups & spoons
- Mixing bowl
- Hand-mixer
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour or a GF mix like Bob's Red Mill's 1 to 1 baking flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder or cacao powder which is healthier but more expensive
- 1 cup cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup dairy free milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
- ⅓ cup pumpkin puree (or unsweetened apple sauce)
- 3 tablespoon unsweetened applesauce (or aquafaba or flaxseed egg)
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon brewed coffee (optional to deepen chocolate flavor. Or leave off or add 2 tablespoon of milk instead)
Chocolate Frosting:
- 3 ¾ cups powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoon dairy free butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 tablespoon almond milk
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Instructions
Prep
- Preheat your oven to 350 F. Be sure all ingredients are at room temperature.
- Activate your milk by adding the vinegar or lemon juice to it and stirring so it curdles. This creates a mixture that activates the baking soda and creates a lovely moist crumb.1 cup dairy free milk, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Measure out all ingredients.
- Coat the inside of two (6-inch round) cake pans or 1 (8-inch square) pan with butter, coconut oil or a non-stick spray. Dust with cocoa powder.
Make cake
- To a large bowl, combine the sugar and wet ingredients, mixing well, about 2 minutes to be sure sugar is dissolved.1 cup dairy free milk, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ⅓ cup pumpkin puree, 3 tablespoon unsweetened applesauce, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 tablespoon brewed coffee, 1 cup cane sugar
- Through a strainer or sifter, add dry ingredients to avoid clumps.1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- Mix with a hand-mixer or hand whisk until combined, but don't overmix, try to mix under a minute or the cake texture can turn rubbery.
- Divide the batter evenly between prepared cake pans.
- Bake 2 (6 inch round) cakes for 25-30 minutes. Test at 25 minutes.Bake (8-inch square) pan for 35-40 minutes. Bake cupcakes for 18 minutes. Or until tester comes out clean.
- Let cool for a ten minutes in pans, then put cakes onto a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
Make frosting
- Add powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vegan butter, vanilla extract and 2 tablespoon of the milk to a large mixing bowl.3 ¾ cups powdered sugar, 4 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, 3 tablespoon dairy free butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 5 tablespoon almond milk
- Use a hand-mixer or an electric mixer to combine. Add the remaining 3 tablespoon of milk gradually until you have a creamy consistency. You can add more or less milk, but be careful, it can turn too runny very fast.
- If your frosting seems too runny, add powdered sugar, if it too thick, add milk a teaspoon at a time. The final frosting should be spreadable.
Assemble the cake
- Frost cakes or cupcakes
Store
- Once frosted, the cake or cupcakes are fine at room temperature for about 2 days and then they begin to dry out.
Ethan
My goodness this texture is insane.
Melanie
Hello, I was wondering if this recipe could be doubled and made in a 9 x 13 pan? I made it this weekend in my 8" square pan and it came out perfect!! I want to make a bigger one for a birthday. If I double the recipe could I just take some extra batter out and make a couple cupcakes? Or would it be fine all in the 9x13?
Dee Dine
Yay! I love this recipe, I'm so glad it worked out for you. Theoretically, you can just double a recipe to make it in a 9x13" pan. I haven't tried that with this recipe but I see no reason why it shouldn't work - just be sure the center is cooked through before removing the cake perhaps by the toothpick test.
Melanie
Thank you so much for the quick reply!! Awesome, I will give it a try and report back! Love all your recipes!!
Dee Dine
You are welcome!
Alisia
This was delicious and so moist!
Thank you for this recipe, my boyfriend loved his birthday cake! 🙂
Dee Dine
So glad you and your boyfriend enjoyed the cake reicpe Alisia!
Terri
Do I have to add the coffee?
Dee Dine
No, it's optional to deepen the chocolate flavor.