Vegan Chocolate Sheet Cake with vegan chocolate frosting is a dessert recipe for all occasions! It’s fluffy, chocolate-y, tender and SO delicious! Whether you’re celebrating a birthday or just craving all things chocolate, this cake is the perfect choice.
Any chocolate lovers around? If so, you’re going to LOVE this Vegan Chocolate Sheet Cake! I know the holidays are usually a time for extravagant desserts, but it’s never a bad idea to sit back and enjoy a good slice of chocolate cake. I mean, one bite and you’ll know, this was the right choice.
Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Sheet Cake Recipe
- Everyday ingredients . You guys know it’s so important to me that the vegan basics I share are pantry-friendly and filled with simple ingredients. This chocolate sheet cake is exactly that.
- Simple to make . This vegan chocolate sheet cake recipe is also super easy to put together, and even easier to decorate. In fact, you might want to get some little helpers involved! Sprinkles are always appreciated by the kiddos.
- Classic flavour . You will never guess that this chocolate sheet cake is vegan! It has the same flavour and moist texture of the traditional recipe.
Notes on Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
For the Cake :
- Apple cider vinegar – This is for preparing the vegan buttermilk. Regular vinegar will also work if you don’t have apple cider vinegar.
- Soy milk – Any other vegan milk would also work, but I love soy for its high protein content, and because it’s thick and smooth.
- Brown sugar – You can also use cane sugar, which is sweeter than regular or brown sugar.
- All-purpose flour – I highly recommend a regular all-purpose flour. You could also make this gluten free, but it might change the texture.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – I recommend regular high-quality unsweetened cocoa powder, not dutch processed cocoa powder (it doesn’t react the same).
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Sea salt – If you want to use regular salt in this chocolate sheet cake, slightly reduce the amount.
- Oil – This takes the place of butter to ensure that the cake is nice and tender.
- Vanilla extract
- Warm milk + instant coffee – The coffee REALLY boosts the chocolate flavour. You can also use espresso powder. You could leave it out, but I don’t recommend it. I like to stir this into warm milk which helps to melt the ingredients, as well as dissolve the coffee.
For the Frosting :
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Unsalted vegan butter – It’s also okay if you use salted vegan butter, just skip the salt below! Here’s my recipe for homemade vegan butter .
- Vanilla extract
- Sea salt
- Powdered sugar – AKA confectioner’s sugar. You can also make your own by just blending any sugar in your blender !
- Vegan milk
How to Make Vegan Chocolate Sheet Cake
- Preheat oven and line sheet pan . Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Prepare a 9×13 sheet pan by greasing and flouring or line it with parchment paper.
- Prepare buttermilk . In a jar, add the vinegar and room temperature vegan milk together to curdle to form a buttermilk.
- Combine dry ingredients . In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt.
- Mix in oil and buttermilk . Add in the oil, buttermilk, and vanilla extract.
- Warm milk and stir in instant coffee . Heat up the remaining milk in the microwave for 40 seconds (or on the stovetop until warm, not boiling). Stir the instant coffee into the milk with a whisk or fork to dissolve for about 15 seconds.
- Mix everything together . Add the milk mixture to the bowl on top of everything. Beat on medium speed with an electric mixer for no more than 1 minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl to ensure that everything is incorporated.
- Get rid of air bubbles . Pour the batter into the pan. Lightly tap on the counter three times to remove any air bubbles.
- Bake the cake . Place the pan in the center of the middle rack in your oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
- Make the frosting . Add the cocoa powder, vegan butter, 2 1/2 cups of the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, sea salt and half the vegan milk to the bowl of an electric stand mixer or a hand mixer . Start mixing at low speed, gradually increasing until the frosting is thick and smooth. Add the remaining powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time until the frosting reaches your desired thickness and consistency. If needed, add in the other half of the milk about 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Decorate and serve . After cooled, frost with chocolate frosting and sprinkles. For an even more moist chocolate sheet cake, brush with simple syrup before adding the frosting!
Tips for Success
- Weigh the flour . I highly suggest using a kitchen scale for this! It gives you the most accurate results.
- Sift the dry ingredients . This will ensure that you remove any lumps in the flour and cocoa, and that you get a smooth, tender chocolate sheet cake!
- Don’t over-mix the batter . Over-mixing the batter can make the cake too dense because of the gluten that activates in the flour. Just mix enough to combine all of the ingredients together.
- Sift your powdered sugar . Be sure to sift your powdered sugar before making your frosting! This makes such a tremendous difference to the consistency of the frosting.
- Avoid thick frosting . You don’t want the frosting to be runny, but you also want it to spread easily across the top of the cake. If your frosting turns out to be too thick, try adding a splash of milk to it.
Cake Decorating Ideas
What’s the best way to decorate a cake? Well, you can’t really go wrong, but here’s some inspiration to get you brainstorming:
- Sprinkles . They’re so colorful and fun! Plus, kids love to decorate with them almost as much as they love to eat them.
- Chocolate Shavings . Triple chocolate sheet cake anybody?
- Berries . Raspberries, strawberries, and cherries are all great choices.
- Chopped nuts . I would recommend walnuts, or maybe even pecans.
How to Store Leftover Cake
- Room temperature/refrigerator : Leftover vegan chocolate sheet cake should be stored in an airtight container. If you’re going to eat the rest of it fairly quickly, it should be fine at room temperature, but you can also keep it in the fridge for 4-5 days if you need to.
- Freezer : The cake can be frozen in an airtight container, or tight layers of plastic/reusable wrap or even in parchment paper with foil covering it for up to 2 months, as long as you haven’t frosted it yet.
More Vegan Cake Recipes
- Vegan Red Velvet Cake
- Vegan Coconut Cake
- Pumpkin Dump Cake
- Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Vegan Carrot Cake
Ingredients
Vegan Chocolate Sheet Cake
- 1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar , or regular vinegar
- 1 cup soy milk , or other vegan milk (240mL), room temperature
- 2 cups brown sugar , or cane sugar (400g)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour , (360g)
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder , (80g)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ¾ cup oil , (150g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup warm milk (240mL) + 1 teaspoon instant coffee , mix in until dissolved – stir these together right before you need them so the milk is still warm
Vegan Chocolate Frosting
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup unsalted vegan butter , (softened) or salted, but don’t use the sea salt below
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of sea salt
- 2 ½-3 cups powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup vegan milk , (+ 1 tablespoon extra if needed)
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Prepare a 9×13 sheet pan (with sides) by greasing & flouring or lining with parchment paper (I usually just grease and flour).
- In a jar, add the vinegar and room temperature vegan milk together to curdle to form a buttermilk. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt. Using a whisk, whisk all the ingredients together, removing any clumps that may form.
- Add in the oil, the buttermilk mix from earlier and the vanilla extract.
- Heat up that additional milk in the microwave for 40 seconds (or on stove top until warm not boiling). You want it warm enough to dissolve but not boiling. Stir the instant coffee into it with a whisk or fork to dissolve for about 15 seconds.
- Add it to the bowl on top of everything. Beat on medium speed of electric mixer for no more than 1 minute on medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl once in between to ensure that everything is incorporated. You want to mix until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the pan. Tap on the counter three times lightly to remove any air bubbles.
- Place the pan in the middle rack of your oven and in the center of that rack. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until fully baked. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
- After cooled, frost with chocolate frosting and sprinkles (optional!) Enjoy! For an even more moist cake, brush with simple syrup before putting on the frosting!
For the Frosting
- Add the cocoa powder, vegan butter, 2 1/2 cups of the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, sea salt and half the vegan milk to the bowl of an electric stand mixer or a hand mixer. Start mixing it together at slow speed, gradually increasing speed until it’s very thick and smooth. Add the 1/2 cup of the extra powdered sugar at a time until it reaches your desired thickness and consistency. If needed, add in the other half of the milk about 1 tablespoon at a time.
Notes
Vegan Chocolate Sheet Cake with vegan chocolate frosting is a dessert recipe for all occasions! It’s fluffy, chocolate-y, tender and SO delicious! Whether you’re celebrating a birthday or just craving all things chocolate, this cake is the perfect choice.
Any chocolate lovers around? If so, you’re going to LOVE this Vegan Chocolate Sheet Cake! I know the holidays are usually a time for extravagant desserts, but it’s never a bad idea to sit back and enjoy a good slice of chocolate cake. I mean, one bite and you’ll know, this was the right choice.
Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Sheet Cake Recipe
- Everyday ingredients . You guys know it’s so important to me that the vegan basics I share are pantry-friendly and filled with simple ingredients. This chocolate sheet cake is exactly that.
- Simple to make . This vegan chocolate sheet cake recipe is also super easy to put together, and even easier to decorate. In fact, you might want to get some little helpers involved! Sprinkles are always appreciated by the kiddos.
- Classic flavour . You will never guess that this chocolate sheet cake is vegan! It has the same flavour and moist texture of the traditional recipe.
Notes on Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
For the Cake :
- Apple cider vinegar – This is for preparing the vegan buttermilk. Regular vinegar will also work if you don’t have apple cider vinegar.
- Soy milk – Any other vegan milk would also work, but I love soy for its high protein content, and because it’s thick and smooth.
- Brown sugar – You can also use cane sugar, which is sweeter than regular or brown sugar.
- All-purpose flour – I highly recommend a regular all-purpose flour. You could also make this gluten free, but it might change the texture.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – I recommend regular high-quality unsweetened cocoa powder, not dutch processed cocoa powder (it doesn’t react the same).
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Sea salt – If you want to use regular salt in this chocolate sheet cake, slightly reduce the amount.
- Oil – This takes the place of butter to ensure that the cake is nice and tender.
- Vanilla extract
- Warm milk + instant coffee – The coffee REALLY boosts the chocolate flavour. You can also use espresso powder. You could leave it out, but I don’t recommend it. I like to stir this into warm milk which helps to melt the ingredients, as well as dissolve the coffee.
For the Frosting :
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Unsalted vegan butter – It’s also okay if you use salted vegan butter, just skip the salt below! Here’s my recipe for homemade vegan butter .
- Vanilla extract
- Sea salt
- Powdered sugar – AKA confectioner’s sugar. You can also make your own by just blending any sugar in your blender !
- Vegan milk
How to Make Vegan Chocolate Sheet Cake
- Preheat oven and line sheet pan . Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Prepare a 9×13 sheet pan by greasing and flouring or line it with parchment paper.
- Prepare buttermilk . In a jar, add the vinegar and room temperature vegan milk together to curdle to form a buttermilk.
- Combine dry ingredients . In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt.
- Mix in oil and buttermilk . Add in the oil, buttermilk, and vanilla extract.
- Warm milk and stir in instant coffee . Heat up the remaining milk in the microwave for 40 seconds (or on the stovetop until warm, not boiling). Stir the instant coffee into the milk with a whisk or fork to dissolve for about 15 seconds.
- Mix everything together . Add the milk mixture to the bowl on top of everything. Beat on medium speed with an electric mixer for no more than 1 minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl to ensure that everything is incorporated.
- Get rid of air bubbles . Pour the batter into the pan. Lightly tap on the counter three times to remove any air bubbles.
- Bake the cake . Place the pan in the center of the middle rack in your oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
- Make the frosting . Add the cocoa powder, vegan butter, 2 1/2 cups of the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, sea salt and half the vegan milk to the bowl of an electric stand mixer or a hand mixer . Start mixing at low speed, gradually increasing until the frosting is thick and smooth. Add the remaining powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time until the frosting reaches your desired thickness and consistency. If needed, add in the other half of the milk about 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Decorate and serve . After cooled, frost with chocolate frosting and sprinkles. For an even more moist chocolate sheet cake, brush with simple syrup before adding the frosting!
Tips for Success
- Weigh the flour . I highly suggest using a kitchen scale for this! It gives you the most accurate results.
- Sift the dry ingredients . This will ensure that you remove any lumps in the flour and cocoa, and that you get a smooth, tender chocolate sheet cake!
- Don’t over-mix the batter . Over-mixing the batter can make the cake too dense because of the gluten that activates in the flour. Just mix enough to combine all of the ingredients together.
- Sift your powdered sugar . Be sure to sift your powdered sugar before making your frosting! This makes such a tremendous difference to the consistency of the frosting.
- Avoid thick frosting . You don’t want the frosting to be runny, but you also want it to spread easily across the top of the cake. If your frosting turns out to be too thick, try adding a splash of milk to it.
Cake Decorating Ideas
What’s the best way to decorate a cake? Well, you can’t really go wrong, but here’s some inspiration to get you brainstorming:
- Sprinkles . They’re so colorful and fun! Plus, kids love to decorate with them almost as much as they love to eat them.
- Chocolate Shavings . Triple chocolate sheet cake anybody?
- Berries . Raspberries, strawberries, and cherries are all great choices.
- Chopped nuts . I would recommend walnuts, or maybe even pecans.
How to Store Leftover Cake
- Room temperature/refrigerator : Leftover vegan chocolate sheet cake should be stored in an airtight container. If you’re going to eat the rest of it fairly quickly, it should be fine at room temperature, but you can also keep it in the fridge for 4-5 days if you need to.
- Freezer : The cake can be frozen in an airtight container, or tight layers of plastic/reusable wrap or even in parchment paper with foil covering it for up to 2 months, as long as you haven’t frosted it yet.
More Vegan Cake Recipes
- Vegan Red Velvet Cake
- Vegan Coconut Cake
- Pumpkin Dump Cake
- Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Vegan Carrot Cake
Ingredients
Vegan Chocolate Sheet Cake
- 1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar , or regular vinegar
- 1 cup soy milk , or other vegan milk (240mL), room temperature
- 2 cups brown sugar , or cane sugar (400g)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour , (360g)
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder , (80g)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ¾ cup oil , (150g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup warm milk (240mL) + 1 teaspoon instant coffee , mix in until dissolved – stir these together right before you need them so the milk is still warm
Vegan Chocolate Frosting
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup unsalted vegan butter , (softened) or salted, but don’t use the sea salt below
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of sea salt
- 2 ½-3 cups powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup vegan milk , (+ 1 tablespoon extra if needed)
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Prepare a 9×13 sheet pan (with sides) by greasing & flouring or lining with parchment paper (I usually just grease and flour).
- In a jar, add the vinegar and room temperature vegan milk together to curdle to form a buttermilk. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt. Using a whisk, whisk all the ingredients together, removing any clumps that may form.
- Add in the oil, the buttermilk mix from earlier and the vanilla extract.
- Heat up that additional milk in the microwave for 40 seconds (or on stove top until warm not boiling). You want it warm enough to dissolve but not boiling. Stir the instant coffee into it with a whisk or fork to dissolve for about 15 seconds.
- Add it to the bowl on top of everything. Beat on medium speed of electric mixer for no more than 1 minute on medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl once in between to ensure that everything is incorporated. You want to mix until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the pan. Tap on the counter three times lightly to remove any air bubbles.
- Place the pan in the middle rack of your oven and in the center of that rack. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until fully baked. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
- After cooled, frost with chocolate frosting and sprinkles (optional!) Enjoy! For an even more moist cake, brush with simple syrup before putting on the frosting!
For the Frosting
- Add the cocoa powder, vegan butter, 2 1/2 cups of the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, sea salt and half the vegan milk to the bowl of an electric stand mixer or a hand mixer. Start mixing it together at slow speed, gradually increasing speed until it’s very thick and smooth. Add the 1/2 cup of the extra powdered sugar at a time until it reaches your desired thickness and consistency. If needed, add in the other half of the milk about 1 tablespoon at a time.
Notes
Vegan Chocolate Sheet Cake with vegan chocolate frosting is a dessert recipe for all occasions! It’s fluffy, chocolate-y, tender and SO delicious! Whether you’re celebrating a birthday or just craving all things chocolate, this cake is the perfect choice.
Any chocolate lovers around? If so, you’re going to LOVE this Vegan Chocolate Sheet Cake! I know the holidays are usually a time for extravagant desserts, but it’s never a bad idea to sit back and enjoy a good slice of chocolate cake. I mean, one bite and you’ll know, this was the right choice.
Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Sheet Cake Recipe
- Everyday ingredients . You guys know it’s so important to me that the vegan basics I share are pantry-friendly and filled with simple ingredients. This chocolate sheet cake is exactly that.
- Simple to make . This vegan chocolate sheet cake recipe is also super easy to put together, and even easier to decorate. In fact, you might want to get some little helpers involved! Sprinkles are always appreciated by the kiddos.
- Classic flavour . You will never guess that this chocolate sheet cake is vegan! It has the same flavour and moist texture of the traditional recipe.
Notes on Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
For the Cake :
- Apple cider vinegar – This is for preparing the vegan buttermilk. Regular vinegar will also work if you don’t have apple cider vinegar.
- Soy milk – Any other vegan milk would also work, but I love soy for its high protein content, and because it’s thick and smooth.
- Brown sugar – You can also use cane sugar, which is sweeter than regular or brown sugar.
- All-purpose flour – I highly recommend a regular all-purpose flour. You could also make this gluten free, but it might change the texture.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – I recommend regular high-quality unsweetened cocoa powder, not dutch processed cocoa powder (it doesn’t react the same).
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Sea salt – If you want to use regular salt in this chocolate sheet cake, slightly reduce the amount.
- Oil – This takes the place of butter to ensure that the cake is nice and tender.
- Vanilla extract
- Warm milk + instant coffee – The coffee REALLY boosts the chocolate flavour. You can also use espresso powder. You could leave it out, but I don’t recommend it. I like to stir this into warm milk which helps to melt the ingredients, as well as dissolve the coffee.
For the Frosting :
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Unsalted vegan butter – It’s also okay if you use salted vegan butter, just skip the salt below! Here’s my recipe for homemade vegan butter .
- Vanilla extract
- Sea salt
- Powdered sugar – AKA confectioner’s sugar. You can also make your own by just blending any sugar in your blender !
- Vegan milk
How to Make Vegan Chocolate Sheet Cake
- Preheat oven and line sheet pan . Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Prepare a 9×13 sheet pan by greasing and flouring or line it with parchment paper.
- Prepare buttermilk . In a jar, add the vinegar and room temperature vegan milk together to curdle to form a buttermilk.
- Combine dry ingredients . In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt.
- Mix in oil and buttermilk . Add in the oil, buttermilk, and vanilla extract.
- Warm milk and stir in instant coffee . Heat up the remaining milk in the microwave for 40 seconds (or on the stovetop until warm, not boiling). Stir the instant coffee into the milk with a whisk or fork to dissolve for about 15 seconds.
- Mix everything together . Add the milk mixture to the bowl on top of everything. Beat on medium speed with an electric mixer for no more than 1 minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl to ensure that everything is incorporated.
- Get rid of air bubbles . Pour the batter into the pan. Lightly tap on the counter three times to remove any air bubbles.
- Bake the cake . Place the pan in the center of the middle rack in your oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
- Make the frosting . Add the cocoa powder, vegan butter, 2 1/2 cups of the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, sea salt and half the vegan milk to the bowl of an electric stand mixer or a hand mixer . Start mixing at low speed, gradually increasing until the frosting is thick and smooth. Add the remaining powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time until the frosting reaches your desired thickness and consistency. If needed, add in the other half of the milk about 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Decorate and serve . After cooled, frost with chocolate frosting and sprinkles. For an even more moist chocolate sheet cake, brush with simple syrup before adding the frosting!
Tips for Success
- Weigh the flour . I highly suggest using a kitchen scale for this! It gives you the most accurate results.
- Sift the dry ingredients . This will ensure that you remove any lumps in the flour and cocoa, and that you get a smooth, tender chocolate sheet cake!
- Don’t over-mix the batter . Over-mixing the batter can make the cake too dense because of the gluten that activates in the flour. Just mix enough to combine all of the ingredients together.
- Sift your powdered sugar . Be sure to sift your powdered sugar before making your frosting! This makes such a tremendous difference to the consistency of the frosting.
- Avoid thick frosting . You don’t want the frosting to be runny, but you also want it to spread easily across the top of the cake. If your frosting turns out to be too thick, try adding a splash of milk to it.
Cake Decorating Ideas
What’s the best way to decorate a cake? Well, you can’t really go wrong, but here’s some inspiration to get you brainstorming:
- Sprinkles . They’re so colorful and fun! Plus, kids love to decorate with them almost as much as they love to eat them.
- Chocolate Shavings . Triple chocolate sheet cake anybody?
- Berries . Raspberries, strawberries, and cherries are all great choices.
- Chopped nuts . I would recommend walnuts, or maybe even pecans.
How to Store Leftover Cake
- Room temperature/refrigerator : Leftover vegan chocolate sheet cake should be stored in an airtight container. If you’re going to eat the rest of it fairly quickly, it should be fine at room temperature, but you can also keep it in the fridge for 4-5 days if you need to.
- Freezer : The cake can be frozen in an airtight container, or tight layers of plastic/reusable wrap or even in parchment paper with foil covering it for up to 2 months, as long as you haven’t frosted it yet.
More Vegan Cake Recipes
- Vegan Red Velvet Cake
- Vegan Coconut Cake
- Pumpkin Dump Cake
- Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Vegan Carrot Cake
Ingredients
Vegan Chocolate Sheet Cake
- 1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar , or regular vinegar
- 1 cup soy milk , or other vegan milk (240mL), room temperature
- 2 cups brown sugar , or cane sugar (400g)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour , (360g)
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder , (80g)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ¾ cup oil , (150g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup warm milk (240mL) + 1 teaspoon instant coffee , mix in until dissolved – stir these together right before you need them so the milk is still warm
Vegan Chocolate Frosting
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup unsalted vegan butter , (softened) or salted, but don’t use the sea salt below
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of sea salt
- 2 ½-3 cups powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup vegan milk , (+ 1 tablespoon extra if needed)
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Prepare a 9×13 sheet pan (with sides) by greasing & flouring or lining with parchment paper (I usually just grease and flour).
- In a jar, add the vinegar and room temperature vegan milk together to curdle to form a buttermilk. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt. Using a whisk, whisk all the ingredients together, removing any clumps that may form.
- Add in the oil, the buttermilk mix from earlier and the vanilla extract.
- Heat up that additional milk in the microwave for 40 seconds (or on stove top until warm not boiling). You want it warm enough to dissolve but not boiling. Stir the instant coffee into it with a whisk or fork to dissolve for about 15 seconds.
- Add it to the bowl on top of everything. Beat on medium speed of electric mixer for no more than 1 minute on medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl once in between to ensure that everything is incorporated. You want to mix until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the pan. Tap on the counter three times lightly to remove any air bubbles.
- Place the pan in the middle rack of your oven and in the center of that rack. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until fully baked. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
- After cooled, frost with chocolate frosting and sprinkles (optional!) Enjoy! For an even more moist cake, brush with simple syrup before putting on the frosting!
For the Frosting
- Add the cocoa powder, vegan butter, 2 1/2 cups of the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, sea salt and half the vegan milk to the bowl of an electric stand mixer or a hand mixer. Start mixing it together at slow speed, gradually increasing speed until it’s very thick and smooth. Add the 1/2 cup of the extra powdered sugar at a time until it reaches your desired thickness and consistency. If needed, add in the other half of the milk about 1 tablespoon at a time.
Notes
Vegan Chocolate Sheet Cake
Ingredients
Vegan Chocolate Sheet Cake
- 1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar or regular vinegar
- 1 cup soy milk or other vegan milk (240mL), room temperature
- 2 cups brown sugar or cane sugar (400g)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (360g)
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (80g)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ¾ cup oil (150g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup warm milk (240mL) + 1 teaspoon instant coffee mix in until dissolved - stir these together right before you need them so the milk is still warm
Vegan Chocolate Frosting
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup unsalted vegan butter (softened) or salted, but don’t use the sea salt below
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of sea salt
- 2 ½-3 cups powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup vegan milk (+ 1 tablespoon extra if needed)
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Prepare a 9x13 sheet pan (with sides) by greasing & flouring or lining with parchment paper (I usually just grease and flour).
- In a jar, add the vinegar and room temperature vegan milk together to curdle to form a buttermilk. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt. Using a whisk, whisk all the ingredients together, removing any clumps that may form.
- Add in the oil, the buttermilk mix from earlier and the vanilla extract.
- Heat up that additional milk in the microwave for 40 seconds (or on stove top until warm not boiling). You want it warm enough to dissolve but not boiling. Stir the instant coffee into it with a whisk or fork to dissolve for about 15 seconds.
- Add it to the bowl on top of everything. Beat on medium speed of electric mixer for no more than 1 minute on medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl once in between to ensure that everything is incorporated. You want to mix until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the pan. Tap on the counter three times lightly to remove any air bubbles.
- Place the pan in the middle rack of your oven and in the center of that rack. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until fully baked. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
- After cooled, frost with chocolate frosting and sprinkles (optional!) Enjoy! For an even more moist cake, brush with simple syrup before putting on the frosting!
For the Frosting
- Add the cocoa powder, vegan butter, 2 1/2 cups of the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, sea salt and half the vegan milk to the bowl of an electric stand mixer or a hand mixer. Start mixing it together at slow speed, gradually increasing speed until it’s very thick and smooth. Add the 1/2 cup of the extra powdered sugar at a time until it reaches your desired thickness and consistency. If needed, add in the other half of the milk about 1 tablespoon at a time.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Vegan Chocolate Sheet Cake https://jessicainthekitchen.com/vegan-chocolate-sheet-cake/ December 15, 2020
This Vegan Vanilla Cake is a moist, fluffy double layer cake recipe with creamy vegan buttercream frosting. You can easily customize this cake for birthdays, holidays and more!
Traditional flavors are popular for a reason. And today, I’m bringing you this Vegan Vanilla Cake with buttercream frosting to celebrate that. You may see ‘vanilla cake’ and think ‘bland.’ Not true! This vegan-ized cake is filled with sweet flavor from the vanilla extract, and its buttercream frosting truly melts in your mouth. In other words, this cake is the whole delicious package.
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Vanilla Cake Recipe
- A cake for all reasons and seasons . What can you make this cake for? The real question is what CAN’T you make this cake for? Its colorful sprinkles make it a great choice for a birthday celebration, but with some red and green decorations, it would be perfect for Christmas.
- Easy to make . This recipe is an absolute cinch to make, and to decorate too! Even if you’ve never made a layer cake before, you’ll have an easy time with this recipe.
- Everyday ingredients . Everything you need for this vegan vanilla cake recipe can be found at a regular grocery store—although it’s also likely you have most of the ingredients in your kitchen right now!
Notes on the Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
For the Cake :
- Apple cider vinegar – You can use regular vinegar if you don’t have apple cider vinegar; both will make the soy milk curdle.
- Soy milk – Other vegan milk will work too, but make sure whichever one you decide to use is at room temperature, so that the texture of the cake comes out correctly.
- Brown sugar – Cane sugar is also good, and will make the cake even sweeter than regular or brown sugar would.
- All-purpose flour – White whole wheat flour or gluten-free flour could also work; note that with gluten-free flour the cake may become a little denser and dryer.
- Baking soda – To help the cake layers rise.
- Sea salt – Regular salt is good too, just use a little bit less of it because the granules are smaller.
- Vegan butter – Melt it and then let it cool for the purpose of easy mixing.
- Vanilla extract – Provides the sweet flavor of the cake!
For the Buttercream :
- Powdered sugar – Always sift your powdered sugar!
- Vegan butter – Salted or unsalted works fine here
- Vanilla – To make it vanilla buttercream!
- Vegan milk – You won’t need a lot – this is to loosen up your frosting if it’s too thick.
How to Make Vegan Vanilla Cake
- Grease and line the pan . Grease and flour two round cake pans and line with parchment paper.
- Preheat the oven . Heat oven to 350°F/180°C.
- Mix vinegar and soy milk . In a small bowl or jar, add the apple cider vinegar and the soy milk together and stir to combine. It will curdle.
- Combine dry and wet Ingredients : Whisk together sugar, flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add milk mixture, melted butter and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for about 1 to 2 minutes until everything is just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and stir one more time to ensure everything is incorporated. Do not overmix.
- Bake the cake . Divide the batter into the cake pans and place in the middle rack in the centre of that rack. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven (test with a toothpick in the centre to ensure they’re fully cooked) and allow to cool completely in the pans.
- Make the frosting . Beat the butter and vanilla for about 2-3 minutes with a stand mixer or a handheld mixer, until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and vegan milk a little at a time until the frosting reaches your desired consistency.
- Spread frosting on the first cake . Place 1 of the fully cooled cakes on a platter (or any plate wide enough) and dollop half of the frosting on top. Cover the top and the sides, distributing it equally.
- Layer the second cake on top of the first . Place the remaining cake upside down on top of the frosted cake and spread the remaining frosting on the top and sides, blending the upper and lower portions of the sides as you go. You may have to shave off any doming on the cake so they lay flush.
- Decorate and serve . The frosting sets at room temperature perfectly. Now, once you’ve frosted the cake, you can decide what to put on it. I kept it fun and simple with some colorful sprinkles, but you can put fruit, chopped nuts, chocolate shavings, white chocolate shavings, or whatever else you like on it!
Tips for Success
- Don’t over-mix the batter . This will make the cake turn out too dense because of how the gluten forms. Just mix until the ingredients are combined, and the cake will turn out light and fluffy!
- Use room temperature ingredients . It’s important that you use room temperature ingredients only. Cold milk will affect the texture of the other ingredients and can affect the final cake.
- For a triple layer cake . If you want to make three 8-inch layers, make this recipe, then cut it in half to make the last layer. You may also want to double up on the frosting.
- Let cake cool before frosting . Frosting the cake too quickly usually results in a crumbly mess. It still tastes fantastic, but it won’t look as pretty.
- Weigh and scoop the flour . Weighing the flour will ensure that you have the exact amount you need, so that the cake doesn’t become too heavy. Scooping the flour into the measuring cup with a spoon will also prevent the cake from becoming too dense, because you won’t have packed in any extra flour.
How to Store Homemade Vegan Vanilla Cake
- Room temperature/refrigerator : If you’re going to eat the cake within a few days, you can keep it covered at room temperature on the counter. If you need longer though, you can keep it in an airtight container for about a week in the fridge.
- Freezer : If the cake has already been frosted, it’s not a good idea to freeze it. If you want to freeze the unfrosted cake layers though, that’s totally fine. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, or store them in an airtight container for 2-3 months.
More Vegan Cake Recipes
- Vegan Red Velvet Cake
- Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Pumpkin Dump Cake
- Vegan Chocolate Sheet Cake
- Vegan Carrot Cake
Ingredients
For the Vanilla Cake
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups soy milk , or other vegan milk (480mL), room temperature
- 2 cups brown sugar , or cane sugar (400g)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour , (360g)
- 2 teaspoons baking soda , (10g)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt , (2.8g)
- ⅔ cup vegan butter , melted and cooled (150g)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For the Whipped Buttercream Frosting
- 3-3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup vegan butter , softened
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoons vegan milk , add more if needed
- 1/4 teaspoons sea salt , only if using unsalted butter
Instructions
For the Cake
- Grease and flour two 8” cake pans and line with parchment paper. It’s essential so that the cake doesn’t stick.
- Heat oven to 350°F/180°C.
- In a small bowl or jar, add the apple cider vinegar and the soy milk together and stir to combine. It will curdle. Set aside.
- Whisk together sugar, flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. Add milk mixture, melted butter and vanilla. Beat with an electric whisk on medium speed for about 1 to 2 minutes until everything is just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and stir one more time to ensure everything is incorporated. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter equally into the cake pans and place in the middle rack in the centre of that rack. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven (test with a toothpick in the centre to ensure they’re fully cooked) and allow to cool completely in the pans.
For the Frosting
- Beat the butter and vanilla for about 2-3 minutes with a stand mixer or a handheld mixer, until fluffy.
- Add 1 cup of powdered sugar. Fold it in with a spatula so it doesn’t fly everywhere, then beat for about 1 minute. Add the rest of the frosting in small increments too, until fully incorporated.
- Add in a 1/2 tablespoon of vegan milk at a time until it reaches your preferred volume and consistency. Add that last ½ cup if you desire.
- Then beat for about 5 minutes, using the spatula to mix everything together every other minute, until the frosting is fluffy, white, smooth and creamy.
Putting it All Together
- Frost cakes and decorate. The frosting will set at room temperature. Enjoy!
- Place 1 of the fully cooled cakes on a platter (or any plate wide enough) and dollop half of the frosting on top. Cover the top and the sides, distributing it equally.
- Place the remaining cake upside down on top of the frosted cake and spread the remaining frosting on the top and sides, blending the upper and lower portions of the sides as you go. You may have to evenly shave off any doming on the cake so they lay flush.
- The frosting sets at room temperature perfectly. Slice and enjoy!
