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This crowd-pleasing vegan chocolate sheet cake comes together so easily and bakes up incredibly soft, moist, and fluffy with a rich chocolate flavour everyone will love. Top it with your favourite frosting and sprinkles for birthdays and celebrations, or enjoy it plain as a simple chocolate snacking cake.
No one will guess it’s dairy-free or egg-free, and it even has a simple gluten-free option if you need it!
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If you have a celebration coming up, a birthday, a BBQ, a potluck… anything with lots of people and a need for a vegan dessert that's sure to be a hit, this vegan chocolate sheet cake fits that spot perfectly.
As you may know, cake is my favourite dessert (developing the recipes, making them, photographing them, and of course, eating them!), so adding another one to my growing vegan cake recipes collection is exciting.
This one is easy to make, comes together quickly, and serves a lot. And the flavour and texture? You’re going to love them. This cake is fudgy and rich, moist and tender. It's the kind of chocolate cake everyone falls for and comes back for seconds.
Even if you’re not baking for a crowd or celebrating anything, you can still make and enjoy it as a vegan chocolate snack cake. It’s versatile, so it's perfectly fine to keep it simple if you want. Serve it plain without frosting, or add a little sprinkle of powdered sugar if you like.
Either way, you’re in for a chocolatey treat that’ll satisfy all of your chocolate cravings!
A Look at the Ingredients
Ingredients Tips and Easy Swaps
(NOTE: Only ingredients with special notes are listed below. The full ingredient list can be found in the recipe card.)
Flour - This vegan sheet cake was developed with all-purpose white flour. I haven’t tested it with other flours, other than the gluten-free blend mentioned below.
For vegan gluten-free chocolate sheet cake: I tested with Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour in the BLUE bag (NOT their gf flour in the red bag!), and the results were super moist, rich, and fudgy, just like the one made with wheat flour. You can also try out my vegan gluten-free chocolate layer cake, too.
Dairy-Free Milk + Vinegar - These are the two ingredients you need to make vegan buttermilk. Using this in the recipe will help to make the cake's texture extra tender, soft, and moist. It also reacts to the baking soda to help with rising.
Soy milk always makes the best vegan buttermilk, however, if you don't have soy milk, any dairy-free milk will work. Make sure it's unflavoured and unsweetened. Apple cider vinegar or white vinegar can be used. If you don't have vinegar, use fresh lemon juice.
Oil - This cake is made with oil instead of vegan butter, because in my testing, oil gave the best results. It also keeps the cake super moist and helps it stay fresh longer. Any neutral-flavoured oil will work, such as sunflower or safflower.
Hot Water - Using hot water helps to "bloom" the cocoa powder. Blooming is a fancy way of saying "enhance" the chocolate flavour to make it even deeper, richer, and more chocolatey tasting. If you want to enhance the chocolate flavour even more, you can replace it with hot black coffee, or you can add a teaspoon of instant coffee to the hot water.
Now, Let's Make It!
(Note: I’ve outlined the step-by-step here, but find the full recipe, ingredients, and directions in the recipe card at the end of this post.)
Start by preparing the baking pan and then making the vegan buttermilk. Set the buttermilk aside for at least 10 minutes.
Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet (except hot water) in another, then mix together. Gently stir in the hot water, be careful not to overmix.
Transfer the batter to your prepared pan. Work quickly so the bubbles are still active, and you don't lose out on the reaction. Waiting too long will affect how your cake rises.
Recipe Tip
When I make this cake, I use a whisk and a wooden spoon to mix the batter, but if you prefer, a hand mixer can be used. Just make sure not to overmix.
Bake, and when it's done, carefully remove the pan from the oven. Let the cake rest in the pan for a few minutes, then remove it using the parchment overhang and place it on a cooling rack.
Once fully cooled, frost the cake, making the layer as thick or thin as you'd like. If you prefer a thinner layer and have leftover frosting, save it for another recipe.
I make the frosting while the cake is cooling. I usually use my rich chocolate buttercream frosting for this cake, but I have several other vegan frosting recipes that all pair perfectly with this cake:
Optional - Add vegan sprinkles.
Slice the cake into as many pieces as you'd like. I usually go for 15, but you can make the slices smaller for more or bigger for less.
Recipe Tip
If you want to use sprinkles, add them right after you frost the cake so they hold nicely. Once the frosting starts to set, they will roll off and not stick. If you're looking for vegan sprinkle options, this article has suggestions: Are Sprinkles Vegan? (THESE Brands Are!)
Cake Frosting Tip
Make sure the cake is fully cooled before you frost it. If it’s even a little warm, the frosting will melt and slide off. Allow the cake to cool for at least three hours, so it goes on smoothly.
If you're looking for something to serve with your chocolate cake, how about a scoop of this creamy vegan vanilla ice cream or this velvety vegan chocolate ice cream?
Tips for a Perfect Cake
- Measure and have all your ingredients ready to go before starting. This will make the process run smoothly, quickly, and easily.
- Measure your ingredients correctly. Please read my article about how to measure flour correctly. I highly recommend using a scale and my weight measurements to make this recipe. (See the "Suggested Equipment" section in the recipe card for the scale I use and recommend.)
- Use room temperature milk. Take it out of the fridge well before you start. Using room temperature ingredients in your baking will result in lighter, airier, fluffier textures.
- Make sure your baking powder and baking soda are fresh. If they aren't, the texture of your cake will not be correct.
- Read this post from top to bottom before you start. I’ve shared my tips gathered during testing so you get everything right. Also, read through the full recipe before getting started.
- Follow the recipe exactly as it’s written for the very best results.
When You Give it a Try...
I’d love to know how this chocolate sheet cake recipe turned out for you! You can leave a comment and rating below, and if you share a photo on Instagram, tag me so I can see it. (I'm @delightfuladventures on Instagram).
Moist Vegan Chocolate Sheet Cake with Buttermilk
Suggested Equipment:
Ingredients:
For Vegan Buttermilk:
- 1 ½ cups (375ml) unsweetened dairy-free milk (room temperature)
- 4 ½ teaspoons vinegar
For Cake Batter:
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour **please see important notes about the gluten-free option below**
- 1 ¼ cups (250g) granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup (56g) Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (125ml) oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (250ml) hot water (boiled)
For the Frosting:
- 1 recipe vegan chocolate buttercream frosting
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C).
- Line a 9 x 13-inch rectangle baking pan with parchment paper, set aside.
Make Vegan Buttermilk:
- Pour the dairy-free milk into a measuring cup or bowl.
- Add the vinegar to the milk and stir. Set aside for 10 minutes.
Make Cake Batter:
- In a large bowl, add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk well to combine and set aside.
- Add the oil and vanilla to the buttermilk, stir.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stir until everything has combined. The batter will be thick at this point.
- Slowly add the hot water to the mixture and stir again until everything has combined. The batter will be thin, runny, and bubbly at this point.
- Working quickly, use a silicone spatula to scrape the batter into the prepared baking pan.
Bake:
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Take care not to over bake.
- Remove the cake from the oven and place the pan on a cooling rack. Let the pan sit for 10 minutes.
Cool and Prepare Frosting:
- After 10 minutes, using the parchment overhang, carefully remove the cake from the pan and place it on a cooling rack. Allow the cake to fully cool before frosting.
- While the cake is cooling, prepare the vegan chocolate buttercream frosting.
Frost, Decorate, Slice, and Serve:
- Once fully cooled, frost the cake, making the layer as thick or thin as you'd like. Save any leftover frosting for another recipe.
- If using, add sprinkles to the top of the cake immediately after frosting so they stick.
- Slice the cake.
Recipe Notes:
- Please read all of the information above, as well as the notes below, before making this recipe.
- If you are making the vegan gluten-free version, use 2 cups (296g) of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour (Amazon link) in the blue bag, NOT the red bag. Different gluten-free flour blends use different ingredients and ratios, so results may not be the same if you substitute. I’ve only used the brand mentioned above. This recipe will not work with coconut flour or any other single gluten-free flour.
- Storing Leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, then refrigerate for up to 5 more days.
- Freezing: Once fully cooled, wrap the cake tightly, place it in an airtight container or freezer bag, and freeze up to two months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before serving.
- The nutrition info listed below is based on one of 15 servings of the frosted cake made as written with the full recipe of chocolate frosting. The frosted cake made with gluten-free flour has a rough calorie count of 344 per serving. Info is only to be used as a rough guide. Click to learn how nutrition info is calculated on this website.
Anisa says
Will regular coco powder work for this cake? The one aimed at baking?
Gwen Leron says
Hi Anisa, yes, please use regular unsweetened cocoa powder made for baking. “Dutch-process” just means this type of cocoa has been treated to reduce acidity, which gives the cake, and any desserts you make with it, a smoother, richer chocolate flavour.
Most store-bought baking cocoa is Dutch-process, so you probably already have it and use it. You can usually tell if your cocoa is not Dutch-process if the package specifically says “natural cocoa” rather than just “unsweetened” or “baking cocoa.” I prefer to use Dutch-process because it gives the best flavour and texture in the cake, but natural cocoa will work too.
Sheila Berger says
Can I use regular buttermilk if dairy free isn't needed? I need egg and gluten free. Thanks
Gwen Leron says
Hi Sheila, I haven't tested with regular buttermilk, but technically, it should work just fine. See the recipe notes for the adjustment to make it gluten-free and the flour you need to use. Any further questions, please ask. Enjoy!