Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe

close up of vegan chocolate cake with cupcakes in background.

4.46 from 335 votes

Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe

This beautifully decadent Vegan Chocolate Cake recipe is not only amazingly delicious, but it also happens to be vegan and completely oil-free. It's perfect for birthdays, parties, and holidays!

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Desserts

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 298kcal

Author: Terri Edwards

Ingredients

Cake

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup pure cane sugar (maple or sucanat) (see fresh date substitution below in Notes)
3/4 cup cooked sweet potato, peeled
3/4 cup plant milk almond, soy, etc
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips

Frosting

1 cup cooked and peeled sweet potato packed tightly
1/2 cup almond butter or cashew butter
1 cup maple syrup (or 1 cup pitted dates + 1/2 cup plant milk)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon vanilla

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cake

Cook your sweet potatoes first and allow them to cool. You will need 3/4 cup for the cake + 1 cup for the frosting. If you have leftover baked sweet potatoes, this is a great way to use them.
I like the take the easy way out and cook mine quickly by poking a few holes in them with a knife, wrapping them in a wet paper towel, and placing in the microwave for about 5-6 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Place all of the wet ingredients– cooked sweet potato, plant milk, vanilla, vinegar-- in your blender and puree until smooth. Because it's such a small amount, I have found that using a Nutribullet or Magic Bullet works well. You might also use a whisk and bowl, if needed.
If you are using dates, replace the granular sugar with 1 cup dates + 2/3 cups water. This equals approximately 8-9 pitted mejool dates. Blend well with the other wet ingredients.
Place all of the dry ingredients–flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder, sugar–in a large mixing bowl and whisk together well.
If you're using a granular sugar, add it in this step. Some good options are pure cane sugar, maple sugar, and sucanat. Using granular sugar is my preference. For those avoiding refined sugar, see my date substitution instructions below.
Next, pour the sweet potato puree into the large bowl with the dry ingredients, add the chocolate chips, and combine them together well.
Pour the cake batter into a silicone baking pan (or line a regular pan with parchment paper to prevent sticking) and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 pans work well.
The heart cupcake pans are also great if you would rather have cupcakes.
Oven temperatures vary, so around the 25-minute mark, remove the cake from the oven and test for doneness. To do this, insert a toothpick into the highest center point. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done. Otherwise,l place back into the oven and test again in 5 minutes.
If using dates, increase the cooking time to approximately 40 minutes.
Once the cake is done, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool before frosting.

Frosting

This frosting is so easy, it doesn't even require a bowl! While the cake is cooking is the perfect time to make the frosting. One cup will be used for the frosting and 3/4 cup for the cake.
Simply place all the frosting ingredients in a blender or food processor, and mix until smooth. If needed, add a tablespoon of plant milk to keep the blender moving. You might need to stop, scrape the sides down, and continue to blend until smooth.
If using dates for the icing, replace the maple syrup with 1 cup pitted dates + 1/2 cup plant milk.
When the cake has cooled, frost and serve!

Video

Notes

Tips & Suggestions:

UPDATED February 2026.

I have included step-by-step photos and directions above to ensure your first attempt will be successful.

How to make using dates instead of granular sugar:

Use dates- Instead of using granular sugar in the batter, replace it with 1 cup dates + 2/3 cups water. This equals approximately 8-9 pitted mejool dates.
Adjust moisture- You'll need to adjust the moisture by reducing the plant milk from 2/3 cup to only 2 tablespoons + add 2 tablespoons of maple syrup.
Increase cooking time- When using dates, increase the cooking time from 25 minutes to approximately 40 minutes. Test for doneness at 35 minutes by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake. It should come out clean without wet batter sticking to it.

Cooking times & pans- Cooking times will vary with the size of the pan used. Cupcakes should take about 20 minutes, and an 8"-9" square pan will cook the cake in about 30 minutes. Oven temperatures vary.

Make it gluten-free- Minimalist Baker has a great GF Baking Guide that can help convert these cupcakes. The frosting is already gluten-free.

Nut butter- The recipe calls for almond butter, but you can substitute other nut butters such as peanut butter, cashew butter, and even sunflower seed butter for a nut-free option.

Add nuts- Sometimes, I like to add walnuts or pecans to the batter before baking for a delicious crunch!

Storage- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. It freezes well too.

The inspiration for this cake came from Dreena Burton’s sweet potato chocolate cake, which is made with coconut sugar and is absolutely amazing. My original goal was to create a completely refined sugar–free version using dates instead of granulated sugar. That's why I have included two versions of the cake.

For that reason, I most often make this recipe using pure cane sugar. I’ve also made a few tweaks to Dreena’s original ingredients, including sweetening the frosting exclusively with maple syrup.

Nutrition