Description

This moist and rich dairy-free chocolate cake recipe features a perfectly balanced cocoa flavor complemented by a creamy chocolate buttercream frosting. Made with simple pantry ingredients including oil and hot coffee to enhance the chocolate intensity, this cake is easy to prepare and perfect for any occasion, from birthdays to casual gatherings. It yields two 8-inch round cakes or can be adapted for cupcakes, and uses dairy-free substitutes like Oatly milk and Country Crock butter for a delicious vegan-friendly treat.

Ingredients

Scale

Cake Ingredients

1 cup milk (Oatly full fat for dairy free)
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 cups granulated sugar
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup hot coffee (or 1 cup hot water with 1 teaspoon coffee extract)

Frosting Ingredients

1 1/2 cups butter (softened, Country Crock for dairy free)
5 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
5–6 tablespoons milk (Oatly full fat for dairy free)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat the oven and prepare pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease two 8-inch round cake pans. If your pans are not nonstick, line them with parchment paper for easy removal.
Create the milk and vinegar mixture: In a small bowl, mix the milk with vinegar and set aside. This mixture acts like a buttermilk substitute to help the cake’s texture.
Sift dry ingredients: Sift together granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl to remove lumps and ensure even mixing.
Mix wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, prepared milk-vinegar mixture, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until combined.
Combine wet and dry ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing just until combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the cake tender.
Add hot coffee: Pour in the hot coffee and gently mix again until the batter is smooth and slightly runny, which helps create a moist crumb.
Bake the cake: Pour batter evenly into the prepared cake pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out with minimal crumbs. For cupcakes, bake for 12 to 15 minutes.
Cool the cakes: Remove pans from oven and set on a wire rack to cool for at least 20 minutes before removing the cakes from pans.
Prepare chocolate buttercream: Beat softened butter in a large bowl or stand mixer on medium speed until creamy and pale, about 2 minutes.
Sift powdered sugar and cocoa: In a separate bowl, sift together powdered sugar and cocoa powder to eliminate lumps.
Add sugar mixture to butter: With mixer on low speed, slowly add the sifted sugar and cocoa to the butter, mixing until just combined. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed.
Add milk and vanilla: Pour in milk and vanilla extract, then increase mixer speed to medium-high. Beat until the frosting is light, fluffy, and spreadable, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Adjust frosting consistency: If the frosting is too thick, add more milk a little at a time. If too thin, add powdered sugar until desired thickness is reached.
Frost the cooled cake: Once the cakes are completely cooled, spread the frosting evenly to assemble and finish your chocolate cake.

Notes

Use dairy-free milk and butter substitutes like Oatly and Country Crock to make this recipe vegan-friendly.
Hot coffee intensifies the chocolate flavor and keeps the cake moist; you may substitute with hot water and coffee extract if preferred.
Do not overmix the batter once the dry ingredients are added to avoid a dense cake texture.
Ensure the cakes are fully cooled before frosting to prevent the buttercream from melting.
For cupcakes, reduce baking time to 12-15 minutes and check doneness with a toothpick.
Store leftover cake covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerated for up to a week.
For a gluten-free variation, substitute all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12th of cake)
Calories: 420 kcal
Sugar: 38 g
Sodium: 280 mg
Fat: 22 g
Saturated Fat: 7 g
Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 55 g
Fiber: 4 g
Protein: 5 g
Cholesterol: 40 mg

Keywords: chocolate cake, dairy free chocolate cake, vegan chocolate cake, chocolate buttercream, moist chocolate cake, easy chocolate cake recipe, coffee in chocolate cake