Perfect Chocolate Cake VEGETARIAN
This classic chocolate cake is naturally vegetarian — every ingredient is plant or dairy derived with no meat products. It is deeply chocolatey, impossibly moist, and topped with a rich buttercream that balances sweet and cocoa-bitter just right. The hot coffee secret ingredient amplifies the chocolate flavor without any coffee taste. Perfect for vegetarian celebrations, potlucks, and birthday parties.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 0.75 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup hot coffee or hot water
- 0.5 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature for frosting
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 0.67 cup unsweetened cocoa powder for frosting
- 0.33 cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract for frosting
- 0.25 teaspoon salt for frosting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F 175 degrees C. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line bottoms with parchment rounds, and grease the parchment.
- Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
- Add eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Beat on medium for 2 minutes. Batter will be thick.
- Stir in hot coffee. Batter will become very thin, this is correct. The coffee deepens chocolate flavor without any coffee taste.
- Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake 30-35 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes, then turn out to wire racks to cool completely.
- Make frosting: Beat butter 3 minutes until creamy. Add powdered sugar and cocoa on low until combined. Add cream, vanilla, salt. Beat 2-3 minutes until fluffy.
- Place one layer on plate, spread 0.75 cup frosting on top. Add second layer, frost top and sides. Serve.
Vegetarian Notes
- This cake is naturally vegetarian. All ingredients — flour, sugar, cocoa, eggs, dairy, oil — are plant or dairy derived with no animal products beyond dairy.
- For a vegetarian-friendly celebration menu, pair with vegetarian mains like mushroom Wellington, stuffed peppers, or vegetable lasagna.
- If serving at a vegetarian potluck, check that all your garnishes and decorations are also vegetarian (some sprinkles and decorative candies contain confectioner's glase made from insects).
- Bonus: the original recipe tips about buttermilk substitute and cake cooling still fully apply here.
Variations
- Chocolate-raspberry: Spread raspberry jam between layers before frosting.
- German chocolate: Use coconut-pecan frosting — toast coconut and pecans, fold into caramel made from evaporated milk, sugar, and egg yolks.
- Death by chocolate: Add 1 cup chocolate chips to batter and use ganache instead of buttercream.
- Sheet cake: Pour all batter into greased 9x13 pan. Bake 35-40 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
Per slice 1 of 12, with frosting
480
Calories
22g
Fat
68g
Carbs
6g
Protein
48g
Sugar
380mg
Sodium