This vegan black velvet cake is so moist and fudgy, tastes like Oreo cookies, and has a deep black color without a single drop of food coloring (so it won’t turn anyone’s mouth black)! The key to achieving the dark black color in the cake and the buttercream without any dye is this extra dark black cocoa powder. It’s the magic ingredient that naturally tints the cake black and since it’s the main ingredient in Oreo cookie shells, the black cocoa powder is also responsible for the amazing Oreo flavor profile in this cake. It’s the perfect plant-based cake for Halloween and so delicious that no one will even guess that it’s vegan!
Vegan Black Velvet Cake Ingredients & Substitutions
Ever since I made this black velvet cake recipe and realized how popular it gets around Halloween, I wanted to offer a vegan version for my plant-based friends. It took many recipe tests to create the perfect fudgy texture with a good amount of rise, but in the end I’m so excited for you to try this finalized version. I’ve listed the most important ingredients below, as well as any substitutions you might need to know:
- Black cocoa powder. Used in both the cake and the buttercream frosting recipes, this is the key ingredient to creating the rich black color + adding the Oreo cookie flavor. It’s important to use an extra-dark black cocoa powder here to make it completely dye-free (this is my favorite brand). Otherwise, you can use any Dutch-processed cocoa powder as a substitute and add a few drops of black food color gel to tint the cake and buttercream black.
- Granulated sugar. This not only sweetens the cake, but yields a soft crumb.
- All-purpose flour. Since this cake is so moist, all-purpose flour is my only recommendation for creating the strongest structure. I haven’t yet tried this with gluten-free flour, but I will report back here if I do.
- Lots of baking powder + a little baking soda. These are the leavening agents used to make this cake rise. The baking powder is particularly important because black cocoa is non-acidic after the Dutching process (more on that in the next section), so it won’t react as easily with the baking soda and therefore needs more leavening to make this cake rise properly.
- Vegetable oil. For added moisture and fudgy texture. I like using plain vegetable oil, but you can use any oil you’re used to baking with (canola, avocado, melted coconut oil, etc).
- Unsweetened applesauce. The natural pectin in applesauce makes it the perfect egg replacer in this recipe. It helps bind the crumb while adding moisture.
- Pure vanilla extract. A little vanilla enhances the Oreo flavor perfectly.
- Unsweetened soy milk. Any non-dairy milk will work in this recipe, but soy milk is my favorite because it has the highest protein content, which helps yield a rich texture. It also has the most mild flavor of the non-dairy milk options in my opinion, so it doesn’t affect the overall flavor of the cake.
- Vinegar. Adding a little vinegar creates a rich velvety texture in this cake. I like using white vinegar, but you can also use apple cider vinegar here.
- Hot coffee. Don’t worry, you won’t taste coffee in the final baked cake, but coffee helps amplify the chocolate flavor big time. The heat also blooms the cocoa powder and incorporates all the ingredients before the baking process. If you’d rather not use hot coffee, you can use hot water instead.
- Vegan butter sticks. You’ll want to use your favorite brand of vegan butter sticks for the buttercream portion of the recipe. The sticks help thicken the buttercream and create structure. I like Country Crock or Earth Balance, but any brand of vegan buttery sticks (not the spread) will do.
What is Black Cocoa Powder?
Black cocoa powder is basically an ultra-Dutched cocoa powder, meaning it’s been treated with an alkaline solution to reduce its acidity. It’s very dark in color and while it isn’t as chocolatey as regular cocoa powder, it does have amazing flavor. It’s the main ingredient in Oreo cookie shells, and that’s basically what the cake layers end up tasting like. The best part about black cocoa powder is it gives the cake layers a rich black color without having to add any additional food coloring! That means it won’t turn your mouth crazy colors.
How to Make Vegan Black Velvet Cake
Step 1: Prep work. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC) and prepare your cake pans.
Step 2: Combine the dry ingredients. Add the flour, sugar, black cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl and whisk the ingredients together.
Step 3: Add most of the wet ingredients. To the dry ingredients, add the oil, applesauce, vanilla, and vinegar milk mixture. Whisk it all together.
Step 4: Add the hot coffee. Whisk in the hot coffee until the batter is well combined and uniform. It will be very thin.
Step 5: Bake the cakes. Pour the batter evenly between the cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Let the cakes cool in the pan for a few minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack for an additional few hours of cooling.
Step 6: Make the buttercream. When the cakes are cool and you’re ready to decorate (or make the buttercream ahead), whip up the buttercream according to the instructions in the recipe card below.
Step 7: Decorate. Fill and stack the vegan black velvet cake layers with the vegan black buttercream, crumb coat it, then frost and decorate the cake to your heart’s desire! I have some ideas in the next section, as well as details about the cake design pictured.
How to Decorate Vegan Black Velvet Cake
I was ready to add all the sprinkles and googly eyes to this vegan black velvet cake, but after some Google research I realized that most sprinkles are NOT vegan. I did find some good vegan sprinkle options on Sweetapolita’s website but I wouldn’t have been able to order them in time to decorate this cake, so instead I decided to reserve some of my buttercream before adding the black cocoa powder (while it was still white), then used it to make some simple ghost decorations all over the black cake. I love how it turned out!
I also added some simple shell borders to the top and bottom of the cake with my black buttercream to add a little more vintage texture. You can feel free to get creative with your cake design though! Make an elaborate lambeth cake like I did with my original black velvet cake, or add a simple rustic buttercream finish and call it a day.
Vegan Black Velvet Cake FAQs
- Will this cake turn my mouth black? Since there’s no dye in this recipe, it won’t stain your mouth black or turn your poop weird colors. It’s basically like eating Oreos!
- Where can I find black cocoa powder? I haven’t been able to find black cocoa powder at any of my local grocery stores, so I always get it online. This is my favorite brand to use for the darkest color.
- Can I make it gluten-free? I haven’t yet tried making a gluten-free version, so if you try it let me know! And I’ll report back here if I try it too.
- Can I bake this recipe as cupcakes? Yes. Fill your cupcake tins no more than ⅔ full and bake at 350ºF (177ºC) for 15-18 minutes.
More Vegan Cake Recipes You’ll Love
If you need more vegan cake recipes in your life, I have a growing collection of them on my blog! Here are a few of my favorites so far:
I hope you love this vegan black velvet cake recipe as much as I do! Let me know if you make it in the comments below (don’t forget to rate it!) and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me! I love to see what you create with my recipes and tutorials.
Vegan Black Velvet Cake
Ingredients
Vegan Black Velvet Cake
- 2 Cups (265g) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 Cups (300g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 Cup (60g) black cocoa powder*
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 Cup (120ml) vegetable oil
- 1/2 Cup (130g) unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tsp white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 Cup (240ml) soy milk, room temperature or any non-dairy milk
- 3/4 Cups (180ml) hot coffee or hot water
Vegan Black Buttercream
- 2 Cups (453g) unsalted vegan butter, room temperature any brand of vegan butter sticks (not the spread)
- 5 Cups (600g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 Cup (60ml) non-dairy milk, room temperature I like soy or coconut
- 1 Cup (112g) black cocoa powder
Instructions
Make the Vegan Black Velvet Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC) and prepare three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with baking spray and fitting the bottoms with a parchment cake circle.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, black cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the vegetable oil, applesauce, vanilla, vinegar, and soy milk. Whisk together until combined, then carefully whisk in the hot coffee (or hot water). The batter will be very thin.
- Pour the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before filling and frosting.
Make the Buttercream
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip the vegan butter sticks on medium speed until creamy and light in color, about 4 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and paddle, then add half of the powdered sugar. Mix on low speed until just incorporated, then add the rest of the powdered sugar, vanilla, and non-dairy milk. Mix on low speed until incorporated.
- If you're planning on making the ghost design pictured, reserve about 1/4 Cup of the buttercream at this point and set it aside. Then, with the mixer still in the off position, sift the black cocoa powder into the main batch of buttercream. Mix on low speed until fully combined and smooth, about 2 minutes. Note that the buttercream will darken in color over the next 24 hours.
Assembly
- Once the cake layers have cooled completely, level them to your desired height. Fill and stack the layers with the black buttercream, then crumb coat the cake with more black buttercream. Refrigerate the crumb coated cake for 20-30 minutes to let the frosting firm up. Then, decorate the cake with the rest of the buttercream.
- To create the design pictured, use the black buttercream to create a smooth finish on the cake, then refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes. When the frosting finish is firm to the touch, use a small icing spatula to swipe the reserved white buttercream onto the cake to look like ghosts. Place about 2 Tablespoons of the black buttercream into a piping bag fitted with Wilton Tip 2, then use it to pipe eyes and a mouth on each ghost. Add the rest of the black buttercream into a piping bag fitted with Wilton Tip 4B and pipe shell borders on the top and bottom edges of the cake.
Notes
- The vegan black velvet cake layers can be made ahead and stored at room temperature, covered tightly in plastic wrap, for up to two days. Alternatively, you can cover with plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to two months before thawing to room temperature.
- The buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day. Alternatively, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and rewhip with your stand mixer to bring back to frosting consistency.
Hi! I usually replace applesauce with the forager non dairy greek yogurt (it’s high in protein and I feel like structurally works well as an egg). How do you think that would do in this recipe? I’m not a fan of applesauce and always taste even the smallest amount that’s usually undetectable to others haha.
Hi Corinne! I haven’t tried it before so it will be an experiment. If you’ve had success using the non-dairy greek yogurt as the applesauce sub or egg replacer in other recipes, it should work!
Hi Corinne! I would love to hear did the non dairy greek yogurt work out for the recipe? (:
I would be making this for a birthday party but there will be people who are allergic to apples so I’d need a replacement :/
How many cupcakes does this recipe yield?
Hi Novia! This recipe should yield about 30 standard sized cupcakes.
I 1.5x the recipe and got 40 cupcakes. They were a huge hit at my son’s birthday party!