Fluffy and delicious, this Vegan Chocolate Oreo Cake has it all: tons of chocolate, sweet, fragrant vanilla buttercream, and chunks of Oreo cookies. Vegan, soy-free recipe, can be nut-free.
New Year’s resolutions about eating skinny are for the new year. For now I give you this scrumptious Chocolate Oreo Cake.Early on in a new vegan’s journey comes the delicious discovery that Oreo cookies– yes, those gorgeous little black-and-white nuggets of chocolaty goodness– are vegan. And life is never quite the same again.We all can agree that Oreos aren’t health food, but it would have to be a true killjoy who does not enjoy eating one every now and then. And the holidays are a perfect excuse. My vegan Chocolate Oreo Cake is two layers of moist, velvety, soft-as-a-cloud chocolate cake sandwiching a layer of white vanilla buttercream. On top goes an icing of chocolate buttercream and some Oreo cookies. Can you imagine more deliciousness in one place?
I had been wanting to share a vegan chocolate cake recipe for a long time but the recipes I’ve tried before (with my favorite, for flavor, being the one from the Candle Cafe Cookbook) tend to be too delicate and the cake almost always ends up falling apart while unmolding. For this vegan Chocolate Oreo Cake I modified my chocolate cupcake recipe and it was perfect. The cake was tender but not too fragile, and it tasted better than any chocolate cake I’ve ever had.
The chocolate buttercream is a must-try: its creamy and chocolate-y, of course, and it looks really pretty too. I used mini Oreos as a topping and I left them whole, but you could always just use the regular-sized ones, crumble them up, and scatter them on top of the cake. Or you could leave out the Oreos altogether.
Here’s the recipe, then, for a scrumptious vegan Chocolate Oreo Cake. Enjoy!
Vegan Chocolate Oreo Cake
Ingredients
- Ingredients for Cake:
- 2 cups almond milk (can use soy)
- 2 tsp vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups turbinado sugar (can use regular sugar)
- 2/3 cup canola or other flavorless vegetable oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup cocoa powder
- 2 tsp instant coffee powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Ingredients for Frosting:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) vegan "butter" like Earth Balance
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar)
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp instant coffee powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the cake:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, or with a hand-held mixer, beat the sugar, vanilla extract and oil until fluffy, about two minutes.
- In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, coffee, cocoa powder and salt.
- Add the cocoa-flour mixture to the wet ingredients in three batches, alternating with the almond milk-vinegar mixture, beating 20 seconds after each addition. Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl after each addition to ensure everything is mixed together. Don't overbeat.
- Line two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper at the bottom, and oil and flour the bottom and sides. Divided the cake batter evenly between the two pans.
- Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 40 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the center of each cake comes out clean.
- Cool the cake pans on a rack for 15 minutes. Then run a knife along the edges of the cake pans and unmold the cakes by putting a plate over the mouth of the pan and flipping it. Peel off the parchment paper.
- Place the unmolded cakes on the rack to cool completely.
- Make the frosting:
- Have your butter at room temperature. Place them in a bowl and with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer with a whisk attached, beat until you have a fluffy mixture, about a minute.
- Add the confectioners' sugar in batches of 1/4 cup at a time, beating about 20 seconds after each addition. As with the batter, scraped down the sides and bottom of the bowl after each addition to ensure everything is evenly mixed.
- Remove 1/3rd of the frosting to another bowl. Add the vanilla extract and mix well. Set aside. This is your vanilla buttercream frosting.
- Add the cocoa powder and instant coffee powder to the remaining buttercream and mix well. This is your chocolate buttercream frosting.
- Frost the cake:
- Place one cake on a cake stand or a plate and top with the vanilla buttercream. Using a table knife or a spatula, spread the frosting evenly on top of the cake.
- Place the second cake on top of the first one. Top with the chocolate buttercream and spread it evenly on top of the cake and on the sides.
- Decorate with mini Oreos, as I did, or crumble some Oreo cookies and scatter them on top of the cake.
- Enjoy, all!
***
Vegan cake recipes from the archives:
Vegan Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting
Vegan Carrot Bundt Cake with Cashew Cream Cheese Frosting
(C) All recipes and photographs copyright of Holy Cow! Vegan Recipes.
Nish says
December 19, 2011 atThat looks quite spongy without the egg!
What brand of vegetable shortening do you use? [I’ve never made anything with shortening…]
Icchic says
December 19, 2011 atI suspect that this recipe would make lovely cupcakes too!
Sharon
Pumpkin Seaborn-Wendland says
October 15, 2018 atit does! I used this recipe to make cake and cupcakes!
Poornima Nair says
December 19, 2011 atThats a beautiful cake Vaishali, love the rich, moist texture.
Richa says
December 19, 2011 atoooh.. yes! i love those mini oreos!:))
and the cake is so perfectly moist.. yummmmmmyyy! this month is killing me with the sugar high:)
Anonymous says
December 19, 2011 atThis cake sounds yummy! But in the buttercream frosting, 8 Tbsp is one-half cup, no?
Vic Robinson says
December 19, 2011 atThis looks awesome! I need this in my belly.
Priya says
December 19, 2011 atStunning cake, simply looks awesome and absolutely gorgeous.
Vaishali says
December 19, 2011 atNish, thanks. I use Earth Balance shortening, but Crisco works just as well. Make sure it is free of trans fats.
Icchic, yes– I adapted this from my chocolate cupcake recipe. This much batter would make 18 cupcakes and enough icing to frost them all. Reduce baking time to 18 minutes.
Poornima, Richa, Thanks!
Anonymous– you’re right, it is half a cup. I’ve fixed it. Thanks!
Vic, Thanks! 🙂
Cham says
December 20, 2011 atThe cake is super moist and oreo , we can see pretty much in all dessert here 🙂 I love the icing flavor part!
Rashmi says
December 20, 2011 atThis cakes looks really great with oreo.I like it.
Sharmilee! :) says
December 20, 2011 atLuved the texture of the cake…moist n yumm
Anonymous says
December 20, 2011 atVow!!!!!!! the cake looks superly delicious. You know what; to my surprise I get this vegan whipped cream which I use instead of making one at home. For the chocolate buttercream version, m planning to just add cocoa powder and instant coffee to the cream. Tomorrows my younger ones b’day, he will be 2
years old.
God Bless
Nisha.
anthony stemke says
December 20, 2011 atThis is very similar to a Hydroxy chocolate cake. Just kidding.
Since no eggs are used, how is the batter bound I wonder?
Vaishali says
December 20, 2011 atCham, Rashmi, Sharmilee, Thanks!
Nisha, A very happy birthday to your son– give him a big hug from me, and my best wishes. Hope he likes the cake. 🙂
Anthony, the vinegar acts as an egg substitute and helps bind the cake. It’s like magic. 🙂
maesti says
December 21, 2011 atIf you wanted to try another cook book recipe chocolate cake I would suggest this one – http://www.amazon.com/MORE-GREAT-DAIRY-FREE-DESSERTS-NATURALLY/dp/1570671834/ref=cm_rdp_product – I bought it in 2006 when it first came out and the chocolate cake in there is amazing.
Going to see if I can find Oreo cookies here in South Africa :).
London Accountant says
December 21, 2011 atOreos are VEGAN?? =D
Anonymous says
December 22, 2011 atHi vaishali,
Thanks for the wishes. He for a change enjoyed the cake. I had made layer cake of basic vanilla sponge cake and chocolate cake, with the cocoa and coffee cream fillings.
God Bless
Nisha.
Anonymous says
December 22, 2011 atHi Vaishali
What is the brand of vegan powder sugar that you used? Does Florida Crystal sell it?
Thanks
Vaishali says
December 22, 2011 atNisha, that sounds delicious.
Anonymous, Wholesome makes organic powdered sugar that is vegan, and I find it at the Whole Foods here. Usually though I make my own in the Vitamix with turbinado or cane sugar and some cornflour.
Sarita says
December 24, 2011 atThx for the recipe!
Are oreo cookies vegan? In the Netherlands they are not vegan.
Vaishali says
December 24, 2011 atSarita, yes they are over here. A lot of storebought cookies are, in fact, perhaps because it’s more expensive for manufacturers to use butter and eggs and cream, and also perhaps because animal products have shorter shelf lives.
Anonymous says
March 28, 2012 atwhat kind of vinegar did you use?
Vaishali says
March 29, 2012 atAnon, just use the basic white vinegar. No need to use anything special for this.
Kim Hendrie says
September 19, 2012 atI am new to veganism and tonight I will be making this cake for my son’s girlfriend – she will be 21 and she introduced me to being vegan. Oreos are her favorite so what better than to surprise her with an oreo cake! Thank you for the recipe….and wish me luck that it is a hit!
Vaishali says
September 19, 2012 atGood luck, Kim. 🙂 And happy birthday to your friend.
Brooke Tadlock says
January 9, 2014 atSadly Oreos aren’t cruelty free, mor is earth balance, because of palm oil! I will modify and try out the recipe tonight!
Alison says
March 3, 2014 atI love this recipe. I’m using it for the second time. Last year one of my friends was concerned when I went vegan because she knows that I’ve always loved baking, and she thought that I would be hindered by veganism. So wrong! This recipe was the one I used to prove to her that vegan cakes can be fluffy, moist, and delicious. Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Vaishali says
March 4, 2014 atHi Alison, so happy you liked it! Chocolate cake makes a good argument, doesn’t it? 🙂
Rebecca Eidson says
April 7, 2016 athi – do you need the coffee in here?
Vaishali says
April 7, 2016 atNot strictly. You can leave it out, but it really enhances the chocolate.
sweetpeasw says
June 12, 2016 atI’ve just made this for my brother’s birthday, and used rapeseed oil instead of shortening in the frosting, and it worked out just fine! I don’t normally like coffee, but this is amazing! Thanks!
Nicole says
February 15, 2018 atHello!!! I made this as a cake and it was absolutely delicious, how would I make these in cupcake form? Would the oven temperature be the same?
Simone says
April 17, 2018 atHi Nicole! I read an earlier reply from vaishali saying that the difference for the cupcakes is just lowering the bake time to 18 minutes! I think that is for 18 cupcakes too
Simone says
April 17, 2018 atHelp please! I cannot see where shortening is listed in the ingredients list and I don’t know how much to use as a result! Would it be terribly different without it, since I see in the directions to beat the earth balance butter with the shortening? Today is April 17, 2018 and i want to make it this weekend on April 20th 2018, so my fingers are crossed there can be an answer before then. Thank you in advance!
Vaishali says
April 18, 2018 atHi Simone, I updated the recipe since I first posted it to remove the shortening– you can just use vegan butter.
Evi says
November 17, 2018 atHi Vaishali! Can we add flax egg, so that the cake grows more or it’s not necessary? I am gonna make it in a bit 😀
Vaishali says
November 17, 2018 atNo need for a flax egg. It doesn’t really help with the rise anyway, it’s more of a binder and you don’t need it here.