Every year on my sons birthdays I try to always make their birthday cakes as special as I can. I love being able to create whatever character or theme they are currently into at the moment. It has become pretty time consuming and stressful now that I have a 4 year old and 2 year old though. They want to be included or actually they want to touch everything! Which really bothers me because I am extremely clean and I have a standard routine when I am sculpting and decorating my cakes. So when they enter my kitchen I stress, hard!
I know it’s not that serious how the cakes turn out but with anything I do, I am a perfectionist. It gets stressful always trying to do the best I can but I’ve learned and decided to come to terms with as long as they can recognize what the cake is supposed to be and it makes them smile, that’s all that matters!
This is my go to vegan chocolate birthday cake especially when I’m in a rut for time. It’s much easier than a couple of my other recipes I’ve used before. Hope it helps you out and it’s enjoyed by you and your family.
Start by preheating your oven to 350F. Depending if you’re making a cake or cupcakes spray either a 9 x 9 round cake pan {you could also do an 8×8 square pan} or a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
Next, In a large mixing bowl, add in your choice of plant-based milk with the apple cider vinegar. Whisk together just to combine. Set it aside for about 8 minutes to curdle. This is used as a vegan “buttermilk”.
To the vegan buttermilk add in your coconut sugar, sunflower oil and vanilla extract.
Whisk the mixture until it becomes frothy or foamy.
In a separate bowl, sift in the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt and then whisk until all is thoroughly combined.
Add the dry ingredients mixture to your wet ingredients mixture. Don’t add it all at once. It will be much harder to whisk and get out the lumps. Separate it into 2 batches, be sure to whisk well after each transfer.
Then transfer your cake batter into your prepared cake pans or cupcake liners.
Be sure not to fill your cupcakes to the top. You want them about a little more than half – ¾ full.
Bake the cake 28-30 minutes and the cupcakes for about 18-20 minutes. Insert a toothpick and once it comes out clean they are done.
Remove from the oven and let them cool completely on a wire rack. Be sure they are completely cool before adding frosting or decorating.

Prep Time | 20 minutes |
Cook Time | 28 minutes Or 18 minutes for Cupcakes |
Servings |
Cake or 12 Cupcakes
|
- 1 cup Plant-Based Milk
- 1 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- ¾ cup Coconut Sugar
- ⅓ cup Sunflower Oil
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
- ⅓ cup Cocoa Powder
- ¾ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt
Ingredients
|
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- Start by preheating your oven to 350F. Depending if you’re making a cake or cupcakes spray either a 9 x 9 round cake pan {you could also do an 8x8 square pan} or a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- Next, In a large mixing bowl, add in your choice of plant-based milk with the apple cider vinegar. Whisk together just to combine. Set it aside for about 8 minutes to curdle. This is used as a vegan “buttermilk”.
- To the vegan buttermilk add in your coconut sugar, sunflower oil and vanilla extract. Whisk the mixture until it becomes frothy or foamy.
- In a separate bowl, add in the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt and whisk until all is thoroughly combined.
- Add the dry ingredients mixture to your wet ingredients mixture. Don’t add it all at once. It will be much harder to whisk and get out the lumps. Separate it into 2 batches, be sure to whisk well after each transfer. Then transfer your cake batter into your prepared cake pans or cupcake liners. Be sure not to fill your cupcakes to the top. You want them about a little more than half - ¾ full. Bake the cake 28-30 minutes and the cupcakes for about 18-20 minutes. Insert a toothpick and once it comes out clean they are done.
- Remove from the oven and let them cool completely on a wire rack. Be sure they are completely cool before adding frosting or decorating.
Did you attempt this recipe? Please let me know how you liked it {or not} by leaving a comment below or sharing a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #mamawentveganrecipes or @mamawentvegan. I love to hear your feedback and see your creations!