This is the best Vegan Vanilla Cake recipe! Trust me. It doesn't have any unusual ingredients and it's very easy to make. Plus, it's light, fluffy and nobody would guess that it's vegan. Perfect as a vegan birthday cake.
Vegan vanilla cake
I'm going out on a limb here and calling this cake the BEST (*toots own trumpet*) vegan vanilla cake recipe.
I based the recipe on the one for my vegan chocolate cake that has been made by many many readers.
You've kindly written to me in droves telling me how much you loved it. I've had such wonderful feedback on that cake, so I thought I'd create this vanilla version.
And it certainly didn't disappoint.
It's light, fluffy, full of tasty vanilla flavor and it's MOIST! I know, most people think that a vegan cake will be dry and horrible. But this cake will show you that it doesn't have to be true.
This cake has no unusual ingredients, and nobody will guess that it's vegan. It's just a delicious 2 tier vegan vanilla cake from scratch. You'll love it.
This recipe was originally posted on 14 June 2017. Updated 15 July 2020 with new text and images.
Reader testimonials
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I made this vegan vanilla cake yesterday and it was amazing! It’s my new go-to birthday cake recipe". - Jem
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "The best vegan cake I’ve made so far!!! So light and moist, and with a very delicate vanilla flavour. I definitely recommend this recipe!" - Chantal
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I just made this vegan cake for the second time. Amazing. Will make it again!" - Ted
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I used the ingredients for vegan vanilla cake but I doubled ingredients and made my daughter a four tier rainbow 18th birthday cake I covered it with chocolate frosting. It was a hit again everyone loved it. It’s really rich and moist." - Jodi
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Made this cake yesterday and it was amazing! I can’t believe how well and fluffy it turned out!! And best of all you can’t tell it’s any different to a non-vegan cake!!" - Hannah
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "This is the first time I have made a vegan cake… it was delicious all my family loved it. I’ll definitely be making it again !" - Juliette
Vegan birthday cake
This vegan cake recipe is really easy to make and it's perfect as a vegan birthday cake because it's a two-tier vegan layer cake.
Just double the recipe for a four layer cake, or increase the recipe by 50% for three layers!
So, go on, bake this cake and tell me what you think. Is it really the best?
You can decorate it with berries or go for it with the sprinkles or funfetti. Add some candles and you have a decadent, delicious, easy vegan birthday cake!
No unusual ingredients
I love making cakes, but I hate it when I need to seek out expensive unusual ingredients first.
So, this dairy-free sponge cake doesn't need any unusual egg or dairy substitutes like flax or chia.
It's just a super-easy, light and fluffy vanilla cake that's vegan that can be made with pantry ingredients.
Trust me, nobody will guess that it's vegan.
Why is this the BEST vegan vanilla cake?
- Quick and easy to make
- No unusual ingredients
- Light, fluffy texture
- Perfect as a vegan birthday cake
- Delicious delicate vanilla flavour
- Nobody will guess that it’s vegan
- Lovingly homemade from scratch
How to make this recipe: step by step tutorial
1: Stir the lemon juice (or vinegar) into the dairy free milk (I used soy, but almond, rice, oat etc... all work) and set aside so it thickens slightly into 'buttermilk'.
2: Melt the dairy-free butter (Earth Balance, Vitalite etc...) and syrup (golden, corn or maple) together.
3: Sift the flour, caster sugar, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a large mixing bowl.
4: Stir the melted dairy free butter mixture and milk mixture into the dry ingredients and gently stir to combine.
5: Pour into the prepared baking pans and bake for 35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick or skewer comes out clean.
7: Allow to cool completely then top with the vegan frosting.
Cook's Tips:
- Don't over-mix the batter when adding the wet ingredients to dry. Combine well, but don't beat.
- Add 1 tsp of cinnamon to the frosting for a wintery flavour or the zest of a lemon for something zingy. You could also try my vegan cream cheese frosting.
- Increase the ingredients by an extra 50% for a three layer cake.
- Turn this into vegan cupcakes by filling the cups of a lined muffin pan and bake for 15-20 mins (or make my vegan vanilla cupcakes).
Storage and freezing
- This vegan cake is freezable: you can freeze the un-frosted cakes for up to 1 month. Wrap them well and freeze them. Then let them defrost and add your favorite frosting.
- The frosted cake is best stored on the kitchen counter for up to 5 days. You don’t need to tightly wrap it, but a cake tin will ensure the cut edges don’t dry out and keep it clean.
- You can store un-frosted cake layers, well wrapped, on the kitchen counter for up to 5 days. If you need to keep them longer than that, freeze them.
More vegan cake recipes
- Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Vegan Victoria Sponge
- Carrot Cake (vegan)
- Vegan Lemon Cake
- Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
- Red Velvet Cupcakes
- Vegan Black Forest Cake
Get the recipe
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out for you!
Leave a comment and star rating below and share a picture with the hashtag #veggiedesserts. I love seeing your recreations of my vegetarian and vegan recipes and cakes.
Thanks for checking out my recipe! I love hearing from my readers. You all allow me to do what I love and write this food blog, sharing vegetarian and vegan recipes.
Kate x
Vegan Vanilla Cake
Ingredients
For the vegan vanilla cake
- 1 ¼ cups (300ml) vegan milk (almond, soy etc)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ⅔ cup (150g) dairy-free butter / margarine
- 5 tbsp maple syrup or agave
- 2 ¼ cups (275g) all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- ¾ cups (175g) sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda (bicarb of soda)
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
For the vegan vanilla frosting (double to cover the sides as well)
- ⅓ cup (75g) dairy-free margarine/butter
- 2 cups (250g) powdered icing sugar (confectioner's sugar)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp vegan milk (almond, soy etc)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180° C. Lightly grease 2 x 8inch (20cm) round baking pans.
- Stir the lemon juice into the non-dairy milk and set aside. It will thicken slightly into 'buttermilk'.
- In a pan over a medium heat, melt the vegan butter and syrup together. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Sift the flour, caster sugar, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a large mixing bowl.
- Pour the milk, vanilla and melted butter mixture over the flour mixture and stir well until it becomes a smooth runny batter.
- Divide the mixture between the two prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. If the cakes are darkening too much, cover them loosely with foil.
- Allow the cakes to cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
For the vegan vanilla frosting
- Meanwhile, to make the frosting, beat together all ingredients until smooth. Add more milk or powdered sugar if necessary to get a thick frosting consistency.
To assemble
- When the cakes are completely cold, sandwich together with ⅓ of the icing. Spread ⅓ of the frosting over the top and the remaining frosting around the sides. If desired, decorate with berries or vegan sprinkles.
Video
Notes
- Don't over-mix the batter when adding the wet ingredients to dry. Combine well, but don't beat.
- Add 1 tsp of cinnamon to the frosting for a wintery flavour or the zest of a lemon for something zingy. You could also try my vegan cream cheese frosting.
- Freezable: you can freeze the un-frosted cakes for up to 1 month
- Increase the ingredients by an extra 50% for a three layer cake
- Turn this into vegan cupcakes by filling the cups of a lined muffin pan and bake for 15-20 mins.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.
Zarah
I made this for my son's 1st birthday as he is allergic to dairy, eggs, soya and coconut so I wanted something that hadn’t got any unusual ingredients. I have to say it tasted amazing! I made it into a 3 tier cake and all the non-vegans loved it and said they’d pay for it in a coffee shop. Fabulous recipe, I’ll definitely make this again. So easy too.
Lina
The cake itself came out moist and great! as for the icing....who knows what I did wrong here because mine is clear and runny - Maybe I should've been a little more heavy handed on the icing but I followed the 2 cups and it just wasn't thickening!!! And was yellow? Who knows - maybe it was the icing powder I used.
Either way... It taste great (even though it looks like a massive glazed donut)!
Will be retrying with better quality icing powder.
Kate Hackworthy
Hi, sorry the icing didn't work! I think it might be down to the vegan butter. Their water content can vary brand-to-brand, so you'll need to add more icing sugar if needed to get a thick consistency.I'm glad you love the cake though!
Ginny S
I have tried many recipes, but this one wins!!! Thank you so much for putting this together. Absolutely in love with it. I've tried to make a vegan strawberry shortcut cake with this and a cinnamon-vanilla-maple version too. Beautiful <3
Karen
Love this recipe and am sharing the heck out of it. I used agave and the crumb texture is so light and moist. Thanks for this recipe that I’ll use again and again
Emily
This really is the best vanilla cake! It is so moist and has great flavor and I love that it is vegan! Also I love the way you decorated yours!
Jacque Hastert
What a great way to celebrate a birthday this summer. With a delicious, vegan cake! I baked this for our summer birthday.
Emily
This vegan cake was perfect! The texture came out perfectly fluffy and loved the addition of berries to this.
Carrie
This cake was absolutely perfect! 🙂
Vicky
The texture on this vegan cake is spot on!
Shreekar Yadthore
This also was my first attempt at a vegan cake.
Tried this out with my 6 year old. Had a great time making this and it turned out delicious. Thank you. I have tried eggless cakes before but this has been the best so far.
Cat Mcd
Hi! I bake homemade cakes for a cafe. They have asked for some vegan cakes, which don’t taste ‘vegan’ and the chocolate cake was brilliant! The texture seemed to improve even more on the second day. For those struggling with which fat to use, I use block ‘Stork’ as it is vegan and works so well(the soft Stork in the tub is NOT vegan). I am now going to try adapting this vanilla version into coffee and walnut! Super recipes - thanks so much!!
Sally
Hi, made this cake today and it was amazing!! My husband really loves coffee cake so I was wondering if I could somehow make this coffee flavoured? what would your approach be?
thank you 🙂
Kate Hackworthy
Hi Sally, it's on my list to test a vegan coffee cake recipe, so I hope to have one on the blog soon!
Chantal
The best vegan cake I've made so far!!! So light and moist, and with a very delicate vanilla flavour. I made this recipe into cupcakes since I didn't have 8" cake molds, still turned out great. The sea salt is a nice touch if you like sweet and salty. I liked it, but I might also make it without. I definitely recommend this recipe!
Eve
I used golden syrup and it is smelling very strongly of this while baking. I am thinking of making a lemon buttercream which I think will go well with the golden syrup
Hetal
Best vanilla sponge cake I have made to date!!! Made it without the frosting and added a bit more sugar to the sponge itself. Will be making again and again in the future. Thank you.
Daisy
I rarely leave reviews but this was absolutely the BEST vegan cake I've made (and I've made a lot!) It truly lives up to its title. The only part of the recipe I would change is the baking time, as it was done in 25 mins.
My tips so yours also turns out perfectly:
- Use soya milk. This reacts with the baking powder to help the cake rise like other non-dairy milks don't.
- Get the cake in the oven as soon as it's mixed to catch the bubbles from the aforementioned reaction.
- Don't over mix the batter. Having a few small lumps is fine, but overmixing will make it dense and tough. Ew.
Victoria
My first attempt at a vegan cake. Did a trial run with the aim of making one for my daughter’s first birthday, and trying to accommodate various dairy/egg allergies. Really like the taste, although a bit sweet. Will use maple syrup (not golden syrup) next time. Any ideas why it ended up being quite dense though? Think I’ve done something wrong...
Kaia
I make a lot of cakes but this is the first vegan cake I've ever made. It was amazing. I have to say one of the best cakes I've ever made and my vegan brother/sister-in-law loved it to. I made it with the vegan buttercream frosting that also turned out great. I made a four layer cake and alternated layers of strawberry jam with layers of buttercream and it was a great flavor combo. Making again today for Easter.