Author: This Vegan Vanilla Cake is soft, fluffy, and packed with rich vanilla flavor. Made with simple pantry ingredients, it bakes into a beautiful two-layer cake that's perfect for birthdays, celebrations, and special occasions. The texture is light yet tender, the frosting is creamy and classic, and no one will guess it's dairy-free and egg-free!
FEATURED COMMENT:
I have tried many vanilla cake recipes but this is by far the best one. I keep coming back to it. My non-vegan family absolutely love this cake. Thanks for sharing! - Mo ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
If you're making a vegan birthday cake for the first time, you've come to the right place. This recipe is soft, fluffy, moist, packed with rich vanilla flavor, and honestly tastes exactly like the classic vanilla birthday cakes many of us grew up with. No fancy ingredients, no expensive egg replacers, and no complicated techniques: just a simple, reliable cake that turns out beautifully every time.
It's the vegan vanilla cake I recommend most often because it just works. Whether you're baking for a birthday, a celebration, making a wedding cake (this recipe has been used many times!) or simply because you're craving fluffy vanilla cake, this recipe has you covered.
Why This Vegan Vanilla Cake Never Lets Me Down
- Fluffy, soft, and tender: I've tested and retested this recipe until the texture was just right.
- Simple pantry ingredients: You probably have almost everything you need already.
- Completely foolproof: This is a great recipe for beginners, but experienced vegan bakers will love it too for its reliable results.
- Everyone can enjoy it: This cake tastes just like a classic vanilla cake, so there's no need to bake separate desserts.
Ingredients for Vegan Vanilla Cake
Dry Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: Gives the cake its soft, tender crumb. Use a 1:1 gluten-free blend with xanthan gum for a gluten-free option.
- White sugar: Sweetens the cake and creates a moist crumb.
- Baking soda: Helps the cake rise. Look at the date on the box to make sure it hasn't expired, or you won't get the lift you want!
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the vanilla flavor.
Wet Ingredients
- Plant-based milk: Soy milk is my favorite for baking because it is the most reliable, but oat, almond, and cashew milk work too.
- Neutral oil: Canola or vegetable oil keeps the cake super moist.
- Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar: You won't taste it! It reacts with the baking soda to help the cake rise.
- Vanilla extract: The star flavor of the cake, so use a good-quality vanilla if you can.
Vanilla Frosting
- Firm vegan butter: Stick-style vegan butter works best for a frosting that pipes and swirls beautifully.
- Powdered sugar: Sweetens and thickens the frosting.
- Vanilla extract: Adds classic vanilla flavor.
- Plant-based milk: Just enough to make the frosting fluffy and spreadable.
Optional decorations: Vegan sprinkles, chopped nuts, shaved chocolate, vegan candies, or birthday candles. Have fun with it!
How to Make Vegan Vanilla Cake
- Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
- Mix the Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the plant-based milk, oil, lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar), and vanilla extract.
- Combine: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
- Bake: Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake for 22 to 28 minutes, or until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool: Allow the cakes to cool completely before frosting.
- Make the Frosting: Beat the vegan butter until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla, then continue mixing until smooth. Add plant-based milk, one tablespoon at a time. Spread frosting between the cake layers and over the top and sides.
Tips and Variations
- Don't over-mix the batter: Stir only until the flour disappears (it's a good thing if there are some small lumps). Over-mixing over-develops the gluten and makes the cake less tender.
- Use a good-quality vanilla if you can: it really gets a chance to shine here.
- Don't peek: Keep the oven closed while the cake is baking and only check on it after 22 minutes. Opening the oven early can cause the cake to deflate.
- Use stick-style vegan butter: Soft butter in tubs will give you a frosting that's melty and doesn't hold its shape well. If all you have on hand is butter in a tub, you can swap ½ cup of it for ½ cup of vegetable shortening for a thicker texture.
- Let the cake cool completely: Even if the cake is just a touch warm, it will cause the frosting to melt.
Storage
- Room Temperature: Store your vegan vanilla cake covered for up to 2 days.
- Refrigerator: Refrigerate for up to 5 days. Let the cake come to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
- Freezer: Freeze unfrosted cake layers, the fully assembled cake, or individual slices for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
More Vegan Cake Recipes
- Easy Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes
- The Ultimate Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Easy Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
- Vegan Red Velvet Cake
- Chocolate Mug Cake (Quick & Easy + Vegan)
- Vanilla Mug Cake
- Vegan Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Vegan Confetti Cake
If you try this vegan vanilla cake recipe, let us know by leaving a comment and rating it. I'd love to hear what you think! Share your creation in the It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken Community (this is where we're all hanging out now!) or tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram.
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
(click stars to vote)
Vegan Vanilla Cake (Fluffy, Moist, & Foolproof!)
This Vegan Vanilla Cake is soft, fluffy, and packed with rich vanilla flavor. Made with simple pantry ingredients, it bakes into a beautiful two-layer cake that's perfect for birthdays, celebrations, and special occasions. The texture is light yet tender, the frosting is creamy and classic, and no one will guess it's dairy-free and egg-free!Looking for cupcakes instead? Try my Easy Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes recipe here.
Servings: slices (two 9-inch layers)
PRINT
PIN
Video
COMMENT
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups white sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients:
- 1 ⅓ cup plant-based milk, (soy or oat work well)
- ⅔ cup light oil, (such as canola or vegetable)
- ¼ cup lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, (for rise, you can't taste it)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Vanilla Frosting:
- 1 cup firm vegan butter, (or ½ cup vegan butter + ½ cup vegetable shortening, see notes)
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 - 4 tablespoons plant-based milk
- Vegan food coloring, optional
- Optional decorations: vegan sprinkles, chopped nuts, shaved chocolate, vegan candies, birthday candles
Instructions
- Prep the pans: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly grease two 9 inch round cake pans (or 8 inch for thicker layers) and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In a medium bowl whisk together the plant milk, oil, lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar), and vanilla extract.
- Combine: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Some small lumps are fine. Avoid overmixing as this can make the cake dense.
- Bake: Divide evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 22 to 28 minutes, until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool: Let the cakes cool completely in the pans before frosting to keep them moist and easy to handle.
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the vegan butter until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and continue mixing until smooth. Add plant-based milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the frosting is light, fluffy, and spreadable.
- Frost and decorate: Spread frosting between the layers and over the top and sides. Decorate as desired.
Notes
Firm Vegan Butter: Use a stick style vegan butter made for baking. Softer tub style spreads can make the frosting loose or melty. If the vegan butter you're using is softer, you can swap ½ cup of the butter for ½ cup vegetable shortening to give the frosting more structure for piping and spreading.
Gluten-Free Option: Use a 1:1 gluten free flour blend that contains xanthan gum (such as Bob’s Red Mill 1:1). If your blend does not contain xanthan gum, add ¼ teaspoon. The cake will be slightly more delicate but still soft and delicious.
Lemon Juice / Apple Cider Vinegar: The lemon juice or vinegar reacts with the baking soda and acts as the egg replacer, helping the cake rise and become fluffy. The flavor disappears once baked.
Storage:
- Room Temperature: Store covered for up to 2 days.
- Fridge: Store up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving for best texture.
- Freeze: Freeze unfrosted layers, assembled cake, or individual slices for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice with frosting (recipe makes 16 slices) | Calories: 419kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 2g | Sodium: 380mg | Potassium: 57mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 81IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg
Rebekah Shulman says
This is my go-to cake recipe! I made mini cupcakes the other day; one flavor I added lime zest to the batter, the other I added cinnamon. Both turned out great.
Gabrielle says
Delicious! So hard to find a good plant-based vanilla cake recipe and this nailed it.
Simone says
so good
Erin says
This is the bomb. Excellent basic vanilla cake that definitely doesn't taste basic. Always turns out perfectly and is super easy to whip together.
Lisa says
I am making a wedding cake…would you recommend this recipe for that kind of layer cake?
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
This should work just fine for a wedding cake. Good luck!
Kate says
Could I ask please if the white sugar is caster sugar and the baking soda is bicarbonate of soda.
Many thanks x
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Yes, exactly right!
Lisa says
Could you substitute coconut milk instead of soy or almond?
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Yes, but use the beverage (in a carton) kind of coconut milk. Not the kind in a can, which will be too heavy. Enjoy!
Lisa Benson says
Thanks ! Making these today for my grandsons birthday!
Deb says
Sooo good! ! subbed half the oil for applesauce. I used olive oil and it was perfectly fine.. I put strawberry jam in between the layers like a Victoria sponge cake. Also I didn’t use butter in the frosting because I don’t like buttery frosting. I used all non hydrogenated shortening.. I did half lemon juice half apple cider..I will make this again and again for sure!
Sam says
I have made this recipe so many times and I most recently made this again in cupcake form last week along with the chocolate cake also as cupcakes. I also mixed the frosting up so I had some vanilla with chocolate and chocolate with vanilla. I brought all 48 cupcakes to work. Not a single person could resist getting a second cupcake. After the 2nd, every single person begged me for the recipe.
It’s always a hit and for this reason I always check your website for recipes first before I would anywhere else.
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Woo!! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe with so many!
Kimberly says
I'm so glad to have tried this recipe out. It's more than the sum of its parts somehow! I didn't have white sugar to hand so used 1c coconut sugar and 1/2c powdered sugar. I also used half and half acv and lemon juice mix. Two 8-inch pans took 22 minutes at fan assisted 180C. It was a little fudgy coming out of the pan but they were still cooked thru perfectly. The cake is so flavorful all on its own but the buttercream is decadent. You could easily use this as a base cake for any other flavours. I loved it and so did the birthday guests. Perfection.
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing your experience!
Tamara says
This cake looks so good. I want my son, who is vegan, to be able to have some of my birthday cake! Could I use vegan raspberry jam as a filling?
Gwennith Angasan says
Have you ever baked it in a 13x9 pan?
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
It should work just fine in a 9x13 pan. You would just need to adjust your baking time, which may be more like 30-35 minutes.
Tara Raynak says
I LOVE all your cake recipes and I just made 4 of your pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving! They are delicious! Do you think this could be made into an almond cake by either substituting the vanilla extract or adding almond extract?
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you love my cake recipes! Yes! I would add 1/2 - 1 teaspoon of almond extract. I would keep the vanilla extract the same. When adding the almond extract, you can taste the batter and add more to taste. Enjoy!
Marilyn says
Hi! I have 2 questions.
1. Could I use olive oil?
2. Would this only use one 9inch cake pan? Or 2?
Excited to try this for my daughter’s 2nd birthday!
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Marilyn, I wouldn't recommend olive oil as you would be able to taste it. This uses 2 9" cake pans. Enjoy!
coco says
hi Sam,
How would i make this a triple layer 6" cake?
thanks!
Sam Esme says
I basically use this recipe any time I want to bake anything for a birthday etc but don’t want to make it too complicated. It’s easy, not a lot of ingredients but so super delicious.
I again brought some vanilla cupcakes to work for my birthday and everyone kept saying how everything I bring is always so so so good. I keep telling people: it doesn’t taste like chicken!
Your blog is my go to for anything baking and everyone is always super obsessed!
Thank you!
Moneva says
I made it yesterday, and it came out wonderful! Just as you said: yummy and fluffy! I took only 1 cup of sugar, and I used unrefined brown sugar. It makes the cake darker, but it is better, I find. I also used whole ancient grains flower, gluten free. I think it can be found at places like WF.
The great thing about this recipe is that it can also be used for lots of other cake constructions, like fruit cakes with fresh fruit on top of it, and a fruit juice glaze. Or mixed with cocoa, to make it marbled. The options are endless!
It's easy to make and simply great! Thanks!
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Wonderful! We agree that the options are endless. Other readers have served it with Sam's Lemon Curd as a filling!
Daryl says
Fantastic recipe, easy to make and cake was moist and delicious. Served at a family event and nobody was the wiser that it was vegan!
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
That's wonderful!
Stefanie says
The best and easiest vegan sponge cake recipe!
Every time I make this non vegans don't believe this can be a vegan cake.
Beth Reed says
Can i swap a GF blend for the wheat flour?