Author: This is the vegan vanilla cake you've been searching for. Fluffy, moist, tender, and perfectly vanilla-infused. It tastes just like classic bakery-style vanilla cake, but it's totally egg-free and dairy-free. No one will ever guess.
FEATURED COMMENT:
Made this cake for my mom's birthday and we loved it. It was absolutely delicious, the texture was perfect, and it was so easy to make! Legit tastes like a gourmet recipe. - Clyde ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Why You'll Love This Cake
- Fluffy, soft, and tender (never dense or gummy!)
- Uses simple pantry ingredients, no aquafaba, no weird binders
- Perfectly sweet with rich vanilla flavor
- Reliable and foolproof - great for beginners
- So delicious, no one can tell it's vegan!!
This is my go-to celebration cake for birthdays, dinner parties, showers, and "just because it's Tuesday."
Ingredients for Vegan Vanilla Cake:
For the Cake:
- All-purpose flour - creates that perfect soft and tender crumb. Use a 1:1 gluten-free blend with xanthan gum for GF.
- White sugar - classic vanilla cake sweetness and moisture.
- Baking soda + lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar) - react together to make the cake rise. No, you can't taste the vinegar.
- Salt - balances the sweetness and enhances vanilla flavor.
- Plant-based milk - soy gives the best structure, but oat, almond, or cashew also work. Make sure it's unflavored.
- Light oil - keeps the cake super moist and fluffy. Use a neutral oil like canola or vegetable.
- Vanilla extract - the star flavor, so use pure vanilla if possible.
For the Frosting:
- Firm vegan butter (not tub-style spread!) - frosting needs structure so it pipes and swirls beautifully. My go-to is Earth Balance.
- Powdered sugar, vanilla, and a splash of plant milk - mix until fluffy and spreadable
- Decorations: vegan food coloring if you want to color your frosting. Sprinkles, nuts, berries, candies, cookies, shaved chocolate, or any fun decoration ideas you may have!
How to Make Vegan Vanilla Cake
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and line two 9-inch cake pans with parchment.
- 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.
- Combine: Pour the wet mixture into the dry and stir until just combined. A few small lumps are totally fine - don't overmix.
- Bake: Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake for 22-28 minutes, or until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely in the pans.
- Frost: Beat the vegan butter until fluffy, then mix in powdered sugar and vanilla. Add plant-based milk as needed until smooth and spreadable. Frost, decorate, swoon.
More Vegan Cake Recipes You Might Like:
- Easy Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes
- Vegan Red Velvet Cake
- Vegan Confetti Cake
- Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Vegan Pumpkin Spice Cake
- Vegan Lemon Loaf
- Vegan Chocolate Sheet Cake
Storage & Make Ahead
Store this cake the same way you would a traditional vanilla cake:
- Room temperature: Store the frosted or unfrosted cake in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Refrigerator: Keeps well for up to 5 days.Tip: Bring to room temperature before serving for the best soft, fluffy texture.
- Freezer: Freeze unfrosted cake layers or the fully frosted cake (well wrapped) for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
FAQs
Can I make this gluten-free?
Yep! Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum, such as Bob's Red Mill 1:1. Texture will be slightly more delicate and dense, but still delicious.
Can I use almond/oat/cashew milk?
Yes. Soy is my go-to because its protein helps the cake rise and gives the best texture, but any plant milk works.
Can I use margarine for the frosting?
No, the frosting needs firm vegan butter made for baking or it will melt. If your vegan butter is on the softer side, you can swap ½ cup of the vegan butter for ½ cup vegetable shortening for more structure.
Can I make this as cupcakes?
Yes! Here is my vegan vanilla cupcake recipe. (The same recipe, just tweaked slightly for the best cupcake results).
If you try this recipe, let us know by leaving a comment, rating it, and don't forget to tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram.
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
(click stars to vote)
Vegan Vanilla Cake (Fluffy, Moist, & Foolproof!)
This vegan vanilla cake is fluffy, tender, and bursting with pure vanilla flavor. It uses simple pantry ingredients, and bakes into a beautiful two-layer celebration cake. No one will guess it's dairy-free and egg-free. Perfect for birthdays and special occasions. Looking for cupcakes instead? Get my Easy Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes recipe here.
Servings: - 16 slices (2-layer 9" round cake)
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Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients:
- 1 ⅓ cup plant-based milk, (such as oat or soy)
- 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
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, (such as soy or almond)
- Vegan food coloring, optional
- Vegan sprinkles, chopped nuts, shaved chocolate, or vegan candies, optional, for decorating
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly grease two 9-inch (or 8-inch) round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment for easy release.
- 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 the plant-based milk, oil, lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar), and vanilla.
- Combine: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Stir until just combined. Don't overmix, some lumps are fine. Overmixing can lead to dense or flat cake layers. A light hand = fluffy cake!
- Bake: Divide batter evenly between the pans. Bake for 22-28 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely in the pans on a wire rack.
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the vegan butter until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and food coloring (if using), and continue mixing until smooth. If the frosting is too thick, beat in plant-based milk 1 tablespoon at a time until it's perfectly fluffy and spreadable.
- Frost & decorate. Ensure your cakes are cooled completely so the frosting doesn't melt. Spread frosting between the layers and over the sides and top. Add sprinkles or other decorations if desired.
Notes
Firm Vegan Butter: Some vegan butters/margarines are soft and spreadable, which is great for toast but not ideal for frosting as they can make it loose or melty. Use a firm vegan butter made for baking (it should say so on the package). If yours is on the softer side, 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 includes xanthan gum (such as Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour). If your blend doesn’t include xanthan gum, add ¼ teaspoon for better structure. Texture may be slightly more delicate and dense, but still 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.
Cooling Tip: You can cool the cake completely in the pans, no need to transfer to a wire rack while warm. This keeps the layers moist and makes them easier to handle.
Storage / Make Ahead:
- Room temp: Store frosted or unfrosted cake in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Fridge: Up to 5 days (bring to room temp before serving for best texture).
- Freeze: Cake layers or frosted cake freeze beautifully for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temp.
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
Quyen says
Not sure if I was clear on my last question, my main concern is doubling or tripling the apple cider vinegar and the baking soda? Do I triple those ingredients if I want to triple the recipe? Thanks.
Sam says
Oh just saw this. Yes, if you are going to triple the recipe, make sure you triple every ingredient exactly. 🙂
Quyen says
how should I store these cupcakes if I want to use them for the next day? Also can I triple the recipe or do I need to make each batch individually? Thanks!
Sam says
Hi Quyen,
The only concern for tripling the recipe is if your cupcake batter is left sitting around at room temperature for a long time it may fizzle out before the cupcakes are baked. I would try to keep the batches to however many you can fit in your oven at once. You can always have the wet mixture and the dry mixtures ready and waiting, just don't mix them together until you're ready to bake. To store them, I would keep them in a cool area (but not the fridge), covered with plastic wrap or something similar. Hope that helps!
Quyen says
Have you tried this recipe with adding something to it, like bananas? Is it still fluffy? How much bananas could I add to flavor it but still remain light and fluffy?
Sam says
Hi Quyen,
I haven't added bananas to this recipe, but because bananas are quite wet, I would reduce some to the liquid to make the cupcakes. That said, I haven't tried this myself, so I can't predict how it will turn out for you. Enjoy!
Alyssa McCord says
I want to make this as a cake for my daughter's birthday party Friday. So I baked up a test batch yesterday and sent the cupcakes off with my husband this morning. He called me and said that one of his co-workers said it was the best cupcake he'd ever eaten. (And I used to work in a cupcake bakery and brought in cupcakes daily!)
So...it doesn't get much better than that! 😀
Sam says
WOW!! Really!? I am so so flattered!!!! I love that. Thank you so much for sharing. I am so happy the cupcakes were such a success! 😀
Madison says
just made these - they taste delicious, but the texture turned out to be very sticky? i don't know if i did something wrong or they're supposed to be like that.
Sam says
Hmmmm... I'm not sure what could have happened. Do you live in a very humid climate? Perhaps humidity is the cause!
Franziska says
same here...they got kinda doughy. what do I need to add more of to make them more fluffy? Cause I think I got the ratio slightly wrong. had to convert the recipie into grams/ml and got conflicting information on the internet.
Sam says
Hi Franziska,
Yeah, I think switching the recipe from volume measurements to weight measurements (grams) is what didn't work too well. None of my ingredients are listed by weight, so to try and switch them to that is probably what through off the recipe. If you want to convert the entire recipe to ml, here is a handy chart. Hope that helps!
tamlyn says
I bought a Tala metal cone that measures american cups, uk cups, mls etc. Well worth buying. And when you make the cake you can weigh the ingredients after measuring them in the cone to make a note of. Makes passing the recipe to others easier 🙂
Sam says
Oh awesome idea tamlyn! I need one of those 🙂
tamlyn says
I made them today and weighed the ingredients after measuring them in american cups.
1 1/4 cup flour is 200g.
1/2 + 1/3 cups sugar is 180g sugar.
2/3 cups soya milk is 150ml.
1/3 cup oil is about 85ml.
They were yummy, rose very well. I butterflied the tops and filled the dip with strawberry jam and vanilla buttercream and topped with the cut-out cake and a strawberry and dusted with icing sugar. Victoria sponge cupcakes 🙂
Sam says
Thanks for translating the recipe tamlyn! I am sure you aren't the only one that will find that helpful. So very happy you enjoyed the cupcakes 🙂
Amanda says
My cupcakes also came out sticky. I tried used 1/2 the batter with liners and 1/2 by greasing the pan. I had a hard time getting them out of both the wrapper and the pan. When I set them on a wire rack they stuck a bit as well so I put them on parchment. Handling them for frosting was problematic because they kept sticking to my hands and coming apart. Wah wah. I know I didn't miss anything. There is a chance I may have added just a drop too much almond milk . . . That's all I can think of as far as a misstep. I baked them for 18 minutes. Perhaps I should have gone an extra minute or two? They taste good; however I'd like to try again for a not-so-sticky batch, perhaps using the lemon juice as someone else suggested.
Sam Turnbull says
Hmmm, I don't know what's going on here. My cakes are maybe slightly sticky, but definitely not sticky enough to pull apart in your hands! Are you in a very humid place? Humidity could affect the stickiness. Otherwise it could be a combo of too much liquid and undercooking slightly. The next time you try to make the cupcakes, try removing them from the pan and cooling in a place with lots of fresh air. I am also a big fan of parchment cupcake liners. I hope some of these tips help a bit. Glad you liked the taste of them 🙂
Amanda says
So . . . they only stick to the wrapper when you eat them fresh and hot out of the oven because you just can't wait to taste their deliciousness. The cupcakes that were allowed to cool came out just fine but they were still a little more fragile than the average cupcake. Yes, I do live in a more humid climate; however, Florida isn't crazy humid just yet. I will try to be more precise with the milk next time. I may have accidentally gone up to the 3/4 cup mark. I will also cook them an extra minute or two. Other people are getting cupcakes that turned out just fine so it must be something on my end. Fingers crossed!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! I love that you couldn't wait to eat them right out of the oven! I hope they turn out a less sticky for you next time 🙂
Jessica M. says
I loved this recipe! I had some issues with any alterations I made so I keep right to the recipe now. I had no success doubling it. And adding baking powder was a DISASTER for me! Embarrassingly so... I do wish mine were a little lighter (why I tried the baking powder recommendation) but I think that is more my ovens issue than the recipes. Thanks!
Sam says
So happy you enjoyed the recipe Jessica! You might want to get an oven thermometer, sometimes if the temperature of your oven is a little off it can mess with recipes, especially baking. Enjoy!
Cici Preston says
Made these yesterday! Yummy! These have great flavor and are so light and fluffy. I didnt have canola so I used sunflower oil and I also made a chocolate buttercream frosting. Delicious. This is my new go to recipe.
Sam says
Yay!! So happy you loved them Cici! Light and fluffy cupcakes are the way to go 🙂 Now I need to make a chocolate version soon...
Michele says
Hi!! I just made these and they are amazing!! The icing was perfect when I first made it but now it's melting some... It might be that my kitchen is warmer because of the oven? Should I just wait it out and see if it hardens on the cupcakes?
Sam says
Yay! So happy you enjoyed them.
Yes, your kitchen may be just a little warm. You could pop the icing in the fridge for a bit to let it firm up, and I would store the cupcakes in a cool area of your home. So happy you love the cupcakes Michele 😀
Claire says
The wedding cake turned out perfect!! Thanks for the receipe!
Sam says
Oh amazing!! I wanna see pictures 🙂
Melina says
Okay so I made a second batch and they were unfortunately just the same as the first ones . The taste is good, but they don't rise, they sink in the middle, they look very oily, are not fluffy at all, and they stick to the liners. This time I used white vinegar and I added half a teaspoon of baking soda. I am kind of sad right now lol.. the only thing that i can think of that would be logical would be that my baking soda is old, but it expires on 2017!
I would really appreciate any thoughts or tips on what could've gone wrong. Thanks!
Sam says
Hi Melissa,
that's such a bummer that this recipe didn't work for you! I have made these cupcakes numerous times and they always work out for me, and I know other people have tried them with success too. I found this article, on why your cupcakes might have sank in the middle. Do you think it could be any of these reasons? http://www.cupcakeproject.com/2007/01/how-to-keep-cupcakes-from-collapsing-in.html
Hope that helps!
Daxel says
The same thing happened to me. 35 minutes in the oven and they *still* looked oily on top/bubbly under the surface and were flat in the centre 🙁 I'm kind of disappointed as the recipe seemed to work for everyone else. I used rice milk and vegetable oil, as those were what I had. I feel like that shouldn't have made a difference, but perhaps that was the problem?
Sam says
Oh no! That's such a bummer. I agree that the rice milk and vegetable oil shouldn't have made much of a difference. I am not sure what the problem is here. Do you have an oven thermometer? Sometimes ovens can be quite off... Just a thought
Nicole says
This is my go to recipe for vegan vanilla cake / cupcakes! Tastes amazing, but every time I've made them I add 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder as well because I love how fluffy it makes them. Maybe that could help you!
Sam says
Thanks for the tip Nicole! 🙂
Britni says
I made the following mods and it came out really fluffy!
I combined the ACV and almond milk first int heir own bowl and let them curdle a while.
To the dry ingredients I added a heaping 1/4 tbsp baking powder.
When combining i used a beater to fluff up the batter.
Sam says
Glad you enjoyed some fluffy cupcakes!! 🙂
Melina says
I don't know what went wrong. The cupcakes didn't rise much and they sunk in the middle. Also, they were super oily and the texture was just awful. The taste was pretty good, though. I used apple cider vinegar and sunflower oil (we can't get canola oil in my country), and I did open the oven door one time while they were baking, so maybe that's what ruined them? They where nothing like in your picture. I'll make them again and tell you if they come out right this time. I've got hope for this recipe!
Sara Morrison says
I seriously cannot believe these are vegan, and I made them myself! These cupcakes absolutely have the best texture and taste of any vegan cake I've ever made (and I've made quite a few). I used coconut sugar in mine (I don't eat refined sugar) and added in some pomegranate seeds for an extra treat and they came out perfectly! I will definitely be making these again soon.
Sam says
Yay!! So happy you love the texture Sara, that's my favourite part too! Thank you for the lovely review! 😀
Quyen says
Hi Sara, for the coconut sugar substitute, Did you just use the same measurements? Thanks!
Sam says
Incase Sara doesn't get back to you, generally you can substitute coconut sugar 1 to 1 for white sugar, so yes, use the same measurement. Check out this article about baking with coconut sugar. Hope that helps!
Claire says
Can you also use this recipe for a cake---like a 4 tier naked wedding cake? Just increase the recipe? Will the texture hold up?
Sam says
Hi Claire,
Some people have told me they made this into a cake with success, so I don't see why not. The cake is very light and fluffy, so I am not sure how well it would stack. (Denser cakes tend to be better for stacking high). I think they cake would take longer to cook all the way through than the cupcakes, so be sure to check that a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean before taking it out of the oven. I would definitely give this a test before hand if you plan on using it for a wedding cake.
If you do, let us know how it turns out!
Best,
Sam
Cinnamon says
Highly recommended! I was looking for a vegan alternative because I have no eggs! I know vegan can be delicious so I made these. They're great! I just put the whole cup of sugar as opposed to the 5/6c. I added a lot more vanilla (I taste my batter and go from there) . I filled my liners 2/3 full because it's a more liquid batter and I wanted to have the mound on top.
Sam says
So happy you loved them and that you know vegan cupcakes can be delicious!
Annie G says
Hi,
I'm not sure why you ask for ½ Cup plus ⅓ Cup White Sugar if we mix everithing at the same time.
Sam says
Hi Annie,
Because I felt there was no better way for me to explain the measurement. 1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup equals 5/6 cup. I don't think most people have that 5/6 measuring cup, so I was trying to make it simpler.
Annie G says
Ok thanks!
I will bake those in a minute 🙂
Sam says
EnjoY! 🙂
kimbelina says
I made these cupcakes yesterday for my son's Cub Scout pack and they were a hit. Thanks so much for such a great recipe. https://flic.kr/p/tsxg3K
Sam says
Oh look how cute they are!!!!! Thanks for sharing the picture and so happy they were a hit 😀
Sarah says
I Googled "vegan vanilla cupcake recipe," and this was the top result -- congrats on that, by the way! I used cane sugar for white sugar, and I mixed in the white vinegar with the unsweetened almond milk and let that mixture sit for a couple minutes before adding the other liquids. I also added some blue gel food coloring to the cupcakes' centers before baking them (these were for a baby shower) and used homemade vegan chocolate buttercream frosting. I was only able to make 8 or 9 cupcakes for each of my 2 batches; perhaps I put too much batter into my liners. My 1st batch had slightly crispy edges (nothing that good frosting couldn't save), so I pulled my 2nd batch out sooner. The party guests, who were mostly omnivores, devoured the cupcakes without knowing they were vegan, and I received rave reviews! My vegan friend wanted a copy of the recipe, so I'm glad to have her stamp of approval. I'm definitely curious to try more of your recipes for myself!
Sam says
Hi Sarah,
So happy you loved the recipe and that everyone at the baby shower devoured them! Haha.
Your cupcakes sound so cute, I wish I could have seen a picture!
😀
Anonymous says
I would love to the your favourite person of the day 🙂
I've never made vegan vanilla cupcakes but I've been searching for a recipe to use for my wedding cupcakes. I have a dairy allergy so I need something yummy for me and my hubby to be 🙂
I'm making cupcakes in a jar as we are travelling an hour out of town to get married and I thought what a great idea to dress up the jar with a pretty sticker on the top and ribbon in our matching colours.
This recipe sounds delicious and the frosting sounds perfect !!! I already use Earth Balance margarine and will look for the shortening as well.
I hope you'll let me post a pic of the yumminess I create.
All the best,
Anj
Sam says
Haha, you are my favourite person of the day Anj!
That sounds too cute, cupcakes in a jar, love it! Be sure to keep the cupcakes as cool as possible in your travels, they do hold up in heat pretty well, but just in case.
Absolutley, please share pics! You can post them on my Facebook page.
Hope you have a fabulous wedding. 😀
Nicoletta @sugarlovespices says
Hi Sam, I'm Nicoletta, the one half of sugarlovespices. Your site is beautiful and your cupcakes are amazing. Although we are not vegan, we cook vegan meals sometimes and I attended a vegan baking course becuse I realy like baking vegan desserts. I am going to try these vanilla cupcakes for sure and I'll keep coming in!
Sam says
Thank you so much Nicoletta! Vegan baking is awesome! I hope you enjoy the cupcakes! 😀
Erin says
No baking powder?
Sam says
Nope!
Anonymous says
Instead of canola oil could I use vegetable or rice bran?
Sam says
Absolutely! Any light oil should work just fine.
Erin says
How do you scoop/measure your flour? I do the whisk/scoop/level method developed by Fran Costigan and it always results in a 4.5 ounce cup of flour which is on the lighter side? When you simply scoop it from the flour bag or container it compacts the flour and results in a heavier cup of flour. There is also the spoon/level method. Thanks! Gonna give these a try but am hoping that they don't turn out gummy or too wet which is why I asking about how you measure your flour. Sorry for all the questions. Thanks in advance
Sam says
Hi Erin,
No problem! You can always do a 1/2 batch so you are committing to the whole thing, just to test it out. I just dunk the measuring cup into the flour bag and use my finger to scrape off the top. I'm a fan of keeping it simple! 🙂