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
Millicent says
Cakes were never my strong suit in my pre-vegan days, so I was pretty nervous about how it would turn out, but I made this last night for mum's birthday and it was delicious! Everyone loved it! Really fluffy and moist, not oily at all, with a lovely vanilla flavour. The cake wasn't sticky and I could easily remove the baking paper.
I'm in Australia, so I followed the measurements as per previous comments to make one cake:
- 200g plain flour
- 160g sugar (cut back from 180g, I wanted it slightly less sweet)
- 150ml soy milk
- 85ml canola oil
- 35ml lemon juice
For the frosting:
- 165g icing sugar
- 50g Crisco veg shortening
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (forgot to weigh!) BioButtery spread
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
I didn't need to add any milk to the frosting,
I used an 18cm/7" cake pan as that was all I had. I baked the cake for 22 minutes.
Thanks for the recipe, would definitely make again!
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed it, Millicent!
Donna Bell says
I plan to use this recipe for the lady fingers in your tiramisu recipe for my daughter’s birthday this weekend. The tiramisu recipe calls for two batches of this recipe and provides the link. Yet, this recipe appears to be doubled already for 24 cup cakes. Do I need 1 or 2 batches of this recipe for the tiramisu? Thanks! I’m excited to make this as your recipes always turn out so great!
Sam Turnbull says
Oh yes that is confusing, sorry about that Donna!! I had updated this recipe and didn't think to update the tiramisu recipe info as well. I just updated the tiramisu recipe so the information is now correct. It will be one batch, which will be enough to make a two layer cake or 24 cupcakes. Enjoy!
lillian says
I just made this and am so blown away that I have declared that this is the best vegan vanilla cake ever. Normally with the recipes that I've made the texture would always have a gumminess to it, but this really delivered on the light and fluffy aspect that non-vegan versions always have. I made sure not to over mix it and I think that helped a lot.
FYI I made 2 6-inch cakes and 5 cupcakes. I have yet to make the frosting.
Thanks for the recipe!
lillian says
I frosted it with your chocolate frosting. Every bite is a piece of heave!
Sam Turnbull says
Wow thank you so much, lillian!! Thrilled you loved it so much 😀
amy says
hi ive always made this as my go to vanilla cake and cupcake recipe but now that its changed to a double layer cake recipe, have the measurements changed? i changed the cupcake size to 12 but im not familiar with 0.13 cups of apple cider vinegar. what was it prior to the change - was it 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar? thanks
Sam Turnbull says
Hi amy! I tried to make the recipe easier for people who want to make it a cake version. Did I end up just making it more confusing you think?? I want to do what's best for everyone 🙂 Yes, 1/4 cup is 4 tablespoons, so half would be 2 tablespoons. Hope that helps!
Amy says
That is great thank you I’ll remember it from now on. The way it is now is good however as u may know, I was super set w what it was before and I just spaced out at the converter while doing the muffins for school and panicked lol. Every time I make this muffin recipe into a vanilla cake, I do a layer of the vegan chocolate cake recipe and make my double layer cake that way so I get the best of both worlds! It’s always been a hit and everyone is always amazed it’s vegan. Thank u!
Sam Turnbull says
Oooh that sounds amazing! You're most welcome, Amy 🙂
Emma says
I just finished baking this as a cake. It tastes amazing and has a fantastic texture. this is my new go to vanilla cake!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful!! So happy you love it so much, Emma 🙂
Aly says
Hey there, I just came across your recipe and I'm eager to try. I have a couple of concerns though, I make my own almond milk so it has no thickening agents, and I use organic unbleached sugar(larger crystals). Do you think this will be a problem? If so any advice? Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Aly, I don't think it should be a problem. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Aly says
Woow! These were a hit for Easter with my family. I made mini cupcakes, 48, and they were all gone by the end of the night. I definitely enjoyed telling everyone after that they were vegan. Thanks for a great recipe! Also, and tips on how to make these in a strawberry flavor naturally, without flavoring liduid? Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
So happy they were enjoyed, Aly! I would have to toy around with the recipe to know exactly how to make them strawberry, but generally you would need to reduce the liquid a bit when adding strawberry pulp. Hope that helps!
Katie says
Hi Sam! Any tips to get my frosting thicker/stiffer? I tried to add more sugar and even a bit of flour, but it stayed pretty thin and didn’t fluff up.
Also- I’m a huge fan of this site and your cookbook. You’ve helped make my first months of being vegan such a fun adventure.
Sam Turnbull says
Thanks, Katie! SO happy you love the book. I'm guessing that your vegan butter or vegetable shortening (or both), have a high water content that the kinds I was using. So I would start by adding all of the powdered sugar and cocoa to the bowl, along with maybe half of the vegan butter and half the shortening. Blend to combine. If it is too stiff, start adding more bit by bit as needed. You probably won't need the extra non-dairy milk. Hope that helps!
Monica Z says
So i just tried making these after using your chocolate cake recipe to make chocolate cupcakes (they turned out amazing). Sadly, they did not turn out at all! My dough was almost lumpy, which I thought was strange but I went with it anyways. After baking them, they still remained lumpy looking, not mention that some of them just sort of baked up and poured up over the cups and all over the pan. Ive never had quite the baking fail. I haven't tried them yet but the raw batter tasted okay? Any ideas? I doubled the recipe, could that have anything to do with it? Ive looked over the ingredients several times and I'm sure that there were no measurement errors. My baking soda might be a little old, do you think that could be the culprit? Any insight would be great - I'm making these for a baby shower and would love to have them be my go to vegan cupcake, since the chocolate ones were so great!
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Monica, that's odd. It's difficult to know what when wrong without being in the kitchen with you... I'm not sure I can be much help! It does sound like somehow some liquid measurement was off. Sorry I can't be more help!
M S Lee says
Can these cupcakes be frozen for later use? Tastes good still?
Sam Turnbull says
For sure. Freeze the cupcakes and frosting separately. THen just thaw and frost when ready. Enjoy!
M S Lee says
Thank you for the amazing recipe. I am making 100 of them for a fundraiser. The cake does taste quite strongly of baking soda. Is there anyway to mask it?
Sam Turnbull says
Wow amazing! I didn't find the cupcakes to taste at all of the baking soda. Perhaps there was a clump of baking soda when you tasted one? Make sure to whisk well. Hope that helps!
Alanna says
These are so good! I found them spongey in a great way. I used vegan becel in the frosting and it worked well.
Sam Turnbull says
Awesome! So happy to hear you loved them, Alanna 🙂
Evie says
LOVE these. Did anyone take them as cake? if so, what modifications did you make? Any advice?
Evie says
*make them into cake
Evie says
I only made the cupcakes, not the frosting. I made my own frosting.
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Evie! The recipe for 12 cupcakes would make enough for a one 9" round cake. You can bake at the same temperature and for longer, 22-28 mins probably. You will know it's done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Enjoy!
Vesna says
I made this today (without the frosting) and I am happy with the result. Thank you for this recipe! They are pretty light and fluffy. Mine were still very dense and heavy after 20min so I had to bake them for additional 10min! They were not oily at all as one person commented. The problem is that the cupcake, although fluffy, becomes heavy and sticky as soon as I put it in my mouth. This happens with most of the vegan cupcake recipes that I've tried. Is there any way to fix that or is is just a result of baking without eggs?
Also, although I filled my cupcake liners only half-way, I was only able to make 8 cupcakes! Should I have filled them less than half-way?
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Vesna,
So happy you enjoyed the recipe. It sounds like somehow an ingredient or measurement was off here? Or perhaps you had an extra large cupcake pan? You should have had way more batter than that, and that baking time is too long for cupcakes! My guess is that there was an error somewhere that caused your problems. Glad you enjoyed them anyway!
Sandyk says
I would like to know if Almond Oil or regular vegetable oil can be substituted for the Canola oil? Also, can I leave the shortening out of the frosting recipe and just use the sticks of vegan butter? I've been told that there is too much trans fat in shortening (?)
Also--I recently made your chocolate cake recipe and the results were tremendous. Everyone loved the cake!
Sam Turnbull says
Vegetable oil would work perfectly! You can use all vegan butter but the frosting will be softer and meltier so make sure to keep the cake in a cool place, and you may need to reduce the non-dairy milk. You can buy trans fat free shortening sticks as well, Earth Balance makes them and they are usually what I use. Enjoy!
Zuzu says
I mis-judged and ended up with 11 cupcakes instead of 12. Oops! I was not in the mood to bake, but it's my best friend's birthday tomorrow so I have to. (at 11:14 p.m., and I just put them in the oven...) I was thinking about getting a box mix, but I didn't want the chemicals, not to mention I had all the ingredients. I was so pleased at how quickly they came together! I am starting to smell them now. Thank you for posting such an easy and vegan treat!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! So happy you like them, Zuzu and love that they were easy enough for you to throw together last minute 🙂
Zuzu says
My friend, the birthday girl LOVED them. I used chocolate frosting per her request. I didn't have canola so I used avocado oil. Totally fine. I am back on this site because another friend's baby is turning 1, and I am going to make these again. I'm going to experiment, half applesauce, half oil. Thank you so much again for posting this recipe! It is a hit, and definitely a go-to and repeat for me.
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! Thrilled you loved it so much that you came back for round 2! 🙂
Claire says
Hi, thanks for the recipe, but going by a lot of reviews saying these turn out greasy/oily (same for my experience making them too) it might be good to adjust the recipe or put at note in the recipe about this. I measure ingredients to the exact gram and followed the instructions to a T, so I don't think it was an error with anything going on there. They have a spongey texture,, but they are still quite greasy throughout. A cupcake should be fluffy and light, with rich decadent frosting. If it's an oily cupcake with buttery icing on top, it will be overwhelmingly heavy and not pleasant. I'm no health nut and love greasy and oily vegan treats often, so the fact that even I found it oily was very unusual for me. Sorry for a downer comment, I just think with some slight adjustments this could be great, and it would be good to warn people before they use a bunch of ingredients on it.
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Claire, sorry you didn't enjoy the recipe. The problem may be that you converted the recipe to grams (which is weight), and my recipe is written in cups and spoons (which is volume), so it's two completely different ways of measuring. One does not equal the other. These cupcakes always come out perfectly moist and fluffy for me, and they do for many other people who bake them all the time, so my guess is that is the problem.
Claire says
The thing is that volume can be converted into accurate weight using conversion websites (such as Traditional Oven). You can even select the country of the tools, so I used north american so it would be same as yours (e.g. how many grams of all-purpose flour fit into 1 North American cup). It doesn't change the amount, it just makes it more accurate for me, because my country's tools have different volume to northern america. This is one of the biggest problems w/ recipes online. Measuring tools of different countries actually have different volumes. 1 US cup is different volume from 1 AU cup. If I used mine, it would turn out even worse and less accurate. I think the issue might be the type of flour, I would suggest recommending a different gluten flour in the recipe, as it can effect oil absorption, such as cake flour. I don't mean to be a downer on it, I just think it has so much potential to work great for everyone if they're aware of these things, as it seems many others had the problem with oiliness too. Anyway thanks for your reply though!
Sam Turnbull says
So sorry you didn't enjoy the recipe, Claire. The recipe works out perfectly for me every time and isn't oily. I can't really fix a recipe that always works for me! Maybe there is another recipe that will suit your tastes better. Sorry I can't be more help.
Claire says
Don't feel the need to apologise at all! As I said I don't mean to be a downer, but since so many other people said it turned out oily for them too there must be a consistent error that comes from the recipe, I just thought it would be helpful for others to be wary of how they make it so they don't end up wasting a bunch of ingredients. The texture of them was great so it definitely has potential 🙂 thanks for your reply!
Kaela Fabian says
do you think I could use whole wheat flour instead?
Sam Turnbull says
Whole wheat flour is heavier and makes baking denser. You can use this guide to help you substitute some of the flour, but I have never tested it myself, so I can guarantee results. Enjoy!
Christie says
These look so cute and scrumptious!! I'm in love with the Earl Grey cupcake recipe, I can't wait to try this one!
I am also looking to make my first vegan cake, but I'm having no luck finding a white cake recipe. I am assuming that kind of cake would be good topped with berries... Do you know of a yummy recipe for one?
Have a wonderful Monday. 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Christie, you could make these cupcakes into a cake. 12 cupcakes would equal one 9" layer cake. Just pour into a lightly greased cake pan, and bake. You could doulbe the recipe for 2 layer cake. It will just take a little longer to bake, but you will know when it is done when it is lightly golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Enjoy!
Cutie says
I made this cake and it was delicious so moist! Thank you I will be making this for my daughter birthday.. I was wondering could u use whole wheat flour?
Sam Turnbull says
Glad you enjoyed it! Whole wheat flour is much denser and requires more moisture. It will definitely change the texture of the cake, so I recommend sticking to the all-purpose. You could try a whole-wheat pastry flour which may get you a better result, but I haven't tried it myself.
Faith says
I don't think these are the best cupcakes I just followed and made the cupcakes to exact ingredients and they are blah. They taste like horrible they need more flavour
Sam Turnbull says
Aww too bad you didn't love them, Faith!
Avery says
I have never left a review of a recipe I found on the internet until now. So that's something. I have been vegan for a while, and because I have a HUGE sweet tooth, I have made many, many cupcakes. I have tried dozens of recipes but this one takes the (cup)cake. This is by far the best recipe I have tried, thus living up to its name of "The Best Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes".
I followed the recipe almost exactly. My only substitutions were baker's sugar (very fine sugar as opposed to regular granulated sugar), and real vanilla bean instead of vanilla extract in the frosting. I also took the extra steps of sifting all of my dry ingredients, grinding the sea salt into a fine dust with a mortar and pestle, and letting the almond milk and ACV marinate for a while (~5 min) before adding them to the mix.
I ate the entire batch in 3 days. And I thought THAT was exercising self-restraint! Lol! Ever since then I have been craving them almost daily. I am planning on making these again the same way for my friend's birthday party, and using food coloring to dye the frosting rainbow colors! Thanks for the recipe.
Sam Turnbull says
Wow! I am so flattered that this recipe inspired you to leave your first comment! Thrilled you loved them so much, Avery! I hope you enjoy many more of my recipes 🙂
Theresa Stanley says
I absolutely love this recipe! I omitted the vinegar and added lemon juice instead and also grated the lemon rind into the batter. Instead of almond milk in the frosting I added a lavender infused blueberry puree. Absolute heaven. These are the lightest, fluffiest cupcakes ever! Thank you for sharing your recipes, I'm never disappointed!
Sam Turnbull says
Woah! Lavender infused blueberry puree!! Sounds like heaven! So happy you enjoy my recipes so much, Theresa 🙂