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
mehak kohli says
Can I use self-rising flour instead of all purpose flour? I'm baking this tomorrow and I just realised I bought the wrong flour!
Sam Turnbull says
That should work fine for this recipe. Here is a guide to help you with the correct amounts. Enjoy!
Tina says
Help please..
For years prior to going vegan, I would make3 D cakes for my daughters birthdays. I would take box mix and modify with pudding and sour cream. This made a cake similar to more of a pound cake, and held up well to fondant and stacking. Since making cakes non vegan recently, they are delicious bit light and a bit crumbly (even though moist, they fall apart easily when removing slices) I am not sure I will be able to find a cake that will hold up to decorating let alone carving. Do you think this will hold up well to stacking, decorate or even carving?
Thank you!
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Tina, this works well for a two-layer cake that can be frosted, but I don't think this would work well for carving as it is quite light and fluffy. I have added vegan pound cake to my recipe creation to do list though, so hopefully I will have something for you soon 🙂
Laurel says
So good!!! Made our first batch of cupcakes to practice for our vegan's upcoming hs graduation. Wow! These are gonna be great. No one would know they were vegan at all. I used white-wheat so they were a little more gritty (not the right word, but also not exactly dense.) I'll use white flour or even white cake flour to see if they can be more like conventional. We didn't make the icing yet, just the cupcakes. I filled a few too full and they didn't get all the way done, so I'll watch to fill only about 1/2 way in regular sized cupcake pan with silicone liner. Can't wait to do more test tries! Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! So happy you enjoyed them, Laurel 🙂
Pamela Farr says
A few years ago I posted the story of my youngest who could never have cupcakes, cakes, etc. because of severe food allergies to eggs and milk. I shared the story of him getting his first taste of this batter and his eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. Well he turns 16 years old in three days and guess what he has requested for his birthday? Yup, you guessed it - THIS recipe....
Sam Turnbull says
I remember the comment, Pamela!! It totally made my day. Thrilled you and your son are still enjoying this recipe 🙂
Holly says
Horrible. What a waste. Had to throw them out. Wow unreal. They didn’t even cook properly. I could not get them out of the baking sheets only the top was there there’s no bottom to them hardly at all I could not even pop them out of my trays. I tried to cook them more but that didn’t work either. Horrible horrible recipe waste of time and ingredients
Sam Turnbull says
It sounds like something might have gone wrong with your cupcakes, but either way, I'm sorry you didn't enjoy the recipe.
Marci says
I tried this cake it sunk slightly and had a baking soda taste. What do you think went wrong?
Sam Turnbull says
It's difficult to know without being in the kitchen with you, but it sounds like you could have accidentally added too much baking soda which would have made it rise too quickly and then sink.
Melissa says
Great video, thanks for posting! I'm just wondering if I can make this ahead of time and freeze it for a few days? Thanks.
Sam Turnbull says
Yes, absolutely. Freeze the cake and frosting separately, then thaw and frost when ready to serve. Enjoy!
Tanya says
Hi, I was wondering can I use coconut milk instead of soy/almond?
Sam Turnbull says
As long as it is the drinking kind of coconut milk. The canned kind might be too thick and rich. Enjoy!
Lindsay says
Hey Sam! I've been a follower for a while and tried several of your recipes. I made these for my own birthday event (I'm vegan - nobody else is, so I wanted cupcakes I could eat! haha) and they are actually the most amazing, fluffy, delightful cupcakes I've ever had! Thank you so much for such a great, easy, yummy recipe that even non-vegans love and rave over! I made several of your recipes for Thanksgiving yesterday and your cake cookies a few weeks ago and I honestly can't believe that the first time I tried them - they all turned out perfect! Your hard work testing is so appreciated! <3
Sam Turnbull says
Awww shucks, that's awesome, Lindsay!!! So very happy you are enjoying so many of my recipes so much 🙂
Rea says
Hi.
Do you have a recipe for icing that does not use the vegan butter or shortening?
Cat says
I’m from the UK and a recent vegan! I’m a good non- vegan baker and had a few fails at vegan cakes! Essentially this has been the best recipe. Very tasty! However, I think the conversion site I used was way off! The cake was quite heavy and dough like. I am using it in your Tiramisu so hopefully once it is soaked it will be ok. Any advice or a guide for converting would be gratefully received.
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Cat! Yes it sounds like the conversions were off as this cake is super light. What kind of conversion are you doing? Cups to ml? Cups to a weight? If converting to weight, volume and weight measurements are completely different ways of measuring so it would be tricky to convert. In which case I would recommend picking up a set of US Cups and Spoons. Hope that helps!
Chelsea says
Hi,
I have made this cake so many times since finding it. It turns out perfect every time and everyone loves it and is always shocked its vegan. 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Awww I love that! Thrilled you enjoy it so much, Chelsea 🙂
Diana says
Hi Sam! Quick question: I have two round cake pans but they are 8", not 9, Would the same amount of cake batter work and just make a taller cake? Or would you recommend pouring slightly less intro each pan? Cheers.
Sam Turnbull says
Yes it should work fine, but I would put a tray or foil underneath the pans, just in case there are any leaks. Enjoy!
Jennifer corbin says
Hi! Quick question. I’m about to shop for my ingredients. Should I buy sweetened or unsweetened almond milk for these cupcakes?
Sam Turnbull says
Either will work just fine, so whatever you prefer to have leftover. I normally opt for the "original" flavour.
Katy says
Made this cake over the weekend for my mom in law's birthday. It was a hit! She asked to take some of the leftovers home.
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful!! Thrilled she enjoyed it so much. 🙂
Salima says
Can I straight up double the recipe to make a four layer cake or is there some tweaking necessary? And would you recommend doing 1.5x for the icing? Thank you!
Sam Turnbull says
Wow! That would be one huge cake! Yes, you could straight up double it and I would recommend doubling the frosting or even more. Just divide among 4 cake pans. to bake. Enjoy!
Salima says
Thanks for your reply! Turned out my cake pans were 7” so I ended up making a 5 layer rainbow cake using a quarter of the recipe per layer and it was perfect, not too big! The amount of icing in a single batch was even enough for between the layers and to cover the whole thing! And of course, there were sprinkles It was a HUGE hit - soooo delicious!!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful!! So happy it turned out well for you, it sounds beautiful!
Laura says
Hi, this cake is now my go to vegan cake as it always works out! Have you ever turned it into a sheet came?
Sam Turnbull says
So thrilled you love it so much Laura. I haven't yet, but that's a good idea 🙂
Sandi says
So I'm looking for a recipe to substitute for the box of yellow or white cake in a pineapple upside down cake recipe. The original recipe calls for making the box cake mix to directions but subbing in pineapple juice for part of the water. Do you think I could sub it in for part of the milk? The only other liquid is the vinegar or lemon juice which from the comments sounds necessary. Or would you suggest one of your other cupcake recipes? Also, it will be baked in a 13x9 pan, any thoughts on the cooking time?
Sam Turnbull says
I think it should work fine, although I have never tried it myself. Enjoy!
Rebecca Land says
Sam I don’t know how you do it! I made these for my Omni mother in laws birtbday today and they turned out so well! These are AMAZING! This will now be my go to recipe for cakes! I’ve only tried to make a cake once since going vegan and it didn’t turn out right at all, it was dense and gooey and as a new vegan I was worried I would never have a good cake again, I’m so glad that you proved me wrong with this amazing recipe! the texture of these turned out PERFECT! I Absolutely loved them, and so did my Omni mother in law
Sam Turnbull says
Aww that's wonderful!!! I'm so thrilled and flattered you loved the cakes so much, Rebecca 😀
Morgan says
I see that the recipe says you can either use lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. Will the lemon juice give it more of a lemon flavor? I know that the Apple cider vinegar will bake out but I’m not so sure about the flavor of the lemon. This will be my first time baking vegan. My sister-in-law’s vegan and I want her to be able to enjoy cupcakes at my sons birthday Coming up.
Sam Turnbull says
There might be a slight lemon flavour but with either choice, I don't think you will taste it much. I hope you love the cupcakes!
Joanie says
Hi Sam,
Just wanted to say I love your vanilla and chocolate cake and I just used your recipes to make a three tier wedding cake that was a huge hit! I would love to send you a picture but not to sure how,
Thanks, for the amazing vegan recipes.
Sam Turnbull says
Amazing!!! You can tag me in a picture on Instagram @itdoesnttastelikechicken or you can share publicly or send a message privately on my Facebook page. 🙂