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    Home » Recipes » Cakes & Pies

    June 8, 2014 543 Comments

    The Best Vegan Vanilla Cake (or Cupcakes)

    28.8K shares
    Jump to Recipe

    So here it is: this is my recipe for the most perfect, bestest in the westest, (and eastest) vegan vanilla cake. Strike that, this is my recipe for the most perfect vanilla cake. Period. Vegan or not, this is a damn good cake. Sweet, buttery, vanilla-infused, fluffy and moist all at the same time.

    When I served this vegan vanilla cake recipe as cupcakes to a group of strangers, one girl declared that it was the best cupcake she had ever eaten... and then I told her it was vegan. Winning!

    The Best Vegan Vanilla Cake (or Cupcakes) recipe!! Sweet, buttery, vanilla-infused, fluffy and moist all at the same time. Easy to make and even easier to eat. No one will even notice it's vegan! Perfect for birthday parties, celebrations, or holidays. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #vegandesserts #vegancake

    I originally posted this recipe way back in 2014, so I decided it needed a little face-lift. Not the recipe, the recipe for the vegan vanilla cake is perfect, just the photos.

    You can see below ↓ my original photo for the best vegan vanilla cupcakes, but when I shared a picture of the cake above ↑ on my Instagram, everyone was asking for this vegan vanilla cake recipe. Some people didn't realize that most cake and cupcake recipes are exactly the same, the only difference is the pan you use and the baking time. So I wanted to make it clear that this vegan vanilla cake recipe works wonderfully both ways.

    The Best Vegan Vanilla Cake (or Cupcakes) recipe!! Sweet, buttery, vanilla-infused, fluffy and moist all at the same time. Easy to make and even easier to eat. No one will even notice it's vegan! Perfect for birthday parties, celebrations, or holidays. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #vegandesserts #vegancake

    I designed this recipe after hosting a "vegan vanilla cupcake-off" party. A cooking competition style party where I compared 3 top vegan vanilla cupcake recipes to determine which one was the winner. My friends voted, and the result was that there was no clear winner. So I had to do the only logical thing I could think of: make my own winner.

    The Best Vegan Vanilla Cake (or Cupcakes) recipe!! Sweet, buttery, vanilla-infused, fluffy and moist all at the same time. Easy to make and even easier to eat. No one will even notice it's vegan! Perfect for birthday parties, celebrations, or holidays. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #vegandesserts #vegancake

    It took a lot of experimenting, but oooeee was all that effort worth it as 4 years later, this is still the best vegan vanilla cake recipe I've ever made. Whether you make these into adorable cupcakes or you opt for a full-sized two-layer cake, everyone will love it. Perfect for birthday parties, holidays, celebrations, or anytime you need a glorious sweet fluffy cake.

    The Best Vegan Vanilla Cake (or Cupcakes) recipe!! Sweet, buttery, vanilla-infused, fluffy and moist all at the same time. Easy to make and even easier to eat. No one will even notice it's vegan! Perfect for birthday parties, celebrations, or holidays. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #vegandesserts #vegancake

    To make The Best Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes: In a big bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together. In a medium bowl, mix the wet ingredients together. Then pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix lightly. Whisk until the batter just comes together, don't over mix it.

    The Best Vegan Vanilla Cake (or Cupcakes) recipe!! Sweet, buttery, vanilla-infused, fluffy and moist all at the same time. Easy to make and even easier to eat. No one will even notice it's vegan! Perfect for birthday parties, celebrations, or holidays. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #vegandesserts #vegancake

    Evenly divide batter among the cupcake pan or the cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

    The Best Vegan Vanilla Cake (or Cupcakes) recipe!! Sweet, buttery, vanilla-infused, fluffy and moist all at the same time. Easy to make and even easier to eat. No one will even notice it's vegan! Perfect for birthday parties, celebrations, or holidays. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #vegandesserts #vegancake

    To make the frosting: mix all the ingredients together with a hand mixer or stand mixer. Make sure the cakes are cooled completely before frosting, so the frosting won't melt. Frost your cakes as desired.

    The Best Vegan Vanilla Cake (or Cupcakes) recipe!! Sweet, buttery, vanilla-infused, fluffy and moist all at the same time. Easy to make and even easier to eat. No one will even notice it's vegan! Perfect for birthday parties, celebrations, or holidays. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #vegandesserts #vegancake

    Print Recipe
    4.96 from 166 votes

    The Best Vegan Vanilla Cake (or Cupcakes)

    Sweet, buttery, vanilla-infused, fluffy and moist all at the same time. Easy to make and even easier to eat. No one will even notice it's vegan! Perfect for birthday parties, celebrations, or holidays. 
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time20 mins
    Total Time35 mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American, Canadian
    Servings: 24 cupcakes (or a two layer 9" round cake)
    Calories: 275kcal
    Author: Sam Turnbull • It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken

    Ingredients

    Dry Ingredients:

    • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 ½ cup white sugar
    • 2 teaspoons baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon salt

    Wet Ingredients:

    • 1 â…“ cup non-dairy milk (such as soy or almond)
    • â…” cup light oil (such as canola or vegetable)
    • ¼ cup lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

    Frosting:

    • ½ cup vegan butter
    • ½ cup vegetable shortening
    • 3 cups powdered sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 - 4 tablespoons non-dairy milk (such as soy or almond)
    • Sprinkles for decoration (optional)
    US Customary - Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat your oven to 350F (180C). For cupcakes: lightly grease or line a cupcake pan with 24 paper liners. For a cake: lightly grease two 9-inch round cake pans.
    • In a large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together.
    • In a medium bowl, mix the wet ingredients together. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until the batter just comes together, don’t over mix. Evenly divide batter among the cupcake or cake pans. For cupcakes: Bake 18-20 minutes until the tops are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. For 9-inch cake: bake for 22 - 28 minutes until the tops are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
    • To make the frosting: mix together the vegan butter, vegetable shortening, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Add 1 - 4 tablespoons of non-dairy milk as needed to reach desired frosting consistency. Let cakes cool completely before frosting.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1(24 servings in the recipe) | Calories: 275kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 220mg | Potassium: 17mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 180IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.6mg
    Did You Make This Recipe?Tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram and Hashtag #itdoesnttastelikechicken

    Bon appetgan

    Sam.


     

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    Smoked Apple Veggie Burger »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kristina says

      January 27, 2023 at 7:39 pm

      Will this work with 1 to 1 bobs red mill gluten free flour?

      Reply
    2. Blair says

      January 19, 2023 at 11:48 am

      5 stars
      This cake is SO delicious! I halfed the recipe and just made a one layer 8 inch cake. I made a vanilla glaze to go on top, since I didn't have all the ingredients for the icing. This recipe is a keeper and I look forward to trying it with your icing next time! Thank you!

      Reply
    3. Jen says

      January 19, 2023 at 9:01 am

      Do you think I could substitute cake flour and get good results? I'd be measuring it out using a scale.

      Reply
    4. Jenn says

      January 17, 2023 at 9:55 pm

      5 stars
      Hey Sam thank you for this delicious recipe! I’m not vegan but was looking for a recipe for a friend’s birthday that is vegan and these were a hit!

      I used oat milk for the dairy sub and it was creamy and yum.

      Will be definitely be using this base again for non-vegan cakes too. Soooo good.

      Looking forward to trying out your other recipes!

      Reply
    5. Bryna says

      January 11, 2023 at 3:34 pm

      5 stars
      Made these on the weekend for my grandsons birthday. I did not tell anyone (except my son who is vegan) that they were vegan and everyone raved about how good they were. I made them gluten free by replacing the flour with an equal amount of King Arthur's Measure for Measure GF flour mix. When I told my guests everyone was surprised and stated that you could not tell they were vegan or gluten free. The cupcakes were moist, fluffy, very flavorful and delicious. This recipe is a keeper. Definitely the best vanilla vegan cupcake recipe I've tried. Thank you for this great recipe.

      Reply
    6. Christiane says

      December 28, 2022 at 12:38 pm

      5 stars
      Excellent! I added sprinkles to make funfetti cupcakes. It worked very well.

      Reply
    7. Terence Townsend says

      December 13, 2022 at 12:52 pm

      5 stars
      The best recipe I have ever found. I have always made the chocolate recipe but this vanilla cake is soft, fluffy, rise’s beautifully and is delicious. It is literally flop proof. I used oat/almond milk mix and white vinegar and it works perfectly. Highly recommend

      Reply
    8. Janice says

      November 11, 2022 at 12:10 pm

      For some reason, my cake didn't rise. Is there supposed to be baking powder? Thx!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        November 17, 2022 at 5:18 pm

        Hi Janice! The recipe is correct as written. I haven't heard this complaint before and this recipe has been made by thousands of people. Are you sure you measured everything accurately and didn't miss any ingredients? Sorry, I can't be more help!

        Reply
        • Janice says

          November 17, 2022 at 8:24 pm

          No worries. It’s probably me! I will try again, likely I made a mistake measuring somewhere!

    9. Kim says

      November 02, 2022 at 3:13 pm

      5 stars
      This is the best vanilla cake I’ve ever tasted!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        November 17, 2022 at 4:45 pm

        Aww thank you!

        Reply
    10. Dielda says

      October 27, 2022 at 12:08 pm

      5 stars
      i am forever thankful for the perfect recipe!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        October 28, 2022 at 10:14 am

        aww shucks, thank you!

        Reply
    11. Karin says

      October 10, 2022 at 12:16 am

      I made this cake twice in two weeks! (I halved the recipe and made a dozen cupcakes each time). I decorated them with my own vegan version of chocolate ganache - heaven! I keep eating them 2 and 3 at a time

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        October 21, 2022 at 6:20 pm

        Yay! So happy you loved them Karin!

        Reply
    12. Linda says

      September 22, 2022 at 1:45 pm

      Hi Sam! Could I add sprinkles to the batter to make it a ‘funfetti’ cake? I’ve made both this recipe and your
      Funfetti cake before. I prefer this one so was hoping I could modify it. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        October 06, 2022 at 11:53 am

        Hi Linda, yes go for it. 🙂

        Reply
    13. Clyde says

      July 07, 2022 at 12:17 pm

      5 stars
      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. I used a coconut whip to frost it but look forward to making it again with your included frosting recipe. Thank you!!!!

      Reply
    14. Wanni says

      May 14, 2022 at 4:52 am

      Hi I've tried this cake and it's so so good I love it! I am thinking of trying a higher protein version by subbing out some of the flour for vegan protein powder, and also reducing the sugar. Do you think it'll work fine, and how will this affect the texture?

      Reply
    15. Dawn says

      February 17, 2022 at 7:51 pm

      5 stars
      This was my first attempt at a vegan cake and I was very daring and doubled it to make my son a 12x18 sheet cake…. It came out perfect!!! Thank you so much for what you do! You are definitely my go to for no nonsense straight up vegan recipes.

      Reply
    16. Heather Lewis says

      January 12, 2022 at 9:50 pm

      5 stars
      Hello, My husband and I love this cake!!! Just made this cake and the cupcakes for our birthday week for my husband and I.

      But we have some Questions: ???

      After the cake and cupcakes are made how long will they keep and or stay good for ? Maybe 5 to 7 days ?

      What kind of non dairy vegan milk are you using the sweetened or unsweetened ? We used the unsweetened almond breeze vegan milk.. what kind do you suggest using ?

      Does the cake and cupcakes need to be refrigerated after being made?
      Or room temperature stable ?

      How long should I let the cake and cupcakes cool for before putting the frosting on ?

      Also does the frosting need to be chilled first before putting it on the cake and cupcakes?

      Also how long will the frosting stay good for if i have extra left over ?

      - Thank you

      Reply
      • Icela says

        October 22, 2022 at 2:30 pm

        5 stars
        It's usually 5 days for freshness sake.

        The flavoring of the alondmilk doesn't really affect it in experience.

        Room temperature stable is good.

        The frosting doesn't need to be chilled since the shortening holds its shape.

        The frosting if refrigerated should be good for 5-7 days.

        Hope this helps! Although it's late lol

        Reply
    17. Tahira Akhtar says

      October 02, 2021 at 2:05 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe is great for cupcakes but for some reason when I use it to make a cake it always ends up too dense. What have I done wrong?

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        October 14, 2021 at 12:21 pm

        It sounds like your oven temperature might be a bit off-it's likely that your oven just runs a little cool (it's pretty common). You can always grab yourself an oven thermometer to make sure. Enjoy!

        Reply
        • Tahira Akhtar says

          October 14, 2021 at 1:57 pm

          Just wondering when making cupcakes it's 180°C, is it the same when making layered cakes or should it be hotter?

        • Sam Turnbull says

          October 28, 2021 at 5:37 pm

          It would be the same but the cakes would need longer to cook.

        • Tahira says

          October 29, 2021 at 5:26 am

          How long would that be? Also would they work in an 2x 8 inch round pan?

    18. Tahira Akhtar says

      July 28, 2021 at 4:15 pm

      5 stars
      could I replace half of the flour with cake flour?

      Reply
    19. Emily says

      May 13, 2021 at 9:26 pm

      5 stars
      This is my all time FAVORITE vegan cake!! It’s so moist and not too sweet. I’m so glad I found this recipe, it’s a hit even with non vegans. Definitely recommend!!
      I also love your site, very yummy recipes!

      Reply
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