The Best Vegan Vanilla Cake (or Cupcakes)

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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4.96 from 178 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 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time35 minutes mins

Course : Dessert

Cuisine : AmericanCanadian

Servings: 24 cupcakes (or a two layer 9" round cake)

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 ⅓ cup non-dairy milk, (such as soy or almond)
• ⅔ 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

Cook ModePrevent 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.