This is the most perfect Vegan Vanilla Cake. Sweet, buttery, vanilla-infused, fluffy and moist all at the same time. The subtle hint of vanilla flavor combined with a tender crumb makes each bite melt in your mouth. Perfect for any occasion, it's a crowd-pleaser that tastes so scrumptious, has the most perfect texture, and can be easily dressed up with your favorite frosting or fresh berries.
FEATURED COMMENT:
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. - Terence
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. 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. Boom!
Ingredients:
- All-Purpose Flour, White Sugar, Baking Soda, Vanilla Extract, and Salt: Basic ingredients to make the perfect, fluffy vegan vanilla cake.
- Plant-Based Milk: Any type of plant-based milk will work in this recipe, so use what you have on hand. Such as oat milk, soy milk or almond milk.
- Light Oil: Such as canola oil or vegetable oil. Just make sure that your oil is odorless and tasteless. Using oil in your cake batter will keep it light and fluffy.
- Lemon Juice or Apple Cider Vinegar: Trust me on this. This is my secret ingredient that makes this cake super-light and fluffy like no other vegan cake you've had before. You can't taste it.
- Vegan Butter, Vegetable Shortening, and Powdered Sugar: The perfect combination for a frosting that tastes great and holds up well. If you do not have access to vegetable shortening, you can use all vegan butter but make sure the brand you use is firm (not too melty) and be sure to keep the cake cool so that it doesn't melt.
- Sprinkles: For decoration. These are optional but recommended because decorations are totally fun! Make sure to check the ingredients to ensure your sprinkles are vegan. As some of them contain shellack, which is derived from bugs. Ew.
How To Make The Best Vegan Vanilla Cake:
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 cake batter mixture just comes together, don't over mix it.
Evenly divide cake 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 to room temperature before frosting, so the frosting won't melt. Frost your cakes as desired.
This Vegan Vanilla Cake Is...
- The perfect vegan birthday cake
- Sweet
- Buttery
- Vanilla-infused
- Fluffy and moist
- a crowd-pleaser that can be easily dressed up with your favorite frosting or fresh berries.
More Vegan Cake Recipes You Might Like:
- Vegan Red Velvet Cake
- Vegan Confetti Cake
- Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Vegan Pumpkin Spice Cake
- Vegan Lemon Loaf
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
Servings: cupcakes (or a two layer 9" round cake)
PRINT
PIN
Video
COMMENT
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 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 plant-based milk, (such as soy or almond)
- Sprinkles for decoration, (optional)
Instructions
To make the cake batter:
- Preheat your oven to 350℉ (180℃). For a cake: lightly grease two 9-inch (or 8-inch) round cake pans.For cupcakes: lightly grease or line a cupcake pan with 24 paper liners.
- 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.
To bake:
- 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.For cupcakes: Bake 18-20 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.
Video
Nutrition
Other Vegan Cake Recipes You Might Enjoy...
Pippa says
This is my go to cake recipe. I've used it to make all kinds of cakes, including a ginger caramel cake and a black forest cake. It's always a crowd pleaser and folks are genuinely surprised that it's vegan. All that, with simple ingredients, and instructions that are easy to follow.
Thank you for this recipe!
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Yummy yummy! Thanks for your review!
Becky says
This is the best recipe for a vanilla cake period. I made these cupcakes for work and no one could believe how delicious they were. I had to share the link with so many people because everyone was shocked they were vegan.
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Wow, that's high praise!
Derya says
The cake was absolute perfection. Incredibly moist and fluffy.
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Wonderful!
Rosie says
I just made this cake for the first time my son's 40th birthday. Everyone raved about how delicious & moist it was and the frosting wonderful. I found vegan sprinkles on Amazon and it looked as pretty as your photos. Thanks Sam, for another perfectly delicious and incredibly simple vegan and nut free recipe.
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
That's wonderful! What a thoughtful and delicious gift!
Diane says
Super moist and yummy.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
So happy you enjoyed it! 🙂
Izzy says
Love this recipe. It's my go-to for whenever I need a base for a cake, as you can add all sorts of twists to vanilla; it tastes good in everything. For instance I made this into a strawberry vanilla cake for a birthday and it was great. It's also just a great cake on it's own and super easy.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
That's wonderful Izzy! So happy you love it! 🙂
Kiran says
I was pretty disappointed, perhaps because I had just made a vegan chocolate cupcake that was delicious and moist. These ones didn’t have a good flavour or texture.. they tasted oily to me. The one sub I made was water in place of the non dairy milk bc I didn’t have any (I did the same for the other cupcake recipe I mentioned). Positive was that they were quick to make. But after eating a few I tossed the rest :(.