Vegan Vanilla Cake
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The Best Vegan Vanilla Cake – Fluffy and moist, this is a must have cake for all kinds of occasions! The only vanilla cake recipe you’ll ever need, and it’s vegan.
This Vegan Vanilla Cake has been a long time coming. Ever since I posted my Vegan Chocolate Cake, I’ve been wanting to create the most perfect vanilla cake, too. After a couple of tries, and a few tweaks here and there, I’ve done it! Moist and fluffy, golden vanilla cake layers paired with my Vanilla Vegan Frosting. Vanilla lovers will swoon over this cake! You could also frost it with Chocolate Frosting, if you prefer.
P.S. If anyone wants a slice, I’ve drowning in cake over here so come on over! 😉
What is Aquafaba and what purpose does it serve in baking?
Aquafaba is simply the liquid, or juice from a can of chickpeas. That’s it. Really.
It makes a great binder, similar to egg whites, and when you whip it, you can do amazing things, such as make meringues, fluffy mousses and more! I use it here in this Grain Free Granola, and in this Lemon Cake.
For this recipe, drain the liquid from a can of chickpeas, and pour it into a bowl. Whisk it for a minute or two, until it’s a bit foamy on top. It doesn’t have to have stiff peaks for this recipe, like it does for meringues. When it’s time to add it to the cake batter, measure out 1/2 cup.
I really enjoy using it for cake and cupcake recipes, because it makes them bake up so fluffy and moist, and there are no little brown bits from flaxseed eggs.
Tips on how to make the best Vegan Vanilla Cake:
- Cake flour works the absolute best in the recipe if you can find it. The cake will have a fine crumb and be very light and fluffy, but all purpose flour does work, too.
- To prepare your pans, please use a small circle of parchment paper and place it in the bottom. Then spray or grease the pans all over, including the sides. Trust me, I’ve had many cakes ruined by not properly preparing my pans!
- Use both the vegan butter AND canola oil. This makes the cake super moist and fluffy, while giving it the best possible buttery flavor.
- Make sure to cool the cakes COMPLETELY before frosting. If it’s warm at all, you will have a big melty mess on your hands. Trust me, I’ve been there… If I’m in a rush, I’ll put the cakes in the refrigerator to speed up the cooling process.
- It’s best to store the cake in an airtight container, like a cake carrier. You can also lightly wrap it with plastic wrap, but it may ruin your designs.
Tools that are helpful for making and decorating Vegan Vanilla Cake:
Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer – My mom had actually bought one of these years ago, in hopes she would do more baking. Well, that didn’t really happen so I’m borrowing it. Oh wow, you guys, it’s amazing! You can also use a hand mixer.
Icing Smoother – I recently got this little smoothing tool and I really like it.
Sprinkles, of course! If you want some really special, pretty sprinkles (that are safely vegan), check out Sweetapolita. They have such pretty ones!
Want more Vegan Cake and Cupcake recipes?
Vegan Vanilla Cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup aquafaba
- 1/2 cup vegan butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup canola oil, or melted coconut oil
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups cake flour OR all purpose flour*
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 Recipe Vanilla Vegan Frosting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and prepare 2 round 8-inch cake pans by lining the bottom with parchment paper and spraying well with oil.
- Make the Vegan Buttermilk: Combine the non-dairy milk and apple cider vinegar. Stir a little, then set aside.
- Make the Aquafaba: Pour the liquid from a can of chickpeas into a small-medium bowl. Whisk well for a minute, until foamy and light. This acts similar to eggs. You can't taste it at all in the cake, don't worry! You will use 1/2 cup of this, and the liquid from 1 can is just perfect.
- Using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together the softened vegan butter, canola oil and sugar until creamy and well combined.
- Measure out 1/2 cup of the aquafaba, and add it to the bowl, along with the vanilla extract. Beat until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Using the mixer on low speed, alternate adding the flour mixture and vegan buttermilk, mixing until just combined after each time. The batter should be fairly smooth (a few lumps are okay), but avoid over-mixing.
- Pour the cake batter evenly into the prepared pans, and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the edges are golden brown, the surface looks and feels set, and a toothpick comes out mostly clean, with no wet batter.
- Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then carefully invert them onto a cooling rack. Allow them to cool completely before frosting. You can place them in the refrigerator to speed the cooling process along if you need to.
- Frost with my Vanilla Vegan Frosting or use the Chocolate Frosting from my Chocolate Cake Recipe. Add some sprinkles for fun, if desired. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Cake flour will make the cake much lighter with a fine crumb, but all purpose works fine if you can't find cake flour.
- May use any kind of unsweetened non-dairy milk, such as soy, almond, cashew, coconut or rice milk.
- Earth balance brand of vegan butter is preferred. You can use another brand, but make sure you like the flavor of it, as it may come through in the cake.
- Aquafaba is simply the liquid from a can of chickpeas/garbanzo beans. It sounds weird, but when it's whipped up a bit it has many great uses! It works like eggs, eggwhites and can even be used to make vegan meringue! You can not taste it AT ALL.
- You could make cupcakes with this recipe, if desired. They will need less baking time, 20-25 minutes.
- Calorie estimate is with 1/12th of the cake with Vanilla Vegan frosting.
Nutrition
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713 Comments on “Vegan Vanilla Cake”
Do you think that you could mix this recipe with the chocolate cake recipe to make a zebra / marbled vegan cake? If not, it would be great and highly recommend if you could create a vegan recipe for that next!
I’ve never tried it but I’m pretty sure it would work! It sounds super fun, and I’ll have to try it sometime soon. Thanks!
Best vegan cake yet! Nora has done it again!! Love!! Will be using aquafaba more often… finally a fluffy vegan cake!
Thank you for sharing your great comments, Kaitlin! I’m glad you love the cake!
Hello what kind of milk did you use
Hi! I usually use almond or soy milk.
Hi! Just making these cakes now. Batter tastes delicious. Wondering if the icing recipe will be good for piping? I’m making a furry looking monster cake for my sons 1st birthday.
Hello! Yes, the icing should work for piping! Your cake sounds so fun! Happy cooking!
Okay so I made this cake for a friend and she didn’t keep it in the fridge! Is it okay?
Yes, it doesn’t have to be stored in the refrigerator. Room temperature is fine. Thanks!
Okay so I have been making vegan cakes for myself for 4 years. I came across your chocolate cake and omg everyone loved it. I have been searching for a vegan vanilla cake that i absolutely love. I have thrown out so many cakes because they didn’t have the right texture/flavor I wanted. So the other night after throwing out 3 cakes, I said I wonder if Nora cooks has a vanilla cake? I made this cake and OH MY GOSH!! I have never had a cake in my life that tasted this good. It’s better than non vegan cakes!! I added almond ext to the cake and icing. I have no idea why I didn’t try this recipe out before! All I have to say is thank you for sharing this gem with the world! You are awesome!
I’m so happy to hear you found a winner in my cake recipe! Thank you so much for sharing.
made this for my birthday cake using lemon curd and guava jam as a filling between layers and it was a total hit !! the texture and flavour were both magnificent, great job
Awesome cake! I used this recipe for my birthday cake this year and wanted to use it again this year, but I was going to make it in advance while I have the time. I was wondering how long the cake keeps? Thanks!
Thanks Devin, I’m glad you like the cake. You could make the cake about 2 days ahead of time and store in the refrigerator. Or bake the cakes a few weeks ahead, wrap and freeze, then thaw and frost the day you want to enjoy it. Hope that helps!
I’m vegan and made this cake for my husband’s birthday and everyone absolutely loved it! Vegans and nonvegans alike! Planning to make it again for a friends birthday but was hoping to make it in advance. Does it freeze well? If so, do you have instructions for freezing/defrosting the cake? Is it better to keep in the fridge?
I’m so glad everyone loved the cake! Yes, the whole cake freezes well, or you can simply bake the cake layers, wrap and freeze, then thaw and frost when you’re ready. Simply defrost it by placing it in the refrigerator overnight before you want to enjoy it. Hope that helps!
Do you use the entire can of aqua faba from a 15 ounce can of chick peas? I only used a 1/2 cup of whipped aqua and the cake turned out a little dry and heavy.
I only use 1/2 cup of the whipped aquafaba, I do NOT use all of it from the can. Did you use cake flour? It really makes the cake light instead of heavy. Also, make sure you don’t over bake the cake, or it will dry out.
Exceptional!
Made this with granddaughters with a layer of raspberry jab in center, chocolate frosting and a semi sweet ganache … was amazing!
Thank you for another hit!
Yum! Your cake sounds delicious! Thank you for taking time to share your wonderful review and comments! I’m glad you loved the cake!
Can I use applesauce instead of aquafaba in this recipe?
Hi Nadia. You could use applesauce here if needed, but it won’t create the same fluffy texture as aquafaba. It will work though! Hope this helps!
I made this cake for my daughter’s 6th birthday since my niece is allergic to eggs and nuts. It was a hit! I substituted the Aquafaba for ground chia seeds that I see in water for 10 minutes. The cake was pretty dense (not that anyone minded). I would of preferred something a bit airier but I do understand that’s what the eggs give to cakes. Overall, it was great and I would make it again.
We will be trying the chocolate version next!!!
Hi Alexandra! Happy birthday to your daughter! I’m glad the cake was a hit! This vanilla cake is best when using cake flour, as all purpose can get a little dense. I think you’ll love the chocolate cake! Thank you for sharing!
Hello from Tempe AZ. We are big Nora fans down here, and make your recipes weekly. Thanks for all you share. 🙂
I’ve made this cake twice now (following the instructions above) and it’s by far my family’s favorite cake ever!
I’m hoping to make an alteration by baking it in a 9×13 pan. Have you tried that? And if so, should I adjust baking time?
My son wants a robot shaped cake so I’m looking at cutting it into rectangles and squares once cooled. 🙂
Thank you!
That’s so cool Kendra, thank you! I’m so glad you love the vanilla cake. You can totally make it in a 9×13 pan, simply bake it for longer, about 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean in the middle. It works well. Sounds like a super fun cake!
Hi! Will this cake and frosting hold up to being covered in fondant?
I haven’t tried it but I believe it would hold up.
Hi Nora! Will be venturing into creating a birthday cake for my best friend. Would you say I can incorporate berries into the batter or should I stick to placing in between cooked layers? If yes, how do I ensure they won’t sink?
I haven’t added berries to the batter, but I have placed them in between cooked and cooled layers, along with the frosting. It works well! You may be able to incorporate them throughout the cake as well, but I have not tried it.
Thank you for getting back to me. One more thing: did you simply use a convertor for the metric measurements and/or also tested the recipe by measuring with a scale? I want to be as precise as possible as i am not always successful when working with cups.
Easy and wonderful – adult and kid approved! I made a full tray of mini muffins and two 6″ layers with this recipe.
I’m so glad the cakes (and muffins) turned out wonderful for you! I’m glad they were a hit! Thank you for sharing your great review and comments!
Have 2 adult vegan kids -made this recipe for one of their birthdays. Younger sister who is still at home with mom liked it so much she requested it for her birthday. Declared it the “best yellow cake.” Thank you
Thank you for sharing your fun and great comments! I’m glad the cake was a hit!
Hi Nora, I made 2 vegan vanilla sponge cakes today, as testers for my daughter’s 21st cake next week. The first (not yours) had very precise weight measures but turned out chewy and gummy. So I decided to give yours a try. BUT…I am in Australia where our cups are not the same size as yours. At first I thought I’d use an online converter to change everything to grams but this turned out to be a fool’s errand…different converters gave different answers. So I just went with a bit of guesswork and intuition…and it came out PERFECT. (Problem is, will I be able to replicate it?!) I had one particular question re the measuring of the aquafaba: you say in the instructions you need 1/2 Cup of the pre-whisked aquafaba. Which is considerably less than half a cup of aquafaba BEFORE you whisk it up. So I’m just checking what you meant because in the ingredient list it says 1/2 a cup. I measured my 1/2 cup of liquid A.faba, whisked it up all foamy and then probably put over a cup’s worth of foam into the batter. Which still wasn’t all of it. I’d love to know what you did! Any help gratefully received! I have to make the real one next week 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake! For the aquafaba, I use 1/2 cup AFTER whipping it up a bit. You don’t need stiff peaks or anything for this recipe, you just want it to be a bit light and foamy. Hope that helps!
This cake was so good! I made it for my 10byr olds birthday. Making it a 2nd time. I have a question about the aquafaba…. we poured the juice from 1 can. When you mix it it grows in volume so I am not sure do I put the whole the thing as 1/2 cup or do I only scoop out a 1/2 cup from the froth which leaves a lot left over….if so what do you do with the left over aquafba?
Hi Fredra! I’m glad you love the cake! Thank you for sharing your review! After whisking the aquafaba, measure out 1/2 cup. We aren’t whipping it into stiff peaks for this recipe, just whisking until it’s a bit light and foamy. Hope that helps!
Have you tried making this in a 9″ round? Trying to find a recipe for a cake i want to do but i need it larger and not to sink in the middle! Thanks!
You could make the cake in two 9 inch round pans, but not one.
Finally – the perfect white vanilla cake! This was very easy to make and super delicious. I think the cake flour is key to not making it gummy like other vegan cakes I’ve made before. This will be my go-to recipe for all future birthday treats. Thank you!
I’m so happy to hear that Lindsay. I agree, cake flour makes all the difference!