With a moist and fluffy crumb and decadent vanilla flavors, you’ll fall head over heels for this Vegan Vanilla Cake recipe. It’s perfect for all kinds of occasions and no one will guess it’s vegan!
You won’t ever have to search for a vegan cake recipe again with my vanilla cake, Vegan Chocolate Cake, and Vegan Yellow Cake recipes in your back pocket.
Introducing the only vegan vanilla cake recipe you’ll ever need!
My Vegan Vanilla Cake is an extraordinary dessert that will ‘wow’ the vanilla lovers in your life. It’s moist and fluffy, has elegant vanilla flavors, and is paired with my Vanilla Vegan Frosting for just the right amount of sweetness.
With over 200 5-star reviews, this recipe is a proven favorite! Here’s what readers are saying:
“Love this cake recipe!! The best I’ve ever had!! The whole family loves it too.” – Melissa
“Absolutely amazing! Impressed all my non-vegan friends!!” – Brittany
“I have tried many cake recipes and this one is the best by far! It was perfect and the whole family loved it. I’m keeping this one. Thank you so much!” – Lauren
My favorite way to serve this moist vegan vanilla cake is with sprinkles on top, but you can use fresh fruit, vegan whipped cream, edible flowers, or any fun decorations you love. Bring it with you to the birthday party, bridal shower, or holiday party, and watch as everyone rushes to get a slice!
Why this is the best vegan vanilla cake
- It’s the type of cake you dream about – This bakery-style vanilla cake has a wonderfully moist and fluffy crumb and an elegant vanilla flavor. The best part is that it’s made without eggs or dairy but you’d never know it!
- Two secret ingredients – Aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas) and cake flour are solely responsible for this cake’s delicate, fluffy texture.
- Perfect for any occasion – Decorate the cake with vegan buttercream frosting and sprinkles so it’s ready for birthday parties, baby showers, weddings, holidays, or any special occasion. You will also love my super easy Vegan Funfetti Cake for birthday parties!
How to make vegan vanilla cake
This is simply an overview with photos. For the complete, printable recipe, scroll down to the recipe card.
First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and grease 2 8-inch round cake pans. Place a round of parchment paper on the bottom for easy removal of the cakes later.
Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium-large bowl and set aside.
Make the vegan buttermilk by combining the milk and apple cider vinegar in a glass measuring cup. Stir a little, then set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk the aquafaba and cream of tartar vigorously until foamy, about 2 minutes. You don’t need this in stiff peaks, just get it a bit fluffy and foamy. OR, you can vegan yogurt, which works just as well!
Cream the softened vegan butter, canola oil, and sugar together in a large bowl until creamy. Next, add the aquafaba to the bowl along with the vanilla extract. Beat until well combined.
With your mixer on low speed, alternate between adding portions of the flour mixture and vegan buttermilk to the batter, mixing until just combined after each time.
Do not overmix the batter! The batter should be fairly smooth after everything has been incorporated. A few lumps left behind are okay.
Pour the batter into your prepared cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean.
Set the cakes aside to cool while you make the Vegan Buttercream Frosting, Chocolate Frosting, Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting or Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
Or consider making this incredible Vegan Whipped Cream (that tastes like dairy whipped cream!) and serve with berries.
Frost the vanilla cake when the layers are completely cooled. Add some sprinkles on top for fun, then slice and serve!
Frequently asked questions
Cake flour works the absolute best in this recipe but all purpose flour is fine, too. You can also make homemade cake flour by mixing all purpose flour and cornstarch together. Check out this Cake Flour Substitute Guide from Sally’s Baking Addiction to learn how it’s done.
A quality gluten free flour mix, like Better Batter, will work as a substitute but just know that the cake will have a slightly different texture and it probably won’t be as fluffy and light.
Aquafaba is simply the liquid, or juice, from a can of chickpeas. That’s it!
Like egg whites, it does amazing things when it’s whipped up, such as making vegan-friendly meringues, mousses, whipped cream, brownies, and more. It’s also a rockstar egg replacer in vegan baking, including this recipe. It gives the cake a fluffy and moist texture and a crisp white color (no brown bits from flaxseed eggs!).
To learn more about the magic of aquafaba, check out my guide, Aquafaba 101.
I recently did some testing and discovered that the best substitute for aquafaba in this recipe is vegan yogurt! Use a higher protein/fat version that is unsweetened and unflavored for best results. You can also use 2 flax eggs, possibly JUST Egg or another egg replacer.
Sure. This recipe makes enough cake batter for a 9×13, 10, or 12-inch cake pan or a sheet pan. Remember to add an extra 10 to 15 minutes to the baking time when using a larger pan. Two 9-inch round pans work as well, but the cakes will be thinner.
Wrap the baked and cooled cake layers in plastic wrap, then store them in the fridge for 4 to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
I recommend keeping the frosted cake in an airtight container, like a cake carrier, in the fridge or counter (it will get rather dry quickly in the fridge). You can also lightly wrap it with plastic wrap, but it may ruin your designs. At room temperature, it will last about 5 days.
Want more incredible vegan cakes?
I love making vegan cake recipes that taste just as good, if not better than the usual dairy and egg filled versions! Make any of the following recipes and become a vegan cake connoisseur:
And you can find even MORE cakes here! Vegan Cake Recipes. Happy baking!
Vegan Vanilla Cake
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 3 cups cake flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Vegan buttermilk
- 1 1/4 cups unsweetened soy milk
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Aquafaba (or sub 1/2 cup vegan yogurt)
- 1/2 cup aquafaba
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
The rest
- 1/2 cup vegan butter softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Frosting and sprinkles
- 1 Recipe Vegan Buttercream Frosting
- vegan friendly sprinkles optional
Instructions
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F place the rack in the middle of the oven.
- Grease 2 8-inch round cake pans with oil or vegan butter. Place a round of parchment paper on the bottom for easy removal later.
Combine dry ingredients
- In a separate medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Prepare vegan buttermilk
- Combine the soy milk and apple cider vinegar in a glass measuring cup or small bowl. Stir briefly, then set aside to curdle. This is your buttermilk.
Whip the aquafaba (or use yogurt instead)
- In a small bowl, whisk together the aquafaba and cream of tartar vigorously until foamy, about 2 minutes. You don't have to whip it into stiff peaks, just get it a bit fluffy and foamy. Set aside.
Finish the cake batter
- Cream fats and sugars: In a large bowl using an electric hand mixer (or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment), cream together the softened vegan butter, canola oil and sugar until creamy and well combined, about 3 minutes, scraping the sides as needed.
- Add aquafaba and vanilla: Add the aquafaba mixture to the bowl with the creamed butter/oil/sugar, along with the vanilla extract. Mix until well combined, about 1 minute.
- Add flour and buttermilk: Alternate adding the flour mixture and vegan buttermilk in 3 parts, mixing until just combined each time. The batter should be fairly smooth (a few lumps are okay), but do not over mix.
Bake, cool and frost
- 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. These cakes come out pretty flat, so there is no need to slice off the top like some other recipes.
- 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.
- Frost with my Vegan Buttercream Frosting, Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting, Chocolate Frosting or even vegan whipped cream and berries. Add some sprinkles for fun, if desired. Enjoy!
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. Or make your own cake flour.
- Gluten free? Try substituting a quality gluten free all purpose mix. I like Better Batter brand.
- Soy milk works best because of the protein and fat content, but you can use another milk if needed. Hemp, oat, cashew or almond all work quite well.
- If you can find it, unsweetened high fat or protein yogurt works well in place of the aquafaba.
- For cupcakes, bake for 20-25 minutes until done and fill liners half full.
- For a 9×13 inch cake, bake for 40-50 minutes, until done. Two 9 inch round pans will work, but the cakes will be thinner.
Hi! I have never tried vegan baking before. Is this a relatively easy recipe for an experienced baker?
And I was reading that sprinkles tend to not be vegan based on the ingredient “confectioners glaze”- do you have a “go to” brand of sprinkles?
Excited for my vegan baking leap!!
I’d say it fairly easy, but make sure you follow the recipe exactly, measure everything carefully and do one step at a time. 🙂 I order sprinkles from Sweetapolita. They are SO pretty and hold up well in baking.
Hi Nora:
I made this cake tonight. I followed the directions, but used a 9 x 13 in pan. The batter was delicious, but it didn’t seem to raise as much as your vegan chocolate cake did. What could have possibly gone wrong? I used all purpose flour and baked it until the toothpick cane out clean, about 35 minutes.
Hi Michelle! Well, the vanilla and chocolate cakes are quite different recipes, so they aren’t going to be identical. But it should raise quite a bit. This vanilla cake is best when using cake flour, as all purpose can get a little dense. That said, I know cake flour can be hard to find for some folks, and all purpose does work. For a fluffier cake, use cake flour if possible, do not over mix the batter and don’t over bake the cake. Hope that helps.
Hi Nora,
I found out what happened with the cake. I thought I’d post it so that others don’t make the same mistake.
Although I’ve been baking for many years, I made a rookie mistake LoL. I found out that I put in two sticks of butter instead of one.
I don’t have cake flour, but I measured out a cup, took two tablespoons out and used two tablespoons of cornstarch. I sifted the flour. My mom and Mrs. Google told me about the all purpose to cake flour conversion.
I made your chocolate frosting for it. My mom says it tastes like fudge!
Hi Nora, I’ve made your lemon cake twice with rave reviews from non-vegans. Now I’m planning to make the vanilla cake, but this time must make it gluten-free.
Is there a gluten-free cake flour you recommend? Thanks!
Thanks Joan, I’m glad everyone enjoyed it! I do have a recipe for Easy Vanilla Gluten Free Cake, though it’s quite different than this one. You could try using a good gluten free flour mix in this recipe, such as King Arthur or Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 flour. Hope that helps!
Could I use one 9 x 13 square pan?
Yes, you can bake it in a 9×13 inch pan. It will need to bake a little longer though, probably 35-45 minutes.
I tried making this recipe in the heatwave. It was a bad idea.
I did adjust the recipe to fit my 8inch square pan using a cake pan converter.
Because it was so hot the butter melted while trying to whip it up, with the added oil it just turned into liquid so I couldn’t whip it up properly. Would it have been better to add just butter or just oil to it?
When I originally took it out it seemed quite fluffy. But after I did freeze it for a few hours. It ended up becoming quite soggy. Not sure what happened there. I even put it in an airtight container.
Is there an alternative to the whipped aquafaba?
Hope you can help on what went wrong
Hi there! Well, first whenever you adjust the cake there can be issues. So that plus making it on such a hot day can be a recipe for disaster. I would suggest making the cake as written if possible for best results, and definitely not in a hot kitchen. I also don’t recommend freezing it after it comes out of the oven, that will mess with the texture. If you want to freeze it, do so after the cake is completely cooled. I haven’t made it with anything but aquafaba so I’m not sure. Hope that helps.
Hi Nora,
Can I mix in oreo chunks in this batter or will they sink to the bottom if using cake flour?
I’ve tried with all purpose and it holds up well, bur I prefer the texture of cake flour.
Thanks!!!
Hi there! Well, I’ve never tried it, but I think it will work. Sounds delicious!
I am about to make your vanilla and strawberry cakes… but I’m making two 9” and two 6” how long would I leave it those in the oven for?
Sorry, I’m really not sure as I haven’t made either cakes in two 6 inch pans. The 9 inch ones should be similar, just check with a toothpick to make sure they are all done. Hope you enjoy the cakes!
Is it possible to freeze the cake?
Yes, the cake freezes well!
I have read on a similar recipe that it can lead to a dense heavy cake. I was thinking of using this recipe to make a fresh cream cake.
What if I put the whole thing in the freezer once I’ve done with the cream and then wrap it up before freezing it.
Hope you cam help
I’ve put this cake in the freezer and it did not become dense. As long as you thaw it and don’t serve it frozen, of course. I think it should be fine that way. Hope that helps!
Love your recipes Nora!
Can I put this batter in a 9×13 rectangular pan? How long should I bake it for? And at what oven temp please?
Thanks! Yes, you can. Same temp, and it will need about 35-45 minutes to bake. Check with a toothpick in the middle to make sure no wet batter comes out, that’s how you know it’s done. Enjoy!
What none daily milk do you recommend to make the batter lighter? I used Cashew milk, the cake came out really brown
I don’t know why it came out brown with cashew milk, but I usually use almond or soy milk.
Hi I don’t have the electrical equipment.
Would I be able to achieve this by whisking by hand?
Like the aquafaba, would I be able to get that to the right consistency by hand?
Thanks
The aquafaba can simply be whisked by hand, yes. And you could probably make the batter by hand but I haven’t tried it. But if needed, it should work!
The link you gave for the aquafaba had chickpeas in salted water. Would the salt in the water affect the taste or should I get unsalted water?
Also can I use a DIY cake flour with all purpose – a few tablespoons and replace with corn starch.
Hope you can help
Salted is fine, I almost always use it. Sure, you can use a homemade cake flour.
Will the aqua faba cause gas? I’m being serious by the way! Thank you
Nope, I have never found it to cause gas. 🙂
This was a huge hit for my friends birthday! Everyone was in disbelief that it was vegan.
I made this in a smaller 6″ pan so the baking time was significantly longer, around an hour (divided the batter into 2 pans). And even after that it was a bit undercooked. Will cook longer next time. Thank you Nora!
Thanks for sharing your review and comments, Katie! I’m glad the cake was a hit!
Would I be able to make the cake ahead of time and freeze it .
Yes, it can be frozen.
Hi Nora,
Do you think this recipie would he suitable for using gell food colour? I need to make a vegan blue cake and am concerned it might end up green. White velvet recipies have failed me too
Yes, I think it would work just fine. But I haven’t tried making a blue cake so I’m not totally sure, sorry!
Hi! I have a eggless cupcake request, and I want to try this – will your recipe work for cupcakes, and if so, how many will it make?
Yes, the recipe works for cupcakes and will make about 24. Enjoy!
Am looking to make an eggless cake, will this recipe work with regular buttermilk and regular butter..?
I don’t see why not, but I haven’t tried it. Thanks!
Should I measure 1/2 cup aquafaba from the liquid or after 1 minute of beating when it fluffy? I want to make this cake for my doughters birthday tomorrow
After whisking the aquafaba, measure 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 and you enjoy it!
I love your recipes but we normally do not cook with oil 🙁 Can you tell me if I can substitute the butter and oil in your recipes? Thanks!
In many recipes, especially the savory ones, it’s pretty easy to leave out the oil. In baking recipes, it’s not so simple. For the cake, I really wouldn’t know how to make it without oil or vegan butter. You may want to check out my Gluten Free Vanilla Cake or Oil Free Chocolate Cake for a few healthier baked goods.
This vanilla cake is BY FAR my favourite vegan vanilla cake recipe ever!!! it’s so moist and tender, and wayy better than other vegan vanilla cake recipes I’ve tried. Just 1 question: my cake batter always comes out way thicker than in the video, but still comes out great. any ideas why it the batter would come out much thicker? thanks!!
I’m so glad, thanks! Are you using coconut oil by chance? Sometimes it can make batters thick. Other than that, I’m not really sure. Make sure you are measuring everything correctly and do not over mix.
hello again, i was wondering if pastry flour would be a better substitute then homemade cake flour?
I’m not really familiar with pastry flour, so I’m not sure.
hi nora! i love your recipes and was planning on giving this one a try for my sisters birthday. i am unable to get store bought cake flour so i was wondering if you recommend making your own or just using all purpose flour?
You can use all purpose flour, it’s still very good just not as light and fluffy. Better to make your own cake flour than use regular, if you can!
Can this cake be cooked in a Bundt pan?
Yes, it can. It will take 50-60 minutes to bake. I’d check with a toothpick to make sure it’s cooked through.
I would like to make this as a 4″ double-layer cake. Do you think cutting the recipe in half would work?
Probably, but I haven’t tried it to know for sure.