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.
This recipe is fantastic!!
I’ve made this cake four times now and it’s the best vegan vanilla cake I’ve ever had.
Thank you so much.
I am thrilled to hear that you are loving the vanilla cake! Thank you for sharing your review and positive feedback! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Hi Nora, I am making a wedding cake for my son and have been searching for a suitable vegan vanilla cake. So far the ones I’ve tried have not been great! Do you think this cake will be suitable for tiering? And will it be okay baked a couple of days ahead and stored in the fridge before assembling?
I have tried many of your recipes with amazing results, so hoping this cake will be as good as the rest! Thanks.
I haven’t tried it myself, but I have had quite a few people report they made a tiered wedding cake from this recipe, so I think it should work well. You can bake it a few days before and keep in the refrigerator, wrapped well. But it will start to dry out so I would make it too far in advance. Thank you, hope you have a successful wedding cake!
This recipe is superb! I couldn’t tell the difference between this cake and my favorite recipe for traditional vegan white cake. I am an avid Baker (non vegan) and have baked a myriad of cake recipes…and this one definitely holds up against the best one of those. I didn’t have buttermilk so I used Greek yogurt (cashew yogurt) instead, which didn’t take away from the texture at all. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful review and feedback – which is so encouraging to me! I’m thrilled you loved the cake! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
For some reason it turned out super doughy and raw in the middle… I ended up lowering the heat and letting it bake longer since the outside was very golden and the middle was still not cooked. I didn’t miss anything that I’m aware of, I did double the recipe. This has never happened before, what do you think I did wrong?
Sometimes doubling recipes (especially in baking) does not work. I haven’t ever tried doubling the recipe, so that could be why it didn’t turn out right for you.
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!