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.
amazing recipe love love love
Thanks so much!
Made this cake for my Dad’s birthday. It was the best cake I’ve ever made! The icing was a little on the soft side, however, that may have been the brand of plant based butter I used. I am definitely sold on the aquafaba.
I’m so glad it came out great for your dad!
can you use cake flour? What adjustment would you recommend?
I believe you could yes, I wouldn’t make any other adjustments. But I haven’t tried this so I can’t be positive.
Hi Nora,
Would a 9 x 13 pan work or would the cake be too thin? Would the baking time change?
Thanks.
Lindsay
Yes, you could bake it in a 9 x 13 inch cake pan. It may need an extra 10 minutes or so, just check the middle with a toothpick or sharp knife to make sure it’s cooked through.
Thanks Nora!! 🙂
Hi Nora! Long time recipe lover and follower. I am wondering your advice. I am making a ‘cotton candy’ flavored cake next week (using blue raspberry kool-aid mix for flavor (not following a recipe just a hunch lol)), and am deciding between using this recipe, or your funfetti cupcake recipe. I was planning a layer cake, but I notice the ingredients between your funfetti cupcakes and this vanilla cake differ slightly. Which recipe would you recommend I adapt? Tough question, so don’t feel bad if you don’t have an answer. Thank you!
Ooooh this sounds really fun! Either would be fine, but I would probably recommend using the vanilla cake recipe, since it’s already written for a layer cake. I haven’t made the funfetti cupcakes into a layer cake, and while it would probably work, I can’t say for sure. Hope it turns out well and you enjoy!
This is the 2nd one of your cake recipes I’ve tried. Again, I am more than impressed!! I made the recipe as is except I had been requested to bake a lavender cake so I purchased bulk culinary lavender flowers and mixed them into the sugar the night before. I used 1 1/2 TBS of the flowers in the 1 1/2 cups of sugar. I bought extra flowers for decorating later. (The lavender cost me $0.30. I eyeballed what I thought I needed while at the store. It weighed 0.015lbs at $19.99 per pound,) Because I wanted to make sure not to overpower the lavender, I only used 1/2 TBS of vanilla extract and I added 1/2 TBS of lemon juice to brighten the lavender flavor.
This was my first time to use aquafaba and had no real clue what I was doing. I whipped the juice from one can using the whisk attachment on my immersion blender for about a minute. I tried to pour it into a measuring cup, but since it was still part liquid/part foam it was difficult to measure. And honestly I wasn’t sure which part I was supposed to be measuring. I ended up pouring the entire amount from the one can of chick peas (liquid & foam) into the creamed sugar & butter. It came out perfect!
I did make cupcakes – 24 evenly sized at 25 min.
The lavender cupcakes sound so pretty and delicious! I’m so glad they came out perfect. For the aquafaba, I try to use mostly the foamy part when I measure 1/2 cup, you can use a spoon to scoop it out. But some liquid is fine, too, it’s quite forgiving in this recipe. If you were to make meringue with aquafaba, you would need to whip it for longer until it’s all completely foamy and stiff. Hope that helps, and thanks for the feedback!
This is the best vanilla began cake I ever made. It is so moist and airy and taste amazing!
Wondering how many eggs you are replacing with the Aquafaba? I only have the vegan egg replacer right now. Thanks!
I would say 2 eggs. Hope that helps! It should work fine with another egg replacer.
Hey there Nora
Fantastic recipe, so yummy. Can the cakes be frozen? without the frosting of course.
Great base cake recipe, can experiment with different extracts.
Thanks
Happy thanksgiving
Yes, the cakes can be frozen. I’m so glad you like the cake, thank you! Happy experimenting!
Did you try it with the egg replacer? That’s all I have now too and I’m wondering how it came out!
I loved this cake! its airy and fluffy and delicious!!! Thank you for this wonderful recipe!!!!
Thank you, so glad you enjoyed the vanilla cake!
Amazing cake and frosting. Everyone loved it and said it was the best cake ever. So easy and made the house smell amazing. I have loved every recipe of yours and you are my go to referral for people looking into plant based options.
I did it exactly as recipe called for. However the center didn’t rise actual it didn’t rise really at all. Why would that be. I used coconut oil instead of canola but everything else I used. I also whipped the aquafaba before measuring the 1/3 cup out. So why would it not rise?
If it didn’t rise at all, something definitely went wrong here. You could have a bad batch of baking powder, that has happened to me before. Coconut oil sometimes results in a denser cake, but not so much so that it wouldn’t rise at all. The only other thing I can think of is you just didn’t bake it long enough. I’m not sure what size pans you were using, or if your oven runs low in temperature, but those things could mean you needed to bake it longer if it was only not rising in the middle.
The recipe said to use 1/2 cup of aquafaba. You said you measured out 1/3 cup. Could that be the reason?
I doubled this recipe to make a special cake for a big party at my local animal sanctuary where I volunteer. I’ve been vegan for over 20 years and I bake a LOT, and this is, hands down, the best white cake I have ever made. It was light and moist and the crumb was perfect, but it still held up to some significant icing. It was a huge hit and I had to come home and make another batch for cupcakes so my family could have some, too. Thank you!
I made this recipe two times. First time I used whisk to mix aquafaba and cake mix. It turned out delicious. Second time I used hand mixer for aquafaba and cake mix. I mixed aquafaba to sift peaks and instead of adding one-half cup, I added full cup. I made into cupcakes and ended up having 18 of best vegan cupcakes I ever tasted!!! My family agreed!!! Thank you Nora!!!
Could I make this cake 3 days in advance and refrigerate it?
Yes, that should be fine. Enjoy!
Hi Nora thanks for your recipe can I use a gluten free flour instead like almonf flour? Thanks
Sorry, almond flour won’t work here, but a gluten free all purpose flour likely would.
How many cupcakes would this recipe make?
It will make about 24 cupcakes, maybe a few more!
I made this for my son’s 2nd birthday and it was enjoyed by all! The only thing, both my layers broke into three pieces during the cooling process. I wonder if I didn’t whip the aquafaba enough, so it was too liquidy? I whipped it for a minute like the directions said but maybe it needed to have stiff peaks? Either way, I was able to piece it back together with icing and it tasted great! Thanks!
I have found that if the cakes are overcooked (any cake recipe) they will crack during cooling, so my guess is you just baked them a tiny bit too long. Your oven could run a little hotter than others. I don’t whip the aquafaba so much that it has stiff peaks, so I don’t think that was the problem. Glad it still tasted great!
Hello,
Could I use oatmilk in this recipe? The list doesn’t include this, so I wanted to ask.
Thank you,
Heather
Yes, oat milk should work just fine. Thanks!
Hi! I tried you’re chocolate cake and it was amazing. I want to make this recipe but I have applesauce and no chick peas. Can I use applesauce instead?
So glad you enjoyed the chocolate cake! That should work yes. I would just use 1/2 cup of applesauce to replace the aquafaba. Enjoy!
It sank! Don’t know what i did wrong but took it out after 40 minutes and toothpick cane out clean and it sank. What did I do? ?
I’m sorry your cake sank! Did it sink a lot, or just a little in the middle? How did it taste? I wonder if you made any substitutions at all, and what kind of pan you used? It sounds like maybe there was too much liquid, so did you measure the whipped aquafaba and only add 1/2 cup of the whipped stuff? Did you measure the flour correctly ( I usually suggest to scoop it into measuring cups with a spoon, then level off with a knife)? Hopefully I can help you figure out what went wrong! Thanks Charlotte!
Oh no I’m making it now and I added the entire 1/2 cup of Aquafaba not just the whipped part. Is that same thing. I only poured out 1/2 of the juice fork the garbanzo beans. I pray it turns out
It should be okay, maybe a bit more moist than it would have been. But yes the most accurate way would be to whip the chickpea liquid, then measure 1/2 cup when you add it to the other ingredients.
Hi Helen,
I know the time has come and gone…..just wondering how your cake turned out and did you have any pictures of it. I can’t wait to try this recipe.
Thanks,
Livena
I have been vegan for many years but have always struggled to find a birthday cake recipe that worked. Either they tasted bad or looked like a nightmare. I made 4 layers of this cake and… Wow!!! It worked so well. It stood up to piping without cake dowels. It’s taste is perfect– sweet but not disgustingly so. I got so many complements and it was the star of my daughter’s birthday party. Thank you!
My daughter is asking for a rainbow cake. I’m thinking I’ll use this batter to make five layers, each in a different color, then stack and ice them, so when we cut the cake each piece will be a rainbow. If you could give me some guidance on what size baking pans I should use to avoid a towering cake, long I should bake each layer, and any tips on using food coloring in this recipe, I would be SO grateful. This will be a big first for me. ???
How fun! I think I’ll try this sometime, too. So I obviously haven’t tried this myself, but if I was going to do it I would somewhat follow the directions from this recipe (or another like it, there are many), while using my cake and frosting recipe. So it looks like you wouldn’t need to double the cake recipe, but instead divide it into as many layers as you are going to (in bowls, so 5 bowls for 5 layers). Color each one as desired. I would use 8 or 9 inch round cake pans, the layers should be quite thin and will only need to cook for 15 minutes or less. Just keep baking the layers until you are done, let cool, and frost. I’m guessing you will need to double the vanilla frosting, because you will need a lot to frost in between all the layers. Hope that helps and it works out! As far as food coloring goes, it can be a little tricky to know what is vegan. I believe this set is vegan, I have used it and it makes great bright colors. Just use a little at a time until you achieve the color you want. Thanks!
You’re amazing, thank you. I’ll let you know how it turns out!
I wonder how this came out! I got here by trying to find a recipe to do the exact same type of rainbow cake.
Hi Nora
Was wondering what adjustments would be necessary for a half sheet. Would doubling work? or would one need to decrease liquids a bit ?
Also if I add sprinkles should there be any modifications?
Grandkids love funfetti cake and one is highly allergic so this works well, but all their cakes need to be “Funfetti”….so need to perfect the batter.
Hi there! By half sheet, do you mean in like a 9×13 inch pan? If so, there is no need to double the recipe. If you are looking to make a larger sheet cake, you may need to double it. You can certainly add sprinkles to both the batter and of course sprinkled on the frosting. No need to modify anything. My kids love funfetti anything too! Thanks and enjoy!
Hello!
I was wondering if the aquafaba is 1/2 a cup of whipped aquafaba or 1/2 cup of the liquid that is then whipped? Thank you!
It is 1/2 of the whipped aquafaba. I found this the best way to get an accurate measurement of the amount needed! Hope that helps!
Can I make this the day before it is needed? Will it still be ok?
Yes, you can make it a day ahead of time. It will be okay at room temperature, or you can store it in the refrigerator overnight.