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!
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. 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.
I am about to make this cake for my daughters birthday , am I able to use food coloring to make the cake itself blue?
Yes, of course. I would just add enough until it’s the shade you want. Enjoy!
I’m attempting to make this as a birthday cake for a friend who’s vegan. I can’t seem to find cream of tartar— is there another substitute that won’t affect the taste or texture?
You can just leave it out if needed, it just helps the aquafaba to whip up. But you don’t have to use it. You can also substitute vegan yogurt for the aquafaba + cream of tartar if that’s easier. I hope your friend enjoys the cake!
Love this cake! Can I add Oreos to it to make it an Oreo cake? I know you have a separate Oreo cake recipe but I love the texture of this cake. The Oreo cake recipe calls for more oil and milk and doesn’t use aquafaba so I wasn’t sure if the texture would be the same as the Vanilla cake.
You totally could add some chopped Oreos to this cake batter. And make Oreo frosting as well. Enjoy!
If I wanted to add dark sweet cherries in the batter, what would you recommend to be adjusted in the recipe?
I would just add them to the cake batter right before baking. I just did this with blueberries and it worked well.
Hi Nora and team! I always love your wonderful recipes. I’m planning on using this recipe to make a small (not tiered) wedding cake. My plan is to double this recipe and bake into 4 8-inch layers, so that I can have three layers of filling. I will of course do a test run beforehand, but do you predict that this cake is too delicate to withstand assembly into 4 layers? I worry it may become too heavy and collapse. Thank you in advance!
Hi Lissie! The cake sounds lovely. I think the cake can withstand 4 layers. I would definitely suggest using cake flour for the best crumb, and of course make sure all the cake are completely cooled before you frost and layer them, or it will fall apart! I’d love to hear how it turns out. 🙂
Hi,
I have one, 9inch pan a little less than 3 inches high. Could I bake it all in just that pan? Or, to be able to have two layers and add a filling, could I bake one and then after the other in the same pan? How many hours does it need to cool before frosting it?
Thanks,
You could bake one and then the other in the same pan, but I would not fit all that batter in the one pan. It won’t bake properly. It will need at least an hour to cool at room temperature before frosting.
Hi Nora, am about to try this but I only have 1 x 8” cake pan that is 4” high. Could I use it & cut cake in half or does the height matter? Many thanks.
You could use it and cut the cake in half for one layer. The height shouldn’t matter, but the cake won’t be as tall as your pan. Hope you enjoy the cake!
Hi Nora! Tried this with yoghurt & loved it! I’m planning to bake a mini cake for my daughter’s birthday. I have round cake tins that are 11cm x 5cm. I think I could do 2 or 3 layers – a cake that’s small but high. Any recommendations on how to adjust the recipe would be greatly appreciated! Much love from Cape Town, Nadia.
This is hands down the best cake I’ve ever made, vegan or non! I doubled the recipe to make a two-layer cake in 9×13 pans. Followed the recipe exactly and it turned out perfectly. The crumb is delicate but not unstructured; the texture is soft, buttery, and melts in your mouth. I also used her vegan buttercream recipe, which complemented the cake magnificently.
Because I created a layered cake that had to be cut and shaped, I followed the recommendation to refrigerate it before cutting, which was absolutely the right call. It cut without falling apart just the way I needed it to.
This recipe was a huge hit with the kiddos and parents alike. Truly, LOVE this recipe and am so grateful to have found it!
Hi Shadoe. I am so happy that the cake turned out wonderful for you! Thank you for sharing your glowing review and and recipe experience! Wishing you happy cooking!
Cake turned out great! Made for my baby first birthday bc he has a dairy and egg allergy! Will be using this going forward!!
Happy birthday to your baby, Darrie! That first birthday is so fun! I’m thrilled the cake turned out fantastic! Thank you for sharing your glowing review and feedback! Wishing you happy cooking!
My cake came out almost too moist and a little heavy. I used plain Greek vegan yogurt. I added the flour in 3 parts and liquids in 2 parts. Seemed to need a bit more lift .almost underbaked looking towards center but toothpick came out clean. Any advice welcome! Taste was nice though.
Did you use cake flour or regular flour? Cake flour is so much better at making a light, fluffy crumb. Perhaps the yogurt was a bit too heavy for the cake (though I’ve used yogurt and not had that happen.) Perhaps try with aquafaba and definitely cake flour for a light, fluffy cake.
Hey Nora! All of your recipes are huuuge hits in my house and everywhere we bring them to share with vegans and non-vegans alike. Thanks so much for all you do! This recipe is so insanely good, and however I made it before turned out perfect. Quick question regarding the whipped aquafaba part since I can’t remember what I did – it’s the whole whipped mixture right? Or is it only a half cup? Thanks in advance!!
Thanks Becky, I’m so happy to hear my recipes are a hit at your house and beyond! 🙂 Yes, use the whole thing, you don’t have to measure after whipping, just before. Hope that helps!
We love this cake recipe! I made it with a strawberry ermine frosting for my daughter’s birthday and it was a hit. I am planning to make a 13 x 18 sheet cake with it for my son’s birthday this weekend. Have you ever doing it in that size? Any idea how many batches I would need for two layer?
I’m glad you love the cake! If you want a thinner sheet cake, the recipe as written should work well in a 13×18 inch pan. So double to make two of those for layers. Hope that helps!
Can you make this cake ahead of time and freeze it? How many days does it last in the fridge?
You could make the cake a few days ahead of time, not much more than 2 or 3 though. For optimal freshness, freeze them, then thaw and frost when ready to serve. Once frosted, I think it’s best stored in the refrigerator but room temperature works as well. It will keep for 2-3 days at room temperature, and maybe 4-5 in the fridge. Happy cooking!
We are such huge fans of your blog, and this recipe was another incredible success!
Your recipes have become our special Saturday afternoon tradition. My 4-year-old and her friends had the best time making this cake, and we’re already down to the last slice!
We started with your vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry cupcakes, and this was the perfect first cake to try. Thank you for creating such delicious and recipes—and for the tip about the yogurt!
We’re already planning to make your chocolate cake next weekend!
Hi Pasha. Thank you for your support and for using my recipes! I love that you have a Saturday afternoon tradition of making recipes! Thank you for sharing your very fun and heartwarming feedback, as well as your glowing review! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
I see you are using 8 inch pans is that 8×2 or 8×3?
My pans are about 2 inches in height.
Do you have a preference for vegan yogurt?
I see the kite hill regular has 4g of protein and, the kite hill greek style has a whopping 17g of protein and I have both in my fridge ( assume it’s 1/2 cup worth?)
I’ve used both of those actually and they both work well! I most often have the lower protein kind for baking, but either is fine to use.
This cake turned out perfectly! I made it by hand and it was a nice little workout to get the aquafaba whipped up, and I did cream the oil/butter/sugar a few extra minutes as I wasn’t using a machine, but otherwise I followed the recipe to the letter and the texture of the batter was superb! I used some different sized baking vessels but followed the instructions and checked the cakes after about 25 minutes. I removed them from
the oven and they were just perfect as they cooled. And the texture? The flavor? I’d bet money that omnivores wouldn’t know they were vegan. I’m so thrilled with this recipe, I’m already planning more excuses to make this cake for family and friends! (We just ate the cake plain, it was that good! Would be excellent with jam or as an upside-down cake with pineapple or mango, too.)
Hi Natalie. I’m so glad that the cake was a hit with you and your family! Thank you for sharing your recipe experience and your glowing review! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
If I’m using yogurt instead of aquafaba do I still need the cream of tartar?
No, you do not. Enjoy!
Hi, I made this cake and it tastes nice and rose well but it completely sank in the middle. Can I ask why please? Baking for my son’s birthday on Sunday and this is a test!
Hi Hannah. I’m sorry your cake sank. It’s difficult to say why without being there. A few ideas: 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. 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)? As you most likely know, over mixing the batter could also have lended to the cake sinking. I hope this helps!
Can I substitute the canola oil with a different oil?
Absolutely, any neutral flavored oil will work. I like avocado oil. Enjoy!
Hi! Can I substitute vegan butter with oil for the sponge cake? How is the ratio?
You’d like to use all oil in the cake? I suppose you could try this though I’m not sure it will turn out quite the same. A 1:1 ratio should work okay. You do still need vegan butter in the frosting though.
Hi Nora,
Looking to try your recipe this weekend for my daughter’s party, although it will be much bigger as I will be making a 2-tier cake, with an 8-inch base and 6-inch top. I was wondering if you had any recommendations for vegan butter please, I would prefer to purchase this as opposed to making it. I would also appreciate a recommendation for sugar.
Thanks so much! 😊
Sounds fun and delicious! My favorite brand to bake with is probably Earth Balance (sticks only), but I regularly use Country Crock, Melt and even Miyoko’s brand sometimes. Sticks are a must, don’t use the tub stuff, it won’t work well. Enjoy!
Yikes! I used the tub of Earth Balance because they do not seem to be producing sticks lately. Using for a birthday cake. I utilize a scale to achieve the measurements. What can I expect? Do I need to rebake the layers with another brand using sticks? Thanks for your guidance!
Hopefully it will turn out okay! You can probably weigh the butter from the tub and use it. You also don’t have to use Earth Balance brand sticks; there are many available nowadays, like Country Crock, Melt, Miyoko’s, Trader Joe’s has a brand, etc.
It’s a silly question to ask on a vegan recipe, but I was looking for a dairy free version of Boston Cream Pie and came to this cake recipe to be used.
Since the issue is dairy intolerance, I can still use eggs. Can I skip the aquafaba and cream of tartar and use egg instead? If so, how many should I use?
Thanks!
I’m really not sure, as I don’t bake with eggs and I created this recipe specifically to be vegan. You could try whatever you think is best though, and hopefully it will work!
Nora, we love all your recipes, but this cake is extraordinary!
Hi Mitzi. I get asked this question quite frequently! Eggs should work, though I’ve never tried it. I think two eggs should do it! Happy baking!
Hi Nora, I love this recipe thank you. May I take this recipe and add cookies to make a cookies and cream cake? Or any suggestions on how to make a successful cookies and cream cake? Can this be a base recipe for making other flavor cakes?
Thank you
It can be a base for other cakes, yes, including cookies and cream. You can check out my Vegan Oreo Cake for ideas.
Can anyone tell me why it make be taking longer to cook? What might have I got wrong? Tastes great but the texture is overly moist still. It’s been in the over for an hour on 350? I’m slowly eating the cake and hoping I have enough frosting to cover my shame.
Did you use all the correct ingredients and amounts, with no substitutions? What size pan or pans are you using?