If you need a super simple way to make a vegan cake or cupcakes, this recipe is what you have been looking for! This soda cake uses a few basic ingredients (like soda or carbonated water) to turn a simple gluten-free or regular cake mix into an absolutely perfect cake every time. With a few simple modifications, you can turn any basic white or yellow cake mix into a strawberry, lemon, or chocolate cake too!
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I forget about birthday parties and special events until I'm scrambling around last minute trying to get vegan cupcakes baked so my kids will have something sweet to eat. I needed an easy way to make cupcakes fast with what I had in my pantry. This method has solved that problem for me!
Since my kids need to eat gluten-free, I usually use the G-Free brand yellow cake mix from Aldi, because it's easy to find and inexpensive. (This mix is used to make the cupcakes in all the photographs in this post). My kids have declared these the best vegan gluten-free cupcakes that they have had, "even better than gluten cupcakes!" However, I have tested it for you with regular wheat-based cake mixes and they work up great using this method too.
❤️ You will love this recipe
- It's free of all major allergens including dairy, eggs, gluten, and soy!
- This cake is easy to whip up in just minutes.
- It's made with simple ingredients that you can find and most stores.
- This recipe is versatile and can be made into any flavor cake that you can think of.
- It's simply delicious!
🧾 Ingredients and substitutions
- Cake Mix - 1 box of any basic white or yellow vegan cake mix that comes in a 15 oz or 15 .25 oz box. The gluten-free cake mixes work well too. (I use the Live GF brand yellow cake mix from Aldi because it is only $1.99)
- 12 oz. Can of Soda - like ginger ale, sprite, or simply soda water. You can use any type of soda that you wish to flavor the cake even root beer, orange, grape or cola. (I like to use soda water to keep the flavor neutral and make the cake less sweet).
- Apple Sauce - to use in place of the egg. (You could also use Ener-G egg replacer equivalent to 3 eggs).
- Oil - to give it a rich flavor and moist texture.
- Spray Oil - to grease the pan
🥄 Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350° F.
- Pour the dry cake mix into a mixing bowl.
- Add the 12 oz can of soda or soda water, apple sauce, and oil and stir with a whisk for about 30 seconds until a smooth batter.
- If making a gluten-free cake, let the batter sit for about 5 minutes before baking. (This allows the grains to soften a little more).
- Pour into a greased cake pan or cupcake liners and bake.
Baking Times:
- Cupcakes - 18-22 minutes
- 8"x 8" Pan - 36-40 minutes
- 9"x 9" Pan - 33-37 minutes
- or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
👩🏻🍳 Pro tips
- Be sure to pre-heat the oven about 5 minutes before you start making the cake. You can make the batter for the cake faster than it will take your oven to heat up.
If making a cake:
- Grease your cake pan well.
- Cool completely before taking out of the pan.
If making cupcakes:
- Let the batter sit for about 5 minutes before baking. (This allows the grains to soften a little more).
- Spray the cupcake liners with a spray oil before adding the batter. (They may stick to the cupcake paper a little if you don't do this).
- Take the cupcakes out of the tin as soon as they have cooled down enough to handle.
- Allow cupcakes to cool completely outside of the tin.
🌟 Finding vegan cake mix
Many mainstream cake mixes are vegan, but you will have to read the ingredients to be sure. Scan down to the end of the ingredient list and look for egg or dairy in bold. Most Duncan Hines brand mixes are vegan as well as the basic white cake from Aldi. Many cake mixes at natural or specialty stores are also vegan like Annies, Bob's Red Mill, or Pamela's brands.
Gluten-Free Vegan Cake Mixes - Many of the gluten-free cake mixes sold in specialty stores are also vegan, but read the ingredients to be sure. I use the G-Free brand cake mix from Aldi since it's far less expensive.
*Whatever cake mix you choose, make sure that it's about 15 oz or the proportions will not be right.
📖 Variations
- Chocolate Cake - Add a 1/2 cup cocoa powder to the dry cake mix. Use sprite or ginger ale or add 1-2 tbsp of sugar if using soda water. (The chocolate is bitter, so you have to sweeten it up a little).
- Strawberry - blend 1/2 cup of freeze-dried strawberries in a blender until they turn into a powder and add with the dry cake mix. You can also use a can of strawberry soda.
- Rootbeer - Use a can of rootbeer as the soda that you add. Top with vanilla buttercream for a rootbeer float flavor.
- Orange Creamcycle - Use a can of orange soda (plus 1 tsp of orange extract for a stronger flavor) in the cake batter and top with vanilla buttercream.
- Lemon - Use a neutral or lemon-flavored soda or soda water and add 3 tsp of lemon extract to the batter.
- Funfetti - Add 2 tbsp of vegan sprinkles to the cake batter. (Make sure to use vegan sprinkles most traditional sprinkles have confectioners glaze which is not vegan).
Whip up a batch of the best vegan buttercream frosting ever to go with your cake!
🍰 More vegan desserts
- Vegan Vanilla Cake
- Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
- Vegan Strawberry Shortcake
- Easy Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Vegan Angel Food Cake
📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!
The easiest way to make delicious (gluten-free) vegan cupcakes from a mix and a can of soda or soda water.
- 1 box vegan cake mix
- 3 tbsp apple sauce (or other vegan egg replacers)
- 1/3 cup canola oil or other neutral-flavored oil
- 1 squirt spray oil
- 1 12 oz can soda or soda water of choice
-
Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C).
-
Pour the dry cake mix into a mixing bowl.
-
Add the 12 oz can of soda, apple sauce, and oil and stir with a whisk for about 30 seconds until a smooth batter.
-
If making a gluten-free cake, let the batter sit for about 5 minutes before baking. (This allows the grains to soften a little more).
-
Pour into a greased cake pan or cupcake liners and bake.
-
Cupcakes - 18-22 minutes
8"x 8" Pan - 36-40 minutes
9"x 9" Pan - 33-37 minutes
or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Tips:
- Be sure to pre-heat the oven about 5 minutes before you start making the cake. You can make this cake faster than it will take your oven to heat up.
If making a cake:
- Grease your cake pan well.
- Cool completely before taking out of the baking dish
If making cupcakes:
- Spray the cupcake liners with a spray oil before adding the batter. (These tend to stick to the cupcake paper a little if you don't do this.
- Take the cupcakes out of the tin as soon as they have cooled down enough to hold.
- Allow cupcakes to cool completely outside of the tin.
Turn a white or yellow cake mix into any flavor:
- Chocolate Cake - Add a 1/2 cup cocoa powder to the dry cake mix. Use sprite or ginger ale or add 1-2 tbsp of sugar if using soda water. (The chocolate is bitter, so you have to sweeten it up a little).
- Strawberry - blend 1/2 cup of freeze-dried strawberries in a blender until they turn into a powder and add with the dry cake mix. You can also use a can of strawberry soda.
- Rootbeer - Use a can of rootbeer as the soda that you add. Top with vanilla buttercream for a rootbeer float flavor.
- Orange Creamcycle - Use a can of orange soda (plus 1 tsp of orange extract for a stronger flavor) in the cake batter and top with vanilla buttercream.
- Lemon - Use a neutral or lemon-flavored soda or soda water and add 3 tsp of lemon extract to the batter.
- Funfetti - Add 2 tbsp of vegan sprinkles to the cake batter.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Leave a comment and starred review! I would love to hear from you!
If I bought a cake mix that requires eggs and other items I just don’t follow their instructions and go by the instructions you go by correct? I need to make this cake tomorrow
Yes, just use the mix and go buy the instruction that I give you and not the instructions on the box. Enjoy!
Thank you for this recipe!! My son has several allergies including eggs, dairy and gluten and I’ve never successfully made him a birthday cake, they are complex and never turn out great. This turned out perfectly! He’s turning 8 and finally has a real birthday cake! I could cry and he’s so happy 🙂
You're very welcome! It made my day to read this, Chelsea! I'm so happy that it turned out well and Happy Birthday to your son! 🙂
Thank you Monica!
Great recipe! My son has egg allergies and I’ve been looking for a recipe for his first year birthday cake. This cake was amazing! Fluffy, moist and great tasting all around.
I'm so happy that it worked well for you! Happy 1st Birthday to your son 🙂
As a vegan and a mother of a kiddo who has severe egg allergies, I'm always on thr hunt for a great recipe for cakes and cupcakes. I love this recipe! So versatile on flavors and pretty fool proof as I'm not the best baker. I only make cakes for special occasions bc I'll end up eating the whole thing if I'm not careful 🤣😂 the cake is so moist. The added applesauce and oil really helps this soda cake with moisture and texture. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I'm glad that it works well for you! It's my go-to if I need cupcakes fast and my kids love them too! 🙂
Hi! I used your recipe to make GF/vegan cupcakes with the mix from Aldi, the texture was pretty good but still a little gummy. I made sure to follow your recipe, even let the batter rest before baking. Im not used to making anything like this, is that the correct texture? Should I have baked them longer? I was really hoping for a crumbly texture. Have you ever tried adding almond flour to the mix?
Hi Missy, they shouldn't be gummy. They have a texture similar to a regular cake. Oven temperatures can vary and make you need a minute or two more or less bake time. I haven't used almond flour in these. Almond flour bakes very differently than other grain-based flours, so you have to follow a recipe specifically for almond flour or it won't work. If you try them again, bake them until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. I also find GF baked goods a little gummy until they cool completely, then the texture gets better. Hope that helps! 🙂
Hi....does this recipe make more than one layer? Also, do the layers rise high or is it more of the standard vegan cake with shorter rise? I'll be using 6 inch pans. I want a 3 layer cake.
Have never used a box mix to make a vegan cake, so I'm looking forward to this.
Thank you so much
Hi Agnes, it makes one 8 inch round cake. Depending on how thick you want each layer to be, you will need 2-3 boxes of cake mix to make it work for three 6" rounds. Enjoy! 🙂
Can you use sprite or Coke Zero or does it need the sugar from a regular soda?
Thank you. 🙂
You can use any carbonated liquid that you would like. I use seltzer water all the time so it's not too sweet. Enjoy! 🙂
Thank you so much for your fast reply and thanks for sharing your recipe with all !!
Well i did a tester first follwed the recipe ddnt turn out right
Then i did another batch but change the recipe to 5tbs of apple sauce and the method i used first was First soda Then Add
5tbs of apple sauce n wisk on high then gradually add the box of cake mix n no oil
Perfect cake
I've tested it many times with the recipe as written and it always works best that way for me, but you may be using a different mix. Glad you found a way to make it work for you.
Is there a vegan frosting recipe you use with this? I’m not vegan so just being extra careful for my friends that are
I use my buttercream recipe that is linked in this post. If you don't see it here is a link. (It's so nice of you to be a conscientious friend)! https://thehiddenveggies.com/vegan-buttercream/
for the vegan cake mix box, how many grams per box. 425 G?? thanks mj
Yes, the mix that I use is 425 grams. 🙂
My friend is vegan and I would like to make this recipe. Could you tell me which cake mixes are vegan? I have looked it up and a few that said vegan when I look at the box say may contain milk. How would I know if there is a milk solid?? I know you said you use the GF from Aldi, am i correct to believe it is also vegan??
So nice of you to make this for your friend! If it says may contain milk, then it just may be made on the same equipment as something with milk. If it has milk ingredients, it will stay contains milk. And yes, the gluten-free one from Aldi is vegan. Hope you enjoy it! 🙂
What about swapping the soda for a plant based milk?
I have not tried using milk instead of soda. I think that it would be too dense if it was made that way, but if you try it, please let me know how it comes out. (The carbonation helps levitate the cake batter and make it lighter and airier). Enjoy! 🙂
What does a squirt of spray oil mean? I'm not sure what that is.
I use oil that comes in a can that you can push a nozzle and get a spray onto your pan. You can use cupcake liners or spray oil on the muffin tins to make sure that the cake doesn't stick to the pan. You can also just rub oil on the pan instead. I hope that helps! 🙂
what is a squirt of spray oil and what i its purpose?
I use oil that comes in a can that you can push a nozzle and get a spray onto your pan. You can use cupcake liners or spray oil on the muffin tins to make sure that the cake doesn't stick to the pan. You can also just rub oil on the pan instead. I hope that helps! 🙂
What about carrot cake? The Duncan Hines one? What would the substitutions be to make it vegan?
Also do you NOT recommend an electrical mixer? Thanks so much
I have not tested this recipe with carrot cake. I have a great carrot cake recipe that I hope to be posting soon, but it doesn't use a cake mix. You don't need an electric mixer for this recipe. It easily mixes with a spoon and you don't want to over mix it and stir out the bubbles from the soda water. The bubbles are part of what gives it a great texture. Hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Thank you! I'm in charge of baking for our group's birthdays. Recently I needed to make a vegan cake. I almost bought all the vegan substitutes, but didn't because of the cost. (Oy!)
Instead I checked online & voila' there was your recipe. I even made the apple sauce.
I used olive oil & added lemon and almonds, then topped it a blueberry compote. It was a hit!
Again, thank you!
You are very welcome! So glad it was a hit and made your life easier! 🙂
Is the amount of soda 12 oz or 8 oz? It says 12 oz earlier in the text and 8 oz in step 3 of the printable recipe instructions. (Also, soda is not listed as an ingredient in the printable recipe).
So sorry for the confusion. I fixed that in the recipe now. You need 1 12 oz can of soda or carbonated water for this recipe.
These cupcakes look amazing! I love how simple they are to make!
Love this idea! I've made the cake with just the mix and soda before, but the texture was a bit "meh." I need to try this next time. I LOVE using applesauce as an egg substitute, as it's something I always have in my house. Did you use one of the special buy gluten free cake mixes, or the live g free yellow baking mix?
Thanks Margaret! I think that the applesauce and oil give it the moisture that it needs. I used the G-free yellow cake mix for all the cupcakes in the pictures, but I tested it on a few other brands and it worked well too. Enjoy! 🙂
Have you ever tested this with their chocolate baking mix? the ingredients are slightly different.
Hi Margaret, I have never tested it with the chocolate one, but my guess is that it would work the same. Let me know if you try it! 🙂