This is the best vegan vanilla cake recipe ever! It's moist and delicious with the perfect amount of sweetness, and best of all it's easy to make with a few simple ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen. There are no unusual ingredients or egg replacers, yet it bakes up perfectly every time! Use this no-fail recipe to make layered cakes, sheet cakes, and cupcakes!
Honestly, I've struggled with finding a good vanilla cake recipe for years. My kids always wanted them for their birthdays, but they always turned out too dry and kind of flavorless. I loved my tried and true chocolate cake recipe, so I finally decided to use that as a guide and convert it into a vanilla cake and it worked perfectly! It has the same rich, moist texture without being overly sweet.
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❤️ This recipe is
- moist, fluffy, and delicious.
- egg-free, soy-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and can easily be made gluten-free too.
- made with simple ingredients you can find at any store.
- perfect for birthday parties and it's loved by vegans and nonvegans alike!
🧾 Ingredients and substitutions
- Flour - white flour or a white gluten-free flour mix works the best and will give you the whitest cake. (Add a tsp of xanthan gum if using gluten-free flour mix).
- Sugar - for sweetness. You can use any granulated sweetener that you wish, but the lighter the sugar the more white your cake will be.
- Baking Soda - to make the cake rise.
- Salt - for flavor.
- Water - for the correct moister level.
- Oil - for a moist cake. Canola oil works best since it has a very neutral flavor, but you can use any neutral-flavored oil. (You can reduce it slightly or replace it with apple sauce if you need it to be oil-free, but the oil is important for a truly moist cake).
- White Vinegar - to interact with the baking soda and make the cake rise. (You can probably use apple cider vinegar instead, I have just always used white in this cake). Don't worry, you won't taste the vinegar after it bakes.
- Vanilla Extract - for flavor
- Butter Cream Frosting - to frost the cake. You can check out my vegan buttercream recipe for just about any flavor frosting you want. For a super light, silky, and creamy option, use my vegan whipped cream frosting recipe!
- Jelly or Jam - to put between the layers of cake. (This is completely optional, but tastes great when making a layered cake)!
🥄 Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350° F.
- Prepare two round cake pans (8"- 9" work well) by rubbing oil around them and then dusting them with a light coating of flour. (Or spray them will oil an place a cutout circle of parchment paper at the bottom of the pan).
- Mix the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- Measure out the wet ingredients in a separate container.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir with a whisk.
- Stir until the wet and dry ingredients have combined, but don't over mix.
- Pour into prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes at 350° F until the top center appears dry and springs back up when touched.
- Allow it to cool for 30 minutes in the cake pan then invert them onto a plate in the refrigerator to cool completely before frosting.
Assemble the cake
- Put your first cake topside down on your serving dish.
- Top with a thick layer of buttercream, jam, or jelly.
- Put your next layer on the top right side up.
- Frost the cake with a thick layer of vegan buttercream.
For vanilla sheet cake
- Use a 12 X 18-inch sheet pan to bake the cake.
- Pour all of the cake batter into an oiled and lightly floured sheet pan.
- Bake at 325°F for 40-45 minutes until the top is dry to the touch and springs back up when pressed slightly.
- Let cool completely and frost in the pan.
For vanilla cupcakes (Yields 24 cupcakes)
- Pour the batter into cupcake liners that have been placed in a muffin tin.
- Bake at 375°F for about 22 minutes until the top is dry to the touch and springs back up when pressed slightly.
- Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
👩🏻🍳 Pro tips
- If your cake has a large dome or is lopsided, use a large bread knife to cut the top off even with the top of the cake pan before inverting. This will give you a uniform look when stacking.
- Make sure your cake is completely cooled before frosting it or your buttercream will melt. (You can put the cakes in the refrigerator to help it cool faster if you need to).
- Add 2 tbsp of vegan sprinkles to the cake batter just before baking for a Funfetti cake!
- Colder cakes are easier to frost and will not have as many crumbs when you frost it.
🍞 Gluten-free instructions
Since my son had to be gluten-free for many years, I have made this cake gluten-free numerous times. The only thing that you need to do is swap out the flour for an all-purpose gluten-free flour mix. I have tried many different brands and they have all worked well. Just be sure to add 1 tsp of xanthan gum
🍰 More dessert recipes
- Super Easy Vegan Cake
- Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
- Vegan Smores Pie
- No-Bake Vegan Cheesecake
- Veggie Brownies
- Vegan Strawberry Pie
📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!
An easy vegan vanilla cake recipe made with simple ingredients that bakes up moist and delicious every time.
- 3 1/4 cups flour
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cup water (you can use plant-based milk for a richer cake)
- 2/3 cup oil
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar (you can also use apple cider vinegar)
- 2 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cup buttercream frosting
- 1/2 cup jelly or jam (for the center of a double cake - optional)
-
Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C).
-
Prepare two round cake pans (8"- 9" work well) by rubbing oil around them and then dusting them with a light coating of flour. (Or spray them will oil and place a cutout circle of parchment paper at the bottom of the pan).
-
Mix the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
-
Measure out the wet ingredients in a separate container.
-
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir with a whisk.
-
Stir until the wet and dry ingredients have combined, but don't over mix.
-
Pour into prepared cake pans.
-
Bake for 30-35 minutes at 350°F (177°C) until the top center appears dry and springs back up when touched.
-
Allow cakes° to cool for 30 minutes in the cake pan then invert them onto a plate in the refrigerator to cool completely before frosting.
-
Put your first cake top side down on your serving dish. Top it with a thick layer of buttercream, jam, or jelly.
-
Put your next layer on the top right side up, and frost the cake with a thick layer of vegan buttercream.
For vanilla sheet cake:
- Use a 12 X 18 inch sheet pan to bake the cake.
- Pour all of the cake batter into an oiled and lightly floured sheet pan.
- Bake at 325°F (165°C) for 40-45 minutes until the top is dry to the touch and springs back up when pressed slightly.
- Let cool completely and frost in the pan.
For vanilla cupcakes: (Yields 24 cupcakes)
- Pour the batter into a muffin tin lined with cupcake liners.
- Bake at 375°F (190°C) for about 22 minutes until the top is dry to the touch and springs back up when pressed slightly.
- Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
Tips
- If your cake has a large dome or is lopsided, use a large bread knife to cut the top off even with the top of the cake pan before inverting. This will give you a uniform look when stacking.
- Make sure your cake is completely cooled before frosting it or your buttercream will melt. (You can put the cakes in the refrigerator to help it cool faster if you need to).
- Add 2 tbsp of vegan sprinkles to the cake batter just before baking for a Funfetti cake!
- Colder cakes will be easier to frost and have less crumbs.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Leave a comment and starred review! I would love to hear from you!
