Light fluffy and delicious vegan vanilla cake! Two layers of vanilla sponge, topped with a velvety vegan vanilla frosting and fresh strawberries.
This vegan vanilla cake is light fluffy and dreamy! But what you’re going to like most about it is how EASY it is.
I’m going to admit, I had to play around with this recipe for quite a bit before I got it right.
The first time it was delicious, but I used a flax egg and while a flax egg is GREAT for most cakes, in the case of a vanilla cake when you want it to have the glorious light color, well….it didn’t work out so well.
I ended up with a delicious cake that looked like a seed cake and nothing at all like a vanilla cake.
The next time I tried it, it ended up way too dry, so I knew I needed to adjust the flour ratio.
I’m happy to report that the recipe you see below delivers the ideal level of moistness and as you can see, the color is totally gorgeous!
The vanilla flavor comes through perfectly, and by pairing it with vanilla frosting, you get yourself a whole lot of vanilla heaven going on!
Strawberries on top add a dash of gorgeous color and offset the vanilla flavor just right. However, feel free to use whatever cake decorations you please.
The strawberry dilemma…
I love the fresh fruit, but of course it doesn’t keep. You also have the small problem of the strawberries running and making the cake soggy.
So it really only works if you’re going to serve it within minutes of placing those strawberries on top.
So if you’re going to keep the cake around for a few days, then choose a different decoration OR just add some sliced strawberries to the individual slices as you serve them.
Even kids can do it…
I made this with my niece when she came for a sleepover at her aunt and uncle’s house. Since vanilla is her favorite flavor for everything, she loved this cake.
So seriously – this cake is easy enough that a kid can do it (with supervision, of course).
It’s really quite petite.
Just a little note that this cake is quite a small petite cake!
I used cake pans which are 7 inches round. The layers on this cake are not very tall, but I think it’s a perfect size and you get 10 nice sized slices out of it. You can also make this cake as a three layer 6-inch cake, or a single layer 9-inch cake.
To adapt this cake to different size cake pans, see our notes on how to do that below.
Vegan Vanilla Cake Q&A
You can try simply swapping the regular all purpose flour for a gluten free all purpose flour blend.
Yes, this recipe makes a perfect three layer 6-inch cake cake. Bake for 20 minutes.
Yes, but the layers are just a little thinner. You can also take a look at our vegan Victoria sponge cake recipe which is this recipe, adapted for 8-inch cake pans. You can also take a look at our vegan white cake which is made for 8″ cake pans. That recipe was adapted from this one and is basically a perfect vanilla cake, just adapted to be a little more ‘white’ in color (to fit the ‘white cake’ description) and to be 8-inches.
This exact recipe will make a single layer 9″ cake. So if you want to make a single layer cake, you can make this vegan vanilla cake recipe exactly as is, but just have a single layer instead of a 2-layer cake. We did this for our vegan pineapple upside down cake. Alternatively, you can double this recipe for a 9″ cake with two layers. I have included the exact measures for doubling this recipe in the notes section of the recipe card below.
Some have done it, if you read the comments below, it has been done. I don’t have a bundt cake pan so I haven’t got personal experience with that (yet!).
Yes you can! We have already done it, check out our recipe for vegan vanilla cupcakes, which is adapted from this recipe.
Storing and Freezing
Keep it covered at room temperature where it will stay perfectly fresh for a 2-3 days or keep it covered in the fridge to stay good for up to a week.
The cake is also freezer friendly for up to 3 months. You can freeze it either frosted or unfrosted (but definitely don’t add strawberries if you plan to freeze it).
More Vegan Cakes
- Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Vegan Lemon Cake
- Vegan Carrot Cake
- Vegan Red Velvet Cake
- Vegan Banana Cake
- Vegan Strawberry Cake
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Vegan Vanilla Cake
Ingredients
For the Vanilla Cake:
- 1 ¾ cups All Purpose Flour (220g)
- 1 cup White Granulated Sugar (200g)
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 cup Soy Milk (240ml) or Other non-dairy milk
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- ⅓ cup Canola Oil (80ml) or Vegetable Oil
- 1 Tbsp Distilled White Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar
For The Vanilla Frosting:
- 3 ¾ cups Powdered Sugar (450g)
- 3 Tbsp Vegan Butter (45g)
- 4 Tbsp Soy Milk or Other non-dairy milk*
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
For Decoration:
- Fresh Strawberries Optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray two 7-inch round cake pans (*see notes) with non-stick spray and cut parchment paper into circles to fit the bottoms.
- Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and add the sugar, baking soda and salt. Mix together.
- Add the soy milk, vanilla, oil and vinegar and give it a quick whisk with a hand whisk until just combined.
- Divide the batter evenly between your two prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cakes comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool in the pans for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- Prepare your frosting. Add the powdered sugar, vegan butter, vanilla and half of the soy milk.
- Beginning on low speed, mix with an electric mixer, slowly increasing speed. Add the rest of the soy milk, only as much as needed until it is smooth and creamy. If your vegan butter has a higher water content, you may not need to use all of the soy milk.
- If your frosting is still a little thin, add more powdered sugar, if it’s a little thick, add more soy milk (a drop at a time). The consistency must be thick enough that it doesn’t slide off the cake, but thin enough to be spreadable.
- When your cake is completely cool, add frosting to the top of one of the layers.
- Add the second layer on top and frost it completely, using a knife to carefully frost the sides of the cake.
- Decorate with fresh strawberries and serve right away.
- If you’re not serving right away, then omit the strawberries or serve them on a plate alongside the cake, so it doesn’t get soggy.
Video
Notes
- I highly recommend you weigh the flour for the best results. Flour measures can be tricky, so weighing it on a food scale is the best way to ensure accuracy.
- The cake tins used in this recipe are 7 inches round. This cake recipe as is will also make a three layer 6-inch round cake (bake for 20 minutes) or a single layer 9-inch round cake (bake for 30 minutes). It can also be made as a 9×9 square sheet cake (bake for 20-25 minutes). If you want to make this cake for 8-inch cake pans, see our vegan white cake recipe which is an 8-inch cake or the cake recipe for our vegan Victoria sponge. If you want to adapt this recipe to fit two 9-inch round cake pans see our full instructions below.
- If you want to double this recipe for a 9-inch round two layer cake, then the ingredients list will be as follows: 3 and ½ cups (438g) All Purpose Flour, 2 cups (400g) White Sugar, 2 tsp Baking Soda, 1 tsp Salt, 2 cups (480ml) Soy Milk, 4 tsp Vanilla Extract, ⅔ cup (160ml) Canola Oil, 2 Tbsp White Vinegar. Everything else including baking times (30 minutes), remains the same. The frosting as listed in the recipe above will be enough to spread generously onto the top and middle of a 9-inch layer cake but not enough to frost the sides as well. Take a look at our vegan buttercream frosting recipe which is enough to frost this whole cake when made as a two layer 9-inch cake.
- Only add fresh strawberries to this cake if you’re going to be eating it right away. The strawberries are a fabulous addition to the flavor of this cake, BUT they run and can cause sogginess. So if you are keeping this cake for a few days, then either don’t use strawberries at all or just add some strawberry slices directly to the individual cake slices when served.
- Nutrition information is based on 1 serve of 10 with a very generous amount of vanilla frosting.
- Vanilla Frosting is from this recipe.
shilpa patel says
Hi
I’m going to try out this recipe – can I make it using Lemon extract (or any other extract) to change the flavour?
Alison Andrews says
Sure can! We made some lemon cupcakes using a similar recipe and used lemon extract and lemon zest and it was awesome!
Anne Sheppard says
This cake works! My husband wanted a Bakewell Tart for his birthday cake and as I have become vegan I looked in vain for a recipe. In the end I used yours but used 1 cup flour and 3/4 cup ground almonds and half the sugar you suggested as this cake is in a pastry case with jam on the bottom. Probably because it was all in one tin, I had to cook it for 45 mins.
I have to tell you it was absolutely perfect! He loved it. Thank you.
Alison Andrews says
This is great! So awesome you were able to adapt it this way! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Cindi says
Hi Alison i just made your chocolate cupcakes with your vegan vanilla frosting and my son said they were better than regular ones they tasted lighter and they were sweetened just enough! My finicky husband had 2 lol once i figure out how to add the pics i will definitely load them up thank you again I’m totally new to clean eating and i never figured it could taste soooooo good!?
Alison Andrews says
That’s awesome Cindi! If you’re on instagram (or even pinterest), that would be the place to add photos, unfortunately the comment section doesn’t have a way to add photos. Thanks for posting! So glad you are enjoying the recipes! 🙂
Cindi says
hi Alison I made your vegan red velvet cupcakes for the first time and they were insane! my husband who is so picky didn’t bat an eye and ended up eating three of them thank you again for such a wonderful recipe I was wondering if I can turn them into cake pops I can’t wait to try the vanilla and chocolate
Alison Andrews says
Hi Cindi! So glad to hear they were a hit! I definitely think they would make great cake pops! Let us know how it works out if you try it! 🙂
Casandra Atuanya says
This is EXACTLY what I have been searching for! You have no idea how happy I am to have found this recipe. I’m newly vegan and my weakness is without a doubt vanilla cake, but not any vanilla cake…it has to be a store bought Betty Crocker Rainbow Bit. Ive searched the net high and low for something remotely similar and every caked Ive baked came out a complete fail..until now! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, can’t wait to try some of your others 🙂
Casandra Atuanya says
I forgot to mention, I swapped the white vinegar for apple cider 🙂
Alison Andrews says
Awesome Casandra! So happy it filled the gap! 🙂
Bridget says
Awesome cake I’m a baker plus Was a little hesitant to use vinager(strong flavor) but it taste like a sugar cookie!! I loved it!!!
Alison Andrews says
Hahaha, brilliant! Thanks for posting! 🙂
Juliana says
hi! for the cake, would you recommend vanilla coconut milk instead of soy milk? also, sweetened or unsweetened?
thank you!
Alison Andrews says
You can really use any non-dairy milk. I usually use a regular sweetened variety, but it won’t make a big difference whether sweetened or unsweetened.
Monika says
Has anyone tried freezing this cake after it was baked? I want to make it for my sons birthday and save one layer for his party a week later. Thanks!
Alison Andrews says
It will be fine to freeze! Here’s a link with some info on freezing a cake the right way. 🙂
Sanya says
I’m looking to make a vegan strawberry cake. Do you think i can add strawberry puree to this recipe along with some strawberry flavouring or will the cake not turn out nice? I tried to look for a strawberry cake recipe on your website but didn’t come across any! Is there one that I’m missing?
Alison Andrews says
Hey Sanya, I definitely think you could, you could add strawberry essence instead of vanilla extract and you could add in strawberry puree in place of some of the oil or in place of some of the non-dairy milk (or both) just remember to balance your wet and dry ingredients so that it equals out to the same balance as it currently is. And that should do great! And you’ve given me a great idea, I’ll add strawberry cake to our recipe ‘to do’ list. 🙂
Sanya says
Perfect. Thank you! I’ll certainly let you how it turns out!
Sarah says
This cake was good but not great. Denser than I expected. I multiplied the recipe by 1.5 and beat strawberries into the frosting and served it with coconut strawberry cream.
Alison Andrews says
Did you weigh the flour? I’m just wondering if a little too much flour could have caused it to be a little too dense. The frosting sounds great!
Tugba says
İt is a great recipe as well as easy. A friend of mine wanted a cake without eggs from me that’s why I looked for a vegan sponge cake recipe. Since most reviews were all positive I wanted to give it a try and yesss I was right. İt is soft and looks delicious. I definitely recommend this recipe if you want to bake a vegan Cake.
Alison Andrews says
That’s awesome Tugba! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Anne Boyd says
I made it as the base of a plum torte (an adaption from a non-vegan recipe) and it worked wonderfully. Making it again today. And coincidentally after I made it I saw it as a post on a Facebook group by someone claiming that it was the best cake recipe. It truly is!! Sorry, tried to give it a 5 star, but they wouldn’t activate for me.
Alison Andrews says
Hi Anne! So happy to hear! And the 5 star rating did come through, thanks so much for that! We are working on fixing that bug in the ratings system. 🙂
Pavithra says
Loved baking and eating this cake. This was the first time I baked a vegan cake ( I have always baked eggless cakes with condensed milk in the past), and this was so quick yet so tasty! Thank you very much!!!
My variations, i>> I used jaggery instead of sugar since I have been off processed sugar for a year now. And I reduced the quantity to nearly half and it was still delicious.
ii>> I used coconut oil instead of olive oil since we use coconut oil at home in India.
iii>> I reduced the vanilla essence to a couple of drops and added 2 Tbsp of cocoa powder and 2 tsp of instant coffee powder to give it a mocha flavor.
Now I can’t wait to try other recipes on your website!
Alison Andrews says
That sounds fantastic! Thanks so much for sharing about your changes and additions! 🙂
Ana-Paula Martins-Fernandes says
This sponge cake recipe is absolutely delicious. I did not make the frosting. I used the sponge cake for another old family recipe that I veganized and it turned wonderful. It is a truly fluffy and moist sponge cake. Thank you!!
Alison Andrews says
Yay! Wonderful stuff! Thanks for posting!
Jannah says
Thank you very much!
It is so easy and so delicious! I tried a lot of vegan cake recipes and all of them tasted very strange. But this one does not taste “vegan” or strange at all! It is vanilla, sweet but not extra sugary and it has a hint of almonds … maybe because of the vanilla aroma. 🙂
If you read my comment while surfing the internet for a vegan cake recipe, indecisively which you should try, stop searching, this one is perfect! Just follow the instructions.
I recommend you to bake it in two layers as in the recipe. Do not bake the whole mixture in one thick layer which may be the problem of the people who told that it was damp. It will 100% turn out fluffy and soft and not mushy/half-baked or crumbly.
I wish I could post a picture of my result.
Thank you and love from Germany <3
Alison Andrews says
Thank you so much for sharing about your results! So happy to hear it came out great! If you have instagram, I’d love you to post the picture there and tag it #lovingitvegan so we do get to see it! If not, then no worries. Thanks so much for posting!