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.
Anna says
I’m excited to try and make this cake! Can I use a bundt cake pan instead? Also I’d have to transport it so I’m thinking of making the cake and frosting and transporting them separately. Will the frosting be fine in a glass jar for half a day until I can arrange it all together?
Alison Andrews says
Hi Anna, you can probably use a bundt pan but I haven’t tried it that way. If you read the other comments I’m sure someone else has done it like that. It would affect the baking time mostly. If the weather is hot then the frosting might get a little melty, but otherwise it should be fine to transport. All the best! 🙂
Anna says
Just wanted to update and say this cake was delicious! I made it in two 7″ pans and was able to transport the frosting separate and put it together later. One thing that baffled me was that the top layer kept sliding off the bottom layer after I put in together. I’m guessing its because both of the tops of the layers were a little “hilly”…how can I make sure it won’t happen again in the future?
Alison Andrews says
Hi Anna! So happy it worked out great! Haha, yes this cake does dome a bit, you can slice the tops of the domes off with a sharp knife so that they are level. 🙂
Mary Tampakes says
Happy to report even non-vegans loved this cake! It was a hit! I bake most of the birthday cakes for my family’s events…and my niece’s 7th birthday was no exception. It was going to be her first birthday party with friends from school too so it was my first sheet cake in a while. I got wind that one of her guests asked about the food that was going to be served so they could plan ahead because they are vegan. Being a peanut allergy mom, it dawned on me that I should probably try to accommodate them. It’s so nice when people do that for my daughter – go the extra mile to be sure her food is safe so she can feel normal at a party too. So I came across this recipe! Now, this was the first time I’ve ever attempted a vegan cake, and I have to say…it was super easy! The only changes I made were that I used apple cider vinegar because I had it ????????♀️ And I used a simple syrup to keep the layers moist because I had to bake and freeze them ahead of time. (I honestly think the simple syrup made it even better!) I LOVED how perfectly flat the layers were, and I actually used two 6 inch pans. I did some research and found (via peta’s website) that many canned, store bought frosting is “accidentally vegan”. I was pressed for time, already had some, and had a whole other sheet cake to make, so canned frosting was the solution. I did simple rosettes and called it done! Not only did the mom and 2 kids tell me it was the best they ever had, but several other guests preferred the vegan cake to the other one! I finally had a sliver when I got home and I enjoyed it too! Thanks so much…I’ll be using this recipe again! My questions: is there a reason vegetable oil isn’t preferable? Why olive oil? And has anyone tried any other kinds of milk alternatives? Almond milk, coconut milk? Sweetened? Vanilla flavored? Etc.
Alison Andrews says
Hi Mary! So happy to read your comment, thanks so much for sharing and the wonderful review. To answer your questions, I used olive oil because it was what I had on hand and found that it tasted perfect! But vegetable oil is totally fine to use and these days I often use canola oil in baking as well. I have tried different plant milks and they usually all work very well. Vanilla flavored would enhance the vanilla flavor a bit, sweetened is fine as they are usually only minimally sweetened so I don’t find that it usually makes a difference to the end result. 🙂
Mary Tampakes says
Just an update since last year:
My older sister, non-vegan, requested this cake for her 40th birthday this year. She LOVES it. Again, I used canned frosting (I always have it on hand and never have vegan butter so it’s just easier for me)
My niece had her 8th birthday party today and the same vegan family came so I made vegan vanilla cupcakes and again, several guests preferred them over the non-vegan cupcakes and non-vegan cake that I made. This recipe, if followed correctly, is a winner every time!
Always SIFT the flour, and always bake the batter right away. The cupcakes need to be filled much more than regular cupcakes, but they do dome a little. I’ve learned that I prefer almond milk, but I’m just not a fan of soy in general. I’m sure I’ll just continue to keep coming back to this recipe 🙂
Alison Andrews says
Thanks so much for the awesome comment and review Mary!
Don says
I made it twice. Both times I used water instead of soy milk. I used Walmart vanilla extract the first time and some artisanal brand from a coop the second. And I grabbed baking powder for the first by mistake instead of baking soda. The outcomes? Both were really good with a good vanilla flavor, but not overpowering. I would like to boost that a bit. More extract and less water, the quality of the extract doesn’t seem to matter much. The first one stuck to the bottoms of the brand new “non-stick” pans so I used parchment paper on the second to good effect. I greased the sides of the pans with Vegan butter the second try. The first batch of frosting was a bit too liquid I think, because it flowed down the side of the cake overnight in the frig, even though it went on like a frosting. The second was fine. I made them the same way with the same ingredients (except vanilla source) so I think even miniscule variations in the liquid can have a large effect on the viscosity of the frosting. Thanks for the recipe. It is way too rich for me, but make great gifts. 8)
Alison Andrews says
Hi Don! Thanks so much for sharing and so glad you like the cake. I totally agree very small changes in the amount of liquid for the frosting can make it too runny, so it’s about getting the right balance. So glad it worked out in the end! 🙂
Allison says
Hi there,
for the electric mixer, does this need to be one of those $500 ones with the big paddle, or can I use the little hand-held ones?
Alison Andrews says
Hi Allison, a hand held mixer will be fine! 🙂
Kat says
Very dense and bland. I followed the directions exactly but it did not turn out.
Alison Andrews says
Sounds like something went very wrong Kat, as this is not the usual experience with this cake.
Pamela says
Jar did you use real vanilla or imitation ? I’ve made this cake a hundred times and it always comes out fluffy and delicious, possibly your didn’t spoon and level the fluid ? I weigh it, it can vary by a 1/4 cup if you just scoop it, which can cause it to be heavy, also over mixing can. Maybe try it again I promise her recipes don’t disappoint ???? good luck ????
Pamela says
Oops was supposed go be to Kat , lol and also I was asking if you spoon and leveled the flour?
Alison Andrews says
Thanks Pamela! xo
Pamela says
Alison you are so very welcome and thank you for your wonderful recipes ????pp
Alison Andrews says
🙂 xoxo
Lisa Melin says
I’d like to bake this in a 9 x 12 in. pan. Which recipe should I follow?
Alison Andrews says
Hi Lisa, I think it would be best to look at our vegan vanilla sheet cake recipe. 🙂
Juli says
Hi! I just made this cake in a 9×12 pan tonight. It came out great and puffed up perfectly to fit the pan. I also added cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger to the frosting recipe and cut down on the sugar to make a nice spiced glaze. Great recipe!
Hayley says
Would this recipe work in a single 9″ pan?
Alison Andrews says
Hi Hayley, yes! It works perfectly for a single layer 9-inch cake. Same baking time. 🙂
Hayley says
I made the single layer cake in a 9” pan today. It was soooo good! I skipped the vanilla frosting and instead made coconut whipped cream and berry compote. It was the perfect light end-of-summer dessert! Thank you!
Alison Andrews says
Sounds delicious! So glad it worked out so well, thanks for the amazing review. 🙂
Andrea says
I made the sponge exactly as described in the recipe, and weighed out all of the ingredients for which weights were listed. The cake came out very moist and spongey, and I’d say somewhere on the denser side (although definitely not too dense). I think I personally prefer cakes that are a bit drier and lighter but I think this cake came out as described above so I gave it 5 stars. I used refined olive oil so the olive oil flavor wouldn’t affect the cake.
Kiera Sullivan says
I also like my cakes to be drier and lighter!
Alison, I want to make a spherical cake for halloween (to turn into a cauldron) using a 6 inch diameter sphere cake pan. Do you think the recipe as written will work? Thanks!
Alison Andrews says
Hi Kiera, I’m not sure, but I think it would hold up as well as other cakes. 🙂
Shereen says
Amazing recipe ! Delicious !
Thank you for sharing.
Alison Andrews says
Thanks so much Shereen! 🙂
gilie says
hello from korea!
i’d like to make this beautiful cake but i have only one cake pan (15cm x 7cm depth). do you think it will be okay if i pour the whole batter in one cake pan and bake it at a time? thanks!
Alison Andrews says
Hi Gilie, that’s a pretty small cake pan, it might be better if you halve the recipe?
gili says
hi, Alison, thank you for the reply. i already baked this cake, actually only made the cake sheet in my 22.5cm x 22.5cm sheet pan with the whole batter. it was perfect, moist, fluffy, and of course delicious. i cannot get any store-bought vegan butter here in korea. so i’m trying to make homemade vegan butter adequate to cake frosting in some way and another. 🙂 wish me luck!
Peregrine Falcon says
Super easy to make and tastes delicious.
Alison Andrews says
Thanks for the awesome review. 🙂
Duffy Dufresne says
I made this cake as well as the red velvet cake and layered them to make a 4 layer cake with store-bought frosting for my fiance’s birthday. I was extremely happy with how light and fluffy the cakes came out. After buying vegan cakes from bakeries that were too dense and too sweet for the past few years I must say finding these recipes was a godsend. I think I’ll be baking my own birthday cakes from now on. Thank you so much for the recipe, can’t wait to try making the icing as well next time!
Alison Andrews says
So happy to hear this! Thanks so much for the awesome review.
Daisy says
This cake was by far the best cake I’ve ever eaten, vegan or otherwise. It was so light and fluffy and had a beautiful taste. Thank you so much Allison for sharing this recipe with the world. I dont usually make a recipe more than once but I’ve made this one at least four times because it’s just so delicious.
Alison Andrews says
Thanks so much Daisy that is awesome to hear! 🙂
Sidd says
I’m a meat eating dad of a 14yo vegan girl. Today I decided to bake her a surprise bday cake while she was away for the day. I’ve never baked anything before and kitchen and I don’t get along well. Determined I went to the store grabbed all the ingredients and printed out the directions etc. I had a few self inflicted challenges i.e. no parchment paper, only a 9″ pan and used the electric toaster oven (the big oven is just too much hassle) and I couldn’t find the small measuring spoons so ended up using cups that come with medicine bottles lol but in the end I followed your recipe almost exactly and everything came out great! My daughter thought I was tricking her into eating a non vegan cake so I had to prove with pics that it was indeed all vegan. Thank you so much!
Alison Andrews says
That is so awesome! I’m so happy it turned out well! What an awesome gesture for your daughter. 🙂
Amanda says
After trying MANY vegan cake recipes this one is hands down the best. I have made it 4 times and it’s a hit every time. I’ve done it both frosted and sprinkled with powdered sugar with berries on top (single layer for that one) and its just SO GOOD!
Short story: My non vegan friend contacted me for help making her other vegan friend a birthday cake. Without hesitation I gave her this recipe and she couldn’t believe how good it turned out. Better than her Non vegan cake recipe.
This is a no fail, delicious recipe and I am SO glad I found it! Thank you!
Alison Andrews says
Thanks so much Amanda! So happy to hear this! 🙂
Claudia Wurfel says
This is a simple, easy and fabulous recipe. The cake is delicious and definitely was a winner in our family, even with the non-vegans.
Thanks so much.
Alison Andrews says
Awesome Claudia! Thanks for sharing! 🙂