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.
I’ve made lots of recipes from your blog and they’ve been huge successes, thank you!
The vanilla cake also turned out great. However, the frosting came out to be extremely sweet. I weighed the powdered sugar instead of measuring it. Also needed to use 7-8 tbsp of soymilk instead of 2-4. Could it have been the measurement of the sugar messing this up? Is there anything else I could try to do differently next time?
Thanks a bunch for all the vegan baking recipes, Alison!
Hi Deeksha! Thanks so much for your kind words. Weighing the ingredients should actually make the recipe more accurate. I’m wondering it your vegan butter could maybe have been the problem (not enough water content).
The vegan butter could’ve been low on water content, yeah. Could that have made it too sweet at all? I didn’t have to add extra sugar and like you said, I weighed it, so I’m confused as to what caused it to be so sweet.
This recipe ALWAYS turns out perfect! It has become our family favorite! We have added lemon, chocolate, peaches, strawberries, poppy seeds, etc to change the flavor to whatever we want. It’s always moist and delicious! Thank you!
That’s awesome Kimberly! Thanks so much for sharing and for your great review!
My birthday cake I made keeps melting off the sides down to the bottom. For the frosting I used I can’t believe it’s not butter. I scraped off and thickened it up, but there’s still a lot that ended up at the bottom of the cake. The actual cake is delicious, just the frosting was a little troublesome, what can I do to fix it?
Hi Laura, was the cake completely cool before you frosted it?
Yes, the cake had cooled. I’m re reading the tips on just the frosting recipe, I’m thinking I’ll switch the tub butter for a firmer stick butter. Also, I just dumped everything and used my electric mixer on high right away, instead of slowly adding it in. Not sure if that will make a difference.
Love this recipe, can this be made successfully with gluten free flour ?
Hi Danielle! Yes, this recipe works great with all purpose gluten free flour.
can I sub anything else for the canola oil? like vegan butter sticks ?
Hi Sarah. We haven’t tested the recipe using butter before. However you can substitute with a different vegetable oil.
Hello
My daughter made this cake for our wedding anniversary and everyone loved it me especially!!
I’m going to try making it next and hopefully I should be able to get a great result
Wish me luck! 😊
That’s great Hasmita! Happy to hear you enjoy the recipe!
If I wanted to make this as a loaf how would that affect baking time?
Hi Priya! We haven’t tested this recipe in a loaf pan. But have a look at our vegan pound cake recipe if that is what you are looking for.
Hello! Could you make cupcakes with the same recipe?
Yes you can! We also have a vegan vanilla cupcake recipe that’s adapted from the cake recipe.
Okay first I have to confess that I’ve never made this recipe to these portions. I only have used it (and many times) for over 60 portions! (I sometimes get asked to cook for childcare centres and I only make vegan cakes for the whole centre ti save having to make separate ones for different dietary issues.) I use self raising flour instead of plain as that is what is usually on the pantry self, and add a little extra baking powder). Sometime use lemon juice instead of apple cider vinegar. . As you might imagine I use some very large pans and I just have the heat down a little, covering with foil if getting too brown. Success every time – the kids love it and the staff LOVE it lol. I’ve made lemon, vanilla, marble and chocolate versions. Thanks so much Alison for such a lovely and adaptable recipe! I prefer only using the vinegar method and this is a great addition to my little collection.
Wow, that is amazing Jenny! Thank you for doing what you do at the childcare center and thanks so much for sharing and for your lovely review!
Topped with homemade strawberry compote and Truwhip. YUM!
Yummy! Thanks so much for your great review Denise!
Hi! I’ve never made a vegan cake or heck anything vegan. I plan to make for my friend. Do you have any recommendations for brands of vegan butter?
Hi Sam! We use plant butter when baking. You can try any plant butter like Earth Balance which is a good example.
I made this for my partner’s birthday yesterday (happy 44th babe, i love you) and there is NOTHING left over! everyone loved it and the texture was absolutely perfect. i’m not vegan but my partner is so i wanted to make something special for him. if every vegan recipe is this good, i won’t be missing out on animal products <3333
Happy to hear you enjoyed the cake and thank you so much for your wonderful review!
Amazing! Used it so many times!
Awesome! Thanks so much for your review!
Second recipe I’ve tried, loved both!
Carrot cake was 1st!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoy the recipes! Thanks so much for your great review!
Hi! I’m very excited to try this recipe. Do you happen to know how olive oil would work? That is all I have on hand. thank you!
Hi Alix. Olive oil should work just fine. You may find that the cake does have a bit of an after taste of the olive oil though.
I’ve just made this in the UK. I did two 7 inch tins but sadly it didn’t rise very well. Wondered if I did something wrong. I assumed all purpose flour is uk plain flour and that baking soda is our bicarbonate of soda? Plus sunflower oil as vegetable oil.
It was probably the flour. Mostly flour in the US is enriched, unfortunately. You will need to look up the difference with US flour versus UK flour. It may just be the difference of adding a little extra baking soda or baking powder. If you want to use US recipes I look up vegan organic recipes. US products have so much more junk (chemicals) in them than EU products.
Also make sure your baking soda is fresh and not old.
I’m in Australia and I’ve just used SR flour with a little extra baking powder. With the plain flour I’ve used baking powder instead of just bi carb.- with success every time. (Yes I am adding a general comment right now also!)
🙂
Moist and delicious. This was a hit at a kids bday party even with the non vegans. My kiddo said it tasted better than the other cakes we bought from Nothing bundt!
That’s a big compliment! Well done on baking such a great cake!:) Thanks so much for your amazing review!
Thank you for sharing this simple
Delicious recipe! Threw it together for dessert tonight and topped it with Truwhip and blueberries and strawberries
I thought it was going to be overly sweet because of all the sugar but it was perfect
I used Unsweetened almond milk since that’s what I had on hand otherwise I made it as directed and loved it!
That’s great Jess! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you so much for your great review!