This OG Vegan Vanilla Cake Recipe is getting shared by everyone!
Join the party and try the lightest, fluffiest vegan vanilla cake you’ll ever make! Perfect with any filling or icing you love.
Paired with my vanilla buttercream and homemade vegan sprinkles, this cake has everything you need.
If you’d like a Funfetti version, you can gently fold vegan sprinkles into the batter for a colorful Funfetti cake.
Notes for Success:
This is a creaming-method recipe, which creates a light, airy batter. For an easy one-bowl alternative, try the bakery-style vanilla cake version.
Sugar: I use Zulka brand granulated sugar (vegan). Its grains are large, so I usually pulse it in a food processor to make it finer before creaming.
Flour: Some bakers report a gummy or “raw-like” crumb when using cake flour. I prefer to weigh my flour for consistent results. If you use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour, remove 4 tablespoons (32 g) from the total amount.
Pan options: this recipe most often yields three 7″ layers, but you can also make two 8″ layers or a single 9″ x 13″ sheet cake.
Vanilla plant milk: Using a vanilla-flavored plant milk intensifies the vanilla flavor and sets this recipe apart.
Flax substitute: Flax meal can be replaced with 1 tablespoon of another dry egg replacer — reconstitute according to that product’s instructions, and be sure to use the full amount of liquid called for in the recipe.
I have several buttercream recipes to choose from; any of them pair beautifully with this cake.
Watch: A step-by-step video is available to guide you through the process.
Vegan Vanilla Cake
Pin Recipe
20 mins
25 mins
45 mins
10
Ingredients
For the Cake Batter
- 12 Tbs Vegan Butter
- 1¼ cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 cup Plant Milk (preferably vanilla-flavored)
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 Tbs Vinegar
- 4 Tbs Golden Flax Meal
- 10 Tbs Water
- 2½ cups Cake Flour
- 4 teaspoons Baking Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
For the Icing
- 1 Batch of your favorite vegan buttercream
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease your pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
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Combine the flax meal with the hot water and set aside to thicken into a flax paste.
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Stir the vinegar into the plant milk, then add the vanilla extract and set aside.
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Sift the cake flour with the baking powder and salt; set the dry mixture aside.
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Cream the vegan butter with the sugar until light and fluffy — about 3–5 minutes on medium-high speed. Scrape the bowl sides and bottom for an even mix.
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Add the thickened flax paste while mixing on medium, then briefly whip on high for 10 seconds to emulsify.
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Add about one-third of the flour mixture to the creamed butter on low speed just until combined. Add half of the milk mixture and mix gently.
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Add another third of the flour, then the remaining milk, then the last third of flour. Mix only until the batter is evenly combined.
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Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans and bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the centers are springy when gently pressed. Note: this cake won’t dome much; layers will be relatively low but soft.
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Allow the cakes to cool completely before filling and icing with your chosen buttercream or filling.
Notes
Storage: Storage depends on the filling and icing. A buttercream-filled and iced cake can be kept at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, refrigerate up to 1 week, or freeze well wrapped for up to 1 month.
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