Vegan Vanilla Cake Recipe To Make You Look Like A Pro

When it comes to choosing a vegan lifestyle, a selection of desserts automatically become a no-go. Because many baked goods contain eggs, milk, and butter in their recipes, it can often be difficult to enjoy a sweet treat while going vegan. But luckily, we have the answer for you. Enter: this ridiculously easy and delicious vegan vanilla cake.

Long gone are the days of vegans not being able to enjoy cake. This is the perfect treat to whip up for a birthday celebration, an anniversary, or really any occasion in between.

With simple ingredients, this step-by-step cake recipe is totally free of animal products. And the best part? The texture of the cake is still moist with a lovely crumb, and the flavor is even better than your classic vanilla cake. Top this sweet dessert off with vegan vanilla frosting, and deck it out in sprinkles or even crushed Oreos (which just so happen to be vegan) to get the party started.

Gather the ingredients to prepare this vegan vanilla cake recipe

To make your own vegan vanilla cake at home, first start by gathering all of the ingredients — most of which you probably already have in your kitchen.

For this vegan cake recipe, you'll need 1 ½ cups of white sugar, 1 ½ cups of flour, 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder, 1 ½ teaspoons of baking soda, ½ teaspoon of salt, ½ cup of applesauce, ½ cup of oil, 1 cup of almond milk or coconut milk, and 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract.

To make the vegan vanilla frosting for this cake, you'll need two sticks of vegan butter, 10 cups of powdered sugar, an additional 4 tablespoons of almond milk or coconut milk, and an additional teaspoon of pure vanilla extract.

Mix the dry ingredients

To get started making your vegan vanilla cake, first preheat the oven to 350 F. That way, it can heat up to the proper temperature while you mix the batter.

To make the vegan vanilla cake batter, grab a large mixing bowl. Add in the white sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Once all the dry ingredients are added, mix well to combine. Be sure the mixture is free of any large clumps before moving on to the next step.

Finish the batter, and bake the cake

Once the dry ingredients are well-incorporated, it's time to add the wet ingredients to finish the batter for your vegan vanilla cake. Add in the applesauce, mix, and then add in the oil. Continue mixing, and then mix in the almond milk and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.

Once the batter is finished, prepare two eight-inch round cake pans by spraying them with cooking spray. Feel free to add a circular piece of parchment paper into the bottom of each pan to be sure the cakes won't stick. Evenly divide the batter between the two pans, and bake the cakes for 20 to 22 minutes until the tops are completely set and lightly golden brown. Once baked, remove the cakes from the oven to cool completely before frosting.

Make the vegan vanilla frosting for your cake

A cake isn't as delicious without frosting, right? This vegan vanilla cake is topped with vegan vanilla frosting for the perfect match.

While the cakes are cooling, use that time to whip up the vegan frosting. In a large mixing bowl, add the vegan butter. Use a hand mixer to cream and break up the butter. Add in 2 cups of powdered sugar, mix, and then add in 4 tablespoons of almond milk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Continue mixing, and gradually add in the rest of the powdered sugar. Mix until the mixture comes together, and then turn up the speed on your mixer to whip the frosting until smooth.

Assemble and decorate this vegan vanilla cake

Once the cakes are completely cooled and the vegan frosting is ready, now comes the fun part. It's time to assemble and decorate your cake.

Utilize a cardboard cake round, a plate, or a cake stand to serve as the base of your cake. Place one cake round on the base, and frost the top of the first layer. Then, add the second cake layer on top.

Use a piping bag fitted with an icer tip or a flat spatula to frost the entire cake, including the sides and top. To achieve a "naked cake" look, scrape the edges of the cake with the spatula to remove some of the frosting. Decorate the top of the cake with sprinkles and edible flowers, if desired.

Vegan Vanilla Cake Recipe To Make You Look Like A Pro
5 from 24 ratings
This vegan vanilla cake is the perfect treat to whip up for a birthday celebration, an anniversary, or really any occasion in between.
Prep Time
15
minutes
Cook Time
20
minutes
Servings
10
slices
vegan vanilla cake
Total time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
  • 1 ½ cups white sugar
  • 1 ½ cups flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup applesauce
  • ½ cup oil
  • 1 cup almond milk or coconut milk (plus 4 tablespoons for frosting)
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (plus 1 teaspoon for frosting)
  • 2 sticks vegan butter
  • 10 cups powdered sugar
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the white sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix the dry ingredients with a hand mixer. Be sure the mixture is free of any large clumps.
  3. Add in the applesauce, mix, and then add in the oil. Continue to mix, and then add in the almond milk and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.
  4. Prepare two 8-inch cake pans by spraying them with cooking spray or lining them with parchment paper.
  5. Divide the batter between the two cake pans. Put the cake pans in the oven, and bake the cakes for 20 to 22 minutes until the tops are set and lightly golden brown. Once baked, remove the cakes to cool.
  6. While the cakes are cooling, make the vegan frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, cream the vegan butter. Add in 2 cups of powdered sugar, mix, and then add in 4 tablespoons of almond milk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Continue mixing, gradually adding in the rest of the powdered sugar until the mixture comes together. Whip the frosting until smooth.
  7. Once the cakes are cooled, place one cake round on a cardboard cake board or plate. Frost the top of the first layer, and then add the second layer. Use a flat spatula or piping bag fitted with an icer tip to frost the entire cake. To achieve a "naked cake" look, scrape the edges of the cake with the spatula to remove some of the frosting.
  8. Decorate the top of the cake with sprinkles and edible flowers, if desired.
Nutrition
Calories per Serving 921
Total Fat 29.7 g
Saturated Fat 12.5 g
Trans Fat 0.8 g
Cholesterol 48.6 mg
Total Carbohydrates 166.0 g
Dietary Fiber 0.8 g
Total Sugars 148.6 g
Sodium 382.4 mg
Protein 2.3 g
The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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