Vegan vanilla cake is a classic dessert that can be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of dietary restrictions. This cake is made without any animal products, but still manages to be tender, moist, and full of flavor.
To make vegan vanilla cake, you’ll start by whisking together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together plant-based milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and apple cider vinegar. This mixture will serve as your wet ingredients.
Next, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix everything together until a smooth batter forms. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to a tough cake. Pour the batter into a greased cake pan and bake in a preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Once the cake is done baking, let it cool completely before frosting. For a classic vanilla frosting, you can mix together vegan butter, powdered sugar, plant-based milk, and vanilla extract until everything is smooth and creamy. Spread the frosting over the top and sides of the cake, and decorate with fresh fruit or sprinkles if desired.
Vegan vanilla cake is a versatile dessert that can be enjoyed on its own or dressed up for special occasions. It’s perfect for birthday parties, weddings, or any other celebration. Plus, because it’s vegan, it’s a great option for those with dietary restrictions or ethical concerns about animal products.
In conclusion, vegan vanilla cake is a delicious and easy-to-make dessert that everyone can enjoy. With a few simple substitutions, you can make a cake that’s just as moist and flavorful as any traditional recipe, but without the use of animal products. Give it a try and see for yourself!
Vegan Vanilla Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup aquafaba
- 1/2 cup vegan butter (softened to room temperature)
- 1/2 cup canola oil (or melted coconut oil)
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups cake flour OR all purpose flour*
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 Recipe Vanilla Vegan Frosting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and prepare 2 round 8-inch cake pans by lining the bottom with parchment paper and spraying well with oil.
- Make the Vegan Buttermilk: Combine the non-dairy milk and apple cider vinegar in a glass measuring cup or small bowl. Stir a little, then set aside.
- Make the Aquafaba: Pour the liquid from a can of chickpeas into a small-medium bowl. Whisk well for a minute, until foamy and light. This acts similar to eggs. You can't taste it at all in the cake, don't worry! You will use 1/2 cup of this, and the liquid from 1 can is just perfect.
- In a large bowl using an electric hand mixer (or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment), cream together the softened vegan butter, canola oil and sugar until creamy and well combined.
- Measure out 1/2 cup of the foamy aquafaba, and add it to the bowl with the creamed butter/oil/sugar, along with the vanilla extract. Beat until well combined.
- In a separate medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- To the main bowl with the wet mixture with the mixer on low speed, alternate adding the flour mixture and vegan buttermilk, mixing until just combined after each time. The batter should be fairly smooth (a few lumps are okay), but avoid over-mixing.
- Pour the cake batter evenly into the prepared pans, and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the edges are golden brown, the surface looks and feels set, and a toothpick comes out mostly clean, with no wet batter.
- Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then carefully invert them onto a cooling rack. Allow them to cool completely before frosting. You can place them in the refrigerator to speed the cooling process along if you need to.
- Frost with my Vanilla Vegan Frosting or use the Chocolate Frosting from my Chocolate Cake Recipe. Add some sprinkles for fun, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
2- May use any kind of unsweetened non-dairy milk, such as soy, almond, cashew, coconut or rice milk.
3- Earth balance brand of vegan butter is preferred. You can use another brand, but make sure you like the flavor of it, as it may come through in the cake.
4- Aquafaba is simply the liquid from a can of chickpeas/garbanzo beans. It sounds weird, but when it's whipped up a bit it has many great uses! It works like eggs, eggwhites and can even be used to make vegan meringue! You can not taste it AT ALL.
5- You could make cupcakes with this recipe, if desired. They will need less baking time, 20-25 minutes.
6- Calorie estimate is with 1/12th of the cake with Vanilla Vegan frosting. Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 377kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 204mg | Potassium: 135mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 420IU | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 2mg
