Vegan Vanilla Cake with Buttercream Frosting

Making the Ultimate Vegan Vanilla Cake with a tender crumb, rich vegan buttercream frosting, and tons of pure vanilla flavor is easy enough for even novice home bakers! All you need is 10 simple ingredients and a reason to celebrate. 

What Makes a Cake Vegan?

If you’re familiar with our vegan dessert recipes, you’ll know they’re always made without animal products like dairy, butter, eggs, or other animal-based ingredients like gelatin. Vegan cakes are no different! In this simple vegan vanilla cake recipe, we’ll teach you just how easy it is to bake without eggs or dairy products, and most importantly, your guests won’t taste the difference! 

It’s the perfect decadent dessert to prepare for special occasions like birthday parties, graduations, holidays, office parties, weddings, bridal showers, and more. 

Ingredients You’ll Need 

• Flour: We developed this classic vegan cake recipe using all-purpose flour because it’s most accessible and a pantry staple for many. If you’d like to use cake flour for a lighter, more tender crumbed cake, replace the all-purpose flour with 5 cups of cake flour or 600 grams (an extra half cup). 
• Sugar: To keep this vanilla cake light in color and allow the vanilla flavor to shine, make sure to use granulated white sugar. We like to use Wholesome Sweet Organic Cane Sugar as it’s naturally vegan-friendly. 
• Baking powder + baking soda: These leavening agents help the cake layers rise and become light and fluffy while developing a lightly golden crust. 
• Non-dairy milk: Any plain, unsweetened plant milk of choice will work well. If you’d like to make homemade milk, try our Homemade Almond Milk. 
• Vegetable oil/canola oil: Adds necessary moisture while keeping the flavor of the cake neutral. Avoid using stronger-tasting oils such as coconut oil or olive oil. 
• Apple cider vinegar: A small splash of apple cider vinegar not only helps curdle the non-dairy milk into homemade vegan buttermilk but also helps to activate the baking soda, which creates light and fluffy cake layers. 
• Vanilla extract: For the best vanilla flavor, use pure vanilla extract over imitation vanilla. Or, opt for a homemade vanilla extract! 
• Buttercream frosting: We highly recommend our homemade vegan buttercream frosting, but a store-bought frosting of choice works well, too.

Equipment Needed

• Mixing bowls
• Whisk
• 7 to 8″ round cake pans (2) 
• Wire rack (for cooling) 
• Electric mixer
• Offset spatula (for frosting)
• Cake turntable (optional, but can be very useful when frosting the outside of a cake)

How to Make Vegan Vanilla Cake

1. Combine the wet ingredients. In a medium bowl, combine the non-dairy milk, vegetable oil, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract. Set aside. 
2. Whisk together the dry ingredients. In a separate large mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk well to combine. 
3. Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the large mixing bowl with the dry ingredients and whisk together until just combined. 
4. Divide between cake pans. Carefully pour the cake batter between three 7 or 8″ round cake pans greased and layered with parchment paper. 
5. Bake. Place the cake pans in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean.
6. Prepare the vegan frosting. While the cakes cool to room temperature, prepare the vegan buttercream frosting. In a large mixing bowl, cream the vegan butter using an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add half of the powdered sugar and beat again until well combined. Add the vanilla extract, salt, and 3 tablespoons of non-dairy milk and beat until combined. Lastly, add the remaining powdered sugar and beat once more until a thick and creamy buttercream frosting forms. 
7. Frost and layer the cake. We like to layer the cake layers into a 2-layer cake, but feel free to frost and layer the cakes, as desired. 
8. Serve. Slice and serve the cake room temperature or lightly chilled. Enjoy! 

Tips for Layering a Tiered Cake

• We found this video very helpful for frosting a layered cake.
• Level the cake layers. Once the cake layers are baked and cooled, carefully trim the tops of the cakes using a serrated knife to create an even surface. This will help ensure the layers stack evenly and won’t lean. 
• Use a crumb coat. Apply a thin layer of frosting (known as a crumb coat) between each cake layer to help it stick, retain moisture, and create a smooth surface.
• Chill the cake as needed. As you work, the cake layers may become warm and make it difficult to spread the vegan buttercream frosting. If this is the case, place the cake in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes, or until firm to the touch again. 

Recipe FAQs

Storage Instructions

Once frosted, this vegan cake will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 

More Vegan Cake Recipes You May Enjoy:

Dessert

Chocolate Soufflé Cake

Dessert

Healthy Mini Chocolate Cake Recipe

Holiday

Creamy Ube Pie (Vegan)

Make sure you tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you make this recipe. We love to see your photos! 

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