Ultimate Vegan Vanilla Cake (Simple & Elegant)
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read the full disclosure here.
This Ultimate Vegan Vanilla Cake recipe is one of the easiest cakes to make. Not over the top, just simple and elegant. From the super moist vanilla cake slices to the dreamy creamy, fragrant vanilla frosting on top, it’s a complete lovely one layer naked cake. Which also means, you don’t have to do anything too fancy to the cake, and it will be just gorgeous as is.
More Cake Recipes? Check out this Vegan Caramel Apple Cake ‘Fit For the Gods’, Easy Vegan Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache and this delish Vegan Strawberry Buttermilk Cake – Easy!
Why We Love this Easy Vanilla Cake Recipe!
This cake is like the easiest vanilla cake I’ve ever made and even better that it’s vegan. Who would have thought? The ingredients are so basic, yet there are no eggs and no dairy! Hallelujah! From the rich vanilla flavor to the fluffy texture, this cake has it all.
This 8 ingredient cake has flour, sugar, olive oil & almond milk -for added moisture, baking soda, salt, vinegar and lastly and most importantly, vanilla! This cake has also been deemed Crazy Cake, Wacky Cake, and some call it Depression Cake!
It was popular to make cakes like this during the Depression-era when eggs, butter, and milk were scarce. It’s also a very affordable cake to make from scratch as well. It’s even good without frosting, because of its’ moist texture. Crazy Cake is a great option for those who have food allergies or follow a vegan diet.
And the frosting? Omg…The frosting is super creamy and it smells ‘vanilla’ wonderful. It’s also amazing just for dipping strawberries into, as we found out! This Ultimate Vegan Vanilla Cake (Simple & Elegant) is truly the best!
With Vegan’s growing trend, it’s important to have a go-to vanilla cake recipe that is both ethical and delicious. So, get ready to impress your friends and family with this mouth-watering dessert.
Ingredients You Need for Vanilla Cake Recipe
Vegan Vanilla Cake Recipe
- 1¾ cups All-Purpose Flour or gluten-free flour like Red Bob’s
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 cup Non-dairy milk we used unsweetened almond milk
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- ⅓ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil or oil of choice
- 1 Tbsp White Vinegar or sub Apple Cider Vinegar
Vegan Vanilla Frosting Recipe
- 1¾ + 2 tablespoons Organic Powdered Sugar
- 2 Tbsp Vegan Butter
- 2 Tbsp non-dairy milk
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Optional Fresh fruit sprinkles, nuts, fresh flowers
How to Make Vegan Vanilla Cake
Vegan Vanilla Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F
- Trace the bottom of the tube pan or angel food cake pan onto parchment paper using a pencil. Cut out the traced shape with scissors, staying close to the inside of both lines. Place the parchment paper cutout in the bottom of the tube pan.
- Grease and flour the tube pan and set aside.
- Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl.
- Add the sugar, baking soda and salt and mix together.
- Add the milk, vanilla, oil and vinegar and use whisk or use mixer until just combined.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes until cake is light golden brown, then remove from oven.
- Allow the cake to sit on the wire cooling rack for ten minutes. Use a knife and loosen the cake.
- Using pot holders, hold the cake plate in place with one hand. Carefully, but quickly turn the tube cake upside down onto a cake plate with the other hand. Depending what side you want up on your cake, you can place another plate on top and reverse.
- Let cake continue to cool.
Vegan Vanilla Frosting Frosting Recipe
- Add the vegan butter, powdered sugar and 3/4 of the milk and beginning on low speed, using a mixer, slowly increasing speed until it is smooth and creamy. Add more milk if you want it creamier. If your vegan butter has a higher water content, you may not need to use all of the milk.
- If your frosting is still a little thin, add more powdered sugar, if it’s a little thick, add more milk. 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 sides of the cake using an offset spatula, like light crumb coat, very thin layer of frosting, then frost the top with a nice layer of frosting.
- Decorate as needed. Best to decorate before serving.
Cake Pan Options
- If you don’t have a tube pan or tube pan, you could use a small bundt pan. Makes a 2 1/2 inch layer cake.
- Also can use 2 7″ cake pans or 1 9×13 pan (reducing time to 25-30 minutes) or a 12 inch cake pan, or springform pan.
- If you want a larger double layer cake, double the recipe and use 2 9″ pans.
- Can also be made into 12 cupcakes, 15-18 minutes.
Ways to Dress Your Vegan Cake Up
You could easily add some seasonal fruit, some fresh flowers, candies, sprinkles, nuts, candles or anything at all for special occasions like birthdays and holidays.
This vegan vanilla cake with vanilla frosting is a delicious treat that can be enjoyed by everyone. The complementary silky vanilla frosting adds a delightful finish and creates the perfect balance of flavors and it’s an easy and healthier alternative to traditional cake recipes.
So next time you need to make a special treat for a party or just for yourself, remember that vegan sweets can be just as delicious and enjoyable. What’s not to love?
More Vegan Dessert Ideas?
- Vegan Carrot Cake | Moist & Amazing
- Easy Vegan Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache
- Old-Fashioned Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake
- Vegan Sugar Cookie Party Bars
- 15 Delectable Vegan Red Velvet Desserts
- The Ultimate Vegan Cake Recipes Collection: 50 Delicious Ideas
- 35 Sweet & Delicious Vegan Strawberry Desserts
Ultimate Vegan Vanilla Cake
Ingredients
Vanilla Cake:
- 1¾ cups All-Purpose Flour or gluten-free flour like Red Bob's
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 cup Non-dairy milk we used unsweetened almond milk
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- ⅓ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil or oil of choice
- 1 Tbsp White Vinegar or sub Apple Cider Vinegar
Vanilla Frosting
- 1¾ + 2 tablespoons Organic Powdered Sugar
- 2 Tbsp Vegan Butter
- 2 Tbsp non-dairy milk
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Optional Fresh fruit sprinkles, nuts, fresh flowers
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F
- Trace the bottom of the tube pan or angel food cake pan onto parchment paper using a pencil. Cut out the traced shape with scissors, staying close to the inside of both lines. Place the parchment paper cutout in the bottom of the tube pan.
- Grease and flour the tube pan and set aside.
Vegan Vanilla Cake
- Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl.
- Add the sugar, baking soda and salt and mix together.
- Add the milk, vanilla, oil and vinegar and use whisk or use mixer until just combined.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes until cake is light golden brown, then remove from oven.
- Allow the cake to sit on the wire cooling rack for ten minutes. Use a knife and loosen the cake.
- Using pot holders, hold the cake plate in place with one hand. Carefully, but quickly turn the tube cake upside down onto a cake plate with the other hand. Depending what side you want up on your cake, you can place another plate on top and reverse.
- Let cake continue to cool.
Vanilla Frosting
- Add the vegan butter, powdered sugar and 3/4 of the milk and beginning on low speed, using a mixer, slowly increasing speed until it is smooth and creamy. Add more milk if you want it creamier. If your vegan butter has a higher water content, you may not need to use all of the milk.
- If your frosting is still a little thin, add more powdered sugar, if it’s a little thick, add more milk. 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 sides of the cake using an offset spatula, like light crumb coat, very thin layer of frosting, then frost the top with a nice layer of frosting.
- Decorate as needed. Best to decorate before serving.
Notes
[the_ad id="5648"]
Slightly adapted from Lovin’ It Vegan
Related posts:
