This is the easiest Best Vegan Vanilla Cake you will ever make! It is only 7 ingredients and takes just 10 minutes prep time. It is incredibly light, fluffy, moist and amazingly, delicious! Oil-free, no oil or vegan butter! It is the perfect vegan vanilla sheet cake perfect for birthday parties or events.
EASY VEGAN VANILLA CAKE
You won’t even believe how incredible and delicious this Simple Vegan Vanilla Cake is! I’m not kidding when I say my daughter loved it so much, that she ate it plain with zero frosting on it.
And the fact that it is only 7 main ingredients is seriously mind-blowing. It is so easy and quick to make. It is also much healthier than most vanilla cakes, as this one is much lower in fat, is oil-free and has no butter! But I promise you won’t miss any of that!
This oil-free vegan vanilla cake couldn’t be any easier. There is not a long list of ingredients, no creaming of sugar, electric beaters, none of that! Just mix the batter and bake. SO easy.
My secret to an amazing fluffy, soft and tender, but moist and amazing simple vegan vanilla cake is the combo of dairy-free vanilla yogurt and canned lite coconut milk.
After the popularity of my Easy Vegan Lemon Cake took off and has become my most popular cake recipe ever, I had many requests for just a vanilla version. I also wanted to try and make it without using the full-fat coconut milk, like that cake, since many like to avoid the extra fat. Also, using lite coconut milk and only half the amount, there is guaranteed to have no taste of any coconut.
I already know people will ask if this can be made gluten-free. If you need gluten-free, make this Vegan Gluten-free Vanilla Cake!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED
(Only 7 main ingredients needed, plus salt/water. Full details and measurements on the recipe card below.)
- Regular white all-purpose flour
- Fine regular granulated white sugar: Do not sub this with another sweetener or coconut sugar, it will not taste like a traditional, true vanilla cake or have the same light texture. I reserve only using white sugar when it’s completely necessary to the best flavor in my opinion. If it’s super important to you, make sure the sugar you buy a certified vegan sugar. Wholesome sweeteners is a vegan brand.
- Baking powder
- Dairy-free Vanilla flavored yogurt: I used So Delicious coconut yogurt vanilla. It worked fantastic here! The yogurt gives an extra depth of flavor here that you have to taste to see. It also gives a major boost of moisture where oil or butter would normally do that.
- Canned lite coconut milk: Using lite leaves zero coconut taste here. It also provides a lot of moisture and some fat, so the cake is moist, super fluffy and not dry, as it would be if using a lite milk like almond or rice, for example.
- Vanilla extract
- Apple cider vinegar: This adds a depth of flavor to the cake, bringing out the flavor of vanilla just a bit more, as well as aiding in the tenderness of the cake. If you do not have this, you can actually leave it out and the cake still works amazing, it just adds that extra touch of flavor.
- Frosting of choice: I used this Vegan Vanilla Buttercream Frosting for the true traditional vanilla cake flavor and taste, but you can sub with this whipped coconut cream one if you like. Or use a simple glaze if you like, like this Cream Cheese Glaze. Or simply use a frosting of your choice.
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN VANILLA CAKE
Step 1: Whisk the dry ingredients until well mixed.
Step 2: Mix the wet ingredients into a separate bowl and then pour over the dry ingredients. Stir until smooth and moistened, but be very careful about overmixing. Mix just until no flour is visible. The batter will be very thick as pictured.
Step 3: Spread the batter into a 9×13 pyrex glass baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Each batch I did was perfect at 23 minutes. Do not overbake or the cake will turn dry.
Step 4: Cool completely before frosting.
HOW TO STORE THIS CAKE
This vegan vanilla sheet cake is best stored at room temperature covered with foil. I just keep the cake in the baking dish. It stays fresh and moist for the first 2 days (although best the day made), but by the 3rd day, it does start to become dry.
MORE VEGAN CAKE RECIPES
- Vegan Gluten-free Lemon Cake
- Vegan Gluten-free Funfetti Birthday Cake
- Vegan White Wedding Cake
- Vegan Gluten-free and Grain-free Vanilla Cake
- Vegan Almond Butter Cake
- Vegan Chocolate Chip Cake
- Vegan Pumpkin Cake
If you make this recipe, be sure to leave feedback below and share your pic on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thevegan8 #thevegan8!
Easy Vegan Vanilla Cake (7 Ingredients!)
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons (336g) regular all-purpose flour (SEE NOTES at bottom)
- 1 cup + 5 tablespoons (252g) fine granulated white sugar (I used organic cane sugar by Florida Crystals)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon (195g) room temperature canned "lite" coconut milk (Highly recommend Thai Kitchen brand, see Notes at bottom)
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (150g) room temperature dairy-free sweetened vanilla yogurt (I used the So Delicious coconut, see Notes at bottom)
- 3 tablespoons (45g) HOT water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (8g) vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon (5g) apple cider vinegar
- I used this Vanilla Buttercream frosting as it gives that classic vanilla cake flavor, which was my goal.
- I use this 9x13 glass Pyrex dish
- I use this scale.
NOTE
- I always recommend to use a scale for accuracy when baking, following MY gram weights listed, since we all measure differently. This greatly improves your chance for success and lessons room for error. You never need cups or to compare them to the weights, just use the scale and bowl and make sure to zero out in between each ingredient. My recipes are 100% tested specifically using my exact weights and your results will turn out as mine are pictured this way. SEE NOTES at bottom if you don't have a scale.
Instructions
- Make sure the milk and yogurt are not cold and are room temperature! This is very important because if they are cold from the fridge, your batter will be hard to mix up, making the batter overly thick and cause overmixing to happen, which results in a tough/dense cake. Lighter cakes are the result of room temperature ingredients.
- Preheat the oven to 350° (177°C) and spray a 9x13 glass pyrex dish with nonstick spray. Wipe off excess oil if too much is sitting on the bottom or in the corners, but be careful not to wipe too much off, otherwise the cake will stick.
- To a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt and whisk very well.
- To a separate bowl, add the coconut milk, yogurt, hot water, vanilla and vinegar. Whisk until smooth.
- Pour the liquid over the dry ingredients and use a large spoon to gently stir together the batter until moistened and just mixed, making sure to scrape from the bottom. Do not use a whisk, as this will overmix the batter. You want to stir until just mixed and moistened, do not overmix, as this can result in a tough/chewy cake. The batter will be quite thick, this is normal, do not add more liquid. It is okay for the batter to look thick and lumpy, as long as it’s mixed.
- Pour the batter into the dish and spread out the top evenly into the pan and in the corners. Don’t worry about the top looking perfect, it will magically bake up perfectly and smooth on top.Bake for 20-25 minutes. I baked 2 separate cakes and each was exactly perfect at 23 minutes. It is done when a toothpick is clean from the center.
- Cool completely before frosting. Cover the cake with foil tightly so it stays moist and store the cake at room temperature. I used my classic Vanilla Buttercream for the true classic vanilla cake perfect for parties and guests, but if you want to avoid oil or butter, this Cream Cheese Glaze (likely have to double for the full cake) would also be delicious.
Notes
- Nutrition is for cake only, not including frosting.
- Measuring Flour: As you know, I always recommend a scale for the best results, following my weights listed. Baking is very scientific and especially with oil-free cakes, precision is super important. You can find a scale linked to the one I buy above or at pretty much any store these days and are very inexpensive. But if you don't have a scale or really do not want to get one, make sure to measure your flour this way: Place the cup on the counter and spoon the flour from the bag into the cup, filling it all up, overflowing a bit and then take a butter knife and level it off. Measure the 1 cup this way and the 1/2 cup tablespoons (for the 2 1/2 cups + 2 tbsp total) but if you aren't using a scale and measuring this way, you will need 1 1/2 additional tablespoons of flour to equal the 336 grams. As you can see though, it's very easy to measure off this way, so using a scale is better.
- Coconut Milk: I highly recommend the Thai kitchen brand, it’s super creamy and high quality. Do not use the Polar brand, it is mostly fillers and will ruin the texture.
- Yogurt: The yogurt is key here, it aids in a rich vanilla flavor and overall flavor because of the tang that yogurt provides, yet, do not worry, because the cake itself does not taste like yogurt at all. Also, the yogurt is acidic, therefore giving the cake rise, fluff and makes it super moist. Vanilla yogurts I am able to find at pretty much any grocery store. I used the So Delicious coconut yogurt. I would advise against soy yogurt, as it’s very high protein and will make the cake rather chewy. This is important in this case because the cake is on the low-fat side and adding soy will make it more tough.
- Classic Cake: You do not want to sub these ingredients, as I found it very finicky and this recipe posted works perfectly. This cake is designed for those who want a very simple cake with very basic ingredients like white flour and sugar. It is not meant to be one of my standard healthier flours and sweeteners I usually use in recipes. This isn't the cake to change all the ingredients. If you want a gluten-free refined sugar-free vanilla cake, make my Vegan Gluten-free Vanilla Cake instead!
Nutrition
The Vegan 8 is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see my full disclosure policy here.
I love your recipes!!!!! No other blogger actually takes the time to ensure the desserts they post are top notch, you are a genius ans a true dessert scientist!
Ok, so full disclosure I may have been tipsy making this cake… it was a party and we wanted a cake LOL. I made no subs, but cut all the measurements in half (with your same scale) and added chocolate chips. It tasted fantastic but it was dense and not light and fluffy. And my ingredients were room temperature! My question is could that be from cutting the ingredients in 1/2? I baked in an 8 x 8. Thanks!!
Thank you so much Tiff for the kind words, you are so sweet! Hmm, that is odd! But there are a couple of reasons why that could happen. First, dividing it in half would still make the cake to be a lot more batter in an 8×8 size, because a 9×13 isn’t double of an 8×8 if that makes sense. So, that could account for it being more dense, since I created it to be a flatter style of sheet cake. So you may have not baked it long enough to account for the different size of pan. Also, with lower fat batter and cakes using white flour (gluten), you have to be very careful to not overmix them, or it can result in a dense cake. What brand of milk and yogurts did you use?
My 3rd time making this cake for one of my daughters birthday! It’s delicious and everyone always loves it!
This recipe is INCREDIBLY easy and INCREDIBLY delicious!!! If you’re looking for a basic vanilla cake, look no further. This will definitely be one of my go-to vegan cakes from now on! Great texture & excellent flavor!
So very happy you loved the cake!!
thanks for this amazing recipe Brandi!! we all love it so much! From now, this will be the birthday cake for all family members!
love from Germany
Yay! Lovely to hear that Anna!
Love love this recipe thank you! Have you ever tried to freeze this? I’d love to make a batch and wrap it tightly and store it in the freezer so I have this yummy cake made ahead of time. I find it hard to bake and frost the day I’m hosting a celebration so always looking for things to do ahead thanks again!!
So happy you love this cake Carrie! I’ve actually never tried freezing it before so I’m not sure. Since it’s low fat, I’m not sure if it would dry out, but you can always try it and see.
You can always make the frosting the day before and then just set it out the morning of to soften back up. That would save some time.
Thank you so much
I just added the 9×13 pan to my grocery list 😉
Hi! I’m so happy to have found this recipe! I make my boyfriend’s cake for his birthday every year. . But he is vegan this year!! I want to surprise him with this cake! But I only have a bundt cake pan! Will that work? How long would I cook it? Thank you for your time 🙂
Hi Veela! I’m sorry but I’m really not sure how well it will work in a bundt pan. They are very finicky since they are so much taller and can tend to really overcook into the outside before the inside cooks. Unless a cake recipe is specifically written using a bundt pan, it’s hard to say how well it would work. Also, too, considering the cake is on the lower fat end, it will be more finicky. It may work, I just can’t say for certain it will. I would suggest doing a trial run first or get the correct pan. I bought a very inexpensive 9×13 glass dish from Walmart. It works perfectly. Also, to ensure accuracy, make sure to use a scale following my gram weights listed, you don’t need cups to compare, hit zero before each addition. Makes accuracy with baking much better results. Otherwise, make sure to spoon the flour into the cup and level off. Getting the wrong flour measured can affect the moisture of the cake.
Sorry! I have a couple more questions: what specific brands did you use for the rest of the ingredients, like the flour, salt, baking powder, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract?
Hi! Would I be able to make this using a 8 x 8 pan and baking in a toaster oven? Thanks!
Hi Ren, no an 8×8 pan will not be large enough, I’m sorry! It bakes best because of all the batter in a 9×13 baking dish. I have had people bake a layer cake in diving the batter between 2 separate round 8 inch cake pans though. I have not tried personally.
Ooh I might just try that! Thank you!!
Sorry! I have a couple more questions: what specific brands did you use for the rest of the ingredients, like the flour, salt, baking powder, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract?
Honestly, it doesn’t matter which brand of all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder, vinegar as I use different brands often depending on which store I go to. They all work the same. But for the sugar, I listed the brand above in the ingredient list. I also like the Wholesome sweeteners brand for sugar and for vanilla I just use Mccormick vanilla real extract. The Nielsen-Massey is a great brand for extracts but is much
more expensive.
Thank you, Brandi, for your recipes. I am new here and am just starting to try eating better for health. Your recipes are written with such care, I feel like I’m reading from a friend! Best of health to you and yours!
That is so very kind Mandy! Thank you!
Hello Brandi – thx for this recipe. My daughter and I made it today and my wife liked it. The frosting was delicious. The cake was a bit dense even though I followed the weight proportions. I did follow your directions that the wet and dry ingredients should not be over-mixed. I also did set the yogurt out (same brand you recommended) from the fridge to warm up at room temp for an hour. I don’t know if that time wasn’t enough and that’s a factor? The yogurt was not cold but it could’ve been a few degrees less than room temp?
Hi Guha! What brand of coconut milk did you use?
I made this and it is very good. Definitely soothed my craving for cake with out being too sweet and rich. Very easy to make.
So happy to hear that Janet!
i do not have yogurt is there something I can use to substitute?
No, I’m sorry, the yogurt is a big part of the cake texture and flavor and moisture. Without it, it won’t work. I would wait to make it until you can get some yogurt.
Made this today & it turned out great. Thank you for the wonderful recipe.
So happy to hear that, thank you Abhaya!
Hi Brandi, These liquid measurements are listed in grams, did you mean mls? Because the weight of 3 T water is nothing close to 45 g. Thanks, Michelle
Hi Michelle, no, I meant grams. But they are the same measurement with either grams or ml. Both come out exactly the same on a kitchen scale. I just have always followed the gram portion on my scale since I use that for my dry ingredients as well. 1 tbsp liquid equals 15 grams, just as ml does. I’ve been baking with weights for 8 years, always using my kitchen scale. Not sure if you are following a scale, but this is very standard. There are even multiple conversion charts and sources online that will give the same info. Here is an example.
This cake is an absolute winner. Super easy and fast to make. The cake is so rich and moist..three days later and it still tastes awesome. I used the vanilla frosting recipe and instead of the shortening (because I didn’t have it) I used coconut butter and I really liked it. The texture isn’t quite the same though. Thanks again Brandi!!! Your recipes are just the best!!!!!!!!!! <3
That is amazing to hear Maureen, thank you so much for making it! Yes, coconut butter is much more firm than shortening, so it’ll definitely change the texture. I have a tested frosting that uses coconut butter and stays soft like buttercream here: https://thevegan8.com/vegan-gluten-free-funfetti-birthday-cake/
Made this last night. It was gone by noon today. I should feel ashamed, but instead thinking how soon is too soon to make again? I need to wait another hour, for sure
That seriously made me laugh out loud!! I’d say that’s a good sign you love it! 😂😂 Thank you Vickie!
Thanks, Brandi for such an easy and very tasty recipe! Pictures of this cake online look fabulous …People, please know not only is it pretty online, but more importantly taste delicious too.
So happy to hear you enjoyed it Julie!
Okay, this is going to sound so strange… but…
My birthday was last week, and even though I eat low-fat vegan/plant based, I do make a few celebration cakes throughout the year, like on birthdays and Christmas. Literally like 3-4 times a year. So, this time I made a very traditional vanilla cake for my birthday last week, with an entire package of vegan butter in the cake and a traditional buttercream frosting with vegan butter and shortening. And it was delicious, but I ate less than one piece and my entire body rebelled. It tingled, and not in a good way, and said, “I don’t want any more of this”. !!! My poor gall bladder was saying, “What the &*%$ am I supposed to do with all this fat!?” And cake/pastries are my favorite food group!! What is happening to me? lol My hubs got a tummy ache from eating his piece. I actually threw the rest of my beautiful cake away, because it was just too rich and sweet. (I felt so bad to waste food, but during this time we couldn’t share it with anyone, and it was literally making us sick.) So, I just made this cake as a ‘do-over’ birthday cake. It baked up beautifully, and tastes so wonderful and vanilla-y. So, thank you for a cake that tastes sweet and vanilla-y, but is not OTT sweet and rich.
I’m so very happy to hear how much you loved this cake Danielle!! And that it was better than the one filled with butter, haha! Happy belated birthday and thank you so much for making it and leaving feedback!
Hey Brandi, thanks for referencing the gluten free vanilla cake recipe, but do you think swapping out the all purpose flour for Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 all purpose gluten free flour would work for this recipe? Thanks 🙂
Hi Tanya! I honestly have no idea, as I’ve never used that brand. I do know from experience of other readers trying to swap it out for other cakes, it didn’t turn out as good. Since that GF blend is heavy on starch and has added gum, and this recipe is so low-fat, I’m afraid the cake would turn out excessively chewy and dense. You are always welcome to try it, but that is my guess! I much prefer GF blends that I’ve tried without added gums, as I find the ones with gum added to yield very chewy results. I have a Trader Joe’s GF blend and a King arthur GF blend. Both are rice flour based and neither have added starches. I’m going to test the cake shortly with one of those blends (or my homemade blend) and see how it turns out and will post the results here. Do you have access to get one of those brands?
It is really easy to make as you said. It looks really delicious.
Wonderful, so happy to hear it was so easy and delicious for you Varun, thank you for the feedback!
Does it have to be lite canned coconut milk? Will it still work if I use regular canned coconut milk?
Yes, I recommend that for best results because lite coconut milk is much more runny and flowy and full fat is 3 times as much fat and way more thick. The batter is already on the thicker side, so using full fat would make it excessively thick. If you want you can try diluting the full fat. Add the contents of the can to a blender with a can of water and blend until smooth, then measure. I have not tried this personally, but you can try it. I recommend Thai kitchen brand for the best results.
The vegan gluten free cake link at the bottom is not working. Can you redirect me please?
Oops, sorry about that, it’s fixed now! It’s also listed above twice in the post for reference next time if you need to find it again!
This looks so delicious and I love that the ingredients are things I already have in my pantry! Could i use this recipe to make cupcakes too? I wondered about decreasing the bake time, but couldn’t think of another reason it wouldn’t work to put it into cupcake liners, can you?
Hi Allison! Yes, cupcakes work great with this recipe. They bake in 18 minutes (in my oven) so I’d say 15-20 minutes, checking for a clean toothpick in the center. This recipe will make 2 dozen I believe, just fill them about 3/4 full but no more, as they do rise a lot.
Thanks Brandi! I am making them this weekend and can’t wait to try them!
Yay, can’t wait to hear!!
Hi. I was hoping to make this on a cookie sheet so that I may make tiny layered cakes for my afternoon tea. Do you have a recommendation for how much to fill and how long to cook? Thanks in advance.
Sounds yummy! I have never tried this so I’m honestly not sure what to tell you but I am guessing (??) you’d need to use the cake recipe and split in two cookie sheets since of course it’ll be too much otherwise. This is a guess though! Would probably be done in 15 minutes, but just look for a clean toothpick.
I love your purple sprinkles! Did you make them?
Hi Kris! No, I purchased them here from the Sweetapolita site!
This is going to be my new go-to celebration cake! It was super easy to make and I loved that I didn’t have to get the mixer out and could easily mix it by hand. This cake was light and fluffy, and my family really enjoyed it! Thank you Brandi for the amazing recipe and for helping me to make this ahead of time for our 4th of July celebration!
I’m so glad you requested this last week so I could perfect the recipe just in time for your July 4th celebration! I’m so happy everybody loved the recipe!