Vegan Vanilla Cake

A slice of vegan vanilla layer cake on a plate with a fork to the left and the rest of the cake in the background.

5 from 4 votes

This Vegan Vanilla Cake recipe is a two-layer cake that is full of big vanilla flavor and bakes up tender and moist! This recipe is simple, reliable, and absolutely delicious. And I walk you through how to stack the cake step-by-step.

Prep Time40

Cook Time20

Cooling Time1

Total Time2

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: Servings

Calories: 553kcal

Author: Megan Calipari

Cost: $4

Equipment

1 Large Mixing Bowl
1 Whisk
2 8" Round Cake Pans
1 Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
1 Cake Stand
1 Metal Spatula

Ingredients

For the Vanilla Cake Layers

2 ⅔ Cup All-Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon Baking Powder
¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 ½ Cup Granulated Sugar
1 ½ Cup Non-Dairy Milk
9 tablespoon Vegan Butter, melted
1 tablespoon Lemon Juice or White Vinegar
1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract

For the Vanilla Frosting

16 tablespoon Vegan Butter, room temperature
4 Cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 tablespoon Non-Dairy Milk

Instructions

To Make the Vanilla Cake Layers

Preheat oven to 350* F. Grease two 8 inch round cake pans with coconut oil or pan spray. Insert a parchment circle into the bottom of each pan.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk together and set aside.
2 ⅔ Cup All-Purpose Flour, 1 Tbsp Baking Powder, ¼ tsp Baking Soda, ¼ tsp Kosher Salt
In a large bowl, combine sugar, non-dairy milk, melted vegan butter, lemon juice or vinegar and vanilla. Whisk to combine.
1 ½ Cup Granulated Sugar, 1 ½ Cup Non-Dairy Milk, 9 Tbsp Vegan Butter, melted, 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice or White Vinegar, 1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk to form the batter. Then, divide the batter between the two prepared cake pans. If you are using a scale, it will be about 20 ounces of batter per pan. Then, use a spatula to spread the batter out evenly.
Bake the cakes in a 350* oven for 25-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool completely before frosting.

Make the Vanilla Frosting

In a large bowl using a hand mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the vegan butter until completely smooth.
16 Tbsp Vegan Butter, room temperature
Add the powdered sugar and mix on low until combined. Then, add the vanilla and mix until combined. Finally, add the non-dairy milk and mix on medium speed until light and fluffy.
4 Cups Powdered Sugar, sifted, 2 tsp Vanilla Extract, 2 Tbsp Non-Dairy Milk

Stack and Frost the Cake

Place one layer of cake upside down on a cake stand or a cake plate. Top the cake layer with about ¾ cup of frosting and use a metal spatula to spread the frosting evenly across the cake.
Top with the remaining cake layer, then frost the exterior of the cake.
Decorate as desired and serve!

Notes

When adding the dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients, be sure to whisk only until the batter forms. Its okay if there are a few small lumps.

If you are a beginner at stacking a layer cake, I recommend turning the cakes out of the pans only a parchment-lined baking sheet and freezing them for about 30 minutes. When they are cold they will be more sturdy and it will be easier to stack them.

To store, cover the cake and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition