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    Home » Dessert

    25+ of The Best Vegan Cake Recipes

    Published: Feb 27, 2020 · Modified: Sep 20, 2022 by Larisha Bernard · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

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    The best vegan cake recipes include all your favorites plus some you didn’t even know you needed. You’ll definitely impress anyone with these recipes!

    The words incredible vegan cake recipes overlayed onto four vegan cake options.

    When you tell someone you made the best vegan cake, they may look at you sideways at first. That’s because a cake to most people needs flour, eggs, and milk. So when you say you are making a dairy free and egg free cake recipe, they are utterly confused (pun intended).

    Whether you are looking for cake to satisfy that sweet-tooth of your own or you are looking for a vegan cake recipe that will wow and impress the most vegan skeptic, we have you covered with all the vegan cake recipes you could be looking for (and maybe some extras).

    Cakes are perfect for so many celebrations and truly special for those random spur of the moment days where you surprise the people you love.

    Listen, we don’t judge. Whether you want vegan cake, vegan cupcakes, vegan mug cake, vegan cake in your milkshake, vegan cheesecake, or you stumbled here looking for vegan pancakes – we have it all and we will get you a recipe. I mean even if you crossed this cake post, but really you want vegan pie recipes – we still got you!

    When you first go vegan, plant based, or dairy free, you may be thinking that you could never have cake again.  We’re here to tell you that not only can you have cake, but we have the best vegan cake recipes right here for you. 

    Our recipes are already tried, tested, and approved by both vegans and non-vegans alike, so we know these recipes for cake from scratch will be perfect for you! 

    A slice of layered Vegan Chocolate cake with chocolate frosting being removed.

    Best Egg Substitutes for Vegan Cake

    One of the biggest things you’ll have to figure out is swapping out chicken eggs for a plant based substitute. Luckily, there are a lot of options. It’s best to follow a recipe already written out for you, but if you have to pick your own for say a family recipe you’ll want to pick one of the following:

    • flax egg
    • chia egg
    • applesauce (usually unsweetened)
    • non-dairy yogurt
    • pumpkin puree
    • aquafaba
    • other puree (like banana, sweet potato or pear)
    • silken tofu
    • liquid egg replacement (like Just Egg)

    If you’d like to learn more, check out our vegan egg substitutes for baking.

    Best Dairy Substitutes for Vegan Cake

    When it comes to dairy, butter and milk substitutes for vegan cake are needed for almost every recipe. More often than not, you will do a 1:1 replacement for both milk and dairy in vegan cakes.

    It is important to note that not all vegan butters are the same and you’ll want to check out our vegan butter review to pick a vegan butter replacement for cake that will suit you best.

    *Note: Oil is typically used versus butter in cakes because of butter solidifying, but every recipe will be different and it’s important to note how they switching or omitting will alter the recipe. Vegan butter is mostly oil so you may still see it called for often.

    For milk, you can almost use any type of non-dairy milk. It’s important to note that sweetened versions or flavored versions will affect the taste outcome. Some examples include:

    • almond milk
    • oat milk
    • soy milk
    • cashew milk
    • hemp milk
    • rice milk
    • coconut milk (canned coconut milk is thicker and may require adjustments)
    • plant based milk blends
    • 2% or Whole Plant Based Milks

    Vegan Sugar Options

    Every time we say “vegan sugar” we get asked about 150 times “what do you mean vegan sugar?” “isn’t all sugar vegan?”. The truth is it should be, but it’s not, especially if you live in the United States.

    Within the United States, many refined sugars – included white, brown, and powdered sugar are processed with bone char. It’s important if you want a truly vegan cake to look for “bone char free” on the packaging or “organic” sugar options as manufacturers cannot use bone char in organic products.

    Learn more about “is sugar vegan“.

    Frequently Asked Questions about Vegan Cake

    What is vegan cake made of?

    Vegan cake is a cake recipe from scratch made without eggs or dairy milk or butter. Sugar that is bone char free is also important. Vegan substitutes for all of these ingredients are used to replace them to still have moist, decadent crumb layers.

    How Much Vegan Egg Replacer Equals One Egg?

    For most options, ¼ cup of vegan egg replacer equals one egg. You will want to limit it to no more than 3 eggs using this method. A liquid vegan egg product (like Just Egg) is 3 tablespoons per egg). Trying to convert cake recipes that use more than three eggs will require more trial and error.

    If you’d like to learn more, check out our vegan egg substitutes for baking.

    Can I omit oil in vegan cake recipes?

    Omitting the oil in the recipe is going to alter the taste and texture of the cake crumb. Oil is needed to add a richness, but also tenderness.
    Usually ½ of the oil can be replaced with a fruit puree like applesauce, noting that it will be a more dense cake.

    Can I reduce sugar in vegan cake recipes?

    Often times if cake recipes have more than 1 cup of sugar total, you could successfully reduce the sugar by ¼ of a cup without noticing a drastic difference.

    However, it’s important to note that sugar is just for sweetness, so reducing is more can affect the texture as well.

    Sugar crystalizes during the cooking process to add moisture to the cake, so reduces it too much can lead to a more dry and more dense cake.

    Can you make gluten free vegan cake?

    The short answer is yes. Almost all of recipes have been tested to be gluten free with a 1:1 all purpose flour blend.

    It’s important to note that you shouldn’t try to replace with a single gluten free flour like almond flour or coconut flour.

    You need a blend that has been designed to cook in baking recipes and usually always includes xanthan gum. Our favorites are Pillsbury or King Arthur 1:1.

    Can you make Top 9 Allergen Free vegan cake?

    Most of the cakes can be made Top 8 Allergen Free.  Since they are already free of dairy and eggs, the other concern is soy. Usually soy is in vegan butter or maybe vegan chocolate.  
    However, there is a lot of vegan chocolate that is already soy free (like Enjoy Life) and as far as the vegan butter, we always recommend using Soy Free Earth Balance, it comes in a red tub.
    The only other exception is a cake like our vegan coconut cake, that obviously has coconut and we wouldn’t recommend changes there.
    Every post has instructions to make Top 8 Allergen Free.

    Can I make cupcakes instead of cake?

    Yes! You can always just increase or decrease the amount of batter to make one or the other. 
    Most of our cake recipes are 3 layers, so you could just do half or a ⅓ of the ingredients to make a smaller amount of cupcakes (or just make them all). 
    Cupcakes need a reduced amount of time – typically 15-25 minutes. A toothpick inserted should come out clean.

    Dairy free vanilla frosting on whisks sitting in a clear jar.

    What are some vegan frosting ideas for these cakes?

    One great thing about cakes is that you can mix and match frostings! We absolutely love doing this. Some ideas for vegan cake frostings are: 

    • Vegan Vanilla Frosting
    • Vegan Buttercream Frosting
    • Vegan Chocolate Frosting
    • Vegan Strawberry Buttercream

    Many of the recipes below also have their own individual frosting combinations.

    Leave a comment below and tell us what frosting flavor you want to see next! 

    Classic Vanilla Vegan Cake Recipes

    While there will always be a debate over the best vegan cake flavors, especially vanilla or chocolate, we believe that there’s nothing quite like a slice of classic vegan vanilla cake.

    You’ll love these four vanilla based vegan cake recipes!

    1. Vegan Vanilla Cake

    A vegan vanilla cake on a cake stand topped with a cherry.

    2. Vegan Vanilla Birthday Cake (Funfetti Cake)

    Vegan vanilla birthday cake slice with sprinkles.

    3. Vegan Caramel Cake

    A slice of vegan caramel cake with caramel drizzle down the side.

    4. Vegan Coconut Cake

    Vegan Coconut Cake with coconut flakes.

    The Best Chocolate Vegan Cake Recipes

    Rich, decadent, scrumptious – these are all words that we use when we finally have a piece of amazing vegan chocolate cake that hits the spot and satisfies that craving (even if we didn’t know we had a craving).

    These 6 takes on vegan chocolate cake will blow you away no matter which one you pick.

    5. The Best Vegan Chocolate Cake

    A large slice of two layered best vegan chocolate cake with chocolate icing.

    6. Vegan Red Velvet Cake

    A single slice of vegan red velvet cake on a plate topped with dried raspberries.

    7. Vegan Brooklyn Blackout Cake

    A plate of three layer Vegan Brooklyn blackout cake.

    8. Vegan Black Forest Cake

    Vegan black forest cake sliced on a plate with a cake on a wooden stand.

    9. Vegan Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

    A white dish of vegan hot fudge pudding cake with a piece missing.

    10. Vegan Chocolate Lava Cakes

    Vegan chocolate lava cake with ice cream scoop.

    The Best Fruit Flavored Vegan Cake Recipes

    While many fruit flavored cake recipes are also vanilla based, they deserve a category all their own. Berries often can be interchangeable, so feel free to swap strawberries for blueberries, raspberries, or even blackberries.

    Get creative and have fun with these delicious vegan cake recipes.

    11. Vegan Pineapple Upside Down Cake

    Pieces of Vegan Pineapple upside down cake.

    12. Layered Vegan Strawberry Cake

    Vegan strawberry shortcake with layers of frosting on the top and fresh strawberries.

    13. Layered Vegan Lemon Cake

    A two-layered Vegan Lemon Cake with cream cheese frosting and spiraled fresh lemons on top.

    14. Vegan Strawberry Sheet Pan Cake

    Vegan strawberry sheet pan cake with fresh strawberry slices and chopped pistachios.

    15. Vegan Cherry Pineapple Dump Cake

    Vegan cherry pineapple dump cake in a white dish.

    16. Vegan Strawberry Lemon Loaf Cake

    Vegan Strawberry Lemon Loaf Cake with powdered sugar and a jar of strawberry glaze.

    17. Vegan Strawberry Cornbread Cake

    Vegan strawberry cornbread cake in a black cast iron skillet with slice fresh strawberries on top.

    The Best Vegan Spiced Cakes

    While we can enjoy a spiced vegan cake year round, they are primarily focused on during the fall months when the weather is cooling down. You will love how these cakes warm you up from the inside.

    18. Vegan Coffee Cake

    A side view of a piece of vegan coffee cake to show fluffy cake texture.

    19. Vegan Carrot Cake

    A slice of triple layered vegan carrot cake sliced with cream cheese and caramel frosting.

    20. Layered Vegan Pumpkin Cake

    A triple layer slice of vegan pumpkin cake being lifted out of the cake.

    21. Vegan Gingerbread Cake

    Vegan gingerbread cake with some slices cut.

    22. Vegan Coconut Carrot Cake

    A slice of double layer Vegan coconut carrot cake with frosting on top.

    23. Vegan Apple Upside Down Cake

    Vegan apple upside down cake uncut.

    The Best Vegan Bundt Cakes

    There is nothing more impressible than walking into someone’s house and seeing this truly stunning showpiece even if you are just joining them for coffee talk.

    Vegan bundt cakes are easy to make, and usually any recipe will work, but we’ve crafted these four versions specifically to showcase bundt pans.

    24. Vegan Banana Bundt Cake

    Vegan banana bundt cake with icing and two slices cut.

    25. Vegan Apple Cider Donut Cake

    vegan apple cider donut cake on a plate with a few slices cut.

    26. Vegan Lemon Pound Cake

    Dairy free lemon pound cake with lemon glaze being drizzled over.

    27. Vegan Pumpkin Cake

    Vegan pumpkin cake with spiced glazed.

    Even More Vegan Cake Recipes!

    While the vegan cake recipes below may or may not fit into a category above, we are combining them here to fit in their own categories. We’d still argue they are the best vegan cake recipes around for their specific niche and we know that you’ll love them!

    Easy Vegan Mug Cakes!

    Vegan Vanilla Mug Cake
    If you're looking for a solo treat without the hassle, then this vegan vanilla mug cake is the perfect treat that you need!
    Check out this recipe
    Two servings of vegan vanilla mug cake with rainbow sprinkles and chocolate frosting on top.
    Vegan Chocolate Mug Cake
    If you’re looking for a solo treat without the hassle, then this vegan chocolate mug cake is the perfect treat that you need!
    Check out this recipe
    Vegan Chocolate Mug Cake

    Milkshakes with Cake

    Vegan Strawberry Birthday Cake Milkshake
    The absolute best vegan strawberry birthday cake milkshake uses leftover cake to make the most amazing vegan strawberry milkshake ever.
    Check out this recipe
    A vegan strawberry birthday cake milkshake on a table.

    Not technically cake but cake -HA

    Vegan Funnel Cake
    You don't have to wait to the fair or carnival for a delicious vegan funnel cake made in minute in the comfort of your home! Give it a try!
    Check out this recipe
    vegan funnel cake topped with powdered sugar, ice cream and caramel sauce.
    Incredible Vegan Cheesecake
    This incredible vegan cheesecake is a must try for cheesecake lovers. A perfectly, simple vegan vanilla cheesecake is full of flavor, creamy texture, and a great base for any toppings.
    Check out this recipe
    Incredible vegan cheesecake with half cut into slices and topped with fresh fruit.
    Vegan Spoon Bread
    This vegan spoon bread, also known as Mexican corn cake, is an amazing side for dinner or even brunch! Super simple to make and a great cornbread alternative.
    Check out this recipe
    A serving dish of vegan spoon bread uncut and drizzled with agave.
    Vegan Strawberry Shortcake Cookies
    If you loved those strawberry shortcake ice cream bars, you are going to go ga-ga over these amazing vegan strawberry shortcake cookies! Soft, tons of strawberry flavor bursting through, and a variety of texture will make these your new favorite cookie!
    Check out this recipe
    Pink Vegan strawberry shortcake cookies with white chocolate chips and vanilla cookie pieces.

    And if you truly did get here looking for pancakes – you can see our dozen vegan pancake recipes too 🙂

    What vegan cake flavor to you want to see next?

    A notebook with the words 25 plus must have baking tools for a vegan kitchen overlayed.

    Vegan Baking Tools

    Before we go, if you want to see the best tools that we use for baking, then make sure to check out our must have baking essentials for a vegan kitchen!

    More Dessert

    • vegan chocolate coffee cake on a white plate with blueberries on the side
      Vegan Chocolate Coffee Cake
    • vegan pie crust with scalloped edges.
      Super Flaky Easy Vegan Pie Crust
    • Healthy vegan black bean brownies with walnuts.
      Healthy Vegan Black Bean Brownies (Oil-Free)
    • Vegan banana bundt cake with icing and two slices cut.
      Vegan Banana Bundt Cake

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kathy

      March 02, 2020 at 5:20 am

      Date and walnut..

      Reply
      • LarishaCampbell

        March 05, 2020 at 3:16 pm

        Is that a cake you’d like us to make?

        Reply

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