This Easy Vegan Vanilla Cake is a fun twist on the ever popular Easy Vegan Chocolate Cake recipe. I just thought we needed a vanilla version. Because what’s life without a little vanilla?
After a much-needed vacation, I’m back with some vim and vigor…and yellow cake. How can one really have their fair share of “vim” without a little dose of vanilla cake?
Notice I said, “a little dose.” That’s because this Easy Vegan Vanilla Cake may taste delicious, but it should be eaten in moderation. Yes, it is true that in my humble opinion, a vegan cake is healthier than your typical cake. Shouldn’t that mean you can eat more of it?
Oh, do I wish that were the case!
But there is another life-guiding force that must be heeded. A sort of ethereal balance between gusto and self-governance. I have a tendency to lean toward the gusto side of the equation and am constantly reminding myself about moderation. If I forget too often, then it becomes the job of the buttons on my jeans to remind me that I’ve had a little too much “gusto” lately.
Jay Leno once said, “…Doing good things will improve your life. Let’s face it, you cannot eat the whole pie [or cake in our example] or you’ll make yourself sick. Eat some, and then give whatever is left over to other people.” That’s from his foreward to the book, “The Power of Nice: How to Conquer the Business World with Kindness.” It’s a great book. I hope everyone buys it and reads it. (Somehow I suspect the people who really need to read the book, probably won’t.)
But wait, we’re talking about the Easy Vegan Vanilla Cake, right?
Vegan baking can oftentimes be a little tricky, but I think I’ve discovered a combination of ingredients that falls right on the mark. Give the recipe a try and practice kindness by sharing it with others. Together, we’ll save the world…one slice of cake at a time!
Perfect Vegan Yellow Cake
Ingredients:
- 3 cups flour
- ½ cup almond flour*
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups sugar
- ½ cup Earth Balance, (softened to room temp)
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 2 cups cold water
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
Directions:
- Heat your oven to 350° F and prepare your baking pan (I used vegetable spray but you could also grease the pan with shortening if you prefer). For this recipe I used a 9 X 13 cake pan.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, almond flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. *To make almond flour, add almonds to a food processor and pulse until they resemble a course flour.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the Earth Balance margarine, oil and sugar and mix on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add remaining ingredients and mix again until well combined.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until well combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.
- If using 2 round cake pans then bake for 20 – 25 minutes or if, like me, you’re using a 9 X 13 cake pan, bake for approximately 40 – 50 minutes (depending on your oven). A good rule of thumb is to insert a piece of uncooked spaghetti into the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean (no batter on it), then the cake is ready to come out of the oven.
Vegan Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients:
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup cocoa
- ½ cup margarine
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 – 3 tablespoon soy milk
Directions:
Combine powdered sugar, cocoa, and margarine in a medium bowl and stir until all ingredients are well incorporated. Add the teaspoon of vanilla and stir some more. Finally, add soy milk one tablespoon at a time until you achieve your desired consistency.
Adorning your cake with flowers is purely optional, but it does add a nice touch. Either way, enjoy each and every bite…and be sure to practice kindness by sharing with others!
Lovely cake!
August 11, 2011
9:59 am
That is so pretty
August 11, 2011
2:57 pm
Beautiful! I must make this! (and that’s saying something, because I do not bake!)
August 11, 2011
3:43 pm
YUM:-P
August 11, 2011
5:47 pm
knew i had to make this today as soon as i saw your post. thanks for the recipe! i had to make some adjustments for high altitude, but the batter tasted delicious and the cake is in the oven now
August 11, 2011
5:53 pm
I hope it turned out great! Let me know!
August 12, 2011
7:58 pm
it was delicious! it would be a perfect birthday cake
the only thing i wasn’t totally crazy about were the almond bits…guess my food processor didn’t grind them small enough. wondering if i could substitute whole wheat pastry flour? again, thanks for the great recipe!
August 26, 2011
2:19 pm
Delicious looking! I wonder if you should specify “vegan powdered sugar” for the chocolate frosting, because regular powdered sugar is not vegan. ?
August 14, 2011
10:42 am
Do the leftovers need to be refrigerated? I’m unsure because of the soymilk in the frosting.
August 14, 2011
1:11 pm
That all depends…on how quickly you eat it! We don’t often refrigerate the leftover cake unless it goes beyond a few days sitting out. If you think it will take it awhile to get through your cake, storing it in the fridge will work just fine. We warm a slice of refrigerated cake in the microwave for about 11 seconds before devouring.
August 14, 2011
2:12 pm
I’m bereft that I can’t eat this. . . it looks so good! But nice that you included the almond flour to ramp up the protein/fiber (whether or not that was the intention!). Love the Leno quote. I wonder if he wrote that before or after the Conan fiasco? (lol).
August 15, 2011
11:51 am
I like to make the distinction that my vegan goodies are health-IER. They’re a great alternative, especially because they are cruelty-free, but should be eaten in moderation. Anyway, your cake looks wonderful. The flowers add such a nice touch!
August 19, 2011
3:25 pm
why add the almond meal? will cake flour make any better?
Thank you for the recipe.
November 5, 2011
2:06 pm
I like the flavor that almond meal adds to the recipe, but you definitely could replace it with cake flour. If I were doing that I might increase the vanilla a tad…or maybe even add a teaspoon of almond flavoring.
November 9, 2011
7:19 am