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If you’re looking for an easy vegan vanilla sheet cake that’s moist, fluffy, and tender, you’ve found it! This homemade cake is made with just a few simple ingredients and has a sweet vanilla flavour throughout. I topped mine with vegan vanilla buttercream, but you can easily swap it for your favourite frosting flavour.
Completely dairy-free and egg-free, it’s a simple made-from-scratch dessert that’s perfect for birthdays, celebrations, or any time you need a cake that can serve a crowd.
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Even though this vegan vanilla sheet cake recipe is simple, it took me quite a few tries to get it just right before I could share it with you. I think I was overcomplicating the ingredients a little too much, when in the end, the ingredients and recipe couldn’t be any simpler.
As it turns out, all I needed were eight ingredients, all pantry staples that I hope you have on hand, because truly, this vegan sheet cake recipe is one of the easiest you'll make, and you're going to want to make it on repeat. Not just for special occasions, but maybe even as a "counter cake" to have nearby any time you feel like having cake. Which, if you're like me, is often!
It’s pillowy soft, springy, and light, with a delicate vanilla flavour. When it comes to the frosting, you have plenty of options beyond the classic favourite, vanilla buttercream. I share my top suggestions below.
So, let's get started on how to make this keeper of a vegan cake recipe that I know you're going to love!
The Simple Ingredients You'll Need
Important Ingredient Notes and Swap Info
(NOTE: Only ingredients with special notes are listed below. The full ingredient list can be found in the recipe card.)
Flour - You’ll need all-purpose flour. I tested with cake flour to see how it would affect the texture, and while there was a slight difference, it wasn’t enough for me to say you need to use it. All-purpose flour, along with the vegan buttermilk, gives the cake a wonderfully light, tender texture, so there’s no need to buy special cake flour. That said, if you already have cake flour on hand, feel free to use it.
This is the section where I usually share how to make the recipe gluten-free, but in this case, I sadly don’t have an option to offer you. I held onto this recipe for quite a while because I really wanted to develop a gluten-free option I was proud to share, but I ran into several challenges while testing it, and it wasn’t as simple as swapping in a gluten-free flour. I’ll keep working on it, and if I manage to crack the code, I’ll be sure to share it with you. In the meantime, you can check out my other vegan cake recipes for options that have a gluten-free version.
Sugar - I usually use organic cane sugar in my baking, but in light-coloured recipes like this, its off-white colour can slightly affect the colour of the cake. I use vegan white granulated sugar here so the cake has the lightest colour possible, but organic cane sugar can still be used if that’s what you have on hand.
Dairy-Free Milk + Vinegar - These two ingredients make homemade vegan buttermilk, which helps give the cake a soft, tender, and moist texture. I prefer soy milk, but any unflavoured, unsweetened dairy-free milk will work. For the vinegar, you can use either apple cider vinegar or white vinegar.
Oil - I tested this cake with vegan butter, a combination of vegan butter and oil, and oil alone. The no-butter version was the best, so the oil-only version came out on top. Using oil keeps this cake extra moist and helps it stay fresh a little longer than a cake made with vegan butter. Use a light, neutral-flavoured oil such as sunflower, safflower, or vegetable.
Vanilla - This is the star of the show, so make sure you’re using a good-quality pure vanilla extract.
Baking Powder- This is the only leavener in the recipe, so it’s doing all the heavy lifting. Make sure yours is fresh and active so you get maximum lift. If you’re not sure whether yours is still good, check out this test to see if your baking powder is still active.
The Simple Steps
(Note: I’ve outlined the step-by-step here, but find the full recipe, ingredients, and directions in the recipe card at the end of this post.)
Start by lining a 9x13 pan with parchment and preparing the vegan buttermilk. Set both aside.
Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet in another, then stir the batter just until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Take care not to overmix, this can lead to a denser, less tender cake.
Transfer the batter to your prepared pan.
No mixer or fancy equipment is required to make this cake. I stick with a wooden spoon and a silicone spatula to pull it all together. (You can still use a hand or stand mixer if you prefer, though!)
Once the cake is baked, carefully remove the pan from the oven. After it has rested for a few minutes, remove it from the pan and transfer it to a cooling rack.
Once the cake has cooled completely, frost it.
Which Frosting Will You Choose?
While the cake is cooling, I make the frosting. My creamy 10-minute vanilla buttercream is my usual choice for this cake, but you can switch things up; there are many vegan frosting recipes to choose from, and many will pair beautifully with this vanilla sheet cake, like:
Optional - Add vegan sprinkles.
Slice the cake into as many pieces as you’d like. I usually cut mine into 15 squares, but you can make smaller slices for more servings or larger slices for fewer. (And don't worry if the squares aren't perfect, mine certainly aren't!)
Make Those Sprinkles Stick
If you’re adding sprinkles, sprinkle them over the cake right after frosting it so they stick. Once the frosting starts to set, the sprinkles will roll off and not stick. Looking for vegan sprinkles? Check out my guide, Are Sprinkles Vegan? (These Brands Are!) for some options.
Extra Tips, Tricks, and More
- Have all your ingredients ready before you start. Measuring everything ahead of time will make the baking process go more smoothly and keep things moving quickly and easily.
- Measure your ingredients correctly. I highly recommend using a kitchen scale and the weight measurements provided in the recipe for the most accurate results. If you’re using cups, be sure to read my guide on how to measure flour correctly. You can find the kitchen scale I use and recommend in the “Suggested Equipment” section of the recipe card.
- Use room temperature milk. Take it out of the fridge well before you start. Using room-temperature ingredients helps create a lighter, airier, and fluffier cake.
- Read this post from top to bottom before you start. This sheet cake took several tries to get right, and I learned a lot along the way. I’ve shared everything I learned during testing so you get everything right the first time. Also, read through the full recipe before getting started.
- Follow the recipe exactly as it’s written for the very best results.
Want a Little Something On the Side?
A scoop of creamy vegan vanilla ice cream or vegan chocolate ice cream would be a great pairing.
You could also serve it with fresh berries, a drizzle of vegan chocolate, or vegan maple caramel sauce.
Did You Make It?
If so, I'd love to hear how your vegan vanilla sheet cake recipe turned out! What flavour frosting did you use?
Share your thoughts with a comment and rating below, and/or post a photo of it on Instagram and tag me so I can see it. (I'm @delightfuladventures on Instagram).
Moist & Fluffy Vegan Vanilla Sheet Cake
Suggested Equipment:
Ingredients:
For Vegan Buttermilk:
- 1 ½ cups (375ml) unsweetened dairy-free milk (room temperature)
- 5 teaspoons vinegar (apple cider or white)
For Cake Batter:
- 2 ⅔ cups (334g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ cups (250g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (125ml) oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For the Frosting:
- 1 recipe vegan vanilla buttercream frosting
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Line a 9 x 13-inch rectangle baking pan with parchment paper, set aside.
Make Vegan Buttermilk:
- Pour the dairy-free milk into a measuring cup or bowl.
- Add the vinegar to the milk and stir. Set aside for 10 minutes.
Make Cake Batter:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Add the oil and vanilla to the rested buttermilk and stir.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and stir until everything has combined and no streaks of flour remain. Be careful not to overmix. The batter will be smooth and pourable, similar to a thick pancake batter.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
Bake:
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until the top springs back lightly when touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Take care not to overbake.
- Remove the cake from the oven and place the pan on a cooling rack. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
Cool and Prepare Frosting:
- After 10 minutes, use the parchment overhang to carefully lift the cake out of the pan and place it on the cooling rack. Let it cool completely before frosting.
- While the cake is cooling, prepare the vegan vanilla buttercream frosting.
Frost, Decorate, Slice, and Serve:
- Once fully cooled, frost the cake, spreading it as thickly or thinly as you like. Save any leftover frosting for another recipe.
- If using, add sprinkles to the top of the cake immediately after frosting so they stick.
- Slice the cake and serve.
Recipe Notes:
- Please read all of the information above, as well as the notes below, before making this recipe.
- Don't substitute the all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour. I tested several gluten-free versions, but none produced results I was happy with.
- Storing Leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, then refrigerate for up to 5 more days.
- Freezing: Once fully cooled, wrap the cake tightly, place it in an airtight container or freezer bag, and freeze up to two months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before serving. The cake can be frosted or unfrosted when freezing.
- The nutrition info listed below is based on one of 15 servings of the frosted cake made as written using the full recipe of vanilla frosting. Info is only to be used as a rough guide. Click to learn how nutrition info is calculated on this website.
Did You Make This Recipe or Have a Question About It?