Mastering the Art of Vegan Cake Recipes

One of the biggest concerns of non-vegans and those considering the lifestyle is the worry that they’ll never again have a flavorful, decadent, out-of-this-world, to-die-for cake again. Believe it or not, it’s actually the least of your worries.

Not only is there an abundant supply of vegan cake recipes on the internet and in vegan cookbooks, but you can often take your old tried and true favorite recipes and veganize them. There are also tons of great vegan bakeries where you can sample the goods.

There are a few tricks to vegan baking.

1. First of all are the eggs.

Traditionally, eggs are used to help the cakes and cookies become fluffy and light, just thick enough, and to stick together.

Those of us who grew up in kitchens with mothers who love to bake still carry some fascination for the laws of psychics and how we don’t actually need an egg in our baked goods to make them come out right. It’s true though.

Learn here about my favorite egg substitutes.

2. The second trick involves replacing cow’s milk with some other type of plant-based milk.

You do have some room to play around here because there are just so many vegan milk options nowadays. Check out our more in depth page about the virtues of the different kinds of milks.

Hint: My special trick for making vegan cupcakes and cakes truly decadent is to use coconut milk. It makes the cake incredibly moist and surprisingly moist.

3. Replacing the butter in your vegan cake recipes

Again, simple. Quite simply, you just need to find a good butter substitute made with vegetable oil rather than cow’s milk.

There are a few brands of non-hydrogenated non-dairy butter substitutes on the market, which will be better for your health than typical hydrogenated butters. Earth Balance brand is most people's favorite butter substitute, and it can be used one-for-one in place of regular butter.

Canola oil is another oil option, but you will want to use less than the amount of butter called for in a recipe. For a recipe that calls for 1/2 cup butter, use 1/3 cup canola oil.

And, if you’re looking to reduce your added fats intake, try applesauce or prune juice as a substitute. To do this, puree prunes (1/2 cup) with water (1/4 cup) and use the same measurements as with canola oil.

4. Vegan baking with unrefined sweeteners

Many sugars are processed with bone char from factory farmed animals. Nothing goes to waste. You can avoid using those sugars by looking for the vegan label, and by using unrefined sugars. Personally, I find that white sugar gives me a headache and makes me feel drowsy and icky all day, whereas less refined sugars work better with my body. I love the taste of vegan chocolate cake made with a nice agave syrup rather than regular sugar.

However, it certainly isn’t necessary to use unrefined sugars. Most dessert recipes are designed with white sugar in mind, so it’s often much easier to simply use a good vegan sugar.

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• Turbinado is evaporated cane juice, but technically is still very similar to white sugar. It is slightly brown, but tastes exactly the same, so you don't have to worry about new flavors in your vegan baking.

• Agave nectar is the sugar from an agave cactus that has a lower glycemic index than regular sugar. That means it doesn't spike your blood sugar levels as much as regular sugar. It comes in liquid form and is sweeter than regular white sugar, so you can use less of it.

• Maple syrup is also great as a natural sweetener that has a nice maple flavor in the background.

• Brown rice syrup is made from brown rice and has a flavor and texture so similar to honey that I think it can be used as an exact replacement.

• Barley malt syrup is another natural sugar. It does have a slightly wheat-like flavor, so use it more in heartier baked goods like muffins.

These are my favorite cookbooks for vegan cake recipes. To check out my longer reviews of these cookbooks, click here.

• The Joy of Vegan Baking: The Compassionate Cooks' Traditional Treats and Sinful Sweets

• The 100 Best Vegan Baking Recipes: Amazing Cookies, Cakes, Muffins, Pies, Brownies and Breads

• BabyCakes: Vegan, (Mostly) Gluten-Free, and (Mostly) Sugar-Free Recipes from New York's Most Talked-About Bakery

• Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World: 75 Dairy-Free Recipes for Cupcakes that Rule

Enjoy and take the time to read and share your favorite vegan cake recipes below.

Submit Your Recipe Here

What's your favorite vegan cake recipe? Do you have a cake that can turn the most dedicated carnivore to the other side? We can never use enough vegan chocolate cake recipes, birthday cake recipes, carrot cakes, or cheesecakes. Share your recipe here.

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