Discover our 30 best vegan cake recipes to satisfy any sweet tooth, vegans and non-vegans alike.

This list includes vegan sponge cakes, pound cakes, easy singlelayer desserts, frosting, and more—basically, everything you need to make the best vegan cake.

Vegan cakes with frosting and glazing

This list is also a selection of cakes suitable for birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, and celebrations like New Year, Christmas, or Thanksgiving.

Whether you’re a seasoned vegan or curious to explore eggfree and dairyfree options, this collection is bound to inspire and satisfy your cravings.

Join us as we explore the creativity and flavors of these mouthwatering vegan cakes, where every slice is a testament to the possibilities of vegan baking.

If you have a sweet craving, these homemade vegan cake recipes satisfy that sweet tooth.

Vegan Cakes with glazing and frosting

Tips for making vegan cakes

  • Check your baking powder’s freshness.
    Baking powder can get stale and inactive if kept for too long in your pantry. To check if it’s still active, add one teaspoon of baking powder to a small bowl and pour half a cup of hot, almost boiling water.
    If the baking powder foams, it’s still active, and you can use it. If not, it lost its raising magic.
  • Do not over-mix. Over-mixing will result in a heavy, gummy cake. If you want your vegan cake light and fluffy, then mix till the ingredients are incorporated and no more.
  • Try to be fast. When you add baking powder to the cake batter, try to finish your cake and bake it as fast as possible.
    The baking powder starts working as soon as it touches the cake batter, and if you leave it out for too long without baking, you’ll lose some of its leavening power.
sliced vegan apple cake

Our Best Vegan Cake Recipes

How to store vegan cakes

  • How to store: Most cakes are kept out of the fridge for 2-3 days, covered with a cake container.
  • How to freeze: You can also freeze most of these cakes. We recommend putting them in the freezer for 30 min before cutting them, as you’ll get much sharper slices. You can freeze the vegan cake for up to a week. Let it out of the freezer for about 45 minutes before eating it. We highly recommend referring to each recipe for its storage instructions.
  • NOTE: Limiting airflow to the cakes and sweets is vital to preserve their softness.
cake donuts with a bite

For many more easy dessert ideas, check out our desserts category page.

Vegan cake recipes

30 Vegan Cakes (cake donuts)

By: Nico Pallotta
5 from 1 vote
Cake donuts are a simple, quick, and delicious treat you can make in 30 minutes with simple pantry staples.
You can expect a firm donut with a soft cake-like crumb and a delicious cinnamon sugar, lemon, or chocolate topping.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 12 donuts
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Equipment

  • 12-donut baking pan

Ingredients

DRY INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon or grated lemon zest

WET INGREDIENTS

  • cup milk any, we use almond milk
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil sub avocado oil or canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

CINNAMON SUGAR TOPPING

  • ¼ cup sugar
  • teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ cup milk any, we use almond milk

LEMON GLAZE TOPPING

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions 

MAKE DONUT BATTER

  • Preheat the oven to 340°F or 170°C. Brush your donut baking pan with butter or dairy-free butter.
    In a large bowl, whisk 1 cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
    Flour in a glass bowl
  • Add ⅔ cup milk, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Whisk to combine without overmixing.
    donut batter in a glass bowl

BAKE THE DONUTS

  • With the help of a spoon, pour the mixture into the donut pan, filling the molds a little over half full.
    donut cake pan with batter
  • Bake at 340°F or 170°C for 20 minutes. Let them cool down for 10 minutes in the pan, then take them out and serve with your favorite topping.
    cake donuts after baking in a pan

CINNAMON SUGAR TOPPING

  • In a small bowl, add ¼ cup milk. In another small bowl, add 1½ teaspoon cinnamon stirred in ¼ cup sugar.
    Dip the top half of each donut in milk first and in cinnamon sugar later, and arrange on a wire rack to cool.
    Donuts dipped in milk and cinnamon

LEMON GLAZE TOPPING

  • In a small bowl, whisk 1 cup powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until creamy.
    Dip the donuts in the glaze, then top with grated lemon zest or sprinkles.
    Lemon donuts with sprinkles
  • You can serve the donuts right away, with milk, coffee, or a latte.
    Cake donuts stacked

Video

Notes

Nutrition information is an estimate for 1 cake donut out of 12 made with non-dairy milk and without topping.
STORAGE
Make Ahead: this recipe is excellent for making ahead because the donuts keep very well for several days.
Room temperature: store donuts in a food-grade plastic bag or an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 – 5 days. If they get a little dry on the last day, warm them in the microwave for 1 minute to bring out the moisture in the dough.
Freezer: cake donuts are great for freezing. Let them cool down completely, arrange them in a freezer-friendly bag, and freeze them for up to 6 months.
Thaw: defrost in the microwave for a few minutes or fridge for several hours.

Nutrition

Calories: 88kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 0.2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Potassium: 65mg, Dietary Fiber: 0.4g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 52IU, Vitamin B6: 0.03mg, Vitamin C: 1mg, Vitamin E: 1mg, Vitamin K: 1µg, Calcium: 36mg, Folate: 23µg, Iron: 1mg, Manganese: 0.1mg, Magnesium: 3mg, Zinc: 0.1mg
Tried this recipe? Leave a comment below or mention @theplantbasedschool on Instagram. We are also on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and TikTok.

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Nico and Louise in the kitchen

Hi! We are Nico & Louise

Welcome to The Plant-Based School, a food blog with easy, tasty, and wholesome recipes.

Our aim is to help you and your family eat more veggies through delicious recipes with simple ingredients.

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