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The Best Vegan Layer Cake

The Best Vegan Layer Cake for Any Occasion

Learn how to achieve the perfect Vegan Layer Cake with this easy recipe! Moist, fluffy, and beautifully decorated—no dairy needed!
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Dessert
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar (use organic or certified vegan sugar)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Wet ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • ⅔ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon alcohol-free vanilla flavoring
  • 1 ½ teaspoons alcohol-free almond flavoring
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar

For the frosting

  • 1 cup vegetable shortening
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon alcohol-free vanilla flavoring
  • 1 teaspoon alcohol-free almond flavoring
  • 1-2 tablespoons unsweetened vanilla almond milk (adjust for texture)

Decorations

  • Vegan sprinkles

Instructions
 

  • Grab a big bowl and toss in your flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Use a whisk and give everything a good mix. I like to think of this as waking up the dry ingredients and telling them it’s time to party!
  • Now let’s bring in the wet crew. Pour in the almond milk and oil, then add that lovely alcohol-free vanilla flavoring and the almond flavoring. Mix, mix, mix until your batter looks smooth and there are no flour clumps hanging around. Seriously, don’t leave those sneaky lumps behind.
  • Here comes the secret weapon, vinegar! This is what makes the cake rise and get all fluffy. Add the vinegar last and gently stir it in. You’ll see some bubbles popping up, and that’s our little science magic happening right there.
  • Grab three six-inch cake pans and spray them with nonstick spray. Pop in parchment rounds at the bottom. I know cutting those circles is kinda annoying, but trust me, it’s worth it. Pour the batter evenly into the pans. I usually eyeball it, but if you want to be fancy, you can weigh them to make sure they’re even.
  • Bake the cakes in a preheated oven at 350°F, that’s about 175°C, for 30 minutes. The waiting is the hardest part, right? Once they’re done, let them cool completely. You can level the tops if you want that super neat layered look, but honestly, they bake pretty flat already so no pressure.
  • While your cakes are chilling, let’s whip up the frosting. Beat the vegetable shortening until it’s soft and smooth. Slowly add in the powdered sugar while mixing. Stir in the alcohol-free vanilla and almond flavorings. If it feels too thick, just splash in a little almond milk until it’s creamy but not runny.
  • Time to stack this beauty. Place one cake layer on your cake board and spread on a big, cozy layer of frosting. Keep going until all your layers are stacked. Frost the whole outside with a thin crumb coat and pop the cake in the freezer for five minutes. Quick chill time makes frosting life so much easier.
  • Now cover the whole cake with the rest of the frosting. I’ll be honest, getting it super smooth is tricky since vegetable shortening doesn’t set like butter does. I had a few bumpy spots, but you know what, that’s cake life and I love it.
  • Let’s go sprinkle crazy! Press vegan sprinkles around the bottom of the cake. Add more sprinkles on top and around the edges. You can totally make it your own here, go simple or go wild, both ways are awesome.