Low Sugar Vegan Vanilla Cake

Total time2 hr

Prep time25 min

Cook time35 min

This layered beauty comes together with a tender, fluffy crumb thanks to a curdled plant-based milk mixture that mimics classic buttermilk texture, plus a hit of vanilla extract running through both the cake and the frosting. The batter is mixed the traditional way — creaming softened butter until pale and light, then alternating dry ingredients with the wet for a soft, even bake. Once cooled, each round gets stacked and swept with a smooth, spreadable frosting that pipes and swoops beautifully across the top and sides. It bakes up golden and springs back to the touch, with two generous layers perfect for slicing at a birthday or weekend gathering. If you're watching added sugar, this is a genuinely solid pick to keep in rotation, since the whole build leans on straightforward pantry staples rather than anything fussy. Every bite delivers that classic vanilla-forward flavor without feeling like a compromise recipe.

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Ingredients

12 servings

For the cake

1 cup plant-based milk
Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Unsweetened Original Almond Milk Silk Unsweet Almond Milk, 64 fl oz Silk Organic Unsweet Soy Milk - 64 fl oz Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Unsweetened Original Shelf Stable Almond Milk - 32 fl oz OATLY! 100% VEGAN THE ORIGINAL OAT MILK
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1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp fine salt
1 ½ cups organic cane sugar
Chef's tip
Use the same volume. Baking behavior varies by blend: some brown faster or stay softer, while others brown less. Follow the package's baking guidance and start checking a few minutes early.
½ cup vegan butter, softened
⅓ cup neutral oil (such as canola oil or sunflower oil)
2 tsp vanilla extract

For the frosting

1 cup vegan butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Chef's tip
Follow the package's conversion to powdered sugar. In frosting or glaze, add liquid gradually - replacements can absorb it differently.
2–3 tbsp plant-based milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
⅛ tsp fine salt

Instructions

1
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
2
Stir together the 1 cup plant-based milk and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl and set aside for 5 minutes until slightly curdled.

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