Dairy Free Vanilla Cake
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This Dairy-Free Vanilla Cake is soft, fluffy, and made without eggs or dairy. Sweetened naturally with a touch of maple syrup and topped with a creamy coconut frosting, it’s a simple, one-bowl cake that everyone can enjoy — vegan or not.
The cake itself is tender, golden, and perfectly moist, while the coconut cream frosting adds a luscious finish and a sprinkle of shredded coconut gives it texture and charm. One layer cake, one mixing bowl, and a few easy steps is all it takes for a gorgeous dairy free vanilla cake.
Completely Dairy-Free.
I love this cake because it’s soft, fluffy, and totally fuss-free, yet still feels indulgent. The coconut frosting is my favorite part — sweet, silky, and perfect with every bite.Sam x
Egg-free & dairy-free — perfect for vegan baking
One-bowl simplicity — cake and frosting made without fuss
Why this recipe works
This recipe is built around understanding how to replace traditional ingredients without sacrificing taste or texture.
Egg-Free Lift: Apple cider vinegar reacts with baking powder and baking soda to make the cake rise and stay light.
Moisture Without Dairy: Coconut milk and olive oil keep the cake soft, tender, and golden.
Coconut Cream Frosting: Chilled coconut whipping cream whips to soft peaks with maple syrup and vanilla, creating a silky, indulgent topping without dairy.
Ingredients you’ll need
Plain All-Purpose Flour
Forms the structure of the cake while keeping it tender.
Baking Powder & Baking Soda
Work together to give the eggless cake lift and lightness.
Caster Sugar (Golden or White)
Sweetens the cake naturally without overpowering the vanilla flavour.
Coconut Milk (Carton, Not Canned)
Provides moisture and a dairy-free alternative to milk.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Neutral Oil
Adds extra moisture, helps keep the cake soft even after cooling, and enhances tenderness.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Reacts with baking soda for lift and helps the eggless cake stay fluffy.
Vanilla Extract
Enhances the natural sweetness and delivers classic vanilla flavour.
Coconut Whipping Cream (Canned, Refrigerated Overnight)
Used for the frosting, whipped with maple syrup and vanilla for a creamy, airy topping.
Maple Syrup
Naturally sweetens the frosting without refined sugar.
Shredded Coconut
Gives texture and a beautiful finish to the frosting.
How to make dairy free vanilla cake
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk in the sugar until well combined.
Step 2: Pour in the coconut milk (or milk of choice), olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract. Gently fold with a spatula until fully incorporated and no streaks of flour remain. Do not over-mix.
Step 3: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30–35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean and the top springs back when pressed lightly.Â
Step 4: Chill bowl and scoop 200g coconut cream. Beat with maple syrup and vanilla until fluffy, then spread over cooled cake and sprinkle with shredded coconut. Enjoy!
How to store
Room Temperature: 2–3 days in an airtight container away from humidity.
Refrigeration: 3–4 days in an airtight container.
Freezing: Wrap cooled, unfrosted cake tightly in plastic wrap and foil. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge 24 hours before frosting.
More recipes
Dairy Free Vanilla Cake
Ingredients
Method
- Chill Coconut Cream: Refrigerate the coconut whipping cream overnight (or at least several hours) before making the frosting. This ensures it whips up fluffy and silky.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 356ºF (180ºC). Line a 8 inch round or square baking tin with parchment paper, and set aside. Note: For non-stick pans, line the base with parchment paper and grease just the sides with butter and dust with flour for smooth cake sides. Set aside.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk in the sugar until well combined.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Pour in the almond milk, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract. Gently fold with a spatula until fully incorporated and no streaks of flour remain. Do not over-mix.
- Transfer Batter: Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top.
- Bake: Bake for 30–35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean and the top springs back when pressed lightly.
- Cool Cake: Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Chill Bowl: Chill a large mixing bowl in the freezer for 15 minutes before preparing the frosting.
- Prepare Coconut Cream: Remove the refrigerated coconut whipping cream. Scoop out 200g of solid cream into the chilled bowl (discard any liquid or save for smoothies).
- Whip Frosting: Beat the coconut cream for a few seconds until creamy. Add the maple syrup and vanilla, then beat until soft peaks form. Avoid over-beating.
- Frost Cake: Dollop frosting onto the cooled cake and spread evenly.
- Add Coconut: Sprinkle shredded coconut over the top. Enjoy!
Hi, the cake looks amazing would love to try but I’m just wondering see if we could use gluten free flour instead ..
Hi Yoshi, thank you! If you have a good quality plain all purpose gluten free flour that you have had success with in baked goods, I would suggest that. As I haven’t made this cake gluten free myself, I cannot guarantee it will have the same end result. I can only recommend you use a good GF all purpose flour in place of the flour in this recipe, 1:1 ratio so you would use 2 cups for your gluten free flour. Hope that helps 🙂