Just because you have food allergies, doesn’t mean that you can’t have a fun birthday cake. This vegan birthday cake is dairy free and egg free and can be simply frosted, cut into elaborate shapes or made into vegan cake pops.
Find more olive oil cake recipes here.

I do not follow a vegan diet. My kids and I are lucky and we do not have any food allergies. But my sweet little nephew is super allergic to dairy and milk. He was just an infant when this was discovered and the world of food allergies was thrust upon my niece as a first-time mom.
When little Landon turned one, I made him his first vegan birthday cake. And I am happy to say that I have been baking him vegan treats regularly ever since.
As he got older, the cakes evolved from simple 2-layer cakes to a candy filled pinata cake and a monster truck cake. Each year, my nephew chooses his theme and he finds cake inspiration on the internet.
I have enjoyed the cake challenges that have come my way and have discovered the many ways you can make and decorate a vegan birthday cake.
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Recipe highlights
- Simple: The cake is made with olive oil, ground flax and almond milk and it creates a very moist and tender vanilla cake. I save the expensive vegan butter for the delicious frosting!
- Tried and true recipe: I have been baking this cake for 10-years in all shapes and sizes, from a simple 6-inch cake to a carved monster truck cake to vegan cake pops! This recipe can handle it all!
- Flavor: My niece’s friends have repeatedly told me that this is the best tasting vegan cake (and frosting) they’ve ever had. It is devoured by everyone, whether they have a food allergy or not!
- Make ahead: Just like regular cakes, this cake stays moist even if you bake it a day or two before your event.
Ingredients you need
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Vegan Vanilla Cake Ingredients
- Non-dairy milk: I used regular unsweetened almond milk for this recipe. You can also use oat milk or any other non-dairy milk.
- Egg replacement: I have tested this recipe using a combination of ground flax and water. I usually use golden flax meal, which bakes a more uniform looking vanilla cake. With these pictures, I used regular flax meal, which has darker specks. It does not change the cake’s flavor or texture, so the choice is yours. You can also use aquafaba. Learn more about using aquafaba here.
- Fat: I bake with extra virgin olive oil all the time. It is the only oil that is extracted using only physical means, meaning it doesn’t need a chemical to extract it. If you’ve read my blog before, then you learned your lesson on how to bake with olive oil. Your baked goods are only as good as the ingredients you put into it. Choose a mild tasting olive oil for this cake recipe, not a peppery one.
- Sprinkles: If you find vegan sprinkles you want to bake into the cake for a vegan funfetti cake, feel free to add it to the batter.
- Pantry Staples: all purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt and vanilla extract.
Vegan Buttercream Frosting Ingredients
- Vegan butter: I used Earth Balance butter. Feel free to use your favorite vegan butter. Choose one with good flavor. You could use vegetable shortening, but it doesn’t offer much in terms of flavor. You can also use a combination of vegan butter and vegetable shortening.
- Powdered sugar: Also known as confectioners sugar.
- Vanilla extract: You can also use almond extract or any other extract flavor you want.
- Non-dairy milk: A little milk helps smooth the frosting. You can use any variety like almond, coconut, soy or oat milk.
Step-by-step directions
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- Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
- Make the flax egg. In a small bowl whisk together water and ground flax.
- Whip the sugar. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer combine sugar and olive oil until combined and mixture resembles wet sand.
- Add wet ingredients. Add vanilla and almond milk into sugar mixture, scraping down the sides of mixing bowl with a silicone scraper then mix again. Mixing on low speed, add flax water, scraping down sides in between.
- Finish batter. In batches, add dry ingredients and mix into wet ingredients until just combined. Again, scrape down sides of the bowl to combine thoroughly. Do not over mix the batter.
- Transfer to pans. Coat 2 9-inch round cake pans with non-stick spray and line bottom with parchment paper. Divide batter into prepared cake pans. Use a kitchen scale to weigh each pan to help you keep the two layers equal.
- Bake the cakes. Bake at 350ºF until edges are golden or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool in pan for 10 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Make the frosting. Whip the vegan butter with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy, about 5-8 minutes. The more air you add, the fluffier the frosting. Add vanilla, milk and powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until well combined.
- Frost the cake. Once cakes have cooled completely, frost as desired.
Recipe tips and FAQs
I still remember one mom laughingly recall me how she was raised by vegan parents and the horrible vegan cakes she ate growing up! But not MY cake.
Does it taste different than a regular vanilla cake. Well, yes. There is almond milk instead of cow milk and flax meal instead of eggs. For some, the cake has a little after taste, but for most people they don’t notice a difference.
Whether you are looking for a cake for a young one’s birthday or a simple vegan vanilla cake to enjoy just because, this is a very easy recipe to whip together. You can also add fresh berries on top of the cake and cover with vegan whipped cream, if you are not a fan of frosting.
The video on this post is for my vanilla cake recipe with olive oil, which is the base cake recipe I used to create this vegan version. The preparation process is still the same.
Storing/Freezing Instructions
TO STORE: If your cake is frosted, I suggest storing any leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. If unfrosted, you can keep it covered on the counter for up to 3 days or refrigerate for longer.
TO FREEZE: You can also freeze leftovers. Wrap in foil, parchment paper or plastic wrap and freeze for up to 4 months.
You can use vegan butter as the fat base for your vegan frosting. You can also use vegetable shortening or a combination of the two. Whip it until fluffy then mix in vanilla extract and powdered sugar until smooth. Mix in some almond milk if it is too thick.
To make vegan chocolate frosting, you can use vegan butter, vegetable shortening or a combination of the two for your base. Whip it until fluffy then mix in vanilla extract, unsweetened cocoa powder and powdered sugar until smooth. Mix in some almond milk if it is too thick.
Vegan Birthday Cake
Ingredients
Vegan Vanilla Cake Ingredients
- 2 ½ cup granulated sugar
- 4 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ⅓ cup almond milk
- ¼ cup ground flax
- 1 tablespoon ground flax
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoon water
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Vegan Buttercream Frosting Ingredients
- 9 oz vegan butter like Earth Balance
- 1 lb powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 teaspoon almond milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Coat 2 9-inch round cake pans with non-stick spray and line bottom with parchment paper.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
- In a small bowl whisk together water and ground flax.
- In a large bowl, using a stand or hand mixer combine sugar and olive oil until combined and mixture resembles wet sand.
- Add vanilla and almond milk into sugar mixture. Scrape the sides of mixing bowl and mix again.
- Mixing on low speed, add flax water, scraping down sides in between.
- In batches, add dry ingredients and mix into wet ingredients until just combined. Again, scrape down sides of the bowl to combine thoroughly. Do not over mix the batter.
- Divide batter into prepared cake pans and bake until edges are golden, approximately 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Place on rack to cool before removing cakes from pans.
- Once cooled, frost as desired.
- To make the frosting, cream the butter In a large bowl on the medium speed of an electric mixer until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until well combined.
- Add vanilla extract until well combined.
- If frosting is thick, add a little almond milk (1-2 tsp) until smooth.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
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Written by Laura Bashar
Hi, I’m Laura, a certified professional cook and cookbook author living in San Diego. I have been sharing my family’s favorite recipes inspired from all over the world since 2008. Let’s cook up something fun!
Yay for making a gorgeous and delicious vegan cake. So many people including me are thanking you!
Ah, thank you! I hope you like it!
Such a great recipe! Vegan baking is a pain (well, for me at least), and this recipe solves so many difficulties. And everyone has vegan friends these days, so this is a must-have recipe. Really nice — thanks.
So many of my friends have kids with some kind of food allergies. I am fine with adapting and like the culinary challenge!
So many more kids can eat this cake than one with eggs and cow milk, and it’s every bit as perfect for a birthday cake!
Jenni, I was so glad the birthday boy liked it. And it was even better to hear that those who don’t have food allergies liked it too!