Celebrate life’s big and little moments with an instant classic. It will be love at first bite when you sink your fork into the tender, moist, delicately sweet slice of Vanilla Bean Cake. Combining baking staples with an easy process, this will become your go-to recipe.
Whether you’re looking for the perfect dessert to celebrate a birthday with or just want to bake up a sweet treat for family and friends, this graceful cake will take center stage. With a double dose of floral and aromatic vanilla, it’s the perfect canvas for everything from chocolate or vanilla frosting to even a tangy Dairy-Free Cream Cheese Frosting.
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Why you will love this recipe
Easy Process - Skip the boxed mix and make this homemade vanilla cake. This is an easy and straightforward process that is ideal for everyone including the beginning baker. It’s also a great recipe to get your kids into the kitchen and let them help as well. And unlike a boxed mix, you’re in control of all of the ingredients.
Adaptability - You can easily adapt this recipe to your personal dietary needs.
Make Ahead - Looking for a pretty confection to make ahead of time to bring to a party? This is it.
Ingredients
- Greek Yogurt - You can use dairy-free or dairy Greek yogurt for this recipe. This gives the cake moisture and a slight tang that balances the sweetness.
- Vegetable Oil - A neutral flavor that adds moisture to the cake and keeps it tender and moist for days to come.
- Plant Butter - This gives your cake richness while also keeping it tender and moist. You’ll want to melt it, and allow it to cool.
- Oat Milk
- Vanilla Extract - The higher the quality of the vanilla, the more pronounced the flavor. Vanilla is a little floral and naturally sweet. It gives depth to this cake.
- Vanilla Bean Paste - Intensely concentrated vanilla flavor, it’s a combination of vanilla bean caviar, a simple syrup, and a thickener. This is what makes this Vanilla Bean Cake so special.
- Eggs - Eggs give this cake its structure and stability while also giving it richness and light texture.
- Gluten-Free Flour - Use a quality 1.1 Gluten Free flour for this recipe. Not all 1 to 1 flours are created equal so check the labels. Some contain powdered milk.
- Cornstarch - A small amount of cornstarch helps keep gluten-free baked goods tender and moist. A little goes a long way.
- Sugar
- Baking Powder
- Salt - Enhances all of the natural flavors of the ingredients and gives the cake depth of flavor.
- Frosting
- Rose icing color
- Sprinkles: To achieve this same look with fun sprinkles, I used these Great Surprise Pastel Confetti Sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 2 9-inch cake pans.
- Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. In the mixer, place butter and half of the sugar.
- Mix on medium-high until fluffy about 1 and a half minutes. Then add the remaining sugar and your oil and mix again until fluffy about 1 minute.
- Begin adding eggs one by one, mixing after every 2 eggs.
- Add in vanilla and vanilla bean paste and mix lightly.
- Pour in half of your dry ingredients and mix until combined.
- Then add in your milk and yogurt.
- Mix those until combined.
- Finally, add in the remaining dry ingredients and mix on medium-high until all the way combined.
- This batter will be wet and pudding-like.
- Bake at 350°F for 30- 37 mins. A toothpick will come out clean when done. Let cake cool for 1 hour before frosting.
Storage
- Allow your cake to cool completely before tightly wrapping it in plastic wrap. If it is still warm it’ll create condensation and become soggy. Make sure the cake is completely wrapped and the plastic wrap hugs the cake. This will prevent air from getting in.
- Place the wrapped cake in an airtight container such as a cake carrier. You want it large enough to safely accommodate the cake without squashing it.
- Keep your cake refrigerated until you’re ready to serve it. A moist cake will spoil quickly if left at room temperature.
- When you are ready to serve your masterpiece, allow it to sit out for an hour and come to room temperature.
Equipment
Top Tips
- Make sure that all of your ingredients like the eggs, yogurt, and oat milk are at room temperature. This helps keep the cake tender and allows all of the ingredients to mix together smoothly without over-mixing.
- Don’t over-mix the batter! This will give you that tender crumb you crave. Over-mixing can result in a heavy and dense cake.
- While there aren’t a lot of ingredients in this vanilla bean cake recipe, you want to make sure you are using high-quality ingredients such as your 1 to 1 Gluten Free flour. Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour is a great option.
- Let the cake cool completely before adding your frosting. Not only do you not want to melt your frosting, but gluten-free cakes are more fragile in texture than wheat-based caked. No one wants their frosting sliding off.
FAQ
Can Vanilla Bean Cake be made into cupcakes?
Yes, this recipe cake easily be adapted into cupcakes or even a sheet cake.
How long does this cake last?
The shelf life depends upon several factors including how it is stored. It will last longer refrigerated and if left at room temperature will keep for 3-4 days.
Can I freeze Vanilla Bean Cake?
Yes! Allow it to cool completely and then tightly wrap it in plastic wrap. Place the wrapped cakes in freezer-safe bags, making sure that all of the air is out. When ready to use them allow them to defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
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📖 Recipe
The Best Vanilla Bean Cake
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- ¾ cup dairy free Greek yogurt or regular greek yogurt if not df
- 2 ¼ cup sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup plant butter melted and cooled
- 1 cup oat milk room temperature
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Bean paste
- 6 eggs room temperature
Dry ingredients
- 2 ¾ cup Gluten Free 1:1 Flour
- 2 tablespoon corn starch
- 4 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Singing Dog Vanilla Frosting
- 2 packs frosting Singing Dog
- rose icing color
Sprinkles Decoration
Instructions
Mise en Place
- Preheat your oven to 350 ℉. This recipe will make two 9” round cake pans so lightly grease your cake pans and set them aside.
Dry Ingredients
- Add all of your dry ingredients to a bowl and whisk them together.
Cream
- In a separate bowl using either a hand mixer or stand mixer, add your butter and half of the sugar and mix on high until fluffy and airy, about a minute and a half.
- Add the remaining sugar and oil and mix for another minute until fluffy.
Wet Ingredients
- Add one egg at a time, mixing after every two eggs. Once the eggs have been incorporated add in your vanilla and vanilla bean paste and mix.
Mix
- Carefully add in half of your dry ingredients, allowing them to incorporate into the batter. Next add the milk and yogurt and allow it to mix in.
- Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until just combined. The batter will be thick and pudding like.
Divide
- Divide your batter between the two prepared cake pans and gently smooth out the tops.
Bake
- Place your cake pans in the middle of the oven and allow them to bake for 30-37 minutes until the tops are lightly golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
Rest
- Allow your cakes to cool completely before frosting them.
Frosting
- Make this frosting and just dip the tip of a toothpick in the icing color and use to drop. Set a time until the desired color is reached.
Decoration
- Sprinkle the cake with my favorite Pastel Confetti Sprinkles
Sidney Hays says
This cake is amazing! I made it with regular flour and regular milk (2tsp of baking soda instead of 4tsp of baking powder) and it’s a hit! Amazingly dense and moist. Sweet without being too sweet. I made my own vanilla cream buttercream and iced it with that. It tastes like the vanilla cake from Trader Joe’s but better!
NKendrick says
Thank you so much!! I am so happy that you enjoyed it!
Ashley says
My friend just discovered that she's got Celiac, so I was thrilled to find your recipe to make her a delicious birthday cake. It was a hit!! Thank you so much!
NKendrick says
Love this, thank you for sharing!
user-974191 says
awesome
Emily says
delicious cake!! i swapped out the eggs for a flax seed and water combination to make it vegan and it turned out perfect!! moist, flavoursome and sweet enough to just have the sponge on it's own if desired! not too sweet though, just perfect and lovely with a little icing on top. i used the recipe to make a big cake and some cupcakes
NKendrick says
Emily, thank you so much for sharing! I really appreciate your addition of the flax eggs and knowing it came out amazing!
Sonia says
Can you use sour creme instead of yogurt ?
NKendrick says
Hello! I haven’t tried it in this cake, but I have done it with others, and it comes out just fine! I imagine it will work fine! It will usually give you the same texture and tang! If you try it, please report back let me know how it worked out!
Pat says
I used gluten free sour cream , and cake is amazingly delicious! Also had no kind of milk, so used a part of a can of coconut milk and it worked perfect!
Nicole Kendrick says
LOVE this substitution!!!
Tonya says
Hi! I'm afraid I did something wrong. Mine didn't come out fluffy like yours. It's super dense. I only have 8 inch pans, but everything else I believe I followed exactly. Do you have any idea what I did wrong?
NKendrick says
Hi! What brand flour did you use? Also, what kind of butter and yogurt? Did you measure the flour by grams?
Tonya says
I used Bob's all purpose flour. Earth balance vegan butter. Coconut milk yogurt. I measured by cup. I don't have grams on my measuring cups.
NKendrick says
My guest guess would be the flour was too much. I always measure the flour by grams once I measure the up out, and I find that each cup always has a different weight. After messing up numerous desserts, I found it was best to go by grams. You can get a cheap food scale on Amazon, I put my flour in a bowl and measure it that way!
Brian says
I plan to make this recipe this weekend! Is there an option to show metric/grams measurements?
NKendrick says
So sorry I am just seeing this. Unfortunately, at this time there isn't a metric/gram conversion on the recipes posted.
Pat says
Did you pay close attention to the mixing method? Like Beat the melted butter with half sugar til fluffy, then add oil and rest of sugar and beat that til fluffy as well? AND all liquids at room temp as well...
Nicole Kendrick says
Hi, yes this is how I do it:)
Andréa Janssen says
This vanilla bean cake looks so inviting. And so quick and easy to prepare. I just want to make it right now! And I think I'm going to start immediately!
Nora says
This cake is so delicious! I could make him again and again! I guess the family won't mind that either! 😀
NKendrick says
So happy to hear this!! Thank you for sharing!!
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome says
This cake is so moist and rich with vanilla. I used a strawberry frosting on it and it was eaten up the first day! I only got one piece. It's easy to make and worth the time.
NKendrick says
Oh I love the combination! Thank you for sharing!
AMANDA IAVARONE says
Hi Nicole, would it be possible to use this recipe but use all-purpose flour and normal butter and greek yogurt please?
NKendrick says
Hello Amanda, yes! This recipe will work with regular butter, flour and greek yogurt. However I would remove about 2-3 tbsps of milk as gluten doesn’t require as much moisture as gluten free does.
Theresa Krunev says
This cake is addicting to eat! I also love the video with the recipe! Love the 20 minute prep only!
NKendrick says
It is definitely addicting! Glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Alison Strode says
Loved this cake! I used 1/2 recipe and used 9x9 sq pan. Needed the full minutes! I used as a strawberry shortcake. It was a big hit!!!
NKendrick says
Thank you so much for sharing this with me, Allison!! Strawberry shortcake sounds amazing! I’m so glad to hear you loved it!