This fluffy Vegan Loaf Cake is so delicious with its sweet vanilla and buttery flavors! Plant-based yogurt and a few other simple ingredients easily come together to create an incredibly soft and moist crumb. Top it with a decadent glaze for a lovely dessert or birthday cake that everyone will love!
This easy cake is quite the crowd pleaser, especially around holidays such as Valentine’s, Easter, and Christmas.
The taste and texture are out of this world! Every sweet bite of this classic vanilla cake is so tender and it stays moist for days.
It’s just like a regular cake but baked in a bread pan instead. Either enjoy it as-is, add a dusting of powdered sugar, or top it with whipped cream and berries as you would with a pound cake or shortcake.
You can make it even more glorious for a party or special occasion by adding my Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting.
I like to ice it with a creamy, melt-in-your-mouth vanilla glaze. It tastes incredible, sets up nicely after spreading it over top, and is such a breeze to make. All you need are powdered sugar, vanilla extract, some melted butter, and a touch of yogurt for a little tang.
You just need a few ingredients to whip up this recipe and they are all easy to find! Vegan yogurt and a simple homemade buttermilk work together to keep this cake so soft and moist.
The process is very similar to my delicious Vegan Chocolate Bread. Simply combine everything in one bowl, pour it into a loaf pan, and bake!
For more irresistible vegan sweets, be sure to check out my Apple Crumble Cake, Tres Leches Cake, and Zucchini Banana Bread!
Reasons To Love This Recipe!
- Doesn’t fall apart
- Isn’t overly sweet
- No eggs, no dairy
- Simple ingredients
- So moist and tender
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Ingredients and Substitutions
- Plant Milk – Use a full-fat plant milk such as soy or almond.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – ACV is combined with the plant milk to make a curdled buttermilk mixture that adds moisture to the loaf while also holding it together. Lemon juice or vinegar can work as well.
- Flour – Use all-purpose flour for a light and airy texture.
- Cane Sugar – Use a granulated sugar such as cane sugar that’s labeled as “vegan” or “organic” to ensure that it’s free of the use of animals.
- Baking Powder – Helps the cake rise a little while it’s baking.
- Cornstarch – This softens the texture as well as helps to hold it together.
- Salt – Just a little to enhance the flavors.
- Vegan Yogurt – Plant based yogurt such as coconut or soy not only adds moisture but helps it hold onto it well after being baked. Vegan sour cream can work too.
- Vegan Butter – Just a little salted butter is used in place of oil.
- Vanilla Extract – Gives a warm, delicious flavor.
- Optional Glaze – Combine powdered sugar plant based yogurt, melted vegan butter, and vanilla.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Here are some quick visual steps. Find the full recipe with exact measurements on the recipe card below.
Preheat the oven and grease or line a loaf pan. Melt the vegan butter and let it cool down.
Place the plant milk and vegan yogurt on the counter so that they start to come to room temperature.
Make the vegan buttermilk by combining the plant milk with the apple cider vinegar. Let it sit for a few minutes to curdle.
Whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients and fold it all together.
Pour the thick, shaggy batter into the loaf pan and smooth out the top.
Bake the vanilla loaf cake for about 45 minutes. It’s ready when the top is slightly golden and a toothpick, inserted into the center, comes out clean.
Let it cool down and enjoy it as-is or add icing.
Mix the optional glaze ingredients together and spread it over the top.
Let the glaze set for a few minutes and enjoy! This vanilla cake is wonderful with fresh berries.
Store leftovers in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator to keep the icing firm. If you skipped the glaze, you can keep the cake at room temperature.
Tips For Success
- Room temperature ingredients (melted butter, yogurt, and plant milk) tend to mix together better and create a softer cake.
- When measuring the flour, spoon it into the measuring cup and then scrape the top off with a straight edge.
- Full-fat plant milk such as soy will produce the thickest buttermilk. Try not to use one that says “lite” or “light.”
- Stop folding the batter as soon as the wet and dry ingredients are combined. Over-mixing it can cause the cake to become tough or possibly sink down in the center.
Recipe Variation Ideas
- Add chopped nuts to the batter.
- Top it with chocolate chips or a little ground cinnamon.
- Dust the pound cake with powdered sugar instead of icing.
- Replace the icing’s yogurt with plant milk for less tanginess.
- Enjoy your slices with vegan whipped cream and fresh berries.
- Make it even more decadent with Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting.
Storage
If it isn’t iced, store it in a sealed container, at room temperature for 2 days. If you do add the glaze, cover it and refrigerate it for 4 days or freeze individual slices for 3 months.
I hope you loved this recipe! If you try it, please let me know what you think with a rating and comment below. Your feedback really supports my blog and is helpful to other readers! 🙂 You can stay updated on my latest recipes by following me on Pinterest and joining my Email List.
Vegan Loaf Cake
Bonnie – Serene Trail
Equipment
- bowls for mixing
- loaf pan
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup plant milk, soy or another full-fat option
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cane sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup vegan yogurt, coconut, soy, etc.
- 1/3 cup vegan butter, salted
- 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
Optional Vanilla Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp vegan yogurt
- 2 tbsp vegan butter, melted
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a loaf pan with vegan butter or line it with parchment paper.
- Melt the butter in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds or over the stovetop. Let it cool before using it. Place the plant milk and vegan yogurt on the counter so that they start to come to room temperature.
- Make the vegan buttermilk by stirring together the plant milk and apple cider vinegar. Let it sit for a few minutes as it curdles.
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt in a large bowl. Add the buttermilk, yogurt, melted butter, and vanilla to this bowl. Gently fold everything together just until it's combined. Try not to over-mix the batter.
- Pour the thick batter into the loaf pan and smooth out the top with a metal spoon or spatula. Bake the cake for 45-50 minutes. It's ready when the top is slightly golden and a toothpick, inserted into the center, comes out clean.
- Enjoy it right away or let it cool down before icing it. Mix the optional glaze ingredients together and spread it over the top. Let the icing set for a few minutes before slicing the cake.
Video
Notes
- Room temperature ingredients (melted butter, yogurt, and plant milk) tend to mix together better.
- Full-fat plant milk such as soy will produce the thickest buttermilk. Try not to use one that says “lite.”
- Stop folding the batter as soon as the wet and dry ingredients are combined. Over-mixing it can cause the cake to become tough or possibly sink down in the center.
- If iced, store it in a sealed dish in the refrigerator for 4 days or frozen in individual slices for 2 months.
- If it isn’t glazed, cover the cake and store it at room temperature for 2 days.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is an estimate from third-party calculations.
