We just recently celebrated my youngest’s birthday, and every time any birthday rolls around, it can mean extra fuss and stress over food for those who can’t eat store-bought baked goods.

Here’s a non-dairy cake recipe that will elevate those once-stressful birthday celebrations into something special.

This is an intermediate level recipe, with some really neat, classic cooking methods taken from Recipe Tin Eats – I would not recommend it if I hadn’t actually tried it, and after following the cooking instructions step by step, I’m here to tell you, following them exactly will deliver an amazing and delicious cake.

I’ve broken down the instructions, but… if you’re just a beginner baker, ask a friend who loves to bake for help!

Equipment:

You will need an electric hand mixer, or a stand mixer for this recipe. I personally love mixing everything electricity-free, but this recipe requires an electric mixer.

A wire whisk also helps tremendously throughout this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (check it’s still active)

1/4 tsp cooking salt 

2 large eggs, room temperature

¾ cups white sugar

¼ cup vegan butter (like this one) at room temperature

1/2 cup creamy oat milk

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 teaspoons vegetable oil

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F

Grease a small cake pan (9 in. pan) including the sides, or line the pan with parchment paper.

Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

Melt butter and oat milk over the stove on low heat. Whisk in a tablespoon of lemon juice, stir until combined.

Stir mixture occasionally with a whisk while it is heating on low heat.

In a large bowl, beat 2 eggs with a hand mixer for 30 seconds.

Slowly add sugar: With the beater still going, pour the sugar in over 45 seconds.

Then beat mixture for 7 minutes on high speed, or until tripled in volume and the mixture turns white. If you’re not using a stand mixture, try not to stop for the full 7 minutes.

Gently add flour in small amounts. Add about a third of the flour mixture, then beat for 5 seconds. Add another third, then mix for 5 seconds. Add remaining flour, then mix for 10 seconds until the flour is just mixed in. Once you can’t see flour, stop right away.

After the butter and milk mixture is hot, remove from stove, and combine the oil and vanilla extract with milk in a small bowl or glass measuring cup.

Lighten with some Egg Batter: add about 1 cup of the egg natter into the milk butter mixture.  Use a whisk to mix until smooth and foamy.

Pour that hot milk mixture into the batter mixture over 15 seconds

Scrape down sides and base of bowl. Beat on Speed 1 for 10 seconds – batter should now be smooth and pourable.

Pour batter into greased pan.

Knock out bubbles: Bang the cake pan on the counter 3 times to knock out big bubbles

Bake 30 minutes or until golden and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven. Cool in cake pans for 15 minutes, then gently turn out onto cooling racks. If using as layer cakes, cool upside down – slight dome will flatten perfectly. Level cake = neat layers.

I sprinkled mine with powdered sugar (pictured above)

Homemade Vanilla Cake

Finally. A non-dairy cake recipe that will elevate those once-stressful birthday celebrations into something truly special. This recipe applies a classic hot milk cake method that creates a delicious, light and airy flavor that won't fall apart or taste bland.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Equipment

• Electric hand mixer
• OR a standing electric mixer
• A wire whisk will be a huge help in this recipe

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder check it’s still active
• 1/4 tsp cooking salt
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• ¾ white sugar
• ¼ cup vegan butter like this one at room temperature
• 1/2 cup creamy oat milk
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tsp vegetable oil

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Grease a small cake pan (9 in. pan) including the sides, or line the pan with parchment paper.
• Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
• Melt butter and oat milk over the stove on low heat. Whisk in a tablespoon of lemon juice, stir until combined.
• Stir mixture occasionally with a whisk while it is heating on low heat.
• In a large bowl, beat 2 eggs with a hand mixer for 30 seconds.
• Slowly add sugar: With the beater still going, pour the sugar in over a time span of 45 seconds.
• Then beat mixture for 7 minutes on high speed, or until tripled in volume and the mixture turns white. If you’re not using a stand mixture, try not to stop for the full 7 minutes.
• Gently add flour in small amounts. Add about a third of the flour mixture, then beat for 5 seconds. Add another third, then mix for 5 seconds. Add remaining flour, then mix for 10 seconds until the flour is just mixed in. Once you can’t see flour, stop right away.
• After the butter and oat milk are hot, remove from stove, and combine the oil and vanilla extract with milk in a small bowl or glass measuring cup.
• Lighten with some Egg Batter: add about 1 cup of the egg batter into the hot-milk-butter mixture.  Use a whisk to mix until smooth and foamy.
• Pour that hot milk mixture into the batter mixture over 15 seconds
• Scrape down sides and base of bowl. Beat on Speed 1 for 10 seconds – batter should now be smooth and pourable.
• Pour batter into greased pan.
• Knock out bubbles: Bang the cake pan on the counter 3 times to knock out big bubbles
• Bake 30 minutes or until golden and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Remove from oven. Cool in cake pans for 15 minutes, then gently turn out onto cooling racks. If using as layer cakes, cool upside down – slight dome will flatten perfectly. Level cake = neat layers.

Notes

Non-dairy butter: Country Crock Dairy Free Plant Butter with Olive Oil, 16 oz, 4 Sticks (Refrigerated) – Walmart.com

This recipe will make one 9 in. pan (one layer). To make 2 layers, double the recipe, and cook in 2 separate pans. 

 

Keyword cake, homemade, hot milk cake, non dairy, vanilla cake