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Vegan Vanilla Cake with Chai Spice Icing

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This three layer Vegan Vanilla Cake is moist, made with easy-to-find ingredients and is topped with a smooth chai spice icing. You must try it! 

A three layer cake sitting on a cake stand.

Oh my gosh, a vegan vanilla cake just for you!

As much as I love chocolate, sometimes I’m craving something a little… simpler. Something slightly less sweet with a side of chai spice. You too?! This simple vegan cake recipe is perfectly moist and easy to whip up. It’s made with easy to find ingredients and I’ve made in at least 10 times and it’s never failed me. 

With that said, let me tell you more about this cake.

THE BEST VEGAN VANILLA CAKE RECIPE

I guarantee you won’t be able to tell this cake is vegan! Like I mentioned, it’s the right amount of sweet and perfectly moist, and here’s why:

  • Butter – if you’re keeping this vegan, be sure to use dairy free butter, but butter pretty much guarantees a delicious cake
  • Applesauce – here’s where the moist-ness comes into play. The secret ingredient is applesauce! 
  • Milk – ANY milk should work in this recipe, so use what you have on hand (of course use dairy free if you’re keeping this cake vegan).

A vanilla cake on a cake stand topped with icing and flowers.

CHAI SPICE ICING

This cake recipe is a three layer vanilla cake topped with a thick icing made from powdered sugar and milk, along with CHAI SPICES. It’s husband-approved and my husband’s coworkers also approved. In fact, I was informed this dessert was dubbed the favorite by one of his coworkers. Now how’s that for an endorsement? 

If you aren’t into chai, you can omit the spices and enjoy a simple vanilla cake with vanilla icing. If you’re looking for that perfect vegan dessert for that one vegan family member, this is THE cake! Trust me. 

MORE ALMOND EATER CAKE RECIPES

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Vegan Vanilla Cake with Chai Spice Icing

Vegan Vanilla Cake | This vegan vanilla cake is topped with a smooth chai spice icing--super moist and full of flavor! | thealmondeater.com #vegan

★★★★★

4.8 from 6 reviews

This three layer Vegan Vanilla Cake is moist, made with easy-to-find ingredients and topped with a smooth chai spice icing that’s sure to please!

  • Author: The Almond Eater
  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 40 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: One 3 tier 6" cake 1x
  • Category: dessert
  • Method: oven
  • Cuisine: cake
Scale

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 cups raw cane sugar
  • 1/2 cup dairy free butter (I use Earth Balance)
  • 1 1/2 cups almond milk
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the icing:

  • 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup dairy free butter
  • 2 tbsp almond milk
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • Pinch of cloves, all spice and cardamom

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
  3. In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar together; add milk, applesauce, vinegar, and vanilla to that bowl and stir to combine.
  4. Combine wet and dry ingredients and stir until everything is mixed together, being careful not to over-stir.
  5. Grease three 6″ cake pans with nonstick spray or coconut oil and then pour batter evenly into pans, banging them on the countertop a few times so the batter evens out.
  6. Bake cakes for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  7. Once cakes are done, leave them in the pans for 10 minutes before carefully transferring them onto a cooling rack. Wait until cakes are completely cook before icing them.
  8. For the icing: cream powdered sugar and butter together; add milk, vanilla and spices to the bowl and mix with an electric mixer until everything is smooth.
  9. To assemble: Once the cakes have cooked, remove the “dome” from each cake so that the tops of the cakes are flat. Next, ice the top of one of those cakes using a generous amount of icing and then place a second cake overtop, using the icing as glue to hold them together. Repeat this again for the third and final layer. Last, ice the top and sides of the cake.
  10. Cut and enjoy!

Keywords: cake, vegan cake, vanilla cake, vegan vanilla cake, chai cake, dessert

 A three layer cake sitting on a cake stand covered in icing and topped with flowers.

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Comments

  1. HOLY GOSH. I feel like I outdid myself with your recipe. Literally heaven in mine and my wife’s mouth. Can’t contain the goodness my tummy is dancing with joy. Best recipe ever. TY TY. Also if anyone is interested I used 1 9” cake pan by 2” deep and it came out awesome!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  2. I think I’m losing it…lol. I thought I read a comment that said someone used lemon curd as a filling so I tried it.
    I loved it! The tangy curd went really well with the sweet chai icing.
    I took it to a party and the partygoers were my guinea pigs – I need to make a vegan cake for my wedding in 5 days so I wanted to make sure it tasted good – vegan cake is often heavy and dense. This cake
    got the stamp of approval from all at the party who tried it – none of whom were vegan!! They couldn’t believe it was vegan – it was a big hit – talk of the party! Thanks so much, will be making it on the 27th for my big day.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  6. omg this sounds so amazing! I am planning on making this for my daughters 1st bday and I can’t wait! thanks so much for the recipe!

    out of curiosity, what edible flower/cake toppings did you add on?

    ★★★★

    Reply

  9. I was just wondering if coconut oil can be used in place of vegan butter? Has anyone tried that? Thanks so much!!!

    Reply

    • hi! I haven’t tried it in this recipe, but my Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Cake uses coconut oil in place of butter and it’s pretty similar.. try adding the sugar in with the dry ingredients and then adding 1/4 cup melted coconut oil in with the wet ingredients. Let me know how it turns out!

      Reply

  10. Soo good. The icing is LIFE. I made this recipe last night. I used a springform pan (didn’t layer). I omitted the cardamom and cloves from the icing ( I didn’t have any lol). I also used a half cup less brown cane sugar. So yummy. I also topped with almond shaves.

    Reply

    • Great question! I imagine it would work but I haven’t tried it myself… let me know if you do, and I’ll add it to my to do list for after the holidays because I’m curious too.

      Reply

      • Hey Erin
        Happy New Year!
        So I tried this out as cupcakes and it worked a treat!
        Managed to get 19 cupcakes out of this recipe and baked them at 350 for 20mins.
        Everybody loved them and they were gone in minutes!!

        Reply

  18. NOOOO! The sickness is definitely going around. Hope you feel better!

    Also, once again, another beauty! This cake looks amazing. I need to get on the cake train like yesterday

    Reply

  19. Hope you feel better! Being sick is the worst. I was sick for well over a month and I’m just now starting to feel like myself again, so I’m crossing my fingers for you.
    Chai anything is the BEST. This cake is making me want a chai latte lol.

    Reply

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