Vegan Sheet Cake
It took me at least 3 previous failed attempts to get to this vanilla-flavored vegan sheet cake. But boy oh boy, was it all worth it!
I present to you the final perfected recipe for this absolutely delicious sheet cake. I really hope you and your family enjoy it as much as I and my family do.
Note: This recipe makes a 13×9 inch sized cake. This makes it the perfect size for a small to medium(ish) crowd or gathering.
It’s also perfect for any large family functions you may be planning or attending. Or even a special occasion or holiday.
What Makes This Cake Such a Crowd-Pleaser
First of all, what makes this cake such a crowd-pleaser is its super moist and fluffy texture. And healthy.
Get this: there’s less than 1/2 cup of sugar in the whole cake.
That’s way less than what an average sheet cake usually calls for. I actually think it would be too sweet with a higher amount.
And I had no complaints from anyone that’s tasted this cake, about it not being sweet enough. I try to keep the sugar content down to a just enough amount in my recipes. The less sugar, the better for you (read why here..)
There’s Sugar In the Frosting Already..
Of course, you have the right to add more sugar to this vegan sheet cake if you’d like to.
But if you think about it, the frosting itself already contains sugar. The objective is to taste the essence of the cake itself – not the sugar.
Before becoming a food blogger, I used to just use the amount of sugar called for in a recipe. But I’ve come to realize that most dessert recipe sugar amounts are not for health. They’re mainly for taste.
To combat this, why not try reducing the amount of sugar you add when making a recipe? It doesn’t have to be a drastic amount.
*Try Reducing the Amount of Sugar Gradually*
Just start out by reducing the amount of sugar by a couple tablespoons or so. After seeing how it goes, you can slowly reduce the amount a little more next time.
This way, it’s not such a shock to your tastebuds. And you should then begin to prefer less sugar in your desserts and other sweet foods.
This is what happened in my case. I began to cut back on how much sugar I added, for a recipe which contained a lot of sugar.
And I found that the extra sugar wasn’t really necessary after all. It tasted just as sweet after I reduced the sugar. I’m sure you’ll have the same experience also.
This Cake Contains Only Two Tablespoons of Oil
And if you can believe this: this vegan sheet cake contains only a couple tablespoons of oil. No lie!
Along with reducing the amount of sugar in recipes, I also have reduced the amount of oil and butter added. Yet this cake is perfectly moist, soft and flavorful still.
Easy One-Bowl Recipe
Getting ready for an event or function is stressful enough. This vegan sheet cake recipe will help the process to go a little more smoother. Especially if you’re the one bringing the cake..
I’m sure you’ll love that you only need one bowl to make this cake. I’m not all for having to need multiple bowls to make a cake.
That equals extra dirty dishes to clean up afterwards. Not a fan of that, are we?
*It’s a Vegan Cake – But Only if You Want It to Be*
This vegan sheet cake recipe is not strictly for vegans only. It also can be made by non-vegans as well.
Any non-dairy ingredients that this recipe calls for can be substituted with regular dairy products.
For instance; this recipe calls for dairy-free milk and butter, but you can just use regular milk and butter instead. Nothing complicated here:)
Vegan Sheet Cake Ingredients
Instead of buying a cake, why don’t you make your own sheet cake; or this smaller sized vanilla almond cake? It costs less. And you can also have your kid(s) help out for a fun engaging activity.
It takes just a small amount of basic ingredients you likely have on hand already to make this cake. I will include an easy vanilla frosting recipe down below, or you can use your own.
- All-Purpose Flour: I’ve also substituted half whole-wheat pastry flour with excellent results.
- Salt
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Regular Cane Sugar
- Apple Cider Vinegar: You may not have used this in your cakes before, but it really helps the cake to rise. And to be fluffy.
- Vanilla Extract Almond Extract (optional): You just need a dab of this to add an extra layer of flavor to this cake.
- Organic Canola Oil (organic = less pesticides and solvents): Or you can use half oil and half melted dairy or dairy-free butter for great results.
- Dairy (regular) or Unsweetened Dairy-Free Milk
Even More Dessert Recipes for You to Check Out
As always, thank you so much for stopping by. I really hope you and your family enjoy this vegan sheet cake recipe.
And if you have any questions or comments, do let me know in the comment box below. Be blessed:)
Vegan Sheet Cake
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour *Or substitute 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour and 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour instead*
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 cup + 2 1/2 tbsp sugar add another 1/2 tbsp if you’d like
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract (optional but highly recommended) 1/4 tsp should be sufficient, but you can add an additional 1/4 tsp if preferred.
- 2 tbsp organic canola oil or use a tbsp each of oil and melted butter for great flavor
- 2 1/4 cups + 2 tbsp unsweetened dairy-free or dairy milk add an additional 1 1/2 to 2 tbsp extra if necessary..
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease and set aside a 13×9 inch baking pan or dish.
- Add all of the dry ingredients* (flour – sugar) to a large mixing bowl. *I would suggest that you sift them together*Combine thoroughly using a stainless steel fork until all large lumps are gone.
- Add in your wet ingredients (apple cider vinegar – milk). Combine with the fork until mostly smooth with smallish lumps remaining. Add the batter to the prepared baking dish evenly.
- Bake for around 33-35 minutes, or until tested with a toothpick in the middle.Allow to cool fully before frosting.
- *Healthy Vanilla Frosting Ingredients and Preparation*1 1/2 cups powdered sugar 2 tbsp softened butter 1/4 tsp vanilla extract (optional)5 1/2 + an extra 1/2 tsp milk of your choice Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl on medium-high with a hand mixer. It should take no longer than 2-3 minutes till completely smooth. Add a bit more milk if necessary.
- Storage Instructions:This cake is best at room temp right before serving it.Otherwise, it’s best to store it in the fridge for 2-4 days. If the room is too warm, the frosting doesn’t hold up too well.**To serve: allow the cake to sit for 15-20 minutes after taking out of the fridge till it’s at room temperature**