I don’t think I’ve ever been as frustrated when recipe testing as I was when it came to trialing out an eggless vanilla cake! 😂
Well, I can laugh about it now, because after some drastic changes to the methods I was using, I finally came up with the perfect eggless vanilla cake! It is soft, moist, flavourful and you wouldn’t have a clue that it didn’t have any eggs! I frosted mine with my stabilized whipped cream frosting recipe, but it will literally pair perfectly with almost any type of frosting 🙂
How to make this eggless vanilla cake
This cake recipe is similar to a hot milk cake, except there’s no eggs! It is really easy and comes together in a few quick steps – no mixer required!
Begin by preheating your oven to 160°C (320F) with the fan on, and grease and/or line two 8 inch cake tins. I like to grease my cake tins with my homemade cake release.
Next, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Mix with a whisk and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine yoghurt, sugar, vanilla and baking soda. Mix until well combined and set aside. The reason why we’re mixing the baking soda in at this stage, is because it’s main purpose in this recipe is to neutralize the flavour of the yoghurt, although it does help a little with the rise as well.
In a microwave safe bowl or jug, combine butter, oil and milk. Heat in the microwave (you can do this over a stovetop if you prefer), until the butter is fully melted and the mixture is hot to the touch.
Add half of the milk mixture into the yoghurt mixture and mix until well combined.
Then add in half of your pre-sifted dry ingredients and gently mix with the whisk until just combined. Then add in the remaining milk mixture and gently whisk until just combined. Finish by adding the remaining dry ingredients and gently whisk until just combined. Do not overmix.
Distribute the batter evenly into the two 8 inch cake tins, and then give the cake tins a light bang on the counter to release any large air bubbles. Bake for 28 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
I frosted this cake with my stabilized whipped cream frosting which tastes INCREDIBLE. It’s light, not too sweet and is the perfect frosting for those who don’t particularly like a heavy buttercream. I have heaps of other great frosting recipes too which you may want to try out 🙂
Moist Eggless Vanilla Cake
Print Pin VideoIMPORTANT: For accuracy, I would recommend using the gram measurements provided, as those are the exact quantities I use. Cup measurements are given as estimates (based on US cup measurements) to make it easier for those who do not have a scale.
Ingredients
- 2½ cups (330 g) flour - regular, all purpose
- 2½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup (185 g) yoghurt - regular (not Greek - see note 1), room temperature
- 1½ cups (300 g) white granulated sugar
- 1½ tbsp vanilla essence/extract
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter
- ¼ cup (50 g) unflavoured vegetable oil - I use canola
- 1 cup (240 g) milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 160 °C (320°F) with the fan on (see note 2 if you don't have a fan function) and grease and/or line two 8 inch cake tins (I use my homemade cake release).
- Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Mix together using a whisk and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine yoghurt, sugar, vanilla and baking soda. Mix until well combined and set aside.
- In a microwave safe bowl or jug, combine butter, oil and milk. Heat in the microwave (you can do this over a stovetop if you prefer), until the butter is fully melted and the mixture is hot to the touch.
- By this point your yoghurt/baking soda mixture should be frothy. To it add in half of the heated milk mixture and using a whisk mix until combined. Then add in half of your pre-sifted dry ingredients and gently mix with the whisk until just combined. Then add in the remaining milk mixture and gently whisk until just combined. Finish by adding the remaining dry ingredients and gently whisk until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Distribute the batter evenly into the two 8 inch cake tins, and then give the cake tins a light bang on the counter to release any large air bubbles.
- Bake for 28 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the cake tins for about 20 minutes, before turning them out onto a wire rack to completely cool.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only as they are automatically calculated by a third party application. Actual values may differ based on brands and types of products used.
576 Comments
Hi. I’m about to make this cake but just wanted to check the quantity of vanilla extract as the recipe states 1.5 tbsp which seems an awful lot of vanilla extract – should it be 1.5 tsp? Thanks
Hi Gabbie!
1 1/2 tbsp is correct 🙂
It may seem like a lot of vanilla, but because there are two cake layers and the recipe being eggless, the extra vanilla helps to ensure there is heaps of flavor in the cake 🙂
Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Can you pre-make this cake and freeze or how long would it be ok in the fridge for before decorating?
For my toddlers birthday and trying to manage time getting it made 🙂
Hi Nikki! 🙂
I haven’t tried freezing this cake myself, but if the cake layers are wrapped well in cling wrap and placed into an airtight container before freezing it should be fine! I would recommend taking the cakes out of the fridge the day before the birthday and letting it sit at room temp to thaw. Once thawed you can frost them and place the decorated cake back into the fridge (as long as all the cake is covered in frosting otherwise the cake will dry out in the fridge) and then pull it out of the fridge the day of the birthday to allow the cake to come to room temperature (if the cake is cold it won’t be as soft).
Hope that helps and hope your toddler has a wonderful birthday! 🙂
This is the best eggless recipe that I have tried so far. I made a 3-layer white forest cake using this recipe along with your stabilized whipped cream frosting, maraschino cherries and white chocolate shavings for my son’s birthday and everyone loved it. It was so soft and moist. I got so many compliments and a request to make it again for another birthday party. The cake was a big hit in the 2nd party as well 🙂 No one could believe that the cake was eggless.
I have tried several recipes over the past 10 years, but eggless versions were so challenging till I found this recipe. I used the cup measurements, and it came out perfect. Thank you very much for sharing such a wonderful recipe.
Aww yay! This makes me so so happy to hear Vineetha 😀
A white forest cake using this recipe sounds incredible!! Sounds like you did a great job with it 🙂
Thanks so much for the wonderful feedback 🙂
I’m so excited to try this recipe. Can I use cake flour?
So glad you’re wanting to give this recipe a go Deepika 😀
I haven’t tried using cake flour myself so I’m not too sure sorry! It may not provide enough structure required for the cake, but if it does work then you’ll end up with a beautiful soft and tender cake! Would love to hear how it goes if you decide to try it out 🙂
What a star recipe – I have successfully used this recipe in the past for a 2 layer 8 inch, I received a request for cupcakes, mini cupcakes and Bento’s – this recipe does not fail and managed to do them all – even did it as a Lemon Cake with the addition of lemon zest & lemon juice instead of vanilla. This is a must try recipe – well worth it.
Awesome! So so happy to hear the recipe has been working great for you Andre 😀
I’ll have to give the lemon version of this cake a go soon – it has been on my to-do list!
Thank you again for the wonderful feedback 🙂
Hi MK, love your recipes truly. Can I use this cake for a mango cake by pouring in some mango pulp to the batter and then baking it?
Hi Ankini! So glad you’re loving the recipes 😀
Hmm good question! I haven’t tried that myself but I think it should work fine, my only concern is mango pulp may result in too much moisture in the batter so you may want to instead substitute some of the milk with mango pulp (instead of just adding in extra pulp) so the batter isn’t too wet 🙂
Would love to hear how it goes if you decide to try it out 😀
Hi MK, I added extra mango pulp and fortunately it did not turn out wet. It was loved by everyone and it turned out to be a star cake at a party. Super soft and it had a golden mango color and the perfect amount of sweetness.
Thanks once again!
That sounds so delicious Ankini! So glad everyone loved it 😀
Love all your recipes. I am making a eggless cake for a very first time for a friend’s birthday and this looks Amazing and I believe like all our other recipes this will turn out the BEST!!! Is stable enough to be stacked like 3 layers of cake?
Thank you
So so happy you’re loving the recipes Vidhi! 😀
Yes it will be fine as a 3 layer cake – you would want to make 1.5x the recipe for three 8 inch cake layers 🙂
Hope you enjoy the recipe!
I have made this cake for my family as we do not particularly eat eggs. And it was absolutely amazing. Would 100% make it again I was thinking of making my mom’s birthday cake with this recipe.
So so happy to hear you loved the recipe Rijuta 😀
Really appreciate the wonderful feedback and hope your mum has a wonderful birthday 🙂
Hi could you tell me if I used the smaller amount is this for a 6” tin? Also do you divide this between 2 tins or can it go into one 6” tin? Thank you ☺️
Hi Julie! 🙂 Yes half the recipe would be enough for two 6 inch cake tins. I wouldn’t recommend putting too much batter in one cake tin incase the cake doesn’t rise/bake well so would stick to distributing half the recipe between two 6 inch cake tins 🙂
Hope that helps and hope you enjoy the recipe!
UPDATE: Made this cake today; I referenced the weight on my bag of flour instead of the recipe’s listed weight. I also halved the recipe to yield two 6-inch cakes.
They turned out so tender and moist from the yogurt! Baking temp and time stayed the same, though I found they needed a few less minutes. Thank you for your delicious recipes 🙂
Hi Michele 🙂 So happy to hear you loved the recipe!
Sorry I was a bit late to respond to your previous comment – the gram measurements listed are the exact quantities I use so in future you will be safe to use the listed gram measurement 🙂
So glad it still turned out great and really appreciate the wonderful feedback 🙂
I would like to make 2 x 6” tins. Just wondering if this recipe is suitable or do I need to halve it and the cook time please. Thank you
Hi Laura! 🙂 If making two 6 inch cakes then you will want to half the recipe and also reduce the cook time slightly. I would check around the 22 min mark to see how the cakes are going and bake more if needed 🙂
Hope that helps and hope you enjoy the recipe!
I have loved your recipes so far and I’m excited to make this one! I’m curious about the gram weight you have listed for flour, as 1 cup AP flour typically weighs 120g so 2.5 cups would be 300g – should I go by what you have written or what my bag of flour says?
Hi Michele 🙂 So happy to hear you’ve been enjoying the recipes!
With the gram measurements, the measurements stated are the exact quantities I use (I always bake in grams) and then I round it to the nearest cup measurement. Because flour is around 120-125g per cup and people tend to overweigh flour when using cup measurements, I went with 2.5 cups as the nearest cup measurement 🙂
Hope that helps and hope you enjoy the recipe!