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.
590 Comments
I tried several egg-free recipes for a client with an egg allergy and this one was the best by far! They are now requesting a strawberry cake and I wanted to ask if I could add reduced strawberry purée and strawberry emulsion to this recipe? If so, how much purée should I add and are there any other adjustments I should make? Thank you!
Hi Alyssa! So happy to hear your clients enjoyed the recipe 😀 I haven’t tried adapting this recipe to a strawberry cake myself so can’t give any exact measurements, but I imagine folding in some strawberry puree/reduction and emulsion at the end would work well, though the additional moisture may mean that you will need to reduce some of the other liquid in the recipe so that your batter isn’t too wet. Check out my strawberry cake recipe for tips on how much emulsion/puree to use as that recipe also makes 2 8 inch cake layers 🙂 https://cakesbymk.com/recipe/soft-strawberry-cake/
Curious – any tips for using this recipe to make cupcakes (with a fan-less oven)?
Hi Erica! For cupcakes (with no fan oven) I would bake at 175C and check them around the 18 min mark and go from there 🙂
Hi you mention to use full fat yogurt for
This recipe and looking at the chocolate moist cake it says ‘Greek’ yogurt. which is correct please? 🙂 thanks
Hi Jo! For this recipe I recommend using full fat regular yoghurt, and for the chocolate version I recommend using Greek yoghurt 🙂 they are slightly different recipes hence the different yoghurt recommendations. I think Greek yoghurt should work fine with this vanilla cake too it’s just that I haven’t tried it myself 🙂
Oh my gosh!!! Such a fantastic cake!!! I made it for a friend of mine who was having a birthday. She is a strict Hindu and does not eat eggs so I ecstatic to find an eggless cake. It tasted so good my friend kept asking me, “No egg? no egg?” I used passionfruit icing and the tartness of the passionfruit was a great compliment to the sweetness of the vanilla essence.
Am going to try to make it again for someone who is vegan. I have found a vegan yoghurt with almost the same fat, carbohydrate, and protein properties as the dairy yoghurt I used. I am not sure about the butter substitute. Was thinking of using Nuttalex. Any suggestions MK please?
Hi Wendy! So so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe and that your friend loved it too 😀 I haven’t tried a butter substitute myself so I’m not too sure sorry! I imagine any vegan butter substitute that looks like butter should be okay to use but it may just alter the taste slightly 🙂
This is the best eggless Vanilla Cake I have made. I have finally found a recipe that taste good and is moist. Thank you. -Phoebe Cakes
Awesome! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe Amber 🙂
Hey
Wanted to know if I can freeze his cake batter? For later use… made more than I need
Hi Nainika! Hmmm I’ve never tried that myself so I’m not too sure sorry! I have a feeling it won’t freeze well so may be best to just use left over batter to make cupcakes 🙂
Hi,
Thank you for sharing an easy to make recipe. The crumb in the picture looks so delicate and delicious 😋. I however, have a question. Can I make a two tiered cake with this recipe? It’s my in laws anniversary and we have 30 people coming in…
Hi Ritu! Yes if you use a good stable frosting then the cake layers will hold up just fine 😀 hope you all enjoy it!
A lil late in posting this reply… The cake was received very well by all the guests. Tastes amazing and melt in the mouth texture… Thank you so much for the recipe. I wish i could paste the picture of the cake i made for you to see…
ASLM, hope you are well, thank you for this. can I replace the butter with oil
Wassalaam Basheera! I haven’t tried that myself but it may work okay, the only thing is the butter adds flavour so using oil may change the flavour of the cake 🙂
What will be the weight of the cake?
Hi Nensi! Unfortunately I don’t really weigh my cakes so I’m not too sure sorry! If it’s any help, the recipe makes two 8 inch cake layers which are about 1.5 inches high 🙂
When you say fan oven is this the same as a convection oven?
Yes that’s correct Catherine 🙂 hope you enjoy the recipe!