Oat Flour Cake Recipe (Vegan, Gluten Free!)

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Moist yet light, this vegan oat flour cake tastes like a classic vanilla cake, without dairy or eggs! Its delicate layers get topped with rich and creamy chocolate buttercream. It’s perfect for parties, birthdays, or special occasions and can be easily made into cupcakes too!

If you’re on the hunt for a drool-worthy gluten-free and vegan cake, look no further! This oatmeal flour cake tends to disappear quickly at parties and get-togethers. Oatmeal flour behaves similar to wheat flour for a light and fluffy texture. It has a mild flavor that lets the vanilla shine and doesn’t weigh down the cake layers. This healthy oat flour cake recipe is easy to make, and my kids love it!

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It looks beautiful as a layer cake, but if you can’t be bothered by frosting an entire cake (I hear ya!), it makes decadent cupcakes too! It’s a simple batter that even the kids can help make. Simply mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, and you’ve got cake batter.

If you can’t resist leftover cake, know this tender oat flour cake freezes well! You can freeze it whole, in slices, or as cupcakes. I like to freeze it in slices so I can thaw one slice at a time for an indulgent treat. This vegan gluten free dessert is the only vanilla cake recipe you’ll ever need.

👩‍🍳 Why This Recipe Works

• Safe-to-eat cake batter with no eggs!
• Gluten-free, dairy-free, & vegan!
• Fluffy cake with a perfect crumb texture
• A perfect treat for any celebration.
• It’s so easy to make the kids can help!
• Make it ahead and freeze for stress-free entertaining.

🥘 Ingredients

My oat flour vegan cake requires simple ingredients you can find at your local grocery store. If you have celiac disease, be sure to purchase gluten-free oats or oat/oatmeal flour.

For The Oat Flour Vanilla Cake

Soy Milk & Apple Cider Vinegar: This combination makes a vegan buttermilk that keeps this oat cake recipe nice and light. Any plant-based milk will work, but soy, almond, and coconut milk are my favorite. They have a mild flavor and creamy texture.

Oat Flour: You can purchase it store-bought or make your own oat flour – it’s simple to make. You just pulse rolled oats in a food processor until it becomes a fine powder. If you’d rather buy it, a few of my top recommendations are Bob’s Red Mill and Arrowhead Mills.

Gluten-Free Flour: A small amount of gluten-free all-purpose flour keeps the fluffy texture of this gluten free cake spot-on. An oatmeal cake recipe without flour can get dry or dense. My favorite gluten-free flour blend is Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour. If you aren’t gluten intolerant, you can use traditional flour. 

Arrowroot: Arrowroot is a starchy powder that adds moisture and helps bind the cake together. If you can’t find arrowroot, tapioca flour or corn starch are good substitutes.

Sugar: If you prefer to avoid refined sugar, coconut sugar or maple syrup are great options.

Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Leavening agents are essential for any cake. They cause the batter to rise so you’re not left with a stodgy or dense cake.

Salt: A little bit of salt goes a long way in cake, but don’t be tempted to leave it out. Salt accentuates the sweetness!

Oil: You shouldn’t miss butter in this cake, oil keeps the crumb moist! You can use vegetable oil, olive oil, or melted coconut oil works great too.

Vanilla Extract: Sweet vanilla gives this cake its trademark flavor.

For the Chocolate Frosting

Icing Sugar: Powdered sugar is finer than regular sugar. This results in a silky smooth and irresistible frosting!

Cocoa Powder: For a rich, chocolatey flavor! If you prefer an intense flavor, use Dutch processed cocoa.

Vegan Butter: Vegan butter whips up nice and light for a fluffy texture.

Vanilla Extract: For depth of flavor!

Unsweetened Soy Milk: A small amount of soy milk keeps the frosting from getting too thick. Any plant-based milk works great.

📖 Variations

Here are a few simple variations on this vegan cake with oat flour. This cake tastes delicious with other types of frosting too! Vanilla, strawberry, and peanut butter frosting are a few of my favorites!

• Oat Flour Chocolate Cake: Replace 1/2 cup of the flour with 3/4 cup of cocoa powder. Follow the recipe as directed.
• Oat Flour Carrot Cake: Add 1 1/2 cups of grated carrots and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon to the batter and stir until combined.
• Oat Flour Apple Cake: Add 2 cups of diced tart apples into the cake batter. Bake in an 8-inch square pan then top baked cake with powdered sugar.
• Oat Flour Lemon Cake: Add 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and the zest of 1 lemon to the batter.
• Oat Flour Coffee Cake: Combine 1/4 cup of vegan butter, 1/2 cup of gluten-free flour, 1/2 cup of oats, and 1/4 cup of brown sugar in a medium bowl. Mix together until crumbly. Pour the cake batter into an 8-inch square pan then top with the crumble mixture. Bake as directed.
• Olive Oil Oat Flour Cake: Replace the vegetable oil with olive oil.
• Healthier, Low Sugar Version: For a healthier cake, cut the amount of sugar by half in the icing and use 1/4 cup sugar in the cake batter. Then each slice will only have 270 calories and 7 grams of sugar. 
• Easy Oat Flour Cake No Sugar: Use a 1:1 sugar substitute in place of white sugar. Powdered monk fruit typically works well. You can also find powdered sugar substitute in most baking sections to replace the sugar in the frosting as well.

🔪 Instructions

Follow these directions for a fool-proof vanilla oat flour cake!

Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8-inch round cake tin with parchment paper. Make Vegan Buttermilk: Whisk together the soy milk and apple cider vinegar in a large mixing bowl, then set it aside to thicken.

Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the oat and gluten-free flours, arrowroot, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Add Wet Ingredients: Pour the soy milk mixture, oil, and vanilla into the dry ingredients and stir well.

Bake Vegan Cake: Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let it Cool: Carefully remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes before turning it out to cool on a wire rack. If you try to do it immediately, the moist cake may fall apart. Once it’s completely cool, slice it in half and set aside.

Make Gluten Free Buttercream: Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, whip the vegan butter on high speed until light and fluffy.

Add Chocolate: Add half of the cocoa powder and powdered sugar to the butter and mix on low speed until combined. Add the remaining ingredients and whip until smooth.

Frost Cake: Use an offset spatula to spread an even layer of frosting on the bottom layer of cake.

Decorate: Top with the second layer of cake then frost the entire cake. Place sprinkles or berries to the top of the cake if desired.

❓ Recipe FAQs

💭 Expert Tips

• To make homemade oat flour, blend rolled oats in a food processor until it creates a fine flour.
• If you have celiac disease or gluten intolerance, be sure to use gluten-free oatmeal flour! Oats are processed in facilities with gluten-containing grains which makes cross contamination likely.
• Do not substitute an alternative flour like coconut flour or almond flour for this recipe. Each flour responds differently to moisture so they aren’t 1:1 substitutes.
• Whole grain oatmeal flour can be found in the flour aisle near the alternative flours.
• It’s best to use oatmeal flour in cake recipes that call specifically for it.
• Place the cake on the rack toward the lower third of the oven. If it’s at the top, the outside can brown too quickly.

🍰 More Vegan Dessert Recipes!

• Vegan Fruit Cake
• Biscoff Mug Cake
• Vegan Pound Cake
• Healthy Smash Cake
• Vegan Pineapple Upside Down Cake
• Vegan Mug Cake
• Vegan Carrot Cake Cupcakes
• Vegan Carrot Cake

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