Vegan Oat Flour Cake
Soft, tender, and lightly sweet, this vegan oat flour cake is my gluten-free take on a classic vanilla dessert made with more wholesome ingredients. I use oat flour, vanilla extract, and plant-based milk to create a moist, spongy layer without needing any dairy or eggs! It takes just 1 hour to make and is ideal for birthdays, gatherings, or whenever you need a sweet treat.
Servings: 18 slices
Calories: 326kcal
Equipment
- 8x8 Inch Cake Pan
- Electric Hand Mixer
Ingredients
For The Cake
- 1¾ cups unsweetened soy milk
- 1½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 cups oat flour
- 1 cup gluten-free flour
- 1 tbsp arrowroot
- ¾ cup coconut sugar
- 3 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- pinch salt
- ½ cup olive or vegetable oil
- 1½ tbsp vanilla extract
For The Chocolate Frosting
- 1½ cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 cup vegan butter
- t teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4-5 tablespoons unsweetened soy milk
Instructions
For The Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F / 180 C. Line 8 inch round cake tin with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the soy milk and apple cider vinegar, set aside for 5 minutes.
- In a separate bowl mix together the oat and gluten free flours, arrowroot, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Pour the soy milk mixture, oil and vanilla extract into the flour mixture and stir until combined.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake tin.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
- Remove and allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tin before turning out to cool completely on a cooling rack.
- When the cake has chilled completely, slice in half and set aside.
For The Frosting
- Add the vegan butter to a stand mixer or mixing bowl and use an electric hand mixer to whip the butter until light and fluffy.
- Add half of the cocoa powder and powdered sugar to the whipped butter and continue to mix until combined. Add in remaining cocoa powder, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and soy milk. Whip until fluffy and smooth. You may need to add a little more soy milk as you go, adjust the amount as needed.
- To decorate the cake - add an even layer of frosting to the bottom layer of the cake, top with the second layer of cake.
- Evenly distribute the remaining frosting over the entire cake and top with your favorite berries.
Notes
- My #1 Secret Tip for this vegan oat flour cake recipe is to let the batter rest for 5-10 minutes before baking. I keep repeating this because it is such an important step. Oat flour absorbs liquid more slowly than wheat flour, and skipping this part can lead to a dry and brittle texture. Giving the batter time to hydrate fully helps create a smoother, more consistent crumb.
- Do not overmix the batter: I stop mixing as soon as the wet and dry ingredients come together. Oat flour does not contain gluten, but overmixing can still get rid of the air bubbles created by the leavening agents.
- Use room temperature butter: I take the vegan butter out of the fridge 30 minutes before making the frosting. Cold butter does not whip up light and airy, and the initial whipping stage is key to creating a creamy base.
- Always sift cocoa: I sift the cocoa and powdered sugar before adding them to the frosting, since cocoa powder has a tendency to clump easily. These clumps do not always break down during mixing, so sifting is the only way to get a silky finish on the frosting.
- Check early: Oat flour-based cakes can dry out a lot faster than wheat flour ones, so I always check for doneness at the 30-minute mark to avoid drying out the cake.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 326kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 143mg | Potassium: 253mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 19g