Being dairy-free doesn’t have to stop you from enjoying your favorite cakes. There are now so many dairy alternatives that it’s easy. These dairy free cakes taste just as good, too!
You will be spoilt for choice by the options for a dairy-free dessert available! You can still enjoy your favorite chocolate, carrot, or lemon cake with dietary restrictions.
We’ve even covered it if you only fancy a classic vanilla cake on special occasions!
Table of Contents
What Cakes Are Dairy-Free?
You can guarantee that vegan cakes don’t have milk in any form. They’re made with other ingredients like dairy-free milk that make them just as delicious as cakes with regular milk!
Nut butter, almond milk, or soy milk are good options for making cakes without dairy. Applesauce is great for adding moisture.
Vegan chocolate and cocoa powder are perfect for making them chocolaty!
Many dairy-free cakes also use vegan buttermilk to aid a moist texture. This is easy to make with soy milk and an acid like lemon juice or apple cider vinegar.
Dairy-Free Cake Recipes
We’ve scoured the internet for the best dairy-free cakes. You won’t even notice they don’t contain dairy! Grab your cake pans, and let’s get baking these delicious dairy-free cake recipes!
1. Refined Sugar-Free Chocolate Birthday Cake
Source: hauteandhealthyliving.com
This naturally sweet birthday cake is rich, chocolaty, and decadent! The dry ingredients and wet ingredients come together perfectly in this amazing recipe and are free of common food allergies!
This cake doesn’t have any butter in it. Instead, use applesauce and peanut butter for a moist texture. Cocoa powder imparts a rich chocolate taste. It goes well with nut butter!
Soft dates add natural sweetness to your cake. Make a creamy frosting with smooth coconut cream and melted vegan chocolate chips.
2. Coconut Milk Snack Cake
Source: themondaybox.com
Lightly sweet coconut milk cake is soft and fluffy with a texture that melts in the mouth.
Canned coconut milk adds a delicious taste to your cake. It also makes it dairy-free. Shredded coconut leaves bites of chewy texture.
Vanilla extract offers a delicate flavor alongside the coconut. When your cake is cool, sprinkle powdered sugar on top for extra sweetness!
You must try these other coconut dessert recipes!
3. Vegan Apple Cake with Streusel Topping
Source: marleysmenu.com
This apple cake is moist and fluffy with a crunchy topping! It’s a perfect comforting cake for fall.
Shred your apples to impart lots of moisture. Coconut oil and nondairy milk produce a fluffy texture. The cinnamon and vanilla extract gives a delicious flavor.
Combine vegan butter with flour and cinnamon for your topping. Dark brown sugar makes it crunchy!
4. Almond Flour Lemon Cake
Source: theroastedroot.net
This delicious cake is moist, sweet, and citrusy with a decadent taste.
Lots of lemon zest delivers a tangy flavor! Lemon juice helps produce a moist, fluffy texture. Instead of butter, use avocado oil. Almond flour gives your cake a light, nutty taste.
Maple syrup naturally sweetens your cake. Vanilla extract adds a subtle depth of flavor. A pinch of sea salt enhances the overall taste!
5. Vegan Vanilla Cake
Source: veganhuggs.com
Add this moist and delicious classic vanilla cake to your catalog of dairy-free recipes!
Vegan buttermilk adds moisture to your dairy-free vanilla cake. Applesauce adds sweetness and moisture to your delicious vanilla cake recipe, too.
Vanilla and almond extract add a nutty depth of flavor. Decorate your cake with vegan vanilla frosting when it’s cooled!
6. Vegan Olive Oil Cake with Lemon and Pistachio
Source: cheneetoday.com
This delicious olive oil cake is light, fluffy, and bursting with citrus flavor!
Olive oil, applesauce, and vegan milk produce the moist texture of your cake. The zest and juice of a lemon impart a bright, zesty flavor. Pistachio oil adds a complementing nutty taste!
Drizzle your cooled cake with a pistachio-lemon glaze. Sprinkle lemon zest and chopped pistachios on top for a nutty crunch!
7. Vegan Coconut Cake
Source: veganhuggs.com
This sweet vegan cake is soft and tender. It’s also packed with coconut flavor!
Add moisture to your cake with applesauce and vegan buttermilk. Canola oil adds a soft texture, too. The nutty flavor of the cake comes from coconut extract and shredded coconut.
Cool your cake over a wire rack at room temperature. Cover your cooled cake with a sweet vanilla and coconut frosting. Sprinkle shredded coconut over the frosting and press it on gently!
8. Banana Chocolate Chip Snack Cake
Source: chocolatemoosey.com
This banana cake is moist, tender, and packed with chocolate chips!
Bananas are excellent for adding moisture to cakes. Combine them with soy milk and vegetable oil for this recipe. Baking soda adds a fluffy texture, too.
Ground cinnamon and vanilla extract add flavor that goes well with banana. Vegan chocolate chips are perfect for adding indulgence to a dairy-free cake!
9. Almond Flour Chocolate Cake
Source: allergyfreealaska.com
This nutty dairy-free chocolate cake is soft and fudgy on the inside with a crisp, crackly topping!
Add a light, airy texture to your cake with whipped egg whites. Along with coconut oil, they create a delicious soft center.
Almond flour delivers a mild nutty flavor. It pairs well with the full-bodied taste of dairy-free dark chocolate. Add a bit of instant coffee powder to elevate the rich taste!
10. Gluten-Free Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
Source: aimadeitforyou.com
Poppy seeds and lemon go well together in this deliciously soft gluten-free cake recipe!
Include the zest and juice of fresh lemons in your cake for the brightest flavor. Almond flour delivers a mild nutty taste.
Use olive oil and non-dairy milk to add a moist texture to your cake. Poppy seeds add a slight crunch to every bite!
11. Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
Source: allergyfreealaska.com
Lightly spiced carrot cake is another classic that you need to add to your catalog of dairy-free recipes!
Shredded carrots are essential for a carrot cake! They provide flavor, moisture, and a slightly chewy texture. Ground cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg offer your cake a delicious, warming flavor.
Coconut oil and applesauce give your cake a rich taste and moist texture. Applesauce adds a natural sweetness, too. Decorate your cake with a creamy vanilla frosting made with coconut milk.
12. Gluten-Free German Chocolate Cake
Source: aimadeitforyou.com
Between layers of moist, rich chocolate cake is pecan and coconut frosting!
Add moisture to your cake with olive oil and vegan buttermilk. Cocoa powder adds a rich chocolate taste. Enhance the flavor with freshly brewed coffee!
Cover your cake with a creamy, dairy-free frosting. Shredded coconut and chopped pecans give a satisfying texture!
13. Vegan Lilac Lemon Cake
Source: rainbowplantlife.com
This zesty lemon cake is light, buttery, and floral. It’s finished with an eye-catching edible lilac topping!
A combination of vegan butter and oil lends a light yet rich and flavorful texture. Homemade lilac sugar offers a subtle floral taste. It pairs excellently with the brightness of a lemon!
Lemon juice and zest provide the most citrusy flavor for your cake. Drizzle your cooled cake with a tangy lemon glaze. Sprinkle lilac flowers on top for a beautiful presentation!
14. Lemon Curd Cake
Source: aimadeitforyou.com
This zesty cake has a bright lemon flavor running through every element! Taste it, from the moist cake to the creamy frosting and smooth lemon curd.
Use the juice and zest of your lemon for maximum citrus flavor. Add extra egg yolks to your cake for a rich taste and a tender crumb.
Mayo is the secret ingredient in this recipe! Combine it with vegan butter and non-dairy milk for a moist cake. Once your cake has cooled, decorate it with creamy dairy-free lemon frosting and curd.
15. Vanilla Cake
Source: theroastedroot.net
This delicious vanilla cake is moist, rich, and flavorful. It’s also easy to customize the decoration and taste to the occasion that you’re celebrating!
Produce a moist texture in your cake using avocado oil and coconut milk. Baking powder, soda, and eggs make the texture light and fluffy, too!
Pure vanilla extract is the star of the show in your cake! The flavor will shine through more with a good-quality brand. Decorate your cake with creamy, dairy-free frosting and fresh fruit or sprinkles!
16. Vegan Vanilla Layer Cake with Raspberry Jam
Source: rainbowplantlife.com
This beautiful cake is ideal for summer parties! Between soft layers of vanilla cake are sweet frosting and raspberry jam.
Use vegan butter, neutral oil, and vegan buttermilk. They give your cake a lightness and a rich flavor.
Pure vanilla extract adds a delicious depth of flavor. Layer your cakes with sweet raspberry jam and vegan frosting. Add lots of fresh berries on top!
17. Vegan Strawberry Yogurt Cake
Source: earthtoveg.com
Fresh strawberries are baked into this tasty cake made with vegan strawberry yogurt. It delivers maximum fruity flavor!
Use vegan butter and yogurt to keep your cake dairy-free. They also deliver a soft texture. Vanilla extract adds a depth of flavor that works well with strawberries.
Gently push halves of fresh strawberries into your cake before baking. They look vibrant when baked and add juicy bursts of sweetness!
18. Vegan Plum Almond Cake
Source: resplendentkitchen.com
Fresh plums are baked in a light almond batter for the perfect flavor combination in this cake!
Extra-fine almond flour delivers a light texture to your cake. Grapeseed oil, vegan butter, and flax eggs make it soft and fluffy. Vanilla and almond extract add a delicious flavor.
Layer slices of plum on your cake batter and sprinkle with sugar before baking. This produces a tasty caramelization of the fruit. Brush your slightly warm cake with fruit preserves for a shiny look!
19. Almond Orange Cake
Source: abakingjourney.com
This zesty almond and orange cake is delicious, moist, light, and fluffy!
Use almond meal rather than all purpose flour for your cake. This produces a light crunch to the texture. Canola oil and eggs make it soft and fluffy.
Orange juice and zest offer the best citrusy flavor to your cake. Glaze it with tangy, sweet orange syrup when it’s cooled!
Try these other zesty orange dessert recipes next!
20. Vegan Biscoff Cake
Source: bakedbyclo.com
Biscoff cakes are becoming more popular by the day. You don’t have to miss out when you make this delicious vegan version!
Make a simple vegan cake batter with vegan buttermilk. Add cinnamon for a spiced taste that goes perfectly with Biscoff! Fold in crushed Biscoff cookies too.
Make vegan frosting with vegan butter, Biscoff spread, and powdered sugar. Layer your cakes with frosting in between and whole Biscoff cookies on top!
21. Gluten-Free Vegan Pound Cake
Source: savorthespoonful.com
This vanilla pound cake is moist and delicious. Make it show-stopping by adding a pile of fresh berries on top!
Create your cake with vegan butter and non-dairy milk to keep it dairy-free. Applesauce provides moisture, and organic vegan sugar adds sweetness.
Add a delicious depth of flavor with ground ginger and vanilla extract. A pinch of salt enhances the sweet taste of your cake.
22. Gluten-Free Banana Cake
Source: allergyfreealaska.com
This moist, rich, and delicious banana cake is topped with a sweet dairy-free vanilla frosting.
Overripe bananas are the best to use for this cake. They add the perfect amount of sweetness and moisture. Add a wonderful spiced flavor with cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract.
Spread creamy coconut and vanilla frosting on your cooled cake!
You’ll love these other banana dessert recipes!
23. Raspberry White Chocolate Bundt Cake
Source: savorthespoonful.com
This show-stopping Bundt cake is packed with sweet white chocolate, fresh raspberries, and raspberry jam!
Vegan buttermilk produces a super moist texture for your cake. Coconut sugar provides a naturally sweet taste.
You’ll also get sweetness from a layer of raspberry jam in the center of your cake. Add this between two layers of batter before baking.
Stir raspberries into your batter for juicy bursts of flavor. Vegan white chocolate provides a sweet taste too! Drizzle vegan chocolate ganache over your cooled cake. Add fresh raspberries on top!
24. Vegan Blueberry Cake
Source: avirtualvegan.com
This vegan blueberry cake is full of vibrant, sweet berries!
Make your cake dairy-free with plant-based milk and oil. They also deliver a moist, fluffy texture. Carefully mix whole blueberries into your cake batter, too.
Sprinkle coarse sugar over your batter before baking. This makes the texture satisfyingly crunchy!
25. Lime Drizzle Cake
Source: addictedtodates.com
Add this lime drizzle cake to your citrusy, dairy-free cake recipe catalog!
Vegan buttermilk, yogurt, butter, and olive oil keep your cake dairy-free. They also provide a deliciously moist texture.
Lime juice and zest add a super citrusy taste to your cake. Add vanilla bean paste and a little salt to enhance the sweet flavors.
Drizzle your cake with sweet lime syrup while it’s still hot. The tangy flavor soaks in for a maximum lime taste!
26. Gluten-Free Funfetti Cake
Source: whattheforkfoodblog.com
Moist white cake is covered in sweet pink frosting and sprinkled with funfetti! This gluten-free birthday cake is super eye-catching!
Use canned coconut milk and neutral oil to add moisture to your cake without dairy products and keep it dairy-free.
Add flavor with vanilla extract. Stir funfetti into your cake batter for sprinkles of color when you cut it!
Layer and cover your cake with creamy dairy-free pink frosting. Sprinkle funfetti all over and press it on gently!
Celebrate special occasions with these best cupcake recipes!
27. Vegan Hummingbird Cake
Source: avirtualvegan.com
Bananas, pineapple, pecan, and coconut are the tasty flavors in this moist, fluffy cake!
Use a neutral-tasting oil and non-dairy milk to add moisture to your cake. Shredded coconut adds a slightly chewy texture and tastes great with bananas and pineapple.
Add vanilla, ground cinnamon, and allspice for a lightly spiced flavor. Again, these taste excellent with your fruit! Stir in chopped pecans for a crunchy texture.
Layer and cover your cake with sweet vegan cream cheese frosting. Garnish with more chopped pecans for texture on the outside, too!
You must try these other decadent dairy free dessert recipes!