This is the only sourdough vanilla cake recipe that you will ever need! It is soft, perfectly sweet, tender, moist and made using only a few simple ingredients. Makes for an amazing birthday cake recipe (double the recipe and layer with frosting), but easy and quick enough for a delicious everyday white cake for your family. Plus, you can mix + bake right away OR ferment overnight for extra flavor and texture benefits. Fully vegan, egg-free and dairy-free!
Sourdough discard is an amazing addition to vegan cake recipes for many reasons: it adds moisture, keeps cakes tender for days and gives them a beautifully light texture. Plus, what a great way to use your extra sourdough discard accumulated from feeding your starter!
I actually used sourdough discard to make a sourdough cinnamon coffee cake and a sourdough blueberry loaf and it really takes the texture and flavor to a whole new level. You should try it!
And now what's better than using sourdough discard in a soft, sweet sourdough vanilla cake recipe? You will love how easy the recipe is and it calls for only a few simple and pantry-friendly ingredients. Plus, you will get the option of fermenting the cake batter for extra depth in flavor and improved digestibility!
BTW, it also makes for the BEST birthday cake! Let me know if you give it a try! ❤️
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❤️ Why you will love this recipe
- Easy recipe made with simple ingredients
- Customizable basic cake recipe (perfect as a birthday cake to decorate as you wish)
- A delicious and fun way to use your extra sourdough discard
- Can also be made with active sourdough starter
- Fully vegan, egg-free and dairy-free
🗒 Ingredient notes (+ substitutions)
- Sourdough discard: you can use your older sourdough discard from the fridge or active sourdough starter, but keep in mind that the older the starter is, the more sour the cake might be.
- Oil: I recommend using a neutral-tasting oil, such as canola oil or refined coconut oil (melted). I haven't tried it yet, but I think that melted butter should work too.
- Sugar: I tested this recipe with both regular white sugar and light brown sugar and the result was comparable, with only a slight difference in flavor.
- Milk: I used oat milk, but any kind of milk works, such as almond milk or soy milk.
- Flour: use all-purpose flour for a light and fluffy cake (avoid bread flour).
⭐️ Full list of ingredients down below in the recipe card!
📝 Variations + Decoration ideas
- Birthday cake: you can make a double batch and bake 2 cakes, then create a layered cake using this recipe. Just cover with frosting and add sprinkles!
- Long fermented cake: once you pour the cake batter into the baking dish, you can ferment the batter overnight in the fridge (cover well) for even better taste and texture (and digestibility). In the morning, take the pan out and let it come to room temperature or almost before baking.
- Optional vanilla frosting: Mix together 440g powdered sugar with 3 tablespoons of room temperature vegan butter, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 3-4 tablespoons of dairy-free milk (or enough for desired consistency).
- Holidays: vary the frosting color and sprinkles to fit any holidays! For inspiration, you can use a chocolate frosting and/or cover with strawberries for Valentine's Day, or top with a mix of red and blue berries on the 4th of July.
🍽 How to make sourdough vanilla cake
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, add the sourdough discard, oil, milk, sugar and vanilla extract. Whisk well until uniform.
Step 2: Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, then keep mixing until smooth and there are no lumps visible anymore (but do not overmix).
Step 3: Cover a 9 x 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper and pour the cake batter over.
Step 4: Bake in a preheated oven at 350ºF for 38-40 minutes. Let the cake completely cool down before frosting.
⭐️ Detailed recipe down below in the recipe card!
💡 Baking tips
- Make sure to cover your baking dish with parchment paper to be able to unmold the whole cake all at once. This is especially important if you want to make a layered cake!
- I highly recommend using a small kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients. If you don't have one, I shared the estimated amount for cups/spoons measurements in the recipe card.
- Like in any cake recipe, do not overmix the batter so the texture does not end up dense and chewy!
- Make sure the baking powder and baking soda are fresh (check the expiration dates) so the cake rises properly!
- If frosting the cake, then make sure to wait for it to completely cool down before spreading the frosting so it does not melt.
❗️ Storage tips
Keep the cake at room temperature for 1-2 days, but then transfer to the fridge for up to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze it for up to 3 months.
❓ FAQs
Yes! Divide the batter into a 12-muffin pan that's covered with paper liners (you might be able to make more than 12 cupcakes) and bake for 22-25 minutes.
Yes! Use a gluten-free sourdough starter and choose a certified gluten-free flour.
🍰 More vegan sourdough cake recipes to try
I hope you enjoyed this vegan sourdough vanilla cake recipe! If you have any questions, please leave them in the comment section below. Your feedback is so helpful!
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📖 Recipe
Sourdough Discard Vanilla Cake (Vegan, Egg-Free)
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Large whisk (+ spatula)
- Small kitchen scale (or measuring cups/spoons)
- 9 x 9-inch square pan (brownie pan) (+ parchment paper)
Ingredients
- 150 g sourdough discard (150g = about a packed ¾ cup)
- 130 g oil (130g = about ⅔ cups), I used canola oil
- 220 g cane/white sugar or light brown sugar (220g = about 1 cup)
- 245 g milk (245g = about 1 cup), I used full-fat oat milk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 280 g all-purpose flour (280g = about 2 cups)
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a 9 x 9-inch square dish with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the sourdough discard, oil, sugar, milk and vanilla extract. Whisk until combined and uniform without any lumps visible.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and keep mixing until just combined (without overmixing).
- Pour in the prepared dish and bake for 40 minutes (check for doneness with a toothpick). Wait for the cake to be completely cooled down before frosting or decorating.
Notes
- Make sure to cover your baking dish with parchment paper to be able to unmold the whole cake all at once. This is especially important if you want to make a layered cake!
- I highly recommend using a small kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients. If you don't have one, I shared the estimated amount for cups/spoons measurements in the recipe card.
- Like in any cake recipe, do not overmix the batter so the texture does not end up dense and chewy!
- Make sure the baking powder and baking soda are fresh (check the expiration dates) so the cake rises properly!
- If frosting the cake, then make sure to wait for it to completely cool down before spreading the frosting so it does not melt.
- Long fermented cake: once you pour the cake batter into the baking dish, you can ferment the batter overnight in the fridge (cover well) for even better taste and texture (and digestibility). In the morning, take the pan out and let it come to room temperature or almost before baking.
- Optional vanilla frosting: Mix together 440g powdered sugar with 3 tablespoons of room temperature vegan butter, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 3-4 tablespoons of dairy-free milk (or enough for desired consistency).
- Nutrition: please note that the nutritional information is an estimate per serving provided for informational purposes only (calculated by software) and accuracy is not guaranteed. Consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if you need precise nutrition calculations for health reasons.
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