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Vegan vanilla almond flour cake, made with ease in 1 bowl! It is oil-free, grain-free, gluten-free, Paleo, and made with 6 ingredients (plus water and optional salt).
I like naked cake.
Forget frostings, fondants, and glazes. Hold the chocolate chips, nuts, and sprinkles. My preference is plain. Best yet, vanilla. The cake itself should be moist, flavorful, and worth every forkful.
My vanilla almond flour cake is just such a cake!
1-Bowl Vegan Vanilla Almond Flour Cake Attributes
This simple and sublime cake is all of the following and more:
- Vegan
- Oil-free
- Grain-free
- Gluten-free
- Made with 6 ingredients (plus water & optional salt)
- Ready to bake in under 5 minutes
- Made in one bowl
Step by Step Instructions
You will dirty exactly 1 bowl to make the cake. No mixers, food processors or blenders required. That merits an Hallelujah! Or, at the very least a yippee!
Step One: Preheat Oven & Prepare Pan
Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Spray an 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pan with nonstick cooking spray, or lightly oil.
Step Two: Whisk the Dry Ingredients
Mix all of the dry ingredients–the almond flour, potato starch, coconut sugar, flaxseed meal, baking powder, and (optional/adjustable) salt– in a large bowl.
Measure the water in a glass measuring cup; add the teaspoon of vanilla to it.
Step Three: Add the Wet Ingredients
Add the vanilla water to the almond flour mixture.
Whisk until the batter is combined and smooth.
Step Four: Pour Batter into Pan
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, smoothing the top.
Step Five: Bake the Cake
Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with only moist crumbs attached.
Cool the Cake
Completely cool the cake in the pan before removing it. Run a knife around the edge of the pan and then invert the cake onto a flat plate or cutting board (an uneven plate, with a dip in the middle, may cause the cake to break).
Turn the cake right side up onto a serving plate, platter, or stand. If your middle name is fancy (mine is), sprinkle with some confectioners’ sugar :).
Taste & Texture of the Cake
The cake is moist, fragrant with vanilla, and, like my 3-ingredient almond flour cookies, buttery, despite the absence of butter or any other oils. You can justify eating it for breakfast (I do; it is perfection with a cup of coffee) or serve it with seasonal fruit all spring and summer long.
I hope that you love this cake every bit as much as I do! The flavor can be varied with different extracts, spices, or the addition of citrus zest or fresh herbs.
And while I love my cake plain-ish, feel free to make two batches of the recipe for a layer cake, slathered and smoothed with any and all of your favorite frostings and fillings!
Happy Baking!
FAQ
Storage for the Cake
Store the completely cooled cake in a covered container at room temperature for 2 days; store inanairtight container in the refrigerator for 5 days or the freezer for 1 month.
What Can I Substitute for the Coconut Sugar
An equal amount of brown sugar or granulated sugar can be used in place of the coconut sugar.
What Can I Substitute for the Flaxseed Meal?
An equal amount of chia meal (ground chia seeds) can be used in place of the flaxseed meal.
Is it Necessary to Use an 8-Inch Round Pan?
Pan size matters, especially with cake.
An 8-inch (20 cm) square baking pan can also be used, but keep in mind that the cake may need more baking time if the pan is glass or ceramic (instead of metal).
The cake can also be baked in a 9-inch (22.5 cm) cake pan. Begin checking for doneness at the 25 minutes mark. Note that the cake will be thinner than the 8-inch cake.
I Do Not Have Potato Starch. Can I Use Something Else?
An equal amount of cornstarch can also be used if you do not need the cake to be grain-free.
Tapioca starch will not work as a substitute. I tried. The resulting cake is sunken and gooey (I still ate some of my test batch, but it is more pudding cake, with an emphasis on pudding, than cake).
More Delectable Vegan Cakes to Try:
- Vegan & Grain-Free Vanilla Layer Cake
- Chickpea Flour Chocolate Layer Cake
- Easy Cashew Cheesecake
- Vegan Coconut Flour Cupcakes
- Gluten-Free & Vegan Vanilla Bundt Cake
- Vegan Red Velvet Cake
- Chickpea Flour Gingerbread Bundt Cake
- Pumpkin Hemp Heart Cheesecake
Vanilla Almond Flour Cake {vegan, oil-free}
Vanilla almond flour cake, made with ease in 1 bowl! It is vegan, oil-free, grain-free, gluten-free, Paleo, and made with 6 ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 and 3/4 cups (196 g) blanched almond flour (not almond meal)
- 2/3 cup (128 g) potato starch (see notes for options)
- 1/2 cup (96 g) coconut sugar (see notes for options)
- 1 and 1/2 tablespoons (20 g) flaxseed meal (see notes for options)
- 2 and 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- Optional/adjustable: 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup (250 mL) water
- 1 teaspoon (5 mL) vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Lightly spray an 8-inch round or square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, potato starch, coconut sugar, flaxseed meal, baking powder and (optional) salt.
- Measure the water and add the vanilla to it. Pour into bowl with almond flour mixture and whisk until blended and smooth. Spread into prepared baking pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted near the center of the cake comes out with only moist crumbs attached.
- Transfer cake to a cooling rack and cool completely in pan. Run a butter knife around edge of pan and invert cake on a plate. Turn right side up on cake plate.
- If desired, lightly dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.
Notes
Storage: Store the completely cooled cake in a covered container at room temperature for 2 days; store inanairtight container in the refrigerator for 5 days or the freezer for 1 month.
Potato Starch Tips/Options: Be sure to use potato starch, not potato flour; they are different ingredients in the U.S. Potato starch is bright white, potato flour is slightly tan in color. The cake works best made with potato starch, but an equal amount of cornstarch (if grain-free is not necessary) also work. Tapioca starch does not work as a substitute (I have tried).
Coconut Sugar Options: An equal amount of brown sugar or granulated sugar can be used in place of the coconut sugar.
Flaxseed Meal Options: An equal amount of chia meal (ground chia seeds) can be used in place of the flaxseed meal.
Nutrition Information
Serving Size 1 slice (1/10 of cake)Amount Per Serving Calories 199Total Fat 10.1gSaturated Fat 0.7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 109.7mgCarbohydrates 25.5gFiber 2.4gSugar 10.7gProtein 4.4g
Karen H.
Wednesday 15th of March 2023
This recipe is fantastic! I am always looking for ways to gwet more protein into my picky vegetarian child's diet, and this almond cake is just the thing. Plus I am am vegan so I am happy that I can enjoy it aa well. Thank you so much!
Camilla
Wednesday 15th of March 2023
Wow, a win all around! So glad this cake suits your family's needs, Karen :)
Agatha
Tuesday 10th of January 2023
Dear Camilla,
you make me crazy. In a very, very, very positive and good way! I was missing so much variety in food because of my poor health. This belongs to the past thanks to you! I love your sober, yet affectionate way you present and describe your recipes and experiences.
I am your very loyal and thankful fan.
Wish you all the best and further inspiration for upcoming recipes.
Camilla
Tuesday 10th of January 2023
Agatha, I cannot thank you enough for this comment. Sometimes I need a little boost to keep on top of this crazy little thing called powerhungry...this kind and very generous comment from you goes above and beyond :). I am so grateful for you, too, and could not be happier that you have found new options for eating here! :)
Juniper
Friday 23rd of December 2022
Camilla, I just want to thank you for this recipe. I am on a pretty restricted diet for health reasons and this cake is my treat for every holiday. I make it exactly as you suggest, plus a little sprinkle of cinnamon on the top before baking, and it turns out perfectly every time--especially fresh out of the oven. I so appreciate people like you who take the time to perfect a recipe that has simple, real ingredients. Happy Holidays to you!
Camilla
Tuesday 3rd of January 2023
You made my day, Juniper ? I am over the moon that you love the recipe, and filled with gratitude that you took the time to post .
Dean
Friday 16th of December 2022
Batter was thick like cookie dough and needed additional liquid. Final product was dense with no crumb.
Leide Galhardo
Monday 14th of November 2022
Hello Camilla! Thank you for sharing your recipes with us. Just a simple question for you, can I subs coconut sugar for Xylitol? Would be the same amount? Thank you :)
Camilla
Tuesday 15th of November 2022
Hi Leide! I think that should work, although I have not tested recipes with straight xylitol. I would suggest adding a little bit more liquid to the recipe (since sugar adds volume and moisture to recipes); perhaps 2 to 3 tablespoons, more as needed? I have read on several sites that xylitol absorbs more moisture than sugar, so this addition of liquid should make the substitution work. You may need to eyeball it based on how the batter looks compared to my photos. The cake will not brown as much, but that could be just fine for a vanilla cake to keep the light color.
Regarding amount of xylitol: I googled for recommendations, and most sources I've read say that xylitol can be subbed 1:1 for sugar. Go for it, Leide! Fingers crossed, and I would love to know how it turns out :)