Name: Vanilla Almond Flour Cake {vegan, oil-free}
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 10
Cuisine: American
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

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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).

Slice of vegan almond flour cake on a small white plate with raspberries

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.

overhead view of the ingredients for vegan almond flour cake

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.

vegan almond flour cake in pan on cooling rack

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 :).

Vegan almond flour cake with strawberries on cake stand

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!

slice of vegan almond flour cake with raspberries

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:

Yield: 10 slices

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.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

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

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Veronica

Sunday 18th of September 2022

I made this today and I absolutely love it. I didnt have potato starch so i used cornstarch and didnt have coconut sugar and i used cane sugar. I love my cake plain. So good.

Evonne Hope

Thursday 18th of August 2022

Hi !

If I do not have potato starch, could I use xanthan gum instead?

Thanks, Evonne

Camilla

Hi Evonne,

No, xanthin gum will not work as a sub for the potato starch here, they are used in very different quantities and are quite different as ingredients more generally. You can, however, sub an equal amount of tapioca starch or cornstarch for the potato starch. Cheers :)

Trin

Friday 3rd of June 2022

This cake is delicious. My batter was on the runny side, so I added a foil ring around the edge and let it bake longer. Served with fresh strawberries and had with tea. Yum. Trina

Monday 6th of June 2022

Vanilla cake with strawberries and tea? I am inviting myself over to your place, Trin 😍 Thanks for sharing you baking tip, too.

sandra

Friday 1st of April 2022

Camilla, this cake is so delicious! I didn't know what to expect with such a simple list of ingredients. I might actually be a bit too sweet for me (used coconut sugar) maybe a tiny bit less next time. I baked in a 9 inch round pan and it was ready exactly at 25 minutes. I weighed everything. It is deliciously cakey :) I love your recipes because they are simple, quick and tasty. Thank you!

That is simply wonderful news, Sandra! 😊 I am so happy that the cake was a delicious success . Thank you for the generous compliment, too, it means a lot!

Isabel

Thursday 31st of March 2022

I love how simple and delicious this cake is. Made it with vanilla sugar and the taste, texture and smell of this cake are amazing! Wondering how it would be adding either cocoa or carob... Something to try later on, but it's perfection as it is! Thank you again Camilla!

Saturday 2nd of April 2022

@Camilla, thank you for the tips! Now it's on to the *difficult* decision of "cocoa or carob first?". 😁 Thank you and looking forward to hearing about your explorations!

Yay! The vanilla sugar addition sounds DELICIOUS, Isabel 😊 Ooh, yes. Regarding the cocos of carb powder. I have not tried it… but I think I now must, ASAP. Here is what I suggest: replace 1/3 cup of the starch with the cocoa of carob powder. I think it should work well based on some of my previous bakes. Seriously, though, I am going to try it this weekend, so thank you for the great idea!