The Best Vegan Pound Cake

⭐️ Why You Should Try It

• Dreamy texture. This vegan pound cake is so rich and buttery that it literally melts in your mouth. While it has a dense texture, just like the classic, it is still moist and tender. Guests who tried this pound cake were shocked it was vegan! That alone says a lot about how delectable it is!
• Stays moist for days. Thanks to the combination of vegan yogurt, melted butter, and oil, it stays moist for up to 4 days! Perfect for breakfast with yogurt, as an afternoon snack, or as a dessert topped with coconut whipped cream and fresh berries.
• Impressive yet simple to prepare. You will need only 9 simple ingredients and about 20 minutes of prep time to whip up this pound cake. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, transfer to a cake pan, and bake until golden brown.

📘 What is a Pound Cake

A pound cake, also called “quatre-quarts” in French, is a sweet cake traditionally made with equal parts: flour, sugar, butter, and eggs. While its exact origin is unclear, it is believed that pound cake appeared in Nothern Europe in the early 18th century.

Later on, other add-ins, such as vanilla extract, dried fruits, or chocolate chips, were included.

🧈 Ingredient Notes

Unlike the traditional pound cake, this recipe calls for more than four ingredients. However, it still uses easy-to-find and budget-friendly ingredients. Here is what you will need:

• Flour – Use all-purpose flour. I haven’t tried this recipe with a gluten-free flour blend, so I cannot confirm it works.
• Sugar – Use granulated white sugar. Please do not make substitutes here, as it would affect the flavor and color.
• Butter – You can use store-bought or homemade vegan butter. I do not recommend replacing it with oil, as it would alter the flavor.
• Oil – Use a neutral oil such as canola, grapeseed, or sunflower. The addition of oil does two things. First, it brings extra richness to the crumb. Secondly, it helps the cake stay softer for longer. Cakes made with only butter tend to dry very quickly. Adding oil prevents that.
• Yogurt – Unsweetened plant-based yogurt brings moisture and tenderness to the cake. I went with soy yogurt, but any plain yogurt will work.
• Plant-based milk – Any unsweetened vegan milk will work. You can use almond, cashew, or even oat milk.
• Vanilla extract – For the best aroma, opt for high-quality vanilla extract. You can replace the vanilla extract with the seeds from half of a vanilla bean.
• Baking powder – To help the cake rise.
• Salt – It enhances the flavor.

🥣 How to Make It

1. Whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Whisk until combined.

2. Melt the butter. Melt the vegan butter over low heat until just melted. You do not want the butter to be hot. Otherwise, it will activate the baking powder. If the butter is too hot, let it cool for a few minutes.
3. Whisk in the wet ingredients. Pour the melted vegan butter, yogurt, oil, almond milk, and vanilla extract into the dry ingredients. Whisk until combined. The batter will be very thick. This is normal.

4. Transfer to a cake pan. Once the batter is smooth, transfer it to an 8×4-inch loaf pan and spread the top into a smooth and even layer.
5. Make the split. Dip a spatula in oil or melted butter and draw a line in the middle of the batter. This will allow the cake to crack precisely in the middle, not more cracks on the side! Creating that line of oil or butter in the middle of the batter is the magic trick to give your cake an aesthetic look.
6. Bake. Finally, bake the pound cake for 50-60 minutes or until golden brown.

🍫 Variations

This delicate pound cake is delicious as is, but you can enhance it by adding:

• Chocolate chip: Add 3/4 cup of chocolate chips or chocolate chunks.
• Dried fruit: Add about 3/4 cup of finely chopped dried fruits like figs, orange peel, dates, or raisins.
• Orange: Add the zest from one orange to the batter.
• Marble: Divide the batter in half and add 3-4 tablespoons of cacao powder and 1 tablespoon of milk to one of them. Then, pour half of the vanilla batter into the pan and top with half the chocolate batter. Repeat once.
• Cinnamon: Add 3/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon for a holiday-spiced pound cake. You can even combine the cinnamon with orange zest!

🍵 What to Serve It With

You can serve this vegan pound cake as an afternoon snack with tea or coffee, for dessert with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh berries, or for breakfast with almond yogurt!

💬 FAQ

If you are looking for an elegant, buttery, and dense pound cake that tastes just as good as the classic without the eggs, you will love this recipe!

🍰 More Vegan Cake Recipes

Vegan Pumpkin Bread

The Best Vegan Banana Bread

Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread

Vegan Gluten-Free Marble Cake

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