Extremely rich, buttery, moist and soft, one bite of these Vegan Butter Cakes will make your mouth water right away. With a beautiful golden crust, this cake only requires a few simple ingredients to make and is absolutely delightful on its own.

I always have the biggest sweet tooth.

From cookies to cakes, brownies, ice cream and everything else in between, I can never say no to sweets. However, for cakes, I was always a bit pickier. The texture of the cake is so important to me. Some cakes can be too sweet or dry for me to like. If I tasted one flavor and it tasted horrible to me the first time, the chances of me trying a similar flavor cake a second time is very low. So, when I like a cake, I really really like it.

This was the case for this Vegan Butter Cake. My mom used to buy those butter pound cakes by Sara Lee’s (anyone else remember those?). My mom is more of a savory person than sweets, but occasionally she would have a sweets craving. On our next grocery store trip, she would buy some of Sara Lee’s packaged butter pound cake, heating it up right away when we got home.

I was skeptical on how good it would taste since it is prepackaged and I wasn’t the biggest fan of not being able to make a cake from scratch, even if it was from a cake box mix. So when the oven dinged and my mom sliced into a buttery, rich and moist butter pound cake, handing me a slice I was surprised by how much I liked it. The cake melted into my mouth with each bite and I felt like I was in heaven. My mom and I munched on the entire loaf throughout the day, not even wanting a proper meal, just cake alone was fine with us.

This is how this Vegan Butter Cake tastes to me, a nostalgia of my childhood. Instead of making it in a regular cake pan, I put the batter into individual tin molds that I recently came across and wanted to use. I love that I did this because you don’t have to worry about slicing into the cake and it also feels like a big muffin to me. So if you are ready to indulge yourself in some cake for those afternoon slumps or for dessert, let’s get to making these Vegan Butter Cakes!

Here is an overview of these Vegan Butter Cakes.

Ingredients

Flour: I used regular all-purpose flour to make these cakes. You can also use equal amounts of bread flour if you do not have all-purpose flour.

Sugar: To make it refined sugar-free you can use coconut sugar, but note that the color of these cakes will be a bit darker and there will be a stronger taste of coconut flavor.
Vegan Butter: I like to use unsalted, vegan butter to better control the saltness level of the cakes. If you do not have unsalted, vegan butter you can just omit the salt in the batter! I would not recommend substituting the butter with coconut oil.

Plant-Based Milk: I prefer to use unsweetened, plant-based milk with no other flavoring like vanilla so that you can better control the flavor of the recipe. You can use any plant-based milk of choice.

Baking Powder and Baking Soda: These are the leavening agents that will help the cakes rise and not be dense.

Sweetened Coconut Condensed Milk: The coconut condensed milk provides the cake with a richer and deeper flavor. Since it is sweetened, the recipe calls for less sugar.

Tips

Can I make the vegan butter cakes gluten-free?
Yes! You can substitute the regular flour with 1:1 gluten-free flour in equal amounts. I recommend using Bob’s Red Mill’s 1:1 gluten-free flour (the one in the blue bag).

How do I store these butter cakes?
These Vegan Butter Cakes are best served fresh. If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container or bag and place them in the freezer. When you are ready to have them, thaw them overnight in your refrigerator or leave them on your kitchen counter for a few hours. You can also place them in the oven and reheat them at 200F for 10-15 minutes or until they are soft again.

Can I make the butter cakes refined sugar-free?
Yes! You can substitute the sugars with coconut sugar instead! However, note that the color of the cakes will be darker in color.

How do I know when the butter cakes are done?
When you insert a toothpick into the center of the cakes, the toothpick should come out clean.

What can I substitute the coconut condensed milk with?
You can also use coconut cream.

If you like these Vegan Butter Cakes, you might also like to try:
Vegan Vanilla Cake Boxes
Vegan Sweet Cream Buns
Vegan Chinese Steamed Cakes

I cannot wait for you to try these Vegan Butter Cakes! If you do, please tag me on Instagram @_withhelen or leave a comment below letting me know you like it! Happy Baking!

Print