Vegan Pound Cake – Super Easy & Moist!

*This recipe was first published on the 27th June 2020 and updated on the 25th February 2025.

This vegan pound cake is moist, “buttery”, and perfectly tender and fluffy – made with just 9 simple ingredients! It’s super easy to make, the ultimate dairy-free cake for any occasion. Perfect for everything from afternoon tea to holiday gatherings in festive seasons.

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If you’ve ever thought vegan baking couldn’t rival the classics, this vegan pound cake is here to prove you wrong. Moist, tender, and with that signature buttery flavour (minus the butter, of course!), this cake is a dream for anyone craving a simple, yet comforting and scrumptious dessert. I made my first pound cake recipe back in 2020, and have revamped the recipe and now it’s simpler but 10 times better. Honestly, you can’t tell it’s dairy-free and egg-free! And it’s made with only 9 simple everyday ingredients so it’s super easy to whip up. You’re welcome! 

Main ingredients and substitutions

Pound cake has been one of my favourite cakes since I was a kid, nothing can quite beat that simple buttery deliciousness that a pound cake has. Pound cake is also known as butter cake in Japan, and I never really gave it much thought but the name “pound” actually comes from its original recipe – it’s made with a pound each of flour, butter, sugar, and eggs back in the day, hence, pound cake. Interesting isn’t it!

So I tried to get as close to the original recipe as possible. Because this recipe is egg-free, I used alternative ingredients to replace eggs but honestly, I think this recipe nailed that buttery flavour and dense yet soft texture of pound cake so I am stoked for you to make it!

*Use room temperature ingredients unless otherwise instructed.

Plain flour: As the original recipe uses flour, I also used plain flour as the base of the cake. You can also use self-raising flour here if you want, or swap with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend to make this recipe gluten-free.

Caster sugar: Simple caster sugar is all you need for this recipe. It helps create a tender crumb in the pound cake. If you don’t have caster sugar, granulated sugar works as well. If you have a food processor, it would be even better if you process granulated sugar until slightly finer like caster sugar.

Vegan butter: Buttery flavour made with vegan butter! It worked really well and my friend couldn’t tell it was vegan butter in the pound cake. I used one from Flora but you can use any other brand’s vegan butter. I do not recommend any substitution here.

Soy yoghurt: One of the egg substitutions I used is soy yoghurt. It adds moisture like eggs. I like using yoghurt as the protein content is similar to that of eggs compared to other substitutions like applesauce. You can also swap with other plant-based yoghurt too, no issues!

Cornflour: In addition to soy yoghurt, I added a bit of cornflour as a binder and to make the texture of the cake nice and tender. Other starchy flour like potato, arrowroot, tapioca, etc. works fine too.

Other ingredients: Soy milk, vanilla extract, and baking powder.

Note: Substitution may change the final taste and texture of this recipe.

*I use bone char-free sugars for all of my recipes. I cover the topic in my article Vegan Baking 101. Go to the “Is sugar vegan?” section to learn more!

Recommended equipment for this recipe

Loaf tin: I used a 2lb loaf tin for this pound cake recipe. I think a 1.5 or 2.5 would work too if you don’t have a 2lb. 

Parchment paper: Use a strip of parchment paper to prevent the cake from sticking to the loaf tin.

Mixing bowls: You only need one large mixing bowl for the batter and a small everyday bowl the size of a cereal bowl to mix the flour, cornflour, and baking powder.

Wooden spoon or silicone Spatula: I always use a large wooden spoon or a silicone spatula to fold the batter gently. The best way to mix cake batter.

*The ingredient list and measurement for this recipe can be found in the recipe card at the bottom.

How to make vegan pound cake

Step 1: Preheat and Prep

Don’t be intimidated, this recipe is super simple with only a few main steps! You will be enjoying a slice of buttery pound cake in no time. First of all, preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F), line your loaf tin with a strip of parchment paper and set aside. In a jug like the one from Pyrex, mix the soy milk and apple cider vinegar to make vegan butter milk. Set aside for it to curdle like buttermilk.

Step 2: Mix the wet ingredients and sugar

The next steps are easy to follow! In a large mixing bowl, mix the melted vegan butter and sugar with a whisk until it’s well combined. Add the vegan buttermilk and vanilla extract, and mix further until everything is combined and the mixture is smooth and silky.

Step 3: Make the batter

In another bowl, mix the plain flour, cornflour, and baking powder until thoroughly mixed. It’s important to mix the dry ingredients thoroughly for the cake to rise evenly! Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and gently fold until everything is just combined to make the batter. Do not overmix with a whisk, please! Gently mixing/folding is the key. Now your batter is ready to go into the oven!

Step 4: Bake

Pour the batter into your prepared loaf tin and smooth the top. Bake for 60 minutes, or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a cooling rack to cool completely. Once the cake is cool, slice and enjoy!

Serving tips and ideas

• Dust some icing sugar for a simple yet professional-looking finish! This is always a sure way to finish the cake and make it look even more beautiful.
• Add some lovely colour and freshness with sweet and tart strawberries or raspberries! Whipped cream would accompany them super well for this cake.
• Feeling fancy? Drizzle the cake with caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, or frost with simple vanilla frosting or caramel frosting!
• If you have time and want to impress your guests, cube the cake and layer it with vegan custard, whipped cream, and some fresh fruits to make a simple yet delicious parfait!

Expert tips and tricks

Use room temperature ingredients

Ensure that the plant milk and yoghurt are at room temperature so that they mix well with melted vegan butter. Cold ingredients can harden the melted butter and it can alter the texture of the cake. 

Don’t overmix

Overmixing is our enemy! Fold the batter until the dry and wet mixture is just combined to avoid making a dense pound cake. I always use either a large wooden spoon or a silicone spatula.

Line the tin with a strip of parchment paper

Use a strip of parchment paper like in the image above to prevent the cake from sticking to the loaf tin. This pound cake is dense and can feel heavy when removing from the loaf, having a strip of parchment paper on the sides to pull the cake makes it so much easier to remove the cake without breaking it.

Use a digital scale to weigh ingredients

Always use a digital scale rather than measuring cups when you are baking. It’s so much more accurate and measuring correctly is very important to achieve the best result.

Recipe variations

• Replace the caster sugar with my lemon sugar recipe to add a lovely lemon flavour to the pound cake!
• For some nice and cosy flavour, you can add 1 tsp cinnamon or pumpkin spice to the dry mixture. It’s always a good idea to add some spices, isn’t it?
• Replace the vanilla extract with almond extract to make a bakery-like almond pound cake! You can also sprinkle some sliced almonds before baking and dust with icing sugar once the cake is cooled. Delicious!

How to store

• Room temperature: Store in an airtight container and consume within 1 day of baking. Do not leave the cake in a hot climate at room temperature as it can spoil the quality of the cake.

• Refrigerator: If you want to store the pound cake for a few days, you can keep it in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Let it come to room temperature before serving or serve straight from the fridge, it’s still tasty!

• Freezer: For longer storage, wrap the cake tightly as a whole or each slice in clingfilm, and put it in a freezer-friendly airtight container, then freeze for up to 2-3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and serve. You can warm a slice up in a microwave or oven for a freshly baked feel.

*Although you can store this recipe in the fridge or freezer, it’s always best to consume it fresh and as soon as possible.

Q and A

Want to master the basics of vegan baking?
Check out Vegan Baking 101 – the beginner’s guide to vegan baking for you to become an excellent vegan baker and familiar with the basics of vegan baking, ingredients, and techniques with useful tips!

You will LOVE this vegan pound cake because it is:

• moist and tender
• soft and fluffy
• easy and simple to make
• perfect for any occasion

Want more recipes like this?

Try my other delicious cake and dessert recipes you might enjoy!

• Chocolate loaf cake
• Gingerbread loaf cake
• Lemon blueberry loaf cake
• Banana chocolate cake
• Salted caramel chocolate cake

Visit the cakes and cupcakes page and recipe page for more delicious recipes!

Please leave a comment and rate this recipe with 5 stars in the comment section below if you like the recipe! Let me know and tag me @thechestnutbakery on Instagram too. Thank you for making my recipe, friends!

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