Veganize Cake Mix
You can veganize cake mix to create a simple, delicious cake any day of the week with this tasty recipe. Simply start with a dairy-free cake mix (such as Duncan Hines) and add the ingredients below to make your cake taste amazing!
I love a good cake and I don’t mind taking the time to make them. Some of my cake recipes are more involved, such as this vegan chocolate peanut butter cake. However, I want you to know you can keep things simple. How?
Start with a storebought cake mix. I’ll teach you how to veganize cake mix to make a delicious cake every time!
How to Make Vegan Cake Mix
You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.
- Pour warm water into a bowl with powdered egg replacer.
- Stir it together and set it aside.
- In a mixing bowl add the water, vegetable oil, applesauce, sugar, and egg replacer.
- Mix by hand or with an electric mixer on low speed until well combined.
- Add the cake mix.
- Pour in the flour.
- Add the baking powder.
- Mix on medium speed for one minute.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl then beat on high for another minute.
- Spoon the cake batter into prepared cupcake papers and then bake.
Key Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe:
- Powdered egg replacer
- Vegetable oil
- Applesauce
- Granulated sugar
- Cake mix — Any flavor as long as it’s dairy-free and egg-free. I oftentimes go to Duncan HInes, looking at the ingredients in the back to make sure it doesn’t have dairy or egg in it.
- Flour — We’ll add some all-purpose flour to compensate for the cake mix flour.
- Baking powder
Baking Options
You can use this cake batter to make a variety of cakes. Here are some options with suggested baking times:
- Cupcakes: 18 to 22 minutes
- 9×13 Pan: I like to bake it for 30 to 32 minutes.
- Two Round Pans: Bake 26 to 31 minutes.
Why This Recipe is a Winner
- EASY — You can’t get any easier than making a cake from a cake mix!
- VERSATILE — Use a cake mix of any flavor, as long as it’s egg-free and dairy-free.
- SIMPLE — Use simple ingredients to make your cake mix vegan!
Frequently-Asked Questions
Are there vegan cake mixes?
Some store-bought cake mixes are made without dairy and eggs. For example, some Duncan Hines and some Pillsbury cake mixes fit these criteria. Of course, there are also cake mixes that are intentionally vegan, such as Simple Mills and Annie’s.
How to replace eggs when using a cake mix?
You might think you could simply add an egg replacer, like a flax egg, but most cake mixes are too light and the resulting cake is flimsy and breaks into crumbs easily. Adding other basic ingredients, like flour, can help create the perfect vegan cake box cake.
Serving Suggestions
Use your favorite vegan frostings for your cake. Here are some great ideas:
- Vegan Chocolate Frosting
- Vegan Vanilla Frosting
- Whipped Vegan Ganache
- Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
- Vegan Lemon Frosting
Storage Tips
Once the cake has been baked and cooled to room temperature, cover the cake and store at room temperature for up to 4 days or in the fridge for up to 10 days. You can freeze the entire cake or individual slices (frosted or unfrosted) in appropriate freezer-safe containers or bags for up to 2 months.
Vegan Cake Favorites
When you’re in a rush but want to deliver the tastiest cake, this vegan cake mix recipe will shine! But here are even more options you will love, too:
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Veganize Cake Mix
Ingredients
Egg Replacer
- 5 teaspoons Ener-G Egg replacer (see notes)
- 6 tablespoons warm water
Cake Batter
- 1 ½ cup water
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup applesauce
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cake mix any brand, any flavor as long as it's dairy-free and egg-free
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Toppings: Your favorite vegan frosting, sprinkles, coconut flakes, and more.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C. Line a muffin pan with cupcake papers. See notes for 9×13 cake pan option.
- In a small bowl stir together the egg replacer with 6 tablespoons of warm water. Set aside
- In a mixing bowl add the water, vegetable oil, applesauce, sugar, and egg replacer. Mix by hand or with an electric mixer on low speed until well combined.
- Add the cake mix, flour, and baking powder. Mix on medium speed for one minute.
- Spoon the cake batter into prepared cupcake papers. Bake in heated oven 15 to 18 minutes, until done.
- Frost cooled cupcakes with white frosting. and sprinkle with flaked coconut. Set aside.
Recommended Equipment
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Notes
Egg Replacer
You can use Ener-G Egg Replacer or use this as a substitute: 2 tablespoons potato starch, 1 tablespoon tapioca starch, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1 teaspoon baking soda. This is a very similar formula to the egg replacer mentioned above.Baking Pan Options
- Cupcakes: 18 to 22 minutes
- 9×13 Pan: I like to bake it for 30 to 32 minutes.
- Two Round Pans: Bake 26 to 31 minutes.
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Thank you for this Marly!! This is so helpful and will make my life easier when I have no time to bake…but have to bake something.
is the applesauce a must use or can it be replaced with something else? thanks
I haven’t tried it without the applesauce, and I use it to add moisture to the cake. You could try just leaving it out. Assess the batter. If it’s too thick, consider these substitutes: 1) a mashed banana (which will give it a banana flavor), 2) If it’s not a vanilla or yellow cake you could substitute pureed prune baby food, 3) vegan sour cream or yogurt, 4) you could even try a little bit of soy milk. I wouldn’t do an entire 1/3 cup, but add one tablespoon at a time until the batter is at the right consistency. I hope this is helpful!
just made them, so delicious! i used 2 tbsp of soy instead of applesauce, the texture was perfect. thank you!
I’m so glad D!
I have tried making vegan cake from a cake mix before but it always turned out so flaky. This one was perfect. Thanks for the recipe!