An EASY and super fluffy vegan pound cake recipe that uses one secret ingredient to get that perfect texture. No vegan butter required!
Vegan pound cake! Hello, it’s one of the basics of vegan baking, but somehow I didn’t have a recipe for it on the site yet!
I have a matcha version that is SO good for pairing with your morning coffee, but not just a plain ol’ version of a vegan pound cake recipe that pairs perfectly with coconut whipped cream and a bowl of fresh berries. It’s basically the ultimate basic dessert that is fresh, light, and just a wee bit indulgent.
The best part about this vegan pound cake? It doesn’t use vegan butter to get that super-rich taste! Guess what it does use? Tofu!
What is pound cake
Typical pound cake is made up of flour, butter, eggs, and sugar. It’s usually very dense and vanilla/plain flavored.
I know, I know, tofu seems so…WEIRD. But trust me, it actually gives vegan pound cake a really dense, but also a light texture that is so perfectly soft, but doesn’t weigh down the cake like a ton of butter or oil would.
No, this doesn’t mean it’s TOTALLY healthy, but it’s healthier than it’s counterpart that uses a ton of butter and can be greasier than all get out.
The silken tofu gives this vegan pound cake a really light, but dense texture that is a cross between a perfect sponge cake and a really great shortcake, but it’s pound cake!
How to make vegan pound cake
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a loaf pan and set aside. I wouldn’t recommend making this in any other pan besides for a loaf pan. This recipe is written specifically for baking vegan pound cake in a loaf pan!
In a blender, combine the coconut oil, sugar, tofu, vanilla, and almond milk and blend until smooth. You can alternatively whisk together all of the ingredients, but make sure the mixture is very smooth and no chunks remain. You should only use coconut oil in this recipe, as it has the perfect texture to make this vegan pound cake buttery and fluffy! You could sub in coconut milk for the almond milk.
Transfer to a large bowl and add in the flour, salt, and baking powder, mix until incorporated. Make sure you whisk until no lumps remain.
Transfer batter to the greased loaf pan and bake for 45 mins to an hour.
Check after 45 mins, if a knife comes out of the middle clean, it’s done! If not, keep going and bake until the middle is done.
Allow to cool slightly before slicing and serving. This is perfect with coconut whipped cream and berries!
Tips for making this vegan pound cake
Can I use firm tofu instead of silken?
No, I would NOT recommend this. The silken tofu is key to making sure the cake is light and airy vs. VERY dense and heavy. If you are out of silken tofu, I wouldn’t recommend making this with firm. I’ve tried it and it’s just NOT the same!
Can this be made gluten-free?
I would not recommend trying this gluten free. Vegan pound cake relies on both the flour and tofu to get the dense and light texture it needs. I’m afraid gluten free flours just wouldn’t be the same!
Quick tips on homemade pound cake
- Don’t overmix the batter! You will have a tough and rubbery batter that won’t taste good in the end. Just mix the flour mixture in until no flour streaks remain.
- This can be mixed up a million different ways! Add matcha, cocoa powder, nuts, chocolate chips, etc. The possibilities are endless! The great thing about pound cake is that the dense nature of it holds up to mix-ins.
- Don’t overbake! The middle should be done, but not dried out. Rule of thumb is that if you press on the top and it bounces back, it’s done!
Can you freeze pound cake?
Yes! But it will change the texture of the pound cake slightly. I would recommend fully baking your pound cake, letting it cool, and then wrapping it in plastic wrap and then foil. Freeze for up to 6 months and thaw in the fridge or at room temperature.
More vegan cake recipes on Heart of a Baker:
- Vegan Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Frosting
- Vegan Lemon Cake
- Vegan Cranberry Ginger Cake
- Vegan Mint Chocolate Chip Cake
- Vegan Banana Cake with Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache
Easy Vegan Pound Cake
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 1 cake 1x
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Description
An EASY and super fluffy vegan pound cake recipe that uses one secret ingredient to get that perfect texture. No vegan butter required!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup coconut oil
- 1 1/2 cups cane sugar
- 1/2 package silken tofu (3.5 oz, it varies, but mine was about 7 oz.)
- 3/4 cup almond milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a loaf pan and set aside.
- In a blender, combine the coconut oil, sugar, tofu, vanilla, and almond milk and blend until smooth.
- Transfer to a large bowl and add in the flour, salt, and baking powder, mix until incorporated. Transfer batter to the greased loaf pan and bake for 45 mins to an hour. Check after 45 mins, if a knife comes out of the middle clean, it’s done! If not, keep going!
- Allow to cool slightly before slicing and serving.
Keywords: vegan pound cake, vegan pound cake
2pots2cook says
Hello Abby ! I’m back for more although I am not vegan 🙂 . Love using tofu and appreciate your work very much. Thank you very much and enjoy the day !
Heart of a Baker says
Thank you! Hope you enjoy!
Cindy says
Could I use vegan butter in place of the tofu do you think? If so, how much butter would you recommend (I use Earth Balance). I am sorry to bother you with this question, but I can’t use tofu, and I have been wanting to make vegan pound cake.
Thank you very much.
Heart of a Baker says
Hi Cindy, Butter should work just fine, but I haven’t tested it that way so I can’t say for sure! I would recommend 1/2 cup butter in place of the tofu. Please let me know how it turns out!
Trish says
Don’t you hate posting a recipe and then having people ask you if they can switch ingredients? I’m one of those pesky people lol. I don’t like adding oil to my foods. Can I sub the oil for apple sauce? 😉
Heart of a Baker says
Hi Trish! Haha! You should be able to sub the oil for apple sauce and it will be fine! The cake might not be as tender but should still taste great. Please let me know if you do and how it turns out, would love to hear!
Debbie Pennock says
Silken Tofu comes in different textures. Which did you use?
Heart of a Baker says
Hi Debbie, I used soft silken tofu!
Sarah | Well and Full says
Wow I would have never guessed this pound cake has tofu in it! So creative! 🙂
Heart of a Baker says
Thanks Sarah! xo
Cindy says
I really appreciate you taking the time to reply and help me out. I can’t wait to make this cake!
Thank you again.
Matthew Ciuccio says
Hi there looking forward to make this recipe could you tell me how much tofu you used was it 3.5 ounces you used?
Jabena Miller says
hey can i use tofu and 1/2 butter
Cristi a says
I’m not an expert baker at all but I followed the ingredients and measurements to what the recipe said; however, the mixture came out super liquid. I put it in the oven and did not set…
Heart of a Baker says
Oh no, so sorry to hear that! I’ve made the recipe as written multiple times, so sorry it didn’t work for you!
KARINA MARTINEZ says
Can I use silken tofu (extra firm)?
Heart of a Baker says
Hi Karina,
Yes, that should work!
Corrie says
My cake came out more like sweet cornbread. I am not a fan of the coconut oil, the taste is stronger than I prefer. Any suggestions for change softer cake texture?
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Katie says
Do you think this recipe would work for a lamb cake mold? My non-vegan cake recipe is a simple pound cake. I’m not sure if it would rise enough to fill both sides of the mold though.
Heart of a Baker says
Hi Katie,
I’m not sure it would rise up enough, sorry!
Billie Wallis says
Stupid question here. When you say 3/4 cup coconut oil do you mean leave it as is and measure it in measuring cups or melt it and measure it as a liquid? Should it be liquid to blend in the batter?
Heart of a Baker says
Leave it as is and measure into the cup!The coconut oil will blend into the batter when it gets blended up.
Jane says
I used 3/4 cup coconut oil and didn’t melt it but cake stuck to bottom after 45 minutes cooking and cooling in pan. I followed recipe exactly. I think it needs 1/2 the amount of the oil or use something else in place of it. I’ll try again with a lot less coconut oil. Maybe olive oil would be better.
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Heart of a Baker says
Hi there! At no point in the recipe do I claim for this version to be healthy. I understand your points, but they are inaccurate since I don’t claim for this to be a health food. Please reconsider giving low star ratings for recipes you simply don’t like vs. ones that actually don’t work. Your poor rating appears to other readers as the recipe doesn’t work instead of being that you simply came here in a bad mood and didn’t like it.