We all have wondered it if vegan cake can really compare to regular cake. So this article well be touching on different parts on what makes these cake different down to the cost. I got you bestie!
How Is Vegan Cake Different From Regular Cake?
Vegan cake is different from a regular cake for the main reason that there are no eggs or butter or any other type of animal-based products in the cake. Whereas regular cake is made with eggs and butter and any animal-based products that are needed in the recipe.
It’s very common for new and experienced Bakers to find replacements for the main ingredients that you would usually have in a regular cake that they can no longer have. Vegan cake has been evolving over the years and getting better and better in terms of taste and texture. When someone finds a vegan cake that is really good it is heaven.
The key thing to remember about making a vegan cake is that if you’re going to replace an egg in a recipe, it’s important that you understand how the egg works within the recipe. If the egg is meant to be what holds the cake together you’re going to want to use “flax eggs” as a substitute for an egg.
There’s so much more to understanding the difference between vegan cakes and regular cakes so in this article we’re going to talk more about what type of ingredients you would usually use in a vegan cake versus a regular cake. As well as comparing the cost to see which one is cheaper.
What Ingredients Are Usually Included In A Regular Cake Vs Vegan Cake
A regular cake will consist of using egg, milk, and butter for the most part depending on the type of cake that you’re looking to make. Not all cakes require using fats, some cakes can get away with not using any fats at all. A sponge cake would be a great example of this.
Compared to Vegan Cakes, cakes made with butter have become more popular over the past 40 years as people’s incomes have risen and butter has become less expensive than it was in the 70s. This means there are more recipes out there that are easier to follow and get a good cake each and every time. So making a regular cake that has the right texture and taste is a lot easier to nail.
This is not to say that there aren’t any good vegan recipes but usually, when someone bakes a vegan cake they may have to try multiple recipes until they find the right one as the taste and texture may vary. At the end of the day, the goal is to have a vegan cake taste very similar to a regular cake.
Here is a table below outlining the common ingredients you will usually see in a regular cake versus a vegan cake including replacement ingredients someone would usually use if they were making a vegan cake instead.
Ingredients Commonly Used In A Regular Cake Vs Vegan Cake
| Regular Cake | Vegan Cake |
| AP Flour | AP Flour |
| Cake Flour | Replacements: Plant-based milk: Soy milk, Almond milk, Oat Milk |
| Milk | Replacements: Plant-based milk: Soy milk, Almond milk, Oat Milk |
| Egg | Replacements: Applesauce, Flax egg, Just Eggs, Aquafaba (liquid), Ener G Vegan Egg Replacer, Plain Vegan Yogurt |
| Butter | Replacements: Vegan Butter or oil (in some recipes) |
| Sugar | Sugar |
| Baking Soda | Baking Soda |
| Baking Powder | Baking Powder |
| Apple Cider | |
| Vinegar | |
| Buttermilk | |
| Oil | Oil |
| Vanilla Abstract | Vanilla Abstract |
You will notice that apple cider and vinegar is highly used in vegan recipes. This was one of the things that was noticed when comparing different regular cake recipes vs vegan recipes.
It was found that apple cider and vinegar were included more in vegan recipes. This is not to say that you would never use vinegar or apple cider in a regular cake it’s just more common in there because it acts as an acid to activate baking soda if it’s included in a vegan cake in order for it to rise.
Regular Chocolate Cake Cost Vs Vegan Chocolate Cake Cost Breakdown
| Measurements | Product whole cost | Recipe cost based on measurement needed | |
| All-purpose flour | 1 3/4 cups | $7.41 | $1.78 |
| Sugar | 2 cups | $3.74 | $2.49 |
| Cocoa Powder | ¾ cups | $4.44 | $1.20 |
| Baking powder | 1 teaspoon | $2.57 | $0.16 |
| Baking soda | 2 teaspoons | $2.98 | $0.07 |
| buttermilk | 1 cup | $2.68 | $0.67 |
| 2 extra eggs | 2 | $2.28 | $0.40 |
| Vanilla Extract | 1 teaspoon | $4.79 | $0.02 |
| Brewed coffee | 1 cup | $7.86 | $0.09 |
| Apple sauce (Vegan) | ⅓ cup | $8.09 | $1.01 |
| Plant based milk (vegan) | 1 cup | $4.18 | $0.59 |
| Total Regular Cake | $6.96 | ||
| Total Vegan Cake | $8.56 |
Texture and Taste: How Do Vegan and Regular Cake Compare?
The goal of any vegan cake when it comes to texture and taste is to get it as close as possible to tasting like a regular cake. there are times when the texture can lack from texture like a regular cake but using cake flour in vegan cake tends to help create a crumb where other flowers sometimes don’t do this.
It used to be that using replacements of main baking ingredients such as eggs, and milk used to sacrifice the texture of it being gummy or dense but now there are more and better replacements for these ingredients to have a vegan cake come as close as possible to a regular cake in terms of texture and taste.
Once in a while, you might notice the color of the cake be affected or the texture especially if you’re using flax eggs you’re going to see all the little seeds within the cake or the color might change a bit based on the replacement that you use. Using soy milk usually has a more darker color in the milk which will result in a darker color in the cake. Where using oat milk will help the cake be whiter.
I myself have tasted vegan cake and usually Iknow the difference because I eat regular cake and there is definitely is a slight difference. It has tasted more like dough. But I’m sure that this is not the case for every vegan cake and based on doing some more research into this topic I did notice that vegan cakes have evolved And have gotten better over the years.
If you’re interested in seeing me make a chocolate cake and a vegan chocolate cake and compare them sign up here and I will notify you once it is live on my website. I will be tasting and making the cakes to really compare them to see if it’s possible to have a vegan cake be very similar in taste in texture.
The Benefits of Choosing Vegan Cake
The benefits of choosing to make a vegan cake comes down to preference. If you’re vegan it makes sense to make a vegan cake especially if you find a really good recipe where it tastes good as a regular cake. I wouldn’t say that it is necessarily healthier because you’re still putting sugar and other similar ingredients that you would put in regular cake minus the animal product.
The benefits of making vegan cake is for the regular person who doesn’t eat meat products or they just can’t eat certain things. Vegan cake recipes are something that people are getting better and better at it every day.
Eating regular cake is something that most people love And it is something that is associated with celebrations and bringing families together. The determination to find the perfect vegan cake is always on top of most people’s lists because it’s something that we have had in our lives since we were born.
The Benefits Of Choosing Regular Cake.
The benefit of choosing a regular cake is you wouldn’t have to worry about any substitutions or the cake being altered based on a replacement that you choose. You can follow the recipe as is and use the exact ingredients that is recommended to use in the recipe. The recipes has proven combinations used to achieve multiple textures, moist whether that’s moist fluffy, or airy.
There are already proven methods that people have tried time and time again that always work no matter what when it comes to a recipe because after a while after all baking is a science so using eggs, and fats will usually use you the exact type of cakes that you’re looking to make.
Not saying that you should eat cake every day but it’s nice to treat yourself once in a while when it comes to eating cake daily it is good for the soul. it really comes down to preference and how much you love cake.
Baking Techniques: Tips For Making Vegan Cake
Here are four tips for making a vegan cake especially if it’s your first time.
- If following a recipe try to use the same size of pan that the recipe calls for.
There have been instances where people have used smaller pans and it completely affected the vegan cake causing it to either be gummy or dense or even crispier. because the heat caused it too big too quickly.
- Instead of halving your recipe, freeze the other cake in the freezer.
The first initial thing that people usually think of when they don’t want as much cake is to just half the recipe but sometimes it’s not that simple and if you do that you risk the cake not coming out the way it’s supposed to come out. It is not just as simple as adjusting the heat and time period there is more to it.
- Don’t over-mix your vegan batter because that would cause a dense and gummy cake.
Over-mixing your batter just means that you have mixed your better too much to the point where gluten has overdeveloped which as a result has caused the cake to be denser than you would like.
- It’s okay to start off with using cake mix if you’ve never done a vegan cake before.
Find a cake mix that doesn’t have milk or eggs already in the mixture and simply add the equivalent with plant-based milk And a replacement for the egg that the mixture calls for. Then follow the instructions and bake it.
This will allow you to get your feet wet and be able to see what you like and what you don’t like and see what works for you. You can also use club soda instead of egg in cake mix especially if it has pudding already in the powder