This Vegan Cinnamon Swirl Cake is super Easy and Quick. A simple yellow cake, swirled with cinnamon sugar makes for a delightful treat. Vegan Nutfree Soyfree Recipe. Can be made into cupcakes. Glutenfree option
When I crave some cinnamon roll action but want it super quick, I make this cake! The simple 1 Bowl Yellow cake is lightly sweet and makes soft and moist cakes. Add layers of cinnamon sugar and swirl some in. Bake and done! Add a glaze if you like. The Cake is sweet enough and delicious without any. Serve as is or warm with vegan butter.
To make this gluten-free, try the flour mix from my gluten-free christmas cake. See recipe notes below for quantity.
This cake is Soft, moist, Cinnamony and Vibrant. Perfect for a Sunday treat with Masala Chai or spiced coffee drinks, or carry along on trips or school. Add a glaze/icing to make it into a delectable dessert. Add some nuts with the cinnamon swirl. Bake the batter into cupcakes/muffins, so many options!
More Fantastic Bakes from the blog
- Eggnog Pound Cake
- 1 Bowl Banana Apple Bread. Can be made into muffins
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Marble Cake
- Lemon blueberry pound cake
Gluten-free options
- GF Cashew Butter Chocolate Marble Cake.
- Gluten-free Cinnamon Roll Bread yeast-free.
- GF Carrot Banana Bread – Also grain-free.
- Sweet Potato Crumb Cake. GF
For no oil and no refined sugar free cake, try this Turmeric Coconut Loaf.
Vegan Cinnamon Swirl Cake
Ingredients
Yellow Vanilla cake
Wet:
- 1 cup (244 ml) non dairy milk such as almond or soy
- 1 tsp vinegar ( apple cider vinegar or white)
- 1/3 cup (66.67 g) sugar 1 tbsp more for sweeter
- 1/4 cup (56 ml) oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- a few drops of almond extract optional but wonderful
- a good pinch of turmeric for color optional
Dry:
- 2 cups (250 g) of flour ( I use all unbleached all purpose, or a combination of all purpose and wheat)
- 1 tbsp cornstarch (optional)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) baking soda
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
Cinnamon Swirl:
- 3 tbsp sugar light brown sugar or a mix of brown and regular
- 1.25 tsp cinnamon
- pinch of cardamom or chai spice or ginger or orange zest for variation
Instructions
- Prepare a loaf pan ( 9 by 5 inch) by lining with parchment or greasing. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F ( 180 deg C).
- Mix the non dairy milk and vinegar and let sit for 2 mins. Then add the rest of the wet ingredients and whisk well to combine. Sugar should be well combined.
- Add 1 3/4 cup flour*, starch baking powder, baking soda and salt (through a sieve or mixed in another bowl). Whisk well to combine. Add in the rest of the flour 1 tbsp at a time, if needed. The mixture should be a flowy but just slighty stiff (depends on the flours used). You can also in some spices into the flour for other flavors.(*If using whole grain flour, start with 1 3/4 cup flour. You might not need more).
- In a small bowl mix the cinnamon, sugar and a good pinch of salt. Press down with a spoon and mix until the cinnamon is mixed in.
- Add half of the batter to a prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon mixture on the batter. Pour the rest of the batter and even it out. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon mixture on top. Use a knife to swirl in lightly throughout the batter. Spray oil on top to seal in the cinnamon mixture
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes (depends on the pan and oven) Check from the center at 45 mins and continue baking till the toothpick comes out completely clean.
- Cool on the counter for 10 mins then remove from the pan and continue to cool completely before slicing. Slice and Store on the counter for upto 2 days and refrigerated for upto a week. Slices can also be frozen. Add an icing for dessert.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
lisa says
May 7, 2018 at 7:07 pmVegan Cinnamon Swirl Cake ..As much as I love your site and your recipes, this recipe is anything but healthy. A 1/3 cup of Sugar + 1 more tablespoon of sugar, 1/4 cup of Oil, 3 Tbs of brown sugar (I believe this equals 1/4 cup). I really wanted this to be a real vegan, eggless cake, but this recipe does not meet the traditional “healthy” cake. Can you try this again with no oil and less sugar? Because it does look delicious
Richa says
May 7, 2018 at 7:12 pmI did not say anywhere that is is healthy. Its a dessert. This is a vegan cake, vegan just means no animal products.
I do have other No oil and no refined sugar recipes on the blog. There are all kinds of options (see recipe index). See this No Oil no refined sugar Turmeric coconut loaf and use that with a cinnamon swirl. https://www.veganricha.com/2018/02/coconut-turmeric-bread-golden-lemon-coconut-loaf.html
Cat says
May 7, 2018 at 10:03 pmMy mum (not vegan, age 72) went to a vegan market near her house. When I asked her what she thought of it, she said ‘Well there were lots of cakes and bright coloured icing – not healthy at all – I was very surprised’. I got very frustrated trying to defend those cakes! Anyway your cake looks delicious, I look forward to making it.
Richa says
May 7, 2018 at 10:20 pmThank you Cat! Maybe a large bakery section :). Vegan food is so varied and so many types from junk, to whole food, from whole beans, grains, veggies to fake meats, and everything in between. Something for everyone!
Margie says
May 11, 2018 at 2:11 pmExactly! For instance many chips and Oreos are Vegan! Not always healthy. I got confused though on the recipe. I cannot find the yellow cake version. Are you not referring to a box mix?
Richa says
May 11, 2018 at 2:58 pmThe cake is in the recipe. You can use a box mix if you like. I make my own cake, its easy and has ingredients that i know.
Roslyn says
May 9, 2018 at 6:55 pmI think the recipe looks wonderful for a vegan dessert & can’t wait to try it! I’m sure it is delicious.
Melissa says
September 25, 2018 at 8:22 pmI made this vegan cake and it is wonderful! For you that don’t like the recipe because of sugar amounts …don’t prepare it. Move on. My son is vegan, he’s 19 and I gladly cook for him. He eats healthy and he deserves a sweet treat 🖕🏻
Janey says
April 30, 2019 at 6:51 pmIt’s awesome as usual!!!
Thanks for all your variety
dayna says
May 8, 2018 at 5:08 amactually, i do think this cake is healthy…since health is not limited to the foods we put into our body but expands to include spiritual, mental and emotional health. this cake (and any food for that matter) has no moral worth…meaning no food is “good” or “bad”…it’s just food. this cake feeds the soul and, in my opinion, that makes it REALLY damn healthy. thank you, richa for this recipe.
Alicia says
July 29, 2019 at 4:10 pmI just love this reply. Yesssssss! I’m mAking this tonight!!!!
Monica says
December 4, 2019 at 5:08 pmIt is vegan . That’s it. No eggs, no cow milk, no butter, NO animal suffering. You are not going to eat this cake every day , so it is fine if it is no health. The point is , no animal ingredients are used here.
Steff says
June 19, 2018 at 4:51 pmLisa-just add less sugar, and substitute apple sauce for oil.
Thank you Richa for another great recipe! I love your recipes and your cookbook. 🙂
Richa says
June 19, 2018 at 5:52 pm❤️❤️❤️
Emily says
May 7, 2018 at 10:23 pmI just made it. Came out perfect! We couldnt even wait for it to cool, warm slices with all that cinnamon. Perfect!
Nina says
May 7, 2018 at 10:35 pmHi Richa, thanks for recip. Do you know the saturated fat per portion? Thank you
Richa says
May 8, 2018 at 10:41 amits 0.1, anything less than 0.5 gets rounded to 0 and 0 values dont show on the widget box.
Nina says
May 8, 2018 at 3:08 pmThank you Richa, very much appreciate you replying. Looking forward to trying out your recipe soon! I own your cook books and love them. are you working on another?
Richa says
May 8, 2018 at 10:24 pmMaybe next year. This is a break year. 🙂
Sandra Frost says
May 8, 2018 at 5:39 amA lovely cake! Thanks for these great recipes!
Anu says
May 8, 2018 at 7:48 amLooks yum! I’m surely going to try making it this weekend.
Yogita says
May 8, 2018 at 8:48 amHi Richa , I have started using spelt flour these days . can I use all spelt flour or can I substitute Einkorn white flour for white flour here ? Can’t wait to try.
Thanks
Richa says
May 8, 2018 at 10:45 amYes you can use those flours. Maybe use a combination of spelt and einkorn flour. Start with 1 1/2 cup flour and add more into the batter 2 tbsp at a time. spelt generally will absorb more moisture, so start with less. Also definitely add the 1 tbsp starch as it helps retain more moisture, esp with whole grain flours that tend to dry out more while baking.
Yogita says
May 21, 2018 at 10:24 pmI tried the combination of splet and Einkorn you suggested and it turned out awesome!!
Thanks so much!
Richa says
May 22, 2018 at 3:16 pmawesome
Geffin says
May 8, 2018 at 11:02 amRicha, your recipes are wonderful and delicious. I look forward to your posts every week 🤗. Thank you for all the hard work you put in creating some many great recipes. I make your yellow dal with spinach at least once a week.
Richa says
May 8, 2018 at 11:12 amThank you Geffin! <3
Rucha says
May 8, 2018 at 11:06 amCan I use olive oil, or do you recommend a particular type of oil?
Richa says
May 8, 2018 at 11:12 amAny neutral oil like organic safflower, sunflower or canola. Olive oil will work too, but it adds some flavor to the cake. Olive oils also go rancid very quickly and that flavor will show in baking. It gets masked in cooked food.
Sandhya says
May 8, 2018 at 9:45 pmDefinitely trying this! The optional corn starch… not necessary if using all purpose flour? Thank you!
Richa says
May 8, 2018 at 10:23 pmyes optional if using all purpose, definitely add if using a mix or whole grain flours
Cassie Thuvan Tran says
May 10, 2018 at 9:36 amOh yum yum yum! This just might become my go-to recipe, because I am ALWAYS up for cinnamon roll action in a pinch. I really want to challenge myself to bake more frequently, but it’s hard because I don’t usually keep flours in the house. But hey, maybe it’s time to stock up!
Tricia Lim says
May 14, 2018 at 7:06 pmJust made these today in cupcake versions with the swirl in the centre . Absolutely devine . Love the firm batter . Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
Richa says
May 14, 2018 at 11:57 pmawesome!
Keren Segal says
May 15, 2018 at 2:17 pmCame out perfect! thank you!
Richa says
May 15, 2018 at 5:06 pmyay!
Michele says
May 22, 2018 at 7:23 amIs it okay to use oat milk instead of almond or soy ones?
Richa says
May 22, 2018 at 3:18 pmi havent tried it yet, it should work
Oriana says
June 12, 2018 at 5:16 pmHello. Let me preface this by saying that I have both your cookbooks and enjoy your blog and recipes very much. However, I did not do well with this cake! It looks great, BUT. I used 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1 cup Trader Joe’s 100% white whole wheat. I also put in the cornstarch. The dough was very sticky and thick with no flow at all. Heavy and not good after cooked. Any thoughts? I would like to try again. It looks so good and I like cinnamon cake. Thank you for your helpful website. I use a lot of your recipes. Did your red lentil ziti last week and give it a 5.
Richa says
June 12, 2018 at 5:23 pmHi Oriana,
Thanks for getting the books! I think it might be the wheat flour. Some types or brands are a bit denser than others and absorb a lot more liquid. try a lesser amount of the wheat flour. start with 1 cup all purpose and 1/2 cup wheat flour and mix in, add more all purpose only if the batter is thin. I think you might not need any more flour if the wheat flour is denser.
When you bake the batter that is thick and has less moisture, it will tend to be dense and dryer, which probably is what the baked result was.
You can bake the slices of the current cake at 300 deg F to dry out into biscotti. Glaze the slices and use.
Richa says
June 12, 2018 at 5:24 pmor you can make cake balls. Crumble up the existing cake, add some frosting of choice and roll into balls
Oriana says
June 12, 2018 at 6:17 pmThanks so much. I’m going to give it another go. Think I’ll just use all-purpose flour. Cornstarch or no cornstarch?
Julie says
June 26, 2018 at 10:09 amI made this with spelt flour and it came out divine! Now gobbling up warm cake with some fresh strawberries. Thanks for a great recipe 🙂
Richa says
June 26, 2018 at 10:27 amAwesome!
Liza says
July 22, 2018 at 10:12 amDear Richa, made your cake today with einkorn flour- it is excellent! Thank you for sharing with us and putting up with us :). You are so right that almond flavor here is very good!
Richa says
July 22, 2018 at 11:11 amAwesome!
Kirsty says
August 4, 2018 at 10:18 pmI made this WONDERFUL recipe for a friend yesterday. The crumb and texture were out of this world good. On the denser, cakey side of the spectrum but still light and fluffy. I do love baking and this is honestly one of the simplest and best treats out there. Thank you!
Richa says
August 5, 2018 at 12:09 amthats awesome! Add a bit more baking powder for fluffier if its a bit dense. Also use a few tbsp less flour.
laurie says
September 13, 2018 at 8:57 amDoes the tumeric affect the flavor?
Richa says
September 13, 2018 at 10:40 amnope
Tina says
November 19, 2018 at 3:34 pmMade this today! The cake has a really great flavor — I made some with and some without the almond extract; it’s definitely better with!
I tweaked this recipe in a ways which I wouldn’t recommend, lol. Since I was expecting a friend with a nut allergy to want to partake, I chose to use canned lite coconut milk instead of the almond milk I keep on hand. The batter was ridiculously delicious, but the high fat content in the coconut milk offset the baking time too much, and the cake (I made muffins) just never really set up.
I’ll definitely try this again, maybe with oat or rice milk instead of the coconut milk, because it was easy and delicious. But note to readers! Don’t use canned coconut milk. Lol.
Richa says
November 19, 2018 at 9:38 pmIt probably needed some few tbsp extra flour and additional baking time. The additional fat add additional moisture, so it needs more dry and also slightly longer baking time. so the the cake might have been somewhat baked at the edges and not yet baked in the middle and somewhat not risen or gummy right?
Tina says
November 19, 2018 at 10:04 pmPretty much! The edges were crispy and delightful – though because there was so much fat they tasted almost deep fried – but the inside was exactly as you described: not fully baked and somewhat gummy. I even doubled the baking time, but I had to leave the house because I was going to be late to something! So I didn’t see how they would have turned out given ample baking time. Whatever, I grocery shopped today and bought rice milk for next time. 🙂
Courtney says
December 1, 2018 at 8:21 pmCan you make this recipe with oat flour?
Kristin says
December 22, 2018 at 7:33 amMade this last night for a Christmas party–everyone had seconds! I doubled the recipe and baked it in a 9×13″. This will be our new go-to cake!
Also, our family loves your recipes: vegan chocolate chip cake, buffalo chickpea pizza, chickpea veggie loaf to bake just a few. Thank you for making vegan easy and delicious!
Lily says
December 24, 2018 at 3:27 pmRicha,
I made this today. Based on the photo and ingredients, I played a hunch that I was going to like it so I doubled the recipe and made 2 loafs. So glad I did. It was excellent. The cinnamon and sugar mix really complements the cake beautifully because the cake is not overly sweet. I included chopped walnuts when I added the mix to the middle. It was perfect! Thank you for sharing.
Richa says
December 24, 2018 at 10:19 pmawesome! yes its a mildly sweet ake and you an build up with more cinnamon swirl or some icing.
Danielle says
January 22, 2019 at 8:23 pmThis is the best vegan gluten free nut free cake like recipe !! It tastes like it’s supposed to and the texture is not weird. We made it into cupcakes as recommended for gluten free flour. As a mama with a kiddo with a lot of allergies, I say thank you from our tastebuds! We had fun making it too. What a treat to have every once and a while.
Sharon says
February 11, 2019 at 1:35 pmI had been feeling overwhelmed by all the complex and ho-hum vegan dessert recipes I kept making, but all that changed when I found your site. I made this for the first time today and it is delicious. And so easy to put together. My household are also big fans of your lemon poppy donuts. Thank you for your wonderful site and recipes Richa!
Richa says
February 11, 2019 at 4:12 pmso glad you found the site! and happy that it turned out so well!
Arabella says
March 23, 2019 at 7:02 pmWas looking forward to trying this recipe but unfortunately, it was very bland and I needed to add more milk then directed. On the upside the texture was great and looked exactly as pictured.
Richa says
March 23, 2019 at 11:05 pmhmm,maybe you just need to add more sugar? You may be accustomed to more sweeter cakes or maybe its just the brand of the sugar(not sweet enough) or the sugar isnt mixing in as quickly, mix longer till the sugar dissolves in the wet. If the sugar hasnt dissolved, that would make the cake feel less sweet.
Rose says
June 24, 2019 at 10:03 amHi Richa, have been meaning to make this for a while now and geez, why did I wait so long?! It’s absolutely delicious!! I like the chew and the flavour is just divine. I followed another commenter’s lead and made a double batch and, like her, I’m so glad I did! Hubby’s a big cinnamon roll guy and he’s gonna love it when he gets home…if there’s any left, that is! Thank you so much for yet another amazing recipe!!
Richa says
June 24, 2019 at 4:40 pmyay!
Mo Yee says
July 18, 2019 at 11:18 pmHello! What adjustments should I make if I want to use coconut flour instead of all purpose please? Many thanks!
Richa says
July 23, 2019 at 3:21 pmit wont work with coconut flour. Coconut flour needs far more moisture and some binding, so a direct sun wont work here
Panayiota says
August 3, 2019 at 2:03 amA wonderful vegan cake, very easy to make. And yes, it is healthy because it has very few saturated fats. I ve made it several times and it always comes out perfect.
Adding the tumeric was a good tip, I think it makes a big difference to the colour and the taste. I also add orange essence (instead of zest) to the cinnamon/sugar swirl. It adds a very subtle orange taste, which I think is great. A couple of times I ve also added apple slices to the bottom (previously cooked with a bit of sugar and brandy), and it came out nicely like an apple pie!
Thank you Richa!
Richa says
August 3, 2019 at 11:07 amawesome!
Sony says
October 9, 2019 at 7:04 amI was wanting to make this amd wanting to and if i use a non wheat flour , is there anything I need to adjust in the recipe? And could you please give any suggestions for alternative flour e.g. almond. Thankyou so much.
Richa says
October 9, 2019 at 1:41 pmThe gluten-free blend i use is listed in the recipe notes section. It uses rice flour almond flur and starches.See notes for exact measures
sonya costa says
October 10, 2019 at 9:05 amit is too. so sorry. is it possible to have just one flour eg spelt flour . im not after the gluten free. just wheat free. and because its easier with one flour. thankyou again.
Richa says
October 10, 2019 at 11:20 amSpelt is a type of wheat. If it works for you, then use all spelt. You will need a bit less spelt flour as it absorbs more moisture, start with a quarter cup less flour and add more only if the batter is runny.
laura says
October 15, 2019 at 10:03 amCan i use Bob’s red mill 1-to-1 gluten free to sub Ap flour for a gluten free version?
Richa says
October 15, 2019 at 12:23 pmuse this recipe instead https://www.veganricha.com/2017/11/vegan-gluten-free-cinnamon-roll-bread-yeast-free.html
Chris says
October 20, 2019 at 10:04 pmOkay I couldn’t figure this out and I read the recipe over 4 times. In the ingredients you mention 2 cups of flour. In the directions you only say to use 1 and 3/4 cup flour. What happened to the other 1/4 cup flour???? I can’t find it
Richa says
October 20, 2019 at 10:42 pmI should make that clearer. You add more flour 1 tbsp at a time if needed to make batter that is just about starting to add resistance/starting to get stiff. Depending on the flours you use (if using more whole grain flour, you will need 1 3/4 cup, if using all all purpose, you will nee the whole 2 cups)
Vegan says
October 30, 2019 at 7:41 pmI am just wondering can I substitute the plant based milk with:
1) Water
2) Soy Powder + Water
Thanks!
Richa says
October 30, 2019 at 7:44 pmjust water
Vegan says
October 31, 2019 at 6:55 pmThanks, made this last night using water as I was out of plant based milk at home! The cake was mild sweet and I just love the cinnamon swirl! However, the cake was little moist and gummy though, I baked it in a Pyrex glassware using halogen oven. Do you think I should make any adjustments to the baking time or temperature? Thanks!
Richa says
October 31, 2019 at 8:57 pmhmm, seems like there was either too much moisture for the flour(which flour did you use?, with water you might need a tbsp or so more) or the loaf needed morebaking time because of pan/oven. add a bit more flour for a slightly thicker batter and bake longer until toothpick from the center comes out clean.
Vegan says
November 10, 2019 at 6:12 amI used all purpose flour. Anyways, I managed to get soy milk and baked it in the new silicone muffin cups I got – they turned out great! I have just ordered a silicone loaf pan, will try it out then and I am sure it will turn out fine. Thanks again!
Giulia Caruana says
November 1, 2019 at 9:37 amHi Richa,
Could I use coconut flour instead of white rice flour for the gluten option?
Richa says
November 1, 2019 at 5:39 pmwont work
Julia Joseph says
November 1, 2019 at 5:59 pmOk thank you!
Sarah H says
November 9, 2019 at 12:16 amWonderful cake!! I added a few mixed nuts to it. Made it for a autumn school event for my daughters school and it was a hit!
Richa says
November 9, 2019 at 9:17 pmgreeat!
Mandy says
November 18, 2019 at 9:20 pmThis is the yummiest vegan cinnamon cake I ever had. I make this every time I feel like having cinnamon buns but I am too lazy to make them. I made it for couple of guests once. The whole cake was gone in 10 minutes.
Thanks again Richa another favorite staple in my household.
Jodi says
December 19, 2019 at 4:58 pmHi Richa, Thank you for all the work you do to test and share wonderful recipes. I made the Cinnamon Swirl Cake and substituted King Arthur’s GF flour. Should I have added citric acid? My cake turned out dense and tough. I did refrigerate it in order to prevent the cream cheese icing from melting. Maybe I shouldn’t have done that? The flavor was still great. Next time I will use your GF recipe, but I would appreciate any advice you have for me. Thank You!
Richa says
December 20, 2019 at 11:44 amIts the flour blend. it has a lot of rice flour. i havent had good luck with rice flour based blends, they usually dry out and get crusty. Try it with my blend or half king arthurs blend plus half almond flour.
Roxanne La says
December 20, 2019 at 6:18 pmThanks. Made this 2 times worth my 5 to. Love your work. Happy holidays.
Richa says
December 20, 2019 at 6:46 pmThanks!!
Paige says
December 22, 2019 at 4:04 amI made this for my vegan friend for Christmas, but in cupcake form and she said it was really good and tasted just like a cinnamon roll.
Richa says
December 22, 2019 at 4:46 pmawesome!
Petra says
January 12, 2020 at 7:24 amRicha, we have made so many of your recipes, and ALL of them turned out delicious. We use your books all the time. Thanks for the extra recipes on the blog! This cake is SO good!!
Richa says
January 12, 2020 at 11:42 amTthanks!
Kellie says
January 15, 2020 at 3:11 pmI just made this for third time (and made a double batch!) It’s so good! Thank you for your sharing your great recipes!
L says
March 1, 2020 at 5:34 amI made this cake on 2 separate occasions-once with cornstarch and once without, both times with all all-purpose flour. It was so dense we couldn’t eat it on both occasions. Maybe I’m doing something wrong, or it’s just a bad recipe.
Richa says
March 2, 2020 at 7:03 pmDid the cake rise at all during baking? My suspicion is that baking powder is old and is not working.
L says
March 6, 2020 at 3:43 amThanks for responding! That’s a definite possibility. Ok, third time’s the charm! I’ll try it again with new baking powder and get back to you.
L says
March 12, 2020 at 7:54 amThis time the cake worked! I’m still not a huge fan though. Oh well.
Richa says
March 12, 2020 at 1:48 pmof the texture or flavor? its ok if you ddint like it 🙂
Leah says
March 30, 2020 at 6:59 amLooking for a lighter delicious sweet treat and came across this while in #stayinghome. Made it as is and loved it- the dash of cardamom is a perfect marriage with the cinnamon sugar. My husband loved this too. Thank you!
Richa says
March 30, 2020 at 11:16 amaweesome
Amber says
March 31, 2020 at 8:06 amMade this and my carnivore friends loved it! I put more brown sugar on top for an extra crackly top. Perfect pantry recipe, the cake is moist and not overly sweet. Can’t wait to try with orange, cardamon, and other flavors.
Richa says
March 31, 2020 at 12:29 pmyay