Amazing Wholesome Vanilla Cake

There’s something timeless about a simple vanilla cake — soft, moist, and filled with that warm, sweet aroma. In this version, we’re keeping all the classic flavour but swapping out refined ingredients for wholesome ones. This Eggless Wholewheat Vanilla Cake is perfect as a tea-time treat, a birthday base, or just a cozy slice of comfort. It’s part of my Wholesome Basics series — where I share everyday classics made with better ingredients, without losing their charm or texture.

Let’s look at the main ingredients

Wholewheat Flour

A fiber-rich alternative to refined flour, it adds nuttiness and helps make the cake more wholesome without compromising on texture. This is our regular aata, a finely ground wholewheat flour. If you are outside India, you can use white wholewheat flour.

Cornflour

Cornflour lightens the texture of the cake, giving it that delicate crumb you expect in a bakery-style sponge. It also provides a firmer texture.

Milk Powder

Milk powder adds richness and enhances the overall flavour of the cake. It also provides firmness with crumbs that taste delicate.

Raw Sugar

A less processed alternative to refined white sugar, raw sugar retains some natural molasses, adding depth of flavor and gentle sweetness. It gives a delicate caramel note to the cake.

Butter (Soft, Unsalted)

Butter adds a classic richness and smooth mouthfeel to the cake. It helps create that tender crumb and enhances the overall flavour of vanilla. You can replace it with ghee as well.

Yogurt

Yogurt replaces eggs in this recipe, adding moisture, and creating tender crumbs. It also helps the cake rise and stay fluffy.

Oil

A touch of oil ensures the cake stays soft even after cooling, giving that perfect moist texture you’ll love in every bite.

Vanilla Extract

The star flavour! Vanilla adds warmth and aroma, making this cake feel like a comforting hug in every slice.

Salt

A pinch of salt enhances all the sweet and nutty flavors, rounding out the taste perfectly.

Milk

Milk brings the batter together, helping achieve the right consistency for a smooth, even crumb. It also adds tenderness to the bake.

If you are looking for healthier cake frosting recipes, check out these delicious frosting recipes!

A playlist of all the recipes in my Wholesome Basics series is linked here.

Why You Will Love This Eggless Wholewheat Vanilla Cake

• Made with wholesome, pantry-friendly ingredients — no maida, no refined sugar.
• Perfectly soft, fluffy, and light — just like a bakery-style vanilla cake.
• Eggless and easy to make — great for beginners or anyone avoiding eggs.
• Ideal as a base for frosting, fruit toppings, or a simple tea-time treat.

Wholesome baking doesn’t have to be complicated — and this recipe is a perfect example. With simple swaps and mindful ingredients, you can enjoy all the flavor and texture of a classic cake, but made better. So preheat that oven, and bring home the comforting aroma of this Eggless Wholewheat Vanilla Cake today!

Eggless Wholewheat Vanilla Cake

Serves: 8 Prep Time: 15 mins Cooking Time: 45 mins 45 mins

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Pin

Print

Ingredients

1.25 cup (160g) - Wholewheat Flour/Gehu Aata/White Wholewheat Flour

1 tbsp (7g) - Corn Flour/Corn Starch

1/4 cup (22g) -  Unsweetened Milk Powder

1.5 tsp - Baking Powder

1/2 tsp - Baking Soda

3/4 cup (100g) - Raw Sugar/Desi Khand

1/4 cup (50g) - Unsalted Butter/Ghee

2 tbsp (30ml/24g) - Neutral Flavoured Vegetable Oil

1/4 cup (60ml/55g) - Yogurt/Curd/Dahi

1 tbsp (15ml) - Vanilla Extract or 1/2 tbsp (7.5ml) - Vanilla Essence

1/8 tsp - Salt or 1/4 tsp - Pink Salt

3/4 cup (180ml) - Milk

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C. Grease and line the base of an 8-inch round cake tin with parchment paper.

2. In a bowl, whisk together wholewheat flour, cornflour, milk powder, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.

3. In another bowl, beat soft butter or Ghee and raw sugar until light and creamy.

4. Add yogurt, oil, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix until smooth.

5. Sift the dry mix into the wet ingredients and add milk gradually. Fold gently to form a smooth, lump-free batter. It should be at ribbon consistency.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Tap the pan gently on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.

7. Bake at 170°C for 35–45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

8. Let it cool for around 15 minutes before unmolding and let it cool completely on a wire rack.

Notes

1. Depending on your flour, you may need upto 1/4 cup more milk, which means you may need 1 cup of milk in total for this recipe. Keep your batter at ribbon consistency.
2. If you want to avoid big air pockets, after transferring the batter into the pan, take a toothpick and gently swirl it around the batter starting at the center and going around the edges. I have shown this step in the video. This will help you get rid of any bigger air bubbles in the batter.
3. You can bake this much batter into two 6 inch cake pans too. Baking time will be around 25-30 minutes.
4. If you plan to make it into a layered cake, wrap the cakes in plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for 2-4 hours before slicing or trimming.

Did You Make This Recipe?

Have you made this recipe? Tag me on Instagram at @VanillaTrails and use the hashtag #MadeWithVanillaTrails.