Vegan Dalgona Coffee Cake
This vegan Dalgona coffee cake turns the whipped-coffee trend into a soft, tender sponge crowned with that same glossy, foamy topping. It is an egg-free, dairy-free cake made with plant-based milk and a quick homemade buttermilk, then finished with the classic three-ingredient Dalgona whip of instant coffee, sugar, and hot water. If you loved the drink, this is the dessert version you make when you want the flavor to last longer than a mug.
I’m sure you all know what Dalgona coffee is by now. But if you’ve somehow missed it (or you don’t have an internet connection), I’m going to introduce you to this 21st-century wonder. It became a wildly popular challenge, and it is made by whipping equal proportions of instant coffee powder, sugar, and hot water until the mixture turns creamy and foaming. I think cooking, or preparing beverages, is always a nice skill to have, and it can take your mind off your worries, so I think it’s really cool that this Dalgona thing came into being. Because the drink feels more like dessert than like your usual cup of morning joe, I figured why not build a cake around it?
What goes into this cake
The cake batter stays deliberately simple, and every swap keeps it fully plant-based. Here is what each ingredient is doing:
- Non-dairy milk and white vinegar — stirred together, these make a quick vegan buttermilk. The acid reacts with the baking soda for lift and gives the crumb a soft, tender texture. Any unsweetened plant milk works; if you like to make your own, my homemade nut milk recipes are a good place to start.
- Non-dairy yogurt — just a tablespoon adds moisture and a little extra tang, so the cake stays plush rather than dry.
- Brown sugar — sweetens the batter and adds a faint caramel note that pairs well with coffee.
- Coconut oil — the fat that keeps the cake rich and moist. Melt it so it blends smoothly into the wet mix.
- All-purpose flour, baking powder, and baking soda — the structure and the rise. Two leaveners, plus the vinegar, give this cake its gentle dome.
- Instant coffee, sugar, and hot water — the three ingredients for the Dalgona topping. Instant coffee is essential here; only instant coffee whips up into that thick, foamy cream.
How to whip the Dalgona topping
The topping is where the magic happens, and it only works with instant coffee. Combine equal parts instant coffee, sugar, and hot water, then whisk until the mixture goes from a dark liquid to a pale, thick, glossy foam that holds soft peaks. When whipped entirely by hand it takes 3 to 4 minutes to achieve that wonderful foamy texture, and by then your arms are going to shake — trust me on that. If you want to skip the workout, you can use a hand mixer, though I recommend whisking by hand at first so you’ll have a bit of volume for your electric mixer to build on. You will know it is ready when a spoonful holds its shape and the color has lightened to a warm caramel.
Tips for a soft crumb every time
- Do not overmix the batter. Once you fold the dry ingredients into the wet, stir just until combined. Overworking the flour develops gluten and gives you a dense, chewy cake instead of a tender one.
- Let the buttermilk sit briefly. Giving the plant milk and vinegar a minute to curdle before mixing helps the batter react properly.
- Line the pan with overhang. Leave the parchment paper hanging over the edges so you can lift the whole cake out cleanly once it has cooled.
- Bake until a tester comes out clean. At 180 C the cake needs about 30 to 35 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with no wet batter, and the top should spring back when lightly pressed.
- Top only after cooling. Spread or dollop the Dalgona foam once the cake is completely cool, so the topping stays airy instead of melting into a warm surface.
Make it kid-friendly, and other swaps
This is a cake I can pretty much guarantee is enjoyed equally whether you’re an avid coffee drinker or you don’t drink coffee at all, because it doesn’t have the bitterness of a usual cup, just the wonderful flavor. If you’ve got kids, I recommend you opt for decaf instant coffee — you can find it just as easily at any store and it works just as well, which makes this a nice pick from my vegan recipes for kids. As I mentioned, this is a vegan recipe, so we use plant-based milk instead of a regular one and, of course, no eggs are involved. In fact, I dare you to serve this to someone without mentioning that it’s vegan — I’m pretty sure they’re not going to be able to figure it out.
Storing and serving
Keep the cooled cake in an airtight container. Because the Dalgona foam is airy, it holds its shape best the day it is whipped, so if you are making the cake ahead, store the plain sponge and whip fresh topping just before serving. The plain cake keeps well for a few days at room temperature or in the fridge, and a quick re-whip of coffee, sugar, and hot water takes only minutes. I’ve tried it for breakfast and it’s made my day a million times better, so a slice with morning coffee is well worth it. If you are in a baking mood, it sits nicely alongside other treats like my vegan vanilla Swiss roll or a carrot cake Swiss roll, and it makes a lovely addition to a spread of vegan snacks.
If you bake this vegan Dalgona coffee cake, I’d love to know how your foam turned out and whether you went for caffeinated or decaf — please rate the recipe below and leave a comment with any tweaks you made. So I highly suggest you try this one out!
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Vegan Dalgona Coffee Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup non-dairy milk
- 1 Tbsp non-dairy yogurt
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
Dalgona coffee topping:
- 2 Tbsp instant coffee
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp hot water
Instructions
- Mix well non-dairy milk, non-dairy yogurt, brown sugar, vinegar, vanilla extract, and coconut oil.
- In another bowl mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Fold into the wet ingredients and combine.
- Line a baking dish with parchment paper hanging on the edges. Transfer the mixture and bake at 180 C for 30-35 min.
- While the cake is in the oven make the topping. Combine 2 tbs of instant coffee with the 2 tbs of sugar and 2 tbs of hot water. Whisk until foamy. Use a hand mixer preferably.
- Cool the cake completely before slicing. Serve with Dalgona coffee topping.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. It uses non-dairy milk, non-dairy yogurt, and coconut oil in place of butter, milk, and eggs, so every ingredient is plant-based. The whipped Dalgona topping is just instant coffee, sugar, and hot water, which is naturally vegan too.
Only instant coffee whips up into that thick, foamy Dalgona cream. Ground or brewed coffee will not aerate the same way, so the topping needs equal parts instant coffee, sugar, and hot water to reach the pale, glossy foam that holds soft peaks.
Yes. Swap the regular instant coffee for decaf instant coffee, which you can find just as easily at any store and which whips up exactly the same way. The cake keeps its coffee flavor without the caffeine, so it works well for children.
No, but it helps. Whipped entirely by hand it takes about 3 to 4 minutes of vigorous whisking to get the foamy texture, and your arms will feel it. A hand mixer speeds it up; starting by hand first builds a little volume for the electric mixer to work with.
Fold the dry ingredients into the wet just until combined and stop there. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour and makes the crumb dense and chewy, while a light hand keeps it soft and tender. The vinegar and baking soda also help it rise, so give the plant milk and vinegar a minute to curdle first.
Yes, with one tweak. The plain sponge keeps well for a few days at room temperature or in the fridge in an airtight container. Because the Dalgona foam is airy and holds best the day it is whipped, store the cake plain and whip fresh topping just before serving.
Wow! I love dalgona coffee but I never thought of making a cake with it. it’s simply amazing, thanks so much for the idea! ❤️