There used to be a time when being vegan meant missing out on the sweeter things in life – but not any more. The options for vegan cake are abundant nowadays and this is especially true in Scotland’s capital.
Even if you are looking for something special, like a birthday cake or a wedding cake, there are lots of vegan bakeries in Edinburgh that would be more than happy to oblige. From cosy tea rooms to dedicated home delivery services, in Edinburgh there is no excuse not to have your (vegan) cake and eat it!
Read on to find out about a few of my favourites…
Oh! But if you’re looking for raw cake, then please move along. I promise I will do a roundup of great raw treats at some point, but for today I’m going to be focusing on stodgy, gooey, fluffy, sweet, delicious and oh-my-so-indulgent cake. Got that? Good.
Onto the goodies!
Black Rabbit
33 Brougham Street, Edinburgh EH3 9JT
Black Rabbit, one of Edinburgh’s newest faces on the vegan scene, have already established themselves as one of the best places to find sweet treats in Edinburgh. They have all the usual delectable goodies you would expect, including cute cupcakes, beautiful bakewell tarts and tempting croissants, but make sure you try the “cruffin” – a croissant in the shape a muffin with a sweet filling. Yes please!
facebook.com/blackrabbitedinburgh
Seeds for the Soul
167 Bruntsfield Place, Edinburgh EH10 4DG
Damn. This completely vegan café in Bruntsfield has got its cake game nailed. Pop in every day for a constantly-evolving range of cakes and bakes, including carrot cake, chocolate truffles, scones and decadent cake with varieties such as victoria sponge, biscoff, and mint oreo. Some of the treats are gluten-free, but all of them are always totally vegan.
Naked Bakery
These guys have only been around for a couple of years or so, but when it comes to vegan cake in Edinburgh, Naked Bakery has already achieved God-like status. A day or two rarely goes by without one of their pretty little unicorn cakes popping up on my social media feeds. And yes – they taste just as good as they look.
As well as making the most Instagrammable cupcakes around, they also make great vegan wedding cakes, macarons, birthday cakes, doughnuts and brioche.
Missy’s Vegan Cupcakes
A stalwart of practically every vegan festival and outdoor market, Missy’s Vegan Cupcakes specialise in an imaginative variety of vegan cake flavours, as well as incredible gooey cookies that are absolutely huge!
You can generally find them at the Grassmarket Market most Saturdays or the monthly vegan quarter at Leith every month. Check their Facebook page for the latest dates.
If you don’t fancy enjoying your cake al-fresco, you can also find their cake at Graze on Grassmarket, Hula Juice Bar and BBL.
Vegan cake at Bibi’s Bakery
37 Hanover Street, Edinburgh EH2 2PJ
Bibi’s Bakery is a popular spot for cake in Edinburgh’s city centre, specialising in celebration cakes and cupcake selection boxes to take away. While they make most of their cake the traditional way with milk, eggs, etc – they have recently started doing a small vegan offering which couldn’t come soon enough.
The vegan flavours on offer change on a day-to-day basis, so feel free to pop in and see what’s available. I have a soft spot for the red velvet flavour (see pictured), which are every bit as delicious as their non-vegan counterparts.
Vegan cake at Lovecrumbs
155 West Port, Edinburgh EH3 9DP
This is another firm favourite for cake-lovers in Edinburgh, both vegan and non-vegan alike. This cosy cake shop has around eight beautiful flavours to choose from each day, of which at least one or two will be vegan. Good to know if you have friends that are fanatic Lovecrumbs fans!
Sugar Daddy’s
5 Rodney Street, Edinburgh EH7 4EA
8 Roseneath Street, Edinburgh EH9 1JH
Sugar Daddy’s is a completely gluten-free bakery in Edinburgh, but lots of their stuff is dairy-free and vegan too. They have built up quite the cult following over the past three years and have just successfully completed their first Kickstarter campaign to expand their premises.
If you need cake that is both vegan AND gluten-free, this is the bakery for you. Like many others on this list, they can make birthday cakes and celebration cakes to order, so get in touch and find out how they can help you satisfy your cake craving!
Vegan cake at Cuckoo’s Bakery
150 Dundas Street, Edinburgh EH3 5DQ
I was a huge fan of Cuckoo’s Bakery in my pre-vegan days, so when they came out and announced their vegan range, I jumped for joy!
You can choose from mouthwatering flavours such as raspberry and coconut, vanilla, oreo and peanut butter (pictured). Every one tastes as good as their traditional counterparts, plus they look really pretty too. If you’re looking for the perfect gift, a wee box of these definitely would not disappoint.
Glutteny
Another gluten-free bakery, Glutteny supply lots of vegan cake and bakes to great cafés in Edinburgh, including Union of Genius, Fortitude Coffee and The Milkman. Of course, you can also contact them directly if you want them to make a celebration or birthday cake.
Personally, I think their raspberry and coconut slice (pictured above at Union of Genius) is one of the best examples of vegan cake you can find in the city.
Casa Angelina
42 London Street, Edinburgh EH3 6LX
You may already know Casa Angelina for their wicked vegan afternoon tea, but they often take their delicious vegan cake out on the road, too. Their sweet treats are a regular feature of the monthly Leith Vegan Quarter, and they often make an appearance at the vegan festivals.
The genius bakers from Casa Angelina are also happy to make wedding and celebration cakes, so get in touch with them if you want one of their indulgent bad boys for your event!
Mimi’s Bakehouse
63 The Shore, Edinburgh EH6 6RA
277 St John’s Road, Edinburgh EH12 7XA
250 Canongate, Edinburgh EH8 8AA
Yet another hugely successful bakery has recently started moving into the vegan cake arena – and we couldn’t be happier! Mimi’s has been delighting omnivores for years with their seriously indulgent cakes and bakes, but after enjoying success with their animal product free range at last year’s Christmas market, they have decided to extend their offering.
They normally do at least a couple of vegan products fresh each day, but stay tuned for even more news including (wait for it) vegan afternoon tea!
Holy Cow
34 Elder Street, Edinburgh EH1 3DX
Found just beside the bus station and a firm favourite with Edinburgh locals, vegan café Holy Cow is another surefure bet for vegan cake. Try tempting varieties such as summer forest gateaux, red velvet, or banoffee tart.
Who do you think does the best vegan cake in Edinburgh? Tell me in the comments below!
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The chocolate peanut butter cake at Holy Cow can’t be beat!
Holy Cow is my favourite place for vegan cake – wonderfully tangy lemon drizzle cake, rich chocolate and peanut butter cake, and rhubarb bakewell tart are my favourites.
What about best places for vegan afternoon tea in Edinburgh? I’ll be in the city next month!
Oh goodness, I better get writing then! Stay tuned…