Dairy-Free & Lactose-Free Cake Recipes

Honey and almonds flavor this simple (and gluten-free) cake. It's lovely for afternoon tea or a spring holiday dessert. Be careful not to overbeat the egg whites--they should be white and very foamy, but not at all stiff or able to hold peaks. If you beat them too much, the cake may sink in the middle as it cools.

Classic carrot cake goes vegan in this easy recipe, and gets covered with coconut whipped cream to replace the traditional cream cheese frosting. A mixture of flax and water makes a sturdy substitute for eggs in this vegan cake. Plus, sweet crushed pineapple helps to make this cake delicious with less added sugar.

This deeply dark chocolate vegan cake is not just for vegans. This fudge-like cake is also gluten-free, perfect for Valentine's Day and can even be made kosher to enjoy for Passover by making your own confectioners' sugar. The fresh berries on the side are a nice addition to the rich chocolate.

If you've been eyeing local cornmeal at your farmers' market, snap it up to make this cake. Cornmeal is ground from hard dried field corn (not the same type you nibble off the cob). And when it's freshly milled, it tastes—apologies in advance—cornier than what you can typically buy at the grocery store. This recipe was created to showcase the cornmeal from Davis Farm in Stonington, Connecticut, which has been growing the same variety of flint corn since the late 1600s. Serve with macerated berries or whipped cream.

This one-bowl vegan chocolate cake is rich, sweet and easy to make. It's perfect for special occasions and for the chocolate lover in your life. This tender cake slices best when it's slightly chilled.

Be sure that your tube pan is free from any grease or flour--the batter for this homemade angel food cake needs to be able to climb the sides of the pan as it bakes to hold its structure.

With all due respect to baklava, we've found a new favorite Lebanese dessert. This rich, moist cake is sweetened with carob molasses and has a hit of anise. We may or may not have fought over it in the Test Kitchen.

A sweet lemon glaze is all that's needed on top of this delicious lemon-poppy seed cake.

This strawberry and rhubarb upside-down cake recipe highlights how delicious strawberries and rhubarb taste together. If you can't find rhubarb, substitute an equal amount of any kind of berry or even fresh figs. This upside-down cake still tastes great the next day when the juiciness of the fruit has had time to marry with the moist olive oil cake.

This low-calorie cake gets its festive flavor from molasses, cinnamon, ginger and ground cloves. Serve it for dessert at the holidays.

This simple nondairy apple cake, which is often called Jewish apple cake, has origins in Eastern Europe. Cinnamon and sweet-tart Granny Smith apples make for a fragrant cake, while orange juice in the batter adds a sweet, fresh touch. Make it for Rosh Hashana or any other fall holiday or occasion. The leftovers (if there are any) pair nicely with a cup of coffee the next morning.

This luscious vegan cheesecake nixes the dairy in favor of a filling made with coconut cream, tofu and cashews or macadamia nuts instead of the traditional eggs and cream. Coconut oil and nuts make for a rich-tasting and crunchy crust, so nobody will miss the butter.