Name: Vegan Birthday Cake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 135 min
Ingredients: 4 cups all-purpose flour; 1 cup almond flour; 2 cups brown sugar; 2 cups vanilla-flavored coconut or soy yogurt; 2 tablespoons baking powder; 2 teaspoons baking soda; 1/2 cup vegan butter, melted; 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar; 7 tablespoons canola oil; 1 tablespoon vanilla extract; 1 pinch salt; 1 1/3 cups vegan butter, softened at room temperature (I used Earth Balance); 4 cups powdered sugar; 2 1/2 tablespoons canned full fat coconut milk; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; vegan sprinkles (optional)

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If you’re looking for a cake to make for an upcoming birthday, this vegan birthday cake is perfect for you! It’s easy to make, insanely delicious, super fluffy, and moist!

Why This Recipe Works

What I love most about this cake is that it’s much easier to prepare than it looks! I’ve made this recipe so many times and it’s always a big hit. People won’t believe that it’s entirely vegan!

The cake itself is insanely easy to make. It’s a spin-off of my vegan lemon cake that I turned into a vegan vanilla cake by adding vanilla-flavored coconut yogurt and vanilla extract.

It’s a one bowl cake recipe that is ready in no time. All you have to do is add all of the ingredients to a big bowl and stir them well with a wooden spoon. Then divide the cake batter evenly into three 8-inch cake pans.

While the three cake layers are baking in the oven, you could make the frosting. It’s my go-to frosting that I also use for my vegan cupcakes.

The coconut yogurt makes this cake super moist and fluffy without using eggs. To make the cake even moister, I added a little bit of almond flour.

Impress your loved ones with this vegan birthday cake!

What Goes Into This Recipe

For the Cake:

Flour – I used all-purpose flour. I haven’t tried making this cake with a gluten-free flour blend yet, but I think this should work as well.
Almond Flour – it gives the cake a really nice texture and flavor. If you’ve trouble finding it, you could also leave it out and replace it with all-purpose flour.
Brown Sugar – the recipe also works well with coconut sugar.
Plant-based Yogurt – I like to use vanilla-flavored coconut or soy yogurt.
Melted Vegan Butter – I used Earth Balance vegan buttery sticks for this recipe.
Oil – I used canola oil.
Baking Powder and Baking Soda
Vanilla Extract – use natural vanilla extract without any kind of sweetener.

For the Frosting:

Powdered Sugar
Coconut Milk – I used canned, full-fat coconut milk. Don’t use coconut milk that comes in a carton like almond milk because it’s too thin.
Vegan Butter – I used Earth Balance vegan buttery sticks.
Vanilla Extract

How To Make This Recipe

1. Step: Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Grease three 8-inch cake pans with vegan butter and lightly dust with flour. Melt the vegan butter in a small pot. In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients.

2. Step: Stir with a wooden spoon.

3. Step: Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans.

4. Step: Bake for about 30-35 minutes. Use a toothpick to check if the cake is ready. Leave in the pan for 10 minutes. Then transfer it to a cooling rack to cool completely.

5. Step: In the meantime, make the vanilla frosting. Place the softened vegan butter in a medium bowl and beat it with an electric hand mixer until creamy and smooth. This should take about 45 second to 1 minute. Gradually add half of the powdered sugar and beat on low speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed.

6. Step: Add the canned coconut milk, the vanilla extract, and the remaining powdered sugar. Increase to medium-high speed and beat for about 30-45 seconds, until you’ve got a fluffy and smooth frosting. Make sure not to overbeat. If your frosting is too thick, add more coconut milk (about 1 tablespoon). If it’s too thin for your liking, add extra powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency (start with ¼ cup).

7. Step: When the cake has cooled completely, you can frost and decorate it. Place one of the three cake layers on a platter. Cover the top and the sides evenly with the frosting. Use a knife to carefully frost the sides.

8. Step: Then place the second cake on top and also cover the top and the sides with frosting. Place the third cake on top and spread the remaining frosting on the top and sides. Decorate with sprinkles.

Recipe Notes

My favorite plant-based yogurt for this recipe is Silk’s vanilla-flavored coconut yogurt.
I recommend using Earth Balance vegan buttery sticks for this recipe.
Don’t skip the toothpick test. Every oven is a bit different and it helps to adjust the baking time.
If your powdered sugar contains sugar lumps, make sure to sift it before starting with the recipe for the frosting.
The vegan butter for the icing should be soft. Leave it out at room temperature for a while. Don’t melt it. The frosting recipe won’t work with melted butter.
Let the cake cool down completely before frosting it.

FAQs:

How Long Does This Cake Last?

Stored in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap, this cake will last 3-4 days in the fridge.

Can I Freeze It?

I recommend freezing the vegan birthday cake before frosting it. You can freeze the unfrosted cake layers for up to 3 moths in an airtight container.

If you want to freeze an already frosted cake, place the finished cake in the freezer for about an hour. This will help the decoration to set. Once it’s set, carefully wrap it in a layer of plastic wrap followed by another layer of aluminum foil. Then place it back in the freezer.

To thaw, place the cake in the fridge overnight or let it sit on the counter for a few hours.

Can I Make a Gluten-Free Version of This Cake?

I haven’t tried making this vegan vanilla cake gluten-free yet. However, I think it should work by replacing the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend.

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I Love To Hear From You!

I hope you like this vegan birthday cake as much as we do around here.

If you give it a try, I’d love to know what you think about it. Just leave me a comment and a star rating below. Your comments really make my day!

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Sina

Vegan Birthday Cake

Why This Recipe Works