Hello vegan bakers! Today I am sharing a recipe that everyone can enjoy, whether you happen to be vegan or know a friend or family member who is.
One of my best friends had a birthday recently, and since she was celebrating in isolation due to the covid-19 pandemic, I decided to surprise her with a birthday cake.
Vegan baking can be quite challenging due to density and consistency issues, and not to mention that flavor can be compromised as well. Though it can be difficult, it is not impossible! And this vanilla cake is so delicious, you might consider converting, yourself!
Most of these ingredients are some that you may already have in your kitchen! You can choose to sub the olive oil for vegetable oil and you can use any non-dairy milk you like, I chose almond, but oat or soy milk would work great as well. You can also use distilled white vinegar, but I chose to use apple cider vinegar for flavor.
First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda into a mixing bowl and whisk together.
Add liquid ingredients (non-dairy milk, oil, vinegar and vanilla) and whisk until combined.
Grease two, 7 inch round cake tins with coconut/olive/vegetable oil or cooking spray and divide the batter evenly between them.
The original recipe says to bake for 30 minutes, but mine were done in about 20.
While the cakes are in the oven, we can work on the frosting!
If you are wondering where to find "vegan butter", you can find it at Target!
Add the powdered sugar, vegan butter, vanilla and half of the non-dairy milk to an electric mixer fitted with a whip attachment.
Whip on low speed until it starts to come together and slowly increase the speed. Add the rest of the non-dairy milk as needed (you may need more or less, it is not an exact science).
If it is too thin, add more powdered sugar. If it is too thick, add more non-dairy milk!
When the cake has cooled, trim the tops to provide a flat surface for frosting.
Stacking and icing the cake:
Place bottom layer of cake onto a turntable and add a generous amount of frosting for the filling
Use an offset spatula to create a thick, even layer of frosting.
Place the second later of cake with the trimmed side on the bottom. (This creates a crisp, clean edge)
Place another generous amount of frosting on the top layer and spread an even layer across the top with an offset spatula. Be sure to go over the edges- you will need it when applying frosting on the sides
Place a generous amount of frosting onto a spatula and frost the sides of the cake while spinning the turn table. You can remove any extra icing on the top and sides during this process
(This frosting is very sweet, so I decided to turn this into a naked cake- where there is very little frosting so the cake layers are exposed)
Bakers tip: If you are going to write on the cake, be sure to write on the cake before applying a border or other decorations
I hope you try this recipe, because I know you will love it! This cake lacks eggs, so of course it will not be as light and fluffy as you would expect a cake to be. But it is still a delicious cake! It is very rich in flavor and is complimented well by the sweet vanilla frosting.
I promise, If you put this cake out at a party, you'll have your non-vegan friends and family going in for a second slice!
If you happen to try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Facebook or Instagram! Thanks for being so sweet and stopping by, I'll see you next time!
-Alyssa
