This vegan birthday cake recipe is made without milk or eggs, making it a delicious dairy-free treat. It’s a 2-layer frosted cake that comes together using common pantry ingredients. It’s perfect for any celebration. Just mix ingredients together, bake and let cool. Then, it’s time to decorate!
How to Make This Recipe Gluten-Free
To make this homemade vegan birthday cake recipe gluten-free, simply replace the all-purpose flour with gluten-free baking flour.
The Best Vegan Sprinkles
You can’t have a birthday cake without sprinkles! But unfortunately, not all brands are created equal. Keep an eye out for confectioner’s glaze, beeswax and gelatin on the ingredients list as these items are not vegan. Or, check out these vegan-certified sprinkles:
How to Make Vegan Birthday Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1-3/4 cups refrigerated unsweetened coconut milk
- 1-1/2 cups sugar
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Frosting:
- 1 cup dairy-free margarine, softened
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar (Don’t forget to check the label on your confectioners’ sugar. Some brands contain a non-vegan ingredient called bone char).
- 1/3 cup baking cocoa
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Tools You’ll Need
- This set of 9-inch baking pans was designed by the pros in our Test Kitchen.
- We find that Wilton cake decorating supplies offer decent quality at an affordable price.
- This nonstick cooling rack is sturdy enough for desserts like bread and cake layers.
- The cooks in our Test Kitchen can’t get enough of this GIR spatula!
Instructions
Step 1: Mix your batter
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together coconut milk, sugar, oil, apple cider vinegar and vanilla. Once combined, stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just moistened.
Step 2: Bake the cake
Pour the batter into two 9-inch greased round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Editor’s Tip: Here’s how to adjust baking recipes to fit any pan.
Step 3: Let the cake cool
Once baked, remove cake from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Then, remove from pans and transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Step 4: Decorate the cake
To make rich vegan chocolate frosting, start by beating softened dairy-free margarine. Add confectioners’ sugar, baking cocoa and vanilla extract and continue to beat until frosting is silky smooth. Frost the cake. This guide explains how to frost a cake the easy way.
Finally, it’s time to decorate to your heart’s desire! For inspiration, we have some cake decorating ideas, like adding a drip, using ombre frosting or (gasp) making a naked cake.
Vegan Birthday Cake FAQs
Learn how to prevent common cake mistakes with a few quick tips.
Why is my vegan cake so dense?
Make sure that you are measuring each ingredient properly and using fresh baking soda and powder. The cake has no eggs, so your leavening agents need to have oomph.
Why does my vegan cake fall apart?
Your cake may be crumbly or dry for a few reasons. The first reason could be over-baking. Be sure to watch your cake toward the end of baking and test it with a toothpick immediately. Your cake could also be falling apart because it didn’t get a chance to rest after coming out of the oven.
I’ve also found that a vegan cake may crumble if it’s sliced when cold. It’s best to cut the cake at room temperature.
How do I keep my vegan cake moist?
Keep your cake from drying out by storing it in an airtight container! Also, be sure to use softened dairy-free margarine and don’t overmix the batter before baking.
How do I store vegan birthday cake?
Leftover cake can be stored covered at room temperature for a few days, or covered in the fridge for up to a week. If you plan to keep the cake for longer than a week, cut it up and wrap individual slices in plastic before storing in the freezer.
Next, we recommend baking these vegan chocolate chip cookies with walnuts or our simple vegan chocolate cake!
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Jenna Urben