Best Vegan Birthday Cake Recipe
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This vegan birthday cake is a moist vanilla cake frosted generously with buttercream. With sprinkles on top, it’s the cake your party can’t go without.
Who says vanilla can’t be the life of the party?
You’ll gladly skip chocolate and red velvet for this vegan vanilla cake.
It’s gluten-free, decadent, and looks like it’s grabbed from a bakery. No special decorating tools needed!
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Why You’ll Love This Vegan Birthday Cake Recipe
- Plant-based and gluten-free, this vegan vanilla birthday cake is a dessert everyone can enjoy at the party.
- With moist layers, rich vanilla flavor, and creamy buttercream frosting, even non-vegans will want a second slice of this vegan birthday cake.
- This plant-based birthday cake is the perfect base for different birthday cake variations! Switch up the frosting and decorations to make it your own.
Ingredients And Substitutions
Super-fine almond flour and sweet white rice flour mixture – Make sure that you’re using super-fine almond flour for a light texture. We’ll also use sweet white rice flour, also known as glutinous rice flour, to help hold the eggless cake together.
Potato starch – This also helps with the two-layer cake’s light and fluffy texture.
Baking powder – Helps the cake batter rise. It also contributes to the cake’s light texture!
Kosher salt – Balances the sweetness of the vanilla birthday cake.
Agave nectar – Lends moisture and sweetness. Feel free to substitute with vegan honey or any other liquid sweetener.
Full-fat canned coconut milk and unsweetened almond milk – For richness and moisture. You can use other kinds of non-dairy milk like soy milk or oat milk!
Vanilla extract – For that classic birthday cake flavor.
Vegan sprinkles – Is it really a birthday cake without rainbow sprinkles?
Vegan vanilla buttercream – It’s actually easy to make vegan buttercream frosting from scratch!
Tips For Making This Recipe
Sift the Dry Ingredients
To avoid a lumpy batter and get a light, fluffy crumb, be sure to sift your dry ingredients first.
Cool the Cakes
Your vegan vanilla cakes should be completely cooled before you frost them or the buttercream will melt.
Birthday Cake Decorating Tips
Want to coat the sides of your frosted vanilla birthday cake in sprinkles? Press them on right after frosting, and place the cake stand on a baking sheet to catch the mess!
Plant Based Birthday Cake Recipe FAQs
How long can you keep this vegan birthday cake in the fridge?
You can store this vegan funfetti cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Can I put my leftover cake in the freezer?
Yes! Transfer your leftover birthday cake in a freezer-safe container and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature 1 to 2 hours before serving.
What else can I use to decorate this vegan vanilla cake with buttercream frosting?
This rich, moist vanilla birthday cake is perfect with strawberries! After piping with more non-dairy buttercream or vegan royal icing, add some fresh strawberries on top of the cake and fill the center with strawberry jam. You can also swap the sprinkles with freeze-dried strawberries.
Should you crumb coat this vegan birthday cake?
You don’t need to crumb coat this birthday cake because it’s not super crumbly and you don’t really need to worry about the gluten-free cake layer sliding all over the place when you frost it.
Can I make cupcakes with this recipe?
Yes! The cake batter for a 9-inch round pan can fill a 12-cup cupcake tin. You can adjust the baking temperature between 325°F to 375°F and bake the birthday cupcakes for 20 to 22 minutes.
Delicious Vegan Cake Recipes and More!
- Vegan Cheesecake
- Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake
- Chocolate Molten Lava Cake
- Vegan Banana Pudding
- Vegan Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
I found this recipe for Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting that I HAVE to try!
Yay! You have made it this far, and I am so glad! Hey – If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a quick review & star rating ★ below. Your comment and/or rating helps other readers!
Vegan Birthday Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups super-fine almond flour
- 1 1/2 cups sweet white rice flour
- 3/4 cup potato starch
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup agave nectar
- 1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
- 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup vegan sprinkles (plus more for decorating)
- 1 batch vegan vanilla buttercream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two 9-inch cake pans with silicone mats.
- In a large bowl, sift together the almond flour, white rice flour, potato starch, baking powder, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the agave nectar, coconut milk, almond milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well.
- Stir in the sprinkles.
- Divide the batter between the cake pans.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before removing from the pan.
- Once completely cooled, gently flip the cakes out onto a cake stand. Spread one cup of frosting to the bottom layer, then sprinkle with a dash of sprinkles.
- Place the other cake on top and repeat while also icing the sides of the cake.
- Decorate the birthday cake with additional sprinkles, and you’re done!
Notes
- To avoid a lumpy batter and get a light, fluffy crumb, be sure to sift your dry ingredients first.
- Your vegan vanilla cakes should be completely cooled before you frost them or the buttercream will melt.
- Want to coat the sides of your frosted vanilla birthday cake in sprinkles? Press them on right after frosting, and place the cake stand on a baking sheet to catch the mess!
