Vegan Birthday Cake
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Here’s a recipe for a moist, delicious birthday cake that just looks like happy times! It’s hard to believe it’s completely free of animal products.
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When it’s time to celebrate a special occasion, like a birthday, you want cake and you want cake that tastes so amazing that everyone will ask for a second piece.
This vegan birthday cake recipe will help you make a birthday cake that’s healthier than a traditional cake and do it with lots of satisfaction in the taste and texture department.
You’ll get a decadent cake, rich in vanilla flavor. All that’s left to do is add a generous layer of my yummy, Vegan Buttercream Frosting along with a bunch of fun, colored sprinkles and you’ll be ready to get the party going!
Need a chocolate cake instead? Check out my Dark Chocolate Cake recipe, or just skip right to my recipe for The Best Brownies Ever or Fudgy Nut-Free Brownies.
Vegan Birthday Cake Ingredient Spotlight
There might be a few ingredients in this recipe that you don’t have on hand, but no worries, a trip to the supermarket or the natural food store will complete your list. Believe me. This cake is worth a tiny bit of extra effort!
Super Fine Almond Flour – This important ingredient is made from blanched, skinless almonds that are ground extra finely to create a lovely gluten-free flour.
Almond meal is coarser ground and may contain the skins. It’s not the best choice for this cake recipe.
Canned Coconut Milk – You’ll want the full-fat type of coconut milk here. It adds lots of smooth richness and necessary moisture to this vegan birthday cake.
You could sub with a small can of coconut cream mixed with your favorite plant milk if you want
Sweet White Rice Flour– aka glutinous rice flour (Contains no gluten. I know. Confusing.) This product is sticky and will help fill in the blanks where eggs would normally be used in a cake recipe.
Sweet Rice Flour helps hold the cake together. You can sub with tapioca flour, potato starch, or arrowroot flour.
Agave Nectar – This is what brings the sweetness to this birthday cake recipe. It also adds moisture and helps with texture. Agave nectar is available at most grocery stores these days.
You can sub with maple syrup or if you’re ok with honey, it will work fine too.
Vegan Naturally Dyed Sprinkles – Sprinkles are colorful and fun and add a festive flair to this birthday cake. Check the label on the package to make sure they contain no animal products or artificial coloring.
Look how easy it is to make vegan birthday cake!
Step-by-Step Instructions for Vegan Birthday Cake
Step 1 – Preheat the oven to 350° F and line two 8 or 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper or silicone mats.
Step 2 – In a large bowl, sift together the almond flour, white rice flour, potato starch, baking powder, and salt.
Step 3 – In a separate bowl, whisk together the agave nectar, coconut milk, almond milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
Step 4 – Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and mix well. Stir in the sprinkles, then divide the batter between the pans.
Step 5 – Transfer the pans to the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before removing it from the pan.
Step 6 – When the cakes are completely cooled, gently flip them out onto a cake stand or serving platter. Add 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. Top the cake with additional sprinkles. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
Once you try this vegan birthday cake recipe, it’ll quickly become your go-to for special celebrations!
- No eggs or dairy
- Easy to make
- Delicious and moist
- Fun and festive with colorful sprinkles
Insider Pro Tips
Sprinkle the Sides
If you want to add sprinkles to the sides of your frosted cake, place some in your hand and gently press into the frosting. Do this right after putting on the frosting, while it’s still wet, for best results. If you allow the frosting to dry, the sprinkles won’t stick.
Catch Loose Sprinkles
Place your cake stand on a cookie/baking sheet before adding the sprinkles to the top and sides of your cake. The baking sheet will catch all of those stray sprinkles that fall off as you decorate.
Get Colorful
For a little extra colorful fun, try adding some vegan, gel food coloring to your cake batter or to your frosting. Pink, green, blue, yellow, or whatever color you want. Hey, go a little crazy and incorporate multiple colors if you feel like it!
Cool It
It’s important to make sure your cake is completely cooled and not even a little warm before you frost it. A warm temperature coming from an uncooled cake will cause the frosting to melt and run.
Vegan Birthday Cake FAQs
How do I store this vegan birthday cake?
You can leave this cake out on the counter or table in a cake keeper for 2-3 days. In an airtight container in the fridge, it will keep for 2 weeks.
Can I freeze vegan birthday cake?
Yes, You can store this cake in an airtight, freezer safe container in your freezer. It should stay good for 3 months frozen. Just thaw at room temperature for an hour or two before serving.
What if I want to decorate with something other than sprinkles?
This vegan birthday cake and my Vegan Buttercream Frosting are the perfect base for your creative ideas. Try adding fresh berries or nuts to the top of the cake. If you have the know-how and some decorating tips, feel free to get fancy with piping or writing with buttercream or vegan royal icing. You can also serve this cake with vegan whipped cream.
Looking for more Vegan Dessert Recipes?
Vegan Strawberry Shortcake
Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie
Vegan Dirt Cups
Light Strawberry Pound Cake
No-Bake Chocolate Tart
Vegan Carrot Cake
Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake
Vegan Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
Vegan Cheesecake
Now that you know how easy it is to make this Vegan Birthday Cake recipe, please give it a star rating below and comment letting me know how it turned out for you.
Vegan Birthday Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups super-fine almond flour
- 1 1/2 cups sweet white rice flour
- 3/4 cup potato starch
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup agave nectar
- 1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
- 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (or additional coconut milk)
- 2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup vegan naturally dyed sprinkles (plus more for decorating)
- 1 batch Vegan Vanilla Buttercream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F and line two 8 or 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper or 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 and mix well. Stir in the sprinkles then divide the batter between the pans.
- Transfer the pans to the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before removing from the pan.
- When the cakes are completely cooled, gently flip them out onto a cake stand or serving platter. Add 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. Top the cake with additional sprinkles. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for 3-5days