I often get asked, ‘How on earth do I make something vegan AND gluten free?’ and my answer is always it’s easier than you think!
So here is my super easy Vegan Gluten Free Vanilla Cake recipe! Perfect as it is but also a great starting point to get more creative with flavours and colours! I’ve listed a vegan vanilla buttercream for the filling but feel free to add a generous helping of jam too!
The key to vegan cakes that taste and feel just like the real thing is to use vegan butter rather than oil. It means you retain that lovely fluffy softness. Another important ingredient is white wine or cider vinegar. This reacts with the bicarbonate of soda to create the raising effect of eggs. With both of these tricks, you’d never know you were missing out!
I hope you enjoy this cake as much as I do and find vegan gluten free baking less intimidating!
This recipe makes a three layer 6″ cake and takes approximately 3 hours to make – including baking, cooling and decorating time. This cake will give up to 10 servings.
Ingredients:
For the sponges:
- 270 g vegan butter, softened
- 270 g caster sugar
- 325 g gluten free self raising flour
- 75 g ground almonds
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 200 ml soy or almond milk
- 1.5 tsp white wine or cider vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the vanilla buttercream:
- 250 g vegan butter block
- 500 g icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
I used Baking Time Club sprinkles to decorate. They’re both vegan AND gluten free, perfect! You can find them here.
Useful Equipment: three 6″ cake tins, greaseproof paper, mixing bowl, whisk, spatula, weighing scales, hand/stand mixer, measuring spoons, small measuring jug, wire rack, piping bag, piping tips (I used piping tip 1M), palette knife, cake scraper, cake turntable
Method:
For the sponges:
- Preheat the oven to 160 °C fan/320 °F and grease three 6″ cake tins, lining the base with greaseproof paper.
- In a mixing bowl, beat together the vegan butter, caster sugar and vanilla until pale and fluffy.
- Sift in the self raising flour and bicarbonate of soda and add the ground almonds.
- In a jug, measure out the soy/almond milk and add the vinegar. Mix well and immediately pour into the mixing bowl with the other ingredients.
- Whisk together quickly until a smooth batter forms.
- Divide the mixture equally between the tins and bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 mins or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Leave to cool in the tins for 10 mins before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Assembling and decorating:
- To make the buttercream, in a mixing bowl, beat the butter until smooth. Gradually add the icing sugar and mix until a creamy consistency is reached. Add the vanilla and mix well. Place the buttercream into a piping bag ready for decorating.
- To assemble, place the first cake layer on your serving plate (and onto a turntable if you have one! It makes decoration a lot easier!). Cover with a layer of the vanilla buttercream. Repeat this step for your second layer and finish with your third.
- Now that your cake is assembled, spread a thin layer of buttercream around your cake using a palette knife to create a crumb coat and refrigerate for at least 30 mins.
- Once set, complete your cake with another coat of buttercream – using the palette knife and/or cake scraper to create a smooth finish.
- Finally, get creative and add any decorations you wish! I went for piped buttercream topped with Baking Time Club sprinkles! Enjoy!
This cake will keep up to 5 days in an airtight container. It is suitable for freezing for up to 3 months. It is best to slice it up and wrap each slice individually. Make sure to fully defrost and bring to room temperature before serving.
Like the recipe? Don’t forget to share with your family, friends and followers!
I love to hear what you think! Please let me know your thoughts in the comments below. And don’t forget to tag Pippatisserie in any photos you share on social media (or use the hashtag #pippatisserie), I love to see your bakes!
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