This Vegan Birthday Cake is the classic combination of moist and tender yellow cake that is slathered in vegan chocolate buttercream frosting. It's simple to make and is the ultimate crowd-pleaser. Perfect for any birthday celebration!
Really, any cake can be a birthday cake. Whether you love a simple Vegan Vanilla Cake or Vegan Red Velvet Cake, a Vegan Funfetti Cake, or even a Vegan Carrot Cake, if you eat it on your birthday, it's a birthday cake!
But, if you ask me, the classic birthday cake combination is yellow cake slathered with chocolate frosting. It's nostalgic, and delicious every time. And my recipe for Vegan Birthday Cake recipe is perfection. The vegan yellow cake is soft and moist, and the chocolate frosting is super chocolaty, and fluffy. The ultimate combination!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This cake is surprisingly simple to make. Even a beginner can make this recipe!
- It's dairy-free, eggless and completely vegan so anyone can enjoy it.
- The vegan yellow cake is tender and moist and the vegan chocolate frosting is super chocolaty and fluffy. The perfect Vegan Birthday Cake!
- This recipe uses simple, easy-to-find ingredients.
- And most importantly, it's absolutely delicious!
Ingredient Notes
Non-Dairy Milk: I used oat milk, but use what you have. Soy milk, almond milk or even boxed coconut milk will all work. The non-dairy milk combined with vinegar makes vegan buttermilk!
Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder: I prefer Dutch-processed cocoa powder for my vegan chocolate frosting. It has a deeper and more chocolatey flavor. My favorite brands are Ghirardelli's Dutch Process Cocoa and Droste.
Vegan Butter: My favorite brands are Soy-Free Earth Balance Buttery Sticks and Country Crock Plant Butter Sticks.
Vegetable Shortening: You can use any vegetable shortening you can find at your grocery store. I usually use palm shortening.
Turmeric: Turmeric is where the yellow color comes from in this vegan cake recipe. Regular yellow cake gets its color from egg yolks. Since I don't use eggs, a pinch of turmeric will do!
Substitutions
I love chocolate frosting for this recipe, but you can use any frosting you like!
It would be delicious with Vegan Strawberry Frosting, Vegan Peanut Butter Frosting, or even Vegan Vanilla Frosting.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1. In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, non-dairy milk, melted vegan butter, vinegar, vanilla and turmeric. Whisk well to combine.
Step 2. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and whisk to form the batter.
Step 3. Divide the cake batter between two prepared 8-inch round cake pans.
Step 4. And bake in a 350* oven for 27-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool completely.
Step 5. Make the vegan chocolate frosting by creaming vegan butter and vegetable shortening until completely smooth. Then add cocoa powder and mix until combined. Then, add powdered sugar and mix on low until combined. Finally, add vanilla and non-dairy milk and mix until light and fluffy.
Step 6. To stack the vegan birthday cake, place one cake layer upside down on a cake board or cake stand. Top the vegan yellow cake layer with about a cup of chocolate frosting.
Step 7. Spread the frosting to the edge of the cake, then top with the remaining cake layer, upside down again.
Step 8. Frost the outside of the Vegan Birthday Cake with chocolate frosting and add any decoration you like. I did a star-tip border with a few rainbow sprinkles!
Recipe FAQs
To store, place the cake into a cake box or other large container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
No! If they are made correctly, they should taste just like any other cake.
Vinegar or lemon juice helps to activate the baking soda and baking powder which gives cakes a nice high rise and fluffy texture.
The difference between the two is that yellow cake has egg yolks in it while white cake only has egg whites!
Expert Recipe Tips
The cake batter will not look very yellow. The turmeric will bloom and give off more color as it bakes. Resist the urge to add more. You do not want a cake that tastes like turmeric!
Be sure that the Vegan Birthday Cake layers are completely cool before stacking and frosting them. To speed this process along, turn the cakes out of their pans and onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Then, stick the baking sheet into the refrigerator or freezer.
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Birthday Cake
Equipment
- 2 8 Inch Round Cake Pans
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Handmixer or Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment
- 1 Large Plate, Cake Stand or Cake Board and Turntable
- 1 Offset Spatula
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
Ingredients
- 2 ⅔ Cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tablespoon Baking Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 ½ Cups Sugar
- 1 ½ Cups Non-Dairy Milk
- 9 tablespoon Vegan Butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon White Vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric
For the Vegan Chocolate Frosting
- 16 tablespoon Vegan Butter, room temperature
- ½ Cup Vegetable Shortening, room temperature
- 1 Cup Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder, sifted
- 5 Cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
- ¼ Cup Non-Dairy Milk
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Instructions
To Make the Cake Layers
- Preheat oven to 350* F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and insert a parchment circle into the bottom of each pan.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.2 ⅔ Cup All-Purpose Flour, 1 tablespoon Baking Powder, ¼ teaspoon Baking Soda, ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- In a large bowl, combine sugar, non-dairy milk, melted vegan butter, vinegar, vanilla and turmeric. Whisk well to combine. Then, add the dry ingredients and whisk to form the batter.1 ½ Cups Sugar, 1 ½ Cups Non-Dairy Milk, 9 tablespoon Vegan Butter, melted, 1 tablespoon White Vinegar, 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract, ¼ teaspoon Turmeric
- Divide the batter between two prepared 8-inch round cake pans. If you have a kitchen scale, it will be 20 ounces per pan. Use the pack of a spatula to smooth the cake batter out evenly.
- Bake the cakes in a 350*F oven for 26-29 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool completely before proceeding.
Make the Chocolate Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, cream the vegan butter and vegetable shortening until completely smooth and creamy. Add the cocoa powder and mix on low until combined.16 tablespoon Vegan Butter, room temperature, ½ Cup Vegetable Shortening, room temperature, 1 Cup Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder, sifted
- Add the powdered sugar and mix on low until combined. Then add the non-dairy milk and vanilla and mix until smooth and fluffy.5 Cups Powdered Sugar, sifted, ¼ Cup Non-Dairy Milk, 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Stack and Frost the Cake
- Place a cake layer upside down onto a cake plate, cake stand or cake board. Scoop about 1 cup of chocolate frosting onto the layer and use an offset spatula to spread it evenly to the edge of the cake layer.
- Top with the remaining cake layer, upside down again. Then, frost the exterior of the cake using the same offset spatula. Once the cake is frosted, decorate as desired. I did a star-tip border and sprinkled it with rainbow sprinkles. Serve!
May says
This recipe is AMAZING! I followed it to a T and my cake came out beautiful, yellow and fluffy JUST like the picture. I used regular store bought dark chocolate icing, and it was hit for this 4th of July. No one even KNEW it was vegan!
Amanda says
I made this gluten free as well with the Bob’s red mill all-purpose gluten free flour and added xanthan gum and it was PERFECT!
Such an easy and delicious recipe!
Amanda says
Made this once and it was AMAZING!
Could this be made as 1 sheet pan of cake? If so, how long would you bake it?