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5 years ago today, I started this blog called It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken with my very first (embarrassingly bad) post Simply the Best Tomato Sauce. (Apparently, I was overconfident from day 1)!
Way back then I had no idea that starting this blog would lead me to a complete career change leaving my job as art director to becoming a self-employed full-time blogger. Winning a competition and getting to film a cooking show with Food Network's celebrity Chef Michael Smith. Writing my first cookbook Fuss-Free Vegan which now has over 150 5-star reviews on Amazon! And appearing on TV, radio, in magazines, on podcasts, and doing public speaking.
It all happened very slowly and gradually, with a lot of very hard work, but when reflecting on the years, it seems like a whirlwind of delicious vegan recipes, 1 million dishwasher loads, over 15,000 comments, almost 500 recipes (with several thousand failed recipe attempts), and a smile every morning as I open my computer to start the day. So, I'm celebrating today, my blogs birthday with a Vegan Confetti Cake!
Not only is it my blogs birthday but it also happens to be pride month, which makes this rainbow coloured cake even more celebratory! Celebrating the love of everyone.
Now to cake. Vegan Confetti Cake is a vanilla cake filled with sprinkles because... CUTE! When first writing this recipe I tried to use my Vegan Vanilla Cake recipe and just stirred in sprinkles. This didn't work too well. The cake was too fluffy and fell apart, and the sprinkles bled into a mess. So I did a lot of experimenting making this vanilla cake a little more dense (in a good way) to lock in those sprinkles, but still keeping it moist and fluffy by folding aquafaba into the batter.
The vegan confetti cake comes out perfectly sweet, incredibly moist, hard to resist delicious, and the dots of colour throughout the cake are just to die for adorable fun. Vegan confetti cake makes for a great birthday party cake or any celebratory occasion. I chose rainbow sprinkles, but you could alternatively choose all one colour of sprinkle, maybe for a gender reveal cake, or any colour combo you like... galaxy cake? The options and fun are endless!
To make Vegan Confetti Cake: in a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, white sugar, baking powder, and salt. Now add the plant-based milk, light oil, and vanilla extract and stir to combine. It will make for a very thick batter, almost like cookie dough.
In another large bowl, use a stand mixer or hand beater to combine the aquafaba and cream of tartar until it forms stiff peaks. This will take about 3 to 6 minutes.
Now fold the aquafaba into the batter. The batter is thick and it will take a bit of time to combine the two, so be patient. When the batter is combined you can lastly add the sprinkles. Depending on the kind of sprinkles you have they may bleed, so working quickly, scatter the sprinkles over the surface of the batter and then quickly give it 2 to 4 stirs to combine. It's ok if the sprinkles aren't mixed in perfectly, they will do their thing in the oven, it's more important that they don't bleed.
A note on sprinkles. Not all sprinkles are vegan. They can sometimes include the ingredients confectioner's glaze or shellac, neither of which are vegan as they both come from insects. I found sprinkles at a bulk food store that were accidentally vegan, but you can also order vegan sprinkles online on Amazon, on Etsy, from Sweetapolita, or from Fancy Sprinkles, to name a few place.
Divide the batter evenly among the two pans. Bake for 35 to 42 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.
To make vegan vanilla frosting: In a large bowl, use a stand mixer or hand beater to mix together the vegan butter, vegetable shortening, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until fluffy. Add 1 - 4 tablespoons of plant-based milk as needed to reach desired frosting consistency.
Decorate cakes as desired. I covered the sides of my cake with sprinkles. I did this by placing the cake on a large baking tray (to catch any loose sprinkles), then grabbing handfuls of sprinkles, I lightly pressed them into the frosting on the sides of the cake working my way around and filling in any gaps until it was all covered.
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Vegan Confetti Cake
Servings: 8" layer cake
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Ingredients
Vegan Confetti Cake Bowl 1:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups white sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cup plant-based milk, (such as soy or almond)
- ⅔ cup light oil, (such as canola or vegetable)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Vegan Confetti Cake Bowl 2:
- ¾ cup aquafaba, (the liquid from a can of chickpeas)
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ⅓ cup vegan sprinkles, (plus more for decoration)
For the Vegan Vanilla Frosting:
- ½ cup vegan butter
- ½ cup vegetable shortening
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 - 4 tablespoons plant-based milk, (such as soy or almond)
Instructions
To make the vegan confetti cakes:
- Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Lightly grease two 8" baking pans and line the bottoms of the pans with a circle of parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, white sugar, baking powder, and salt. Now add the plant-based milk, light oil, and vanilla extract and stir to combine. It will make for a very thick batter, almost like cookie dough.
- In another large bowl, use a stand mixer or hand beater to combine the aquafaba and cream of tartar until it forms stiff peaks. This will take about 3 to 6 minutes.
- Now fold the aquafaba into the batter. The batter is thick and it will take a bit of time to combine the two, so be patient. When the batter is combined you can lastly add the sprinkles. Depending on the kind of sprinkles you have they may bleed, so working quickly, scatter the sprinkles over the surface of the batter and then quickly give it 2 to 4 stirs to combine. It’s ok if the sprinkles aren’t mixed in perfectly, they will do their thing in the oven, it’s more important that they don’t bleed.
- Divide the batter evenly among the two pans. Bake for 35 to 42 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.
To make the vegan vanilla frosting:
- In a large bowl, use a stand mixer or hand beater to mix together the vegan butter, vegetable shortening, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until fluffy. Add 1 - 4 tablespoons of plant-based milk as needed to reach desired frosting consistency.
Nutrition
⭐ Did You Make This Recipe?
I’d love if you left a rating and comment, it helps others find the recipe and makes my day! 💕Bon appetegan!
Sam.
Michelle says
Ok, so I’m doing this cake right now and the batter wasn’t cookie dough as you mentioned. I’m wondering if the Aquafina needs to be measured as a liquid or as a foam. I just got the 2/3 liquid straight from the can and after it was nice and fluffy poured the whole thing in my batter. Now I’m wondering if I did it wrong.
Sam Turnbull says
HI Michelle, the aquafaba should be measured as a liquid, you did it correctly. The dough will be thick like cookie dough before you fold in the aquafaba. Once folded it in will be much lighter and fluffier. Hope that helps!
Katie says
So excited to make this for my daughter’s birthday this weekend! Question: Have you made cupcakes for this particular recipe? (And if so do you know what the oven temp/cook time would be?)
Thank you!!
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Katie, so glad you're excited! I have not made cupcakes with this recipe yet. It would work just fine, the oven temperature would be the same, the baking time will just be a little less. I would keep an eye on them around the 18 minute mark and when they start looking cooked, test them by poking them with a toothpick. When the toothpick comes out clean they will be done. Enjoy!
Kelly says
Hi,
I came across.this recipe yesterday and made a trial one which everyone loved. I have a severe egg allergy so I have no idea what cake usually tastes like, and my son's birthday tomorrow so am going to bake him a cake and finally get involved with that part of the celebrations. Thank you so much for the recipe - looking forward to trying out your other recipes
Sam Turnbull says
That's so wonderful, Kelly! I'm thrilled you get to enjoy the celebrations. As a former egg eater, I can assure you that this cake tastes just like any egg-based cake, you would never know the difference. If you want a fun experiment try my vegan toast dipping sauce recipe which tastes just like an egg yolk!!
Jenna says
I want to make this cake for my daughters birthday coming up, but she needs the recipe to be gluten free, can I replace regular flour with bobs red mill gluten free flour?
Sam Turnbull says
Gluten-free baking is a whole other beast and I'm not an expert at it. I have heard good things about Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 tho.
Kay says
I tried this recipe twice and followed the recipe exactly and both times came out flat and dense. I was hoping for the fluffiness that everyone described. I even went out and got new baking powder. I'm so sad :(. Any ideas on what went wrong?
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Kay, it's difficult to know without being in the kitchen with you. Overmixing the batter can cause cakes to not rise. Or oven temperatures can often be wrong which could cause the cake to not rise, it's always a good idea to pick up an oven thermometer to be sure. I hope that helps a little!
Anjie says
I am so glad I found you! I have been searching for a recipe that I could successfully bake vegan. Thank you!
Sam Turnbull says
I'm glad you found me too! I hope you love the cake 🙂
Melissa says
Can I use cane sugar? Is that the same as white sugar? Thank you!
Sam Turnbull says
Absolutely! Enjoy!
Hazel says
Turned out amazing...just want to know can I keep in the fridge?
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed it! You can store it at room temperature in a cool place, or in the fridge. Enjoy!
Jess says
Thanks! It turned out SO cute everyone loved it. I did strawberry filling between the 4 layers and the frosting from this recipe on the outside with a blue tint and lots of sprinkles ❤️ the cake was DELICIOUS! thanks again!!
Sam Turnbull says
OMG it sounds amazing!!
Jess says
I'm going to make this today for a new years cake I think I'm gonna add some blue food coloring to the frosting and use sparkler candles, and maybe make it a 3 or 4 layer cake. Can't wait I already know it will be fabulous.
Sam Turnbull says
Wow! That sounds epic. I hope it turns out beautifully for you, Jess 🙂
Celina McGregor says
Hi! Could I pour the entire batter into one 9x11 instead of 2 round cake pans?
Sam Turnbull says
Yes, but it will just take a bit longer to cook, so keep an eye on it and do the toothpick test method to ensure it's done. Enjoy!
Elise says
Hi Sam!
I am hoping to make a dairy-free funfetti cake for a friend's birthday soon, and your recipe is just what I was looking for! Do you think the recipe would still work out if I added a little bit of strawberry puree for a fun flavor and a slight pink color? Or should I stay on the safe side and stick to the original recipe?
Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you found it, Elise! I would recommend sticking on the safe side and following the recipe as written. BUT I think it would be lovely to do a strawberry puree between the layers of the cake. Yum! Enjoy!
Andy says
I made this cake for a friend's birthday. I had never made icing before. I used my neighbours kitchen to make this because she used to be a baker and I know she has all the tools! It turned out fab even though the sprinkles bled. The cake was moist and fluffy, i doubled the vanilla on the icing, and it turned out great! Now I'm thinking about buying a mixer!
Sam Turnbull says
Awesome!! SO happy you enjoyed it so much, Andy. For the sprinkles, they will bleed which is why you just have to give it one or two very quick stirs to mix them in. You could also try a different type of sprinkle like a confetti sprinkle which won't bleed. Hope that helps!
Kim says
Hi, I would class myself as a quite experienced baker, but I never tried a vegan one. I tried this receipt today and followed the instruction, but it's just not right. The taste is lovely , but the texture is all wrong. It seems very claggy. What have I done wrong. Heeeelp!!!!
Sam Turnbull says
Oh no, sorry to hear that, Kim. It's difficult to know what went wrong without being in the kitchen with you. If it seems sticky then it might be underbaked. Hope that helps!
Katlynn says
This recipe is SO good! I made this today for my 20th birthday get together, and it was a huge hit with my family. They were all skeptical with it being a vegan cake (I’m the only vegan they all know), but were super impressed. I’m definitely going to be making this again. Maybe in cakepop form too. 😀
Sam Turnbull says
Happy Birthday Katlynn!! So happy you loved the cake so much 🙂
Ruchi says
Hi Sam!
I'm planning on making this for a birthday party very soon! Love, love aquafaba!! I was wondering if you had used 3/4 cup of reduced aquafaba or just straight from the can? If you used straight from the can, do you think reduced would work as well?
Thank you!!
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Ruchi! I used straight from the can. I've never tried reducing aquafaba so I'm afraid I don't know what the results would be. Enjoy!
Marci says
Can flaxegg be used instead of the chickpea water?
Sam Turnbull says
No, not for this recipe. Aquafaba is a must. Enjoy!
Kat says
I love your frosting recipe but how do you get it to look so white? Mine always ends up with a yellowish tint.
Sam Turnbull says
The yellow-ish tint you are experiencing would come from the vegan butter and/or non-dairy milk you are using. (Assuming you are using white powdered sugar and white vegetable shortening). So perhaps your vegan butter is quite yellow? My go-to is Earth Balance.
Kat says
Okay thank you! I was using a yellow vegetable shortening so that’s probably why. Can I use this funfetti recipe to make cupcakes?
Sam Turnbull says
Ah there you go! Absolutely, they would just take less time to bake, so keep an eye on them. I'd guess about 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!
Lauren says
This recipe looks amazing! Could i possibly omit the sprinkles for a plain vanilla cake?? 🙂 xx
Sam Turnbull says
Thanks! For sure, or you could just try my vanilla cake recipe. Enjoy!
Tania says
Love this! Made a double batch to make a unicorn cake for a 7th birthday and it turned out amazing!
Sam Turnbull says
Aww beautiful! 🙂
Holly says
Hi Sam! I'm making this for my daughter's 2nd birthday and I accidentally put the aquafaba and the cream of tartar in with dried ingredients! What kind of mistake did I just make? Is it worth continuing or should I start over? Thank you!
Sam Turnbull says
I would suggest starting over. Good luck!