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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.
Violeta Montero says
Hello, I want to use this recipe to make two one layer smash cakes for my daughter (4" round pans). Im going to half the recipe.. would the baking time be half as well? Im not an expert baker so just thought I asked. Dont really have time for error as her birthday is today. Also another question.. do you use unsweetend original dairy free milks?
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Violeta, the baking temperature would be the same but the time will likely decrease. I'm not sure by how much but you will be able to tell when they are done when they are lightly golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Yes, unsweetened non-dairy milk or original non-dairy milk will both work well. Enjoy!
Amber says
Could I use cake flour in place of the AP or will this mess everything up?
Sam Turnbull says
Cake flour may make the cake fall apart a little as it is the weakest of the flours. I recommend sticking to the recipe as written for the best results. Enjoy!
Amber says
Thanks for the response! I have both flours, though I rarely make cake so thought I might try to use up my cake flour, but I don’t want a crumbly cake! so I’ll stick with AP, thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
For best results, it's always best to stick with the recipe as written, especially when it comes to baking. Enjoy!
Hailey Nickerson says
Excited to try this again! I made this cake last night and got disappointing, oily and under baked results, but I believe in this cake and am trying again! I think my issue was hand beating my aquafaba instead of using a mixer, and potentially adding too little sugar. My peaks were just not very stiff! I will update tonight with my results 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Hailey, with baking it's always very important to measure accurately and follow the directions as close as you can as baking is chemistry. It sounds like you have figured out what went wrong, I hope you get better results next time 🙂
Caitlyn says
Hi Sam!
I am surprising my boyfriend for his birthday by making him your vegan cake today! I have never baked a vegan cake so I have two questions:
1. I am going to be using two 6x3 inch pan. Would the time and temperature remain the same or do you recommend any changes for the smaller pan?
2. I was wondering if you've ever tried to use dairy free vanilla coconut milk for the batter and/or frosting. If not for this recipe, in other recipes and how this effects the taste and consistency of the cake.
Thank you so much!
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Caitlyn, those are tiny pans and if you make this full recipe you may have extra batter. You can use this guide for your pans and hopefully it will help. Generally, the temperature stays the same but the time will change, the best test is the toothpick method. As for coconut milk, you are welcome to use the kind in a carton intended for drinking, but do not use the kind in a can which will be too heavy. It might add a slight coconut taste. Enjoy and happy birthday to your boyfriend!
Kathryn says
I’m so excited to make this - just one question! Cream of tartar is $9 a box where I live, is there a substitute for this? I want to avoid getting an expensive box of something I’ll never use again!
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Kathryn, I haven't tried it myself but here is an article on how to substitute it. Cream of tartar helps the aquafaba whip up. You may be able to get good results without it but it might take a lot more whipping. Hope that helps!
Yulca says
Cream of tartar isn't readily available in my country, either, so I always use lemon juice or apple cider vinegar instead (about the same amount as c o t in the recipe). Works every time, it's the acid that helps stabilize the aquafaba peaks.
Sam Turnbull says
Great tip!!
tanyaa says
I read your blog..Nice post Thanks for sharing your informaiton
Sam Turnbull says
Thanks!
Gabbi says
Hi Sam, I made this for my sister’s baby shower and it came out beautifully! Both the sponge and the frosting tasted amazing and the crumbly sponge was so satisfying and just how you want a sponge to be. Thank you for the recipe!! Xxx
Sam Turnbull says
That's so wonderful, Gabbi! So thrilled you enjoyed it so much. It's one of my faves too 🙂
Bernadette Groves says
Just wondering why you do not mention anything about bone char in sugar processing? It seems to be fairly controversial. I had my cake all made for a lady at work. My first time making a vegan cake. Although I bake a lot. Someone mentioned about bone char. Thank goodness I checked the company out and my sugar was OK.
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Bernadette, As far as I know, using bone char in sugar isn’t very common anywhere other than the US. Always good to double check with the brand you are purchasing. I use Redpath here in Canada and they say on their site that it’s vegan-friendly. A good tip is that organic sugar is always vegan.
Bernadette Groves says
Thank you forgetting back to me. I did find that it's really weird that Lantic/Rogers is kind of weird. Sugar processed in Montreal and Tabor do not use bone char, but the factory in Vancouver does.
Yasmeen says
Hey! I love this recipe and was on the hunt for a dairy free cake we could make. I do want to add eggs, do you happen to know how many eggs I should add and what I should substitute out? If you know I'd appreciate it, thanks!
Mariam says
The beauty of this cake is that it’s designed to not need animal products- including eggs. Unless there is some very specific reason why you want to add eggs, I’d skip them. They will throw off the recipe. Even if you’re not vegan, knowing you have a recipe that can be baked at a moment’s notice, no matter if you have eggs or not is such a blessing! The more and more we can learn to rely less and less on animal products, the better.
Maddie says
Can I use flax egg instead of aquafaba?
Sam Turnbull says
Not for this recipe.
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Yasmeen, I only use and work with vegan ingredients and I do not recommend adding eggs to this recipe.
Uzma says
Hi,
Love your blog!! So glad I found you. I plan to make this for my son's first bday party next week. He's allergic to milk and eggs so this recipe works great! I have a VERY busy week at work next week so wondering, can I make the cake layers this weekend and freeze them as some people have mentioned? What should i freeze them in for best result and how long to thaw them before icing?
The bday picnic is at a forest preserve. Any tips on the best way to transport and store the cake?
Thanks
Uzma
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Uzma, yes you can freeze the layers and even the frosting ahead of time if you like. Here is an article that will guide you on how to freeze cake 🙂 Enjoy!
Jess says
Oh my gosh, this cake is right up my alley! I'm making it for my joint birthday with my son (1 for him, 40 for me). I have made the layers and frozen (needed to use aquafaba that I had from tinned chickpeas) and will decorate tomorrow. Just wondering, did you crumb coat before you frosted?
LOVE your blog and thank you for sharing your amazing recipes! Yay for vegan living and cooking becoming more mainstream.
xo
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you so much, Jess! I didn't bother crumb coating, but you are welcome too! And I agree, YAY!!!!
Beth says
Hi! I'm new to your blog and have been looking for a recipe just like this to celebrate my birthday! I was wondering how many your cake recipe makes? I saw it said "2" for 8" can pans and I wasn't sure how many that actually would serve. Would it serve 10-12 people? Thank you! Can't wait to try it!
Sam Turnbull says
According to this guide, it would serve about 20 people but of course, it depends on how big or small your slices are.
Eggless Sponge Cake says
Hi Sam, you are really charming and skillful girl!! Outside of the ease and flavor, I loved how cheerful it is. : }
Sam Turnbull says
Aww thank you so much!
Spencer says
Wow amazing receipe! The batter already tastes amazing. I baked this with 12 little pre-K students for a birthday and we cant wait to eat the cupcakes. Thatnk you for the wonderful blog!
For the icing: Will it work without the shortening?
xo
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you're enjoying it, Spencer. The frosting will work, but it won't be as stable as vegan butter melts easily. Make sure to keep everything cool, and store the cake in a cool place to prevent melting. Enjoy!
Catharine says
I made this yesterday for my daughter's birthday and it turned out beautifully!! Everybody was commenting on how moist and delicious the cake was. I think this will be my go-to birthday cake from now on. Thanks for the recipe!
Sam Turnbull says
That's wonderful!! So thrilled you loved it so much, Catharine 🙂
Jessica says
When I've made layer cakes before, I popped the layers into the freezer to make them easier to handle/ice. Would it be all right to do that with this cake too, or do you think leaving it in the freezer for too long would compromise the texture of the cake?
Sam Turnbull says
That should be just fine. Just make sure they cool completely at room temperature before freezing. Enjoy!
Rebecca says
This is an excellent recipe! I have made it twice for birthdays and my mom has requested it for hers as well. I’m the only vegan in my family so pleasing them with a vegan recipe is a major win.
Sam Turnbull says
Oh that's so awesome! Thrilled you love it so much, Rebecca, it's my favourite too 🙂
Miriam says
Do you think I could use coconut oil instead of shortening?
Sam Turnbull says
Coconut oil can melt easily at room temperature so if you give it a try be sure to keep the cake in a cool place or the frosting may melt. Enjoy!
Rebecca says
Thank you for this amazing and simple recipe! It's now my go-to for birthdays, special occasions and mid week treats - everybody loves it! I've pretty much abandoned putting sprinkles in the batter and just make it as a banging vanilla sponge. Most recently I made the buttercream with orange oil rather than vanilla and it worked a treat 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Oooh sounds delicious! So thrilled you love the cake so much, Rebecca 🙂
Ariel says
Awesome cake recipe. So easy. Will totally make it again. Thanks for another awesome recipe Sam!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!! You're most welcome, Ariel 🙂