Vegan Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting
This vegan yellow cake recipe deserves a place in your baking rotation! Get ready to dive into two layers of moist, tender, golden-yellow cake filled and frosted with silky chocolate buttercream.
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 30ml
- 2 cups soy milk room temperature, 480ml
- 2 cups brown sugar or cane sugar 400g
- 3/4 cup vegan butter melted and cooled, 170g
- 1/4 cup neutral oil canola or sunflower oil, 60ml
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 15ml
- 3 cups all-purpose flour 360g
- 2 teaspoons baking soda 10g
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt 6g
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric 0.5g
For Decorating
- 1 batch chocolate frosting
- Rainbow sprinkles
Instructions
Prepare the Oven and Cake Pans
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Grease two 8-inch (20cm) round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. This helps prevent the cakes from sticking and makes them easier to remove after baking.
Make the Vegan Buttermilk
- In a large mixing bowl or measuring jug, combine the soy milk and apple cider vinegar.
- Stir briefly and let the mixture sit for 5–10 minutes. It will begin to curdle slightly, creating a vegan buttermilk that helps keep the cake soft and tender.
Make the Batter
- Mix the wet ingredients. Add the brown sugar, melted vegan butter, neutral oil, and vanilla extract to the buttermilk mixture.Whisk until the sugar is mostly dissolved and the mixture looks smooth and evenly combined.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and turmeric until evenly distributed.The turmeric adds a subtle yellow colour and does not noticeably affect the flavour.
- Put it all together. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Whisk gently just until no dry flour remains. The batter should look smooth, but avoid overmixing, as this can make the cake less tender.
Fill the Pans and Bake
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Smooth the tops with a spatula.
- Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the tops spring back lightly when touched and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Cool the Cakes
- Place the pans on a wire rack and let the cakes cool for about 15 minutes.
- Carefully run a knife around the edges, remove the cakes from the pans, peel off the parchment paper, and allow them to cool completely on the rack before frosting.
Frost and Decorate
- Once the cakes are completely cool, place one layer on a serving plate.
- Spread a layer of chocolate frosting over the top.
- Place the second cake layer on top and frost the top and sides of the cake.
- Decorate with rainbow sprinkles before serving.
Notes
- Let it curdle. Let the soy milk and vinegar sit together undisturbed for at least 5 minutes. If you don't give it time to curdle, your cake won't come out as tender.
- Don't over-mix. When combining the wet and dry ingredients, mix just until everything is incorporated. Overmixing will yield a dense, tough cake.
- Cool completely. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10-15 minutes before removing (for easier removal), and then let them cool completely before frosting so the frosting doesn't slide off.
- Storage. Seal the cake in an airtight cake carrier or wrap it in a double layer of plastic wrap (use toothpicks to prop the plastic away from the frosting). It'll keep on the counter for up to 3 months. You can also flash freeze it, then wrap it in a double layer of plastic wrap and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 561kcal | Carbohydrates: 87g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 573mg | Potassium: 227mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 60g | Vitamin A: 695IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 3mg