Vegan Funfetti Cake

You'll LOVE this perfectly fluffy, delicious vegan and gluten free funfetti birthday cake recipe! Perfect for special occasions or a weekend baking project, it's the best darn vegan and gluten free cake we've ever made. Plus, it's easy to make and looks stunning with 3 layers and a coat of rich vanilla vegan buttercream frosting.

This cake is SO. GOOD. I don't feel bad shamelessly bragging about the recipe since my mom is our genius recipe developer.

Seriously, though, this is one of my all-time favorite recipes we've come up with. Since going mostly vegan a few years ago, I've really missed having a good birthday cake. There's just nothing like a funfetti cake to celebrate your special day, right?

This is the perfect vegan funfetti birthday cake recipe. It's fluffy, rich, studded with colorful sprinkles and coated in a a layer of buttery vegan vanilla frosting.

Your vegan friend/family member will love you extra for making this for their birthday. We promise!

Ingredients

NOTE: We are working on a regular gluten-containing version of this cake for those that aren't gluten free. We'll add it into the recipe as soon as we perfect it!

As we mentioned, this cake is both vegan and gluten free. That means there are a few slightly unusual ingredients, like applesauce, which helps add moisture to the cake since it contains no eggs.

First things first, you'll want to bring a few of the ingredients (vegan butter, applesauce, creamer/milk and lemon) to room temperature before mixing. This cake contains vegan butter, which when mixed with colder ingredients tends to seize up and separate.

This cake makes 3 layers, so line 3 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper and lightly oil the sides.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together gluten free all purpose flour, oat flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Look for a gluten free all purpose flour that contains xanthan gum, as this well improve the texture of your cake.

Oat flour prevents the cake from having a gummy texture that sometimes occurs with gluten free flour mix.

In a stand mixer, cream butter for a few minutes until light and fluffy. Add in sugar and vanilla and continue mixing until incorporated. Add in about quarter of the dry mixture until incorporated. Add another quarter, mix well, then add in applesauce.

Add in remaining flour and mix. Stir in lemon juice and vegan creamer and mix just until the batter comes together. Gently fold in the sprinkles, transfer to cake pans and bake right away.

Baking tip: lemon juice and baking soda create a chemical reaction that helps vegan baked goods rise. Since it happens pretty quickly, it's best to get your cakes baking right away so the reaction happens in the oven!

Vegan frosting

This buttery, rich vegan vanilla buttercream is quite easy to whip up. It's the perfect complement to this fluffy funfetti cake!

Make sure your vegan butter is softened at room temperature before making the frosting. We also use a touch of vegan cream cheese for a bit of tang, so bring that to room temperature as well. (If you'd prefer to use just vegan butter, that's perfectly fine, too).

Whip the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy, then slowly add in powdered sugar, along with vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. You may or may not need a tablespoon or two of almond milk to thin it out. I didn't, but feel free to if it needs it.

Tip: for extra smooth frosting, sift the powdered sugar before mixing.

Let it whip up on medium speed for a few minutes until light, fluffy and delicious! If your kitchen is particularly hot/humid, you may want to refrigerate the frosting while you're waiting for the cake to cool.

Decorating tips

First and foremost, be sure to let the cakes cool COMPLETELY before attempting to frost. If they're not completely cool, the frosting will melt and you'll end up with uneven, messy layers.

Once the cakes cool to the touch, you may want to cool further in the fridge for an hour or so before frosting if you have time. As a general rule of thumb, you should try to wait at least an hour and a half before frosting for best results.

To make the cakes more even, we suggest using a sharp knife to cut off the slight rounded top of the cake. Carefully trim until the top layer is even and flat, then generously frost. Repeat with the second and third layer.

It's important to keep the frosting relatively cool. If it's a hot/humid day, you may want to refrigerate the cake and/or frosting for a little while before frosting the sides.

Apply frosting generously to all sides, then use a flat angled spatula or a multi-purpose flat scraper to smooth out the frosting. You can keep it smooth or use decorating tips for extra flair.

To apply sprinkles to the sides of the cake, place them in the palm of your hand and gently apply. You'll probably make a bit of a mess as some of the sprinkles won't make it on the cake. Scoop them up and reuse for the next handful.

More vegan showstopper desserts:

• Vegan Double Chocolate Pie
• Baked Strawberry Cheesecake
• Lemon Almond Layer Cake with Vanilla Frosting
• Carrot Cake Cupcakes
• Vegan Crème Brûlée
• Vegan Coconut Cake via The Almond Eater

If you make this vegan and gluten free funfetti birthday cake recipe, we’d love for you to leave a comment and rating below! We also love to see your creations on Instagram – tag us at @crowded_kitchen so we can see what you’ve been cooking.

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