Vegan Funfetti Cake
Welcome to our little birthday party here on the blog. We're so glad you could make it! Just drop your coats over there and come straight to the buffet. As every year, we've baked our own birthday cake again. Maybe you remember the cakes from previous years: In 2020 we had a vegan cake with four different layers, in 2021 a vegan sheet pan chocolate cake with cream cheese topping, in 2022 a vegan rhubarb quark crumble cake and in 2023 a vegan candy cake. So, are you curious what's on the Zucker&Jagdwurst birthday buffet this year?
After all those elaborate cakes from previous years, this time we decided to go with an uncomplicated but absolutely festive sponge cake. This recipe for a vegan funfetti cake is super easy and wonderfully colorful.
The Batter & The Frosting:
The batter consists of classic ingredients that you probably already have at home: flour, sugar, plant-based milk – easy peasy! And because it's only half as nice without a topping, we've added a creamy-fresh frosting made from vegan butter and cream cheese. Important: Both ingredients should be at room temperature so that the frosting becomes nice and smooth and spreadable.
Where can I find vegan sprinkles?
You can now find vegan sprinkles in many supermarkets, organic stores, and online shops. When buying, make sure they don't contain E120 (carmine) – this red pigment is obtained from insects and isn't vegan. Conventional sprinkles sometimes also use shellac or beeswax.
You'll find vegan varieties occasionally in larger supermarkets or drugstores. There's even more selection in organic stores and specialized online shops. If you're looking for something truly unique, you might find what you need on Etsy – small manufacturers there often offer lovingly made vegan sprinkles. Look for vibrant colors – the more colorful the sprinkles, the more beautiful your vegan funfetti cake will look!
How do I best store the vegan funfetti cake?
It's best to store the finished funfetti cake in the refrigerator – sealed airtight, it will keep for 2-3 days. Take it out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving so that the frosting becomes soft and creamy again. If you want to prepare the cake in advance, you can bake the sponge cake a day before and only top it with the frosting and sprinkles shortly before serving.
Vegan Funfetti Cake
Ingredients
For the batter:
- 350 g (2.75 cups) all-purpose flour
- 16 g baking powder
- 200 g (1 cup) sugar
- 32 g vanilla sugar
- 350 g (1.5 cups) plant-based milk
- 120 ml (0.5 cup) neutral vegetable oil
- 1 lemon (zest & juice)
- 1 pinch of salt
- 100 g (3.5 oz) vegan funfetti sprinkles
For the frosting:
- 200 g (0.75 cup / 1.75 sticks) vegan butter (room temperature)
- 200 g (1.66 cups) powdered sugar
- 100 g (3.5 oz) vegan cream cheese (room temperature)
- 0.5 lemon (juice)
- 1 pinch of vanilla
- 24 g vegan whipping cream stabilizer
Also:
- 50 g (1.75 oz) vegan funfetti sprinkles
- vegan butter
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180 °C/355 °F (convection). Grease a loaf pan (approximately 30 centimeters / 12 inches) with vegan butter.
Mix flour and baking powder in a bowl. In a second bowl, combine sugar, vanilla sugar, plant-based milk, oil, lemon zest and juice, and salt. Add the flour mixture and briefly stir into a smooth batter – don't mix too long! Finally, fold in the funfetti sprinkles. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake on the middle rack for approx. 45-50 minutes. Then let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes, carefully remove, and allow to cool completely.
Beat the vegan butter with the powdered sugar until creamy. Stir in the vegan cream cheese spoonful by spoonful. Then add lemon juice, vanilla, and whipping cream stabilizer and mix well. The frosting should be stable but spreadable. If it's too soft, add more powdered sugar and butter. If it's too firm, simply stir in a little lemon juice or water.
Spread the frosting in generous waves on the cooled cake and decorate with additional funfetti sprinkles.
