Why you’ll love this dairy free birthday cake
I can’t even begin to tell you how perfect this birthday cake is. It’s the most requested birthday cake in our house, and I’m sure that once you give it a try, it will be yours, too. It’s a classic white cake studded with rainbow sprinkles.
The sprinkles give it that classic funfetti look without the box mix, but the crumb on this cake is next level – delicate and fluffy perfection. Not to mention the frosting that’s just sweet enough you won’t want to scrape it off.
More dairy free birthday recipes: birthday cupcakes / one layer cake with chocolate buttercream / birthday cake pancakes / sprinkle cookies / 1234 cake with dairy free cream cheese frosting
Ingredient notes:
- Dairy free milk – Any unsweetened, plain milk will work for this. I’ve used almond, oat and flax milk, and they all work well.
- Vegan butter – I use Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks for baking. They are the most common brand (in my opinion) and they are nut-free and have a soy-free option. Plus, I think they bake great.
- Vegetable shortening – This is for the frosting. You can also use dairy free butter for this, but I think the shortening gives the best texture for frosting, and it holds it’s shape better when piped.
- Egg whites – You need egg whites, and only egg whites, in this cake. Removing the yolks gives your cake that gorgeous white color, otherwise it’d be a yellow cake. I haven’t tried it with any alternatives, so I can’t say if it would work for sure.
- Vanilla extract – We usually only use vanilla extract, but if you like almond, feel free to add about 1/2 teaspoon to the batter to get that classic birthday cake flavor.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Melissa’s tips + tricks:
- Use room temperature ingredients. Room temperature butter and milk are essential for a smooth batter, but keep in mind that dairy free butter softens faster than regular butter so you only need to pull it from the fridge when you start preheating the oven.
- Grease your pans the easy way – I like to use cooking spray to grease my pans before flouring them. I think it’s easier than using shortening or butter, and you get a nice thin coat of oil.
- Use a kitchen scale! If you want your cake to turn out, I recommend measuring by weight rather than volume. It can make a huge difference in the overall outcome of your baking recipes. Plus, you can use the scale to divide the batter equally between your two pans to help your layers bake evenly.
- Don’t rush the cooling. The cake layers need to be completely cool before you frost them. Otherwise, your frosting will potentially melt and/or slide around on the cake.
More dairy free desserts: raspberry cupcakes / vegan peach cobbler / dairy free chocolate cake
Birthdays can’t be celebrated without cake, and this dairy free birthday cake is the ultimate white layer cake filled with rainbow sprinkle confetti and topped with a subtly sweet dairy free buttercream frosting.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour - 360g
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1 cup dairy free butter - 2 sticks, room temperature
- 2 cups sugar - 420g
- 6 large egg whites
- 1 1/4 unsweetened dairy free milk - room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup rainbow sprinkles
For the frosting:
- 1/2 cup dairy free butter
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 2 – 4 tablespoons unsweetened dairy free milk
- 1 pinch of salt
Instructions
- Mise en place. Preheat your oven to 350˚F (175˚C). Grease and flour two 8-inch cake pans. Then, gather your ingredients and measure them out before starting.
- Make the batter. In a mixing bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt together until combined. Set the bowl aside for later.
- Add the butter to the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and fluffy. Then, add the sugar and continue to beat until fully creamed and lighter in color – about 1 minute. Next, add the egg whites, one at a time, and beating to incorporate between each addition.
- Stir the vanilla extract into the dairy free milk. Next, alternate between adding some of the milk mixture and some of the flour mixture, beating each addition until it’s incorporated. Scrape the sides as needed and continue to beat until the batter is smooth. Then, gently stir in the sprinkles with a rubber spatula.
- Bake the cakes. Divide the batter between your prepared pans and bake the cake layers for about 35 – 45 minutes. The cake is done when the center no longer wobbles and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for about 10 minutes before carefully flipping them onto a cooling rack.
- Make the frosting. With an electric mixer, beat the dairy free butter and shortening until combined. Then add 1 tablespoon of milk, the vanilla bean paste, a pinch of salt (if using). Then, mix in powdered sugar – in 3/4 cup increments – until incorporated. As you add sugar, you will need to add more dairy free milk to help mix and to get to your desired thickness. I generally add about 3 – 4 tablespoons total.
- Assemble your cake. When the cake has completely cooled, spread a thin layer of frosting on top of one layer, then add the next layer. Use the rest of the frosting to cover the cake. If you have extra frosting, it can be used for piping or discarded.
Nutrition
Calories: 763kcal Carbohydrates: 116g Protein: 5g Fat: 32g Trans Fat: 1g Sodium: 471mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 89g
