Vegan Gluten Free Funfetti Birthday Cake

This delicious celebration cake promises a fluffy vegan gluten-free cake base and vegan 'cream cheese' frosting! It is allergen-friendly and well-loved by kids and adults.

Course Dessert, Baking

Cuisine American

Keyword gluten-free funfetti cake, vegan funfetti cake, vegan gluten-free cake

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 20

Total Time 50

Servings small pieces of cake

Calories 300kcal

Author Jamie

Ingredients

Vegan Buttermilk

1 ¾ cups unsweetened plant-based milk (415 ml)
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar

Wet Ingredients

2 sticks unsalted vegan butter at room temperature (1 cup, 225 grams)
2 cups sugar (400 grams)
¼ cup brown sugar , firmly packed (65 grams)
1 cup coconut cream (230 grams)
1 ½ tablespoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

Dry Ingredients

4 cups all purpose gluten-free flour with xanthan gum (475 grams)
¼ cup potato starch or cornstarch (40 grams)
1 ½ teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
¾ cup rainbow sprinkles , a vegan and gluten-free brand (140 grams)

Frosting Ingredients

1 stick unsalted vegan butter at room temperature (112 grams)
½ cup coconut cream* (115 grams)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
4 cups powdered sugar (500 grams)

Instructions

Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 C) and line a half baking sheet (12 x 17 inches) with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper on the bottom and sides.
Vegan Buttermilk: In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, combine the plant-based milk and vinegar. Stir together and set aside.
Wet Ingredients: In a microwave-safe bowl, warm the butter in the microwave until mostly melted but not hot. Then combine the butter, sugar, and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer to beat together until smooth light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add the coconut cream, vanilla extract, and almond extract and mix until combined.
Dry Ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the gluten-free flour, starch, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Whisk together well.
Make the batter: Begin adding the dry ingredients and vegan buttermilk to the butter and sugar mixture in increments. Add about ⅓ of the flour and milk, then mix until just combined. Continue until all milk and dry ingredients have been incorporated and be careful not to over-mix. I like to switch to a silicone spatula and mix by hand to prevent over-mixing. It is ok to have small flour lumps in the batter. Gently stir in the sprinkles.
Bake: Evenly spread the cake batter into the prepared pan using a silicone spatula. Depending on the gluten-free flour blend used, the batter may be thicker or thinner -- in all cases, the cake turned out great! Bake at 350 degrees F (175 C) for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before removing from the pan or frosting.
Frosting: Using an electric mixer, beat together the butter and coconut cream until smooth. Then add the vanilla extract and salt and mix together thoroughly. Begin adding the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time and mix until smooth. Once the cake has cooled to room temperature, spread the frosting over the cake in an even layer and decorate with additional rainbow sprinkles.

Notes

See the recipe post for step-by-step photos and expert tips, including troubleshooting tips and how to recognize a cake batter that is over-mixed.

*Vegan cream cheese can be hard to find so we substituted coconut cream for our vegan 'cream cheese' frosting. To use vegan cream cheese, replace the ½ cup of coconut cream with ½ cup (4 ounces) of vegan cream cheese. The texture may be a little thicker; if so, mix in 1-2 tablespoons of water or plant-based milk until you have a texture you like.

Coconut cream - Use the solid part only of a can of coconut cream or full fat coconut milk. If needed, refrigerate the can first to separate the solid and liquid components.

Halve the Recipe - Use a 9 x 13 inch metal baking pan for a half batch of this recipe.

Storage: Here are the best ways to store vegan gluten-free cake:

Refrigerator - Store leftover cake in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. However, you want to wait to cover the cake with a lid or plastic wrap until the frosting is dry to the touch. The frosting should compress when you push on it, but little or no frosting residue should be left on your finger when you cover the cake.
Room Temperature - This cake can stay out at room temperature for up to 24 hours before it begins to dry out.
Freezer - To freeze this cake, place uncovered in the freezer for 30-45 minutes. At this point, the cake is soft enough to cut into pieces but solid enough for a clean cut and won't stick to the other pieces of cake when stored in layers. Cut the cake in pieces and store in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 4 months.

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