Vegan Vanilla Layer Cake with Raspberry Jam

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This Vanilla Layer Cake with Raspberry Jam is so tender and buttery that no one will believe it's vegan! Layers of fluffy vegan vanilla cake amidst a tangy buttercream frosting and easy raspberry jam. The perfect show stopping cake for special occasions!
Prep 40 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Cooling and Assembly 50 minutes
Total 2 hours
5 from 29 votes

Whether you’re celebrating a birthday, special anniversary, or Valentine’s Day, this show stopping Vegan Vanilla Layer Cake with Raspberry Jam will not disappoint!

This is one of my new favorite cakes, and I am not exaggerating. The texture is moist and tender (and I didn’t even use cake flour!), the flavors are sweet yet tart and tangy so it’s not overpoweringly sweet like some cakes, and of course, it’s so pretty!

It might seem intimidating to assemble this kind of vegan layer cake, but once you’ve done it a few times, it’s actually pretty straightforward. In the event you’ve never made a layer cake, the blog contains detailed instructions and tips to help walk you through the process!

raspberry vanilla layer cake on plate with berry topping

How to Bake a Vegan Layer Cake

Equipment needed for baking a vegan layer cake

Cake pans. You’ll need three 6-inch cake pans, or two 8-inch cake pans to bake this particular cake.

Parchment Paper. You’ll need some parchment paper to line the bottom of each cake pan. This ensures you can easily invert your cakes without any of the cake sticking to the pan. Not essential but highly recommended; if you don’t use parchment paper, be sure to grease the bottoms of your cake pan really well.

I use the bottom of one of the cake pans to trace a circle and then cut it out.

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Digital Scale. I recommend every home baker gets a digital kitchen scale for the most precise and consistent results. Since everyone has a different set of measuring cups and there are different methods of measuring ingredients like flour and sugar, a digital kitchen scale is super helpful for baking.

This is especially the cake with layer cakes, where you are dividing the batter between different pans. Without a scale, you run the risk of one of the layers being much taller than the others, baking unevenly, etc.

Oven Thermometer. Similar to a digital scale, an oven thermometer is another basic essential for any home baker. This is because every oven is different and many home ovens are not calibrated. This means that while your oven temperature might say 450°F, the actual oven temperature might be anywhere between 350°F and 500°F.

The first time I made this cake, it didn’t bake through because my oven temperature was off. The digital display on my oven said 350°F but it was actually off by over 50°F! It was a bit under 300°F when i later checked with an external oven thermometer.

An oven thermometer is especially helpful when baking a layer cake because—depending on the size of your oven and the size of your cake pans—you might need to bake them on separate oven rack layers, and most ovens vary in temperature between top racks, middle racks, and lower racks.

Offset Spatula. This isn’t essential for baking cakes, but it is essential for beautifully frosted cakes. If you don’t care too much about the appearance of the cake, a butter knife will do. But, if you want beautiful frosting waves or want to achieve the “naked cake” look as seen in this recipe, an offset spatula is necessary. It helps smooth and level the tops of the frosting.

When I’m making a smaller cake (as in these 6-inch cakes), I find it more helpful to use a small-sized offset spatula like this.

Bench Scraper. Again, not a necessity, but it is very useful if you want to achieve the “naked cake” look in this recipe. A bench scraper perfectly smooths out the surface of the frosting, including the edges, and ensures that the frosting is evenly distributed (in a thin layer, in the case of a “naked cake”).

If you don’t have a bench scraper, a small or medium straight spatula can also work.

Ingredients in a Vegan Layer Cake

Flour

The type of flour matters. This isn’t a gluten-free cake and I’m not going to pretend I’m an expert on gluten-free cakes, but generally speaking, cakes made with gluten-containing flour are going to be lighter and less dense in texture than than gluten-free cakes.

If you have a gluten allergy, of course, I am not encouraging you to go ahead and test it. But if you can tolerate gluten, use the gluten-containing flour! I promise your taste buds will thank you. That said, if you are allergic or intolerant to gluten and want to make this cake, a 1:1 gluten-free all purpose baking flour is your best bet.

I typically love making cakes with cake flour, as it yields the lightest texture, but I ran out of cake flour and was surprised how perfectly tender this cake came out using all-purpose flour.

Butter vs. Oil

The butter vs. oil debate is a something all bakers face, not just vegan bakers! Oil usually results in more tender baked goods, while butter is more flavorful than oil.

Using an equal mix of oil and vegan butte lends a texture that is light and tender, but also incredibly rich, flavorful, and buttery. So you get the best of both worlds, texture wise. And it’s 100% vegan! I’ve had good success with Country Crock Plant Butter and Earth Balance buttery sticks.

Leaveners

The most commonly used leaveners in vegan baking are baking soda and baking powder, but this cake relies on a third leavener, commonly used in vegan cakes: vegan “buttermilk.” I simply combine plant-based milk with lemon juice and let it rest until it curdles. If you don’t have fresh lemon juice, you can use apple cider vinegar.

As for baking soda and baking powder, this recipe uses a bit of both, and here’s why.

When you use baking soda, it requires a little acid to start reacting. In this case, the acid is the vegan buttermilk (plant milk + lemon juice). It helps activate the leavening action of baking soda, enhancing the amount of rise in your cakes. And finally, the alkaline nature of baking soda (as opposed to the acidic nature of lemon juice) cancels out any sour buttermilk flavor so you don’t end up with an unwanted tangy taste.

But if you want to keep some of that tang flavor (in a subtle way, of course), you’ll want to include some baking powder as well. This is a fruity cake with notes of raspberry and orange, so a subtle tangy flavor is desired. And since using baking soda alone will completely neutralize the vegan buttermilk’s acidity/tanginess, adding baking powder allows some of that tang to remain in the batter.

Egg Substitutes

The type of vegan egg substitute you use should depend on the type of baked good you’re making and your desired texture. For instance, I like to use flax eggs in brownies because it contributes to their fudgy gooeyness.

But with a cake, I want the texture to be airy and light, so I like to rely on aquafaba, which is simply the liquid leftover from cooked chickpeas.

When you lightly whip aquafaba, as is done in this recipe, it turns foamy and light, which then helps to create a light and fluffy texture and gives a nice lift to cakes.  This recipe calls for 1/2 cup of aquafaba, and a standard 15.5 ounce can of chickpeas has a little more than 1/2 cup.

Components in this layer cake

Cake. This recipe uses three 6-inch layer cakes, but you could also make two 8-inch layer cakes.

Frosting. A layer cake needs some sort of frosting or icing, and the Tangy Buttercream Frosting in this recipe is my new favorite frosting recipe. Essentially, it’s a hybrid of a buttercream frosting and a cream cheese frosting, and uses equal parts vegan butter and vegan cream cheese.

I love the subtle but noticeable tanginess that the cream cheese and lemon juice bring to this cake. Unlike many cakes, the flavor does not have a one-note sweetness. If you can’t find vegan cream cheese, substitute the vegan cream cheese with more vegan butter and make a traditional buttercream frosting.

Jam. The homemade Raspberry Jam in this recipe is optional and you can easily make this vegan vanilla layer cake without it. However, it serves three purposes.

First, the jam is a tart, not-very-sweet jam, so again, it’s bringing a nice tart flavor that balances the sweetness of the cake. Two, the jam adds to the cake’s layered elements, making it more interesting texturally and visually. And three, when the jam gets swirled into the frosting, it makes for a beautifully pink cake, as seen in these photos.

raspberry vanilla layer cake on plate with berry topping

How to assemble a layer cake

Refrigerate the cakes

Many bakers will recommend that you refrigerate your layer cakes before frosting, and I find this advice to be especially helpful with vegan cakes, which tend to be a bit stickier and/or delicate than non-vegan cakes.

Adding frosting to a freshly baked cake—which is tender and delicate in texture, even if it has cooled to room temperature—creates friction, making it more likely that the cake will crumble. This isn’t the end of the world, but you will have considerable crumbs in your frosting and it won’t be as pretty.

That’s why I recommend refrigerating your cooled cakes for at least 2 hours, or overnight, before frosting. Wrap them in plastic wrap to keep them moist. But if you’re avoiding plastic (a noble cause), you can put them on plates and cover them with large bowls.

While refrigerating your cakes does add time onto this recipe, it also means that you can bake the cakes in advance. Cakes wrapped in plastic will stay good in your fridge for a few days, so you can do most of the work ahead of time. Or, if you want to make them even further in advance, you can easily wrap the cakes and freeze them.

Refrigerate the frosting

If you are making the Raspberry Jam in this recipe, I recommend refrigerating the frosting for about 30 minutes. If you add a layer of jam to the cake and then dollop room temperature frosting on top, it will be quite difficult to spread the frosting out, as the frosting will want to stay in place. It is not impossible to frost room temperature frosting, but it’s much easier if you refrigerate it for a bit.

So, if you wanted to serve this cake at, say 7 pm, the ideal time to start prepping the frosting would be 5:30 pm.

First, take the vegan butter and vegan cream cheese out of the fridge to soften. This should take around 30 minutes, depending on the temperature of your kitchen. To speed the softening process up, cut both components into small pieces.

Second, make the actual frosting. It takes just 5-10 minutes.

Third, refrigerate the frosting for 30 minutes before assembling the cake.

If you make the frosting well ahead of time, you’ll want to refrigerate it anyways since it’s made with perishable items (vegan butter and cream cheese).

Assemble the “Naked “Cake”


Once your layer cakes have been cooled and your frosting and jam are ready, it’s time to actually assemble the cake! As you’ll see in these photos, I decided to go the naked cake route. A naked cake has a minimal outer layer of frosting, which shows off the cake’s layers and filling.

But this is totally optional. You can frost the cake however you want.

Step 1: Place one layer cake on a cake platter or your serving plate. Spread a thin layer of the Raspberry Jam on top. Then add 1/4 of the Tangy Buttercream Frosting and smooth with an offset spatula.

Step 2: Top with the layer cake #2, and repeat the process, adding more jam and frosting. Finish with layer cake #3, adding jam and frosting on top.

Step 3: Using the offset spatula, apply the remaining buttercream frosting to the sides of each cake layer, starting at the bottom, working your way up to the top. For a naked cake look, you just want a thin layer of frosting.

Step 4: When the sides are covered, use a bench scraper or straight spatula to smooth the sides and to achieve the naked cake look. If you’re not going for the naked cake look, skip this step.

Step 5: Using the offset spatula, smooth out the top layer of frosting until it’s level. You can serve now, or refrigerate for at least 1 hour to set.

Tips for Baking this Vegan Layer Cake

Whisk the dry ingredients thoroughly

Be sure to whisk the dry ingredients properly before adding them to the wet. This ensures that the baking powder and baking soda are distributed evenly, which will help your cake rise evenly. This is particularly important with layer cakes, where you’re dividing the batter between at least two pans.

Unevenly distributed leaveners can result in cakes that rise unevenly.

Weigh the ingredients

I mentioned this in the “Equipment” section above, but I strongly suggest weighing your ingredients instead of relying on measuring cups. It will yield a more accurate result.

Allow a full “preheat” and use an oven thermometer

Also mentioned above in the “Equipment” section. Before you add your cakes to the oven, be sure that your oven temperature actually reads 350°F according to an oven thermometer. Unless you’ve had your oven calibrated, it’s virtually impossible to tell if the stated temperature on your oven is the actual temperature in the oven.

And if you can, don’t bake the cakes as soon as your oven says it’s done preheating. Many ovens actually take longer to reach the desired temperature than the preheat function says. I like to have my oven on for 30 minutes before baking something as sensitive as a cake.

Cake Pan Conversion: Size and Baking Time

Don’t have three 6-inch pans or two 8-inch pans, but still want to make this cake?

There’s a lot of math here, but to keep things short, if all you have is a 9-inch (23 x 5 cm) round cake pan, your best option is to multiply all the cake ingredients by a factor of 1.5 and use two 9-inch cake pans.

According to this cake pan size guide from Food 52

  • a 6 x 2 inch (15 x 5 cm) round cake pan = area of 29 square inches;
  • a 9 x 2 inch (23 x 5 cm) round cake pan = area of 64 square inches.

Since we’re making three 6-inch layer cakes, multiple 3 x area of 29 inches = 87 inches.

If you multiply the recipe by a factor of 1.5, it would create enough cake batter for 1.5 x 3 x 29 inches = 130.5 inches. And since two 9-inch round cake pans would hold 2 x 64 inches = 128 inches, it’s almost the exact same amount. Voila!

As for baking time, since a 9-inch pan is bigger and will make the batter more shallow, the center can dry out more quickly. So try increasing the temperature by 25°F to 375°F and decreasing the baking time, to about 25 minutes.

This isn’t a foolproof method so you’ll want to monitor the cake for the typical signs of doneness. In other words, the cake is done when it starts to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs.

raspberry vanilla layer cake on plate with berry topping

Okay, my brain hurst from all the conversions, so let’s end it here. I hope you enjoy this Vegan Vanilla Layer Cake with Raspberry Jam! If you make it be sure to leave a rating and review below and tag me on Instagram!

Vegan Vanilla Layer Cake with Raspberry Jam

5 from 29 votes
This Vanilla Layer Cake with Raspberry Jam is so tender and buttery that no one will believe it's vegan! Layers of fluffy vegan vanilla cake amidst a tangy buttercream frosting and easy raspberry jam. The perfect show stopping cake for special occasions!
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Cooling and Assembly 50 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, Baking
Diet Vegan
Serving size: 16

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick / 112g) vegan butter, softened at room temperature
  • 1 1/4 cups + 2 tablespoons (330 mL) unsweetened plant-based milk (I used this oat milk)
  • 1 tablespoon (15 mL) lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup (120 mL) aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas)
  • 3 1/2 cups (420g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/2 cup (112g) sunflower oil, or melted coconut oil*
  • 1 1/4 cups (240g) organic cane sugar
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice (optional)**
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest (optional)
  • 2 cups (240g) fresh raspberries***
  • 1 batch Raspberry Jam (recipe below)
  • 1 batch Tangy Buttercream Frosting (recipe below)

Instructions

  • Take the vegan butter out of the fridge to soften.
  • Make the vegan buttermilk. Combine the plant based milk and lemon juice and stir. Set aside to curdle.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Make three parchment paper rounds for three 6×2-inch (15 x 5 cm) round cake pans and line each pan. Alternatively, you can use two 8-inch (20 x 5 cxm) round pans. Ensure your oven is calibrated or that you’re using an oven thermometer (see notes above in the “equipment needed for baking a vegan layer cake” section).
  • Prepare the aquafaba. Pour 1/2 cup of the liquid from a can of chickpeas into a small bowl. With a handheld electric mixer (or stand mixer), beat the aquafaba on medium speed until it‘s foamy throughout, about 60 seconds.
  • Whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder to a medium bowl and whisk well to ensure the leaveners will be evenly distributed throughout the cake.
  • Cream the wet ingredients. Add the softened butter, oil, and cane sugar to a large bowl. Using the mixer, beat until the ingredients are well incorporated and starting to get fluffy, 60 seconds or so. Add in the whipped aquafaba, vanilla extract, orange juice (if using), and orange zest (if using). Mix until just combined, 15-20 seconds.
  • Add half of the flour mixture into the butter-sugar mixture, beating on low speed until just combined, taking care to not over beat. Then add the vegan buttermilk and beat until just combined. Finally, add in the remaining flour mixture until you have a mostly smooth batter, but do not overmix. It’s okay if there are a few flour pockets remaining. Overbeating can cause the cake to become dense or dry. The batter should be fairly light and fluffy at this point.
  • Divide the batter equally in the prepared pans, using a digital scale to measure each pan so each cake is equal in size. The batter in each of my three 6-inch pans ended up weighing 440 grams each. Scatter the raspberries evenly over the top of each cake, but do not press them down.
  • Bake 6 x 2 inch (15 x 5 cm) cakes for 30 minutes, or until the center is set and the cake has puffed up a bit and just started to pull away from the pan, and a toothpick inserted comes out with only a few moist crumbs. If you are using two 8 x 2 inch (20 x 5 cm) cakes, bake for 30-35 minutes.
    Note: I recommend checking 5 minutes before the time is up, as every oven is different and it might be done sooner.
  • Cool the cakes in their pans for at least 30 minutes, then carefully invert them onto a cooling rack. Cool completely before adding assembling the cakes.
  • Assemble the cakes: If you have the time, I recommend refrigerating the cakes and frosting (see the section above called “Assembly”).
    a. Place one layer cake on a cake platter or plate. Spread a thin layer of the Raspberry Jam on top. Then add 1/4 of the Tangy Buttercream Frosting and smooth with an offset spatula. Top with the next layer cake. And repeat the process, adding more jam and frosting. Finish with the final layer cake, adding jam and frosting on top.
    b. Using the offset spatula, apply the remaining buttercream to the sides of each cake layer, starting at the bottom, working your way up to the top. For a naked cake look, you just want a thin layer.
    c. When the sides are covered, use a bench scraper to smooth the sides and to achieve the naked cake look.
    d. Using the offset spatula, smooth out the top layer of frosting until it’s level. You can serve now, or refrigerate for 1-2 hours to set the cake.
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days.

Notes

* If you use coconut oil, it’s especially important to bring your cold ingredients (i.e., the plant milk) to room temperature. Otherwise, the cold liquid will turn the coconut oil back into its solid form.
** If you don’t want to impart an orange flavor to the cake or don’t have oranges, omit the orange juice but add 2 more tablespoons of plant-based milk (the second ingredient) for a total of 1 1/2 cups (360 mL).
*** If you can’t find fresh raspberries and want to use frozen, do not thaw them (it’ll add make the batter watery).

Calories: 419kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 2g | Sodium: 298mg | Potassium: 79mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 10IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 3mg

Raspberry Jam

5 from 5 votes
Serving size: 16

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries 180g or frozen raspberries (200g)
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch or arrowroot powder
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons cold water
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

  • Add the raspberries to a saucepan over medium heat. If using frozen raspberries, stir occasionally until they’re thawed. Mash down the raspberries with a fork.
  • Meanwhile, dissolve the cornstarch or arrowroot powder with the cold water to create a slurry.
  • Add the slurry, maple syrup, and lemon juice to the pan. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, until the jam has thickened. Take off the heat, and once cool, refrigerate. It will thicken even more as it rests in the fridge.

Notes

Note: This recipe makes enough for this cake. If you want more jam on hand, just double the recipe.

Calories: 11kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 21mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 4IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg

Tangy Buttercream Frosting

5 from 8 votes
Serving size: 16

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick / 112g) vegan butter, softened at room temperature
  • 4 ounces (113g) vegan cream cheese, softened at room temperature*
  • 2 1/4 cups (~ 265g) organic powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Instructions

  • To a large mixing bowl, add the softened vegan butter. Beat on low speed with an electric handheld mixer (or stand mixer) until smooth and fluffy. Add the vegan cream cheese and beat until creamy and smooth and well incorporated.
  • Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar in four turns, and mix on low speed until well combined and fluffy, scraping down the sides. Add the vanilla, salt, and lemon juice and beat until smooth. If the frosting is too thick, add a tablespoon of plant milk until you reach your desired consistency. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to make it easier to frost the cake.

Notes

* If you can’t find vegan cream cheese, just use an additional 1/2 cup (1 stick / 112g) vegan butter. The frosting will be a more traditional buttercream frosting, not tangy. You might want to add a bit more lemon juice to balance the richness of the butter.

Calories: 135kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 74mg | Potassium: 3mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 1mg

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74 comments on Vegan Vanilla Layer Cake with Raspberry Jam

  1. Kirat

    Hi. If I want to make just one layer of this cake, how should the recipe be changed? Also can I substitute egg replacer for the aquafaba? Thank you!

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Hi Kirat, this recipe uses three 6-inch layer cakes, but you can also make two 8-inch layer cakes. If you’d like just one layer of this cake, you can divide the recipe in half and bake it in one 8 inch pan.

      Using an egg replacer as a substitute for aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas) in a cake recipe may yield different results compared to using aquafaba, so we’re not entirely sure how it will turn out since we haven’t tested it ourselves. Aquafaba also contributes to the light and fluffy texture in cakes like this. And it adds moisture. Depending on the egg replacer you use and its texture, the moisture content might differ. Using an egg replacer may also result in a denser cake, depending on the ingredients in the egg replacer. Best of luck!

  2. Jannette

    Hi,
    I’m eager to try this recipe, how much buttermilk am I to use. I have looked over the ingredient list and it is not listed

    1. Jannette

      Sorry I was reading this recipe late at night. Got it.

    2. Hannah @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Hi Jannette, to make the vegan buttermilk, combine the plant based milk (1 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons / 330 mL) and lemon juice (1 tablespoon) in a bowl and stir. Set aside to curdle, this will be your buttermilk.

  3. Guru

    5 stars
    Fantastic recipe! Followed the recipe as best as I could, turned out really well! Everyone loved it. Thank you for all the tips/details in the recipe. Very helpful!

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      We’re so happy that the cake turned out well for you, Guru. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment and for trying out the recipe!

  4. Monisha

    5 stars
    How would i store it ? And to freeze ?

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Hi Monisha, store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. If the cake is unfrosted, you can leave covered at room temperature.

      To freeze, we suggest freezing the cake without frosting for up to 2-3 months, just make sure to cool the cake completely, wrap it well to prevent freezer burn, and to thaw let it sit at room temp for several hours or overnight. Then freeze at this point. The cake will thaw more quickly if you freeze it in smaller pieces.

      We hope you love the cake!

  5. Gene

    Could I halve the recipe and just use one 8-inch pan for a smaller one-layer cake?

  6. John Schosanski

    I tried this vanilla cake recipe twice. The cake layers rose beautifully; pulled slightly away from the sides of the pans; the toothpick came out clean. As soon as the cake was removed from the oven to cool, the layers collapsed into thin dense pancakes. I followed the recipe exactly, so I suspect the aquafaba preparation should be 7 to 10 minutes, instead of 60 seconds. I was very unhappy with this recipe. John Schosanski

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Hi John, so sorry to hear you haven’t had good luck with the recipe! We’d love to help you troubleshoot your issue with this cake.

      As for the aquafaba bit, if you beat it until it was foamy throughout, we don’t think that would have been the issue. A few things you can check or change for next time: use an oven thermometer (often our ovens are hotter or cooler than they say) which can help with over and under baking, don’t open the oven during baking which lets out heat (you can view the cake with the oven light through the door), and make sure to cool the individual layers (not stacked) on cooling racks on the counter for minimum 30 minutes (maybe longer). We hope you’re able to figure out what went wrong!

  7. Tina

    5 stars
    The sponge is wonderfully soft, and the lemony tang shines in the buttercream. The whole family is a fan!

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Hey, Tina! Wow, I can feel your enthusiasm about this recipe through the screen! Love it!

  8. Deepa

    5 stars
    Hi Nisha – your recipes are wonderful. Do you think this recipe would work well/better with cake flour (I happen to have a good amount and I’m looking for a great cake for my mom’s birthday party)

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Hi Deepa, we’re so glad you think so! We haven’t tried this recipe with cake flour but from what we know the flours can be used basically interchangeably- substitute 1 cup + 2tbsp cake flour for each cup of all purpose flour.

  9. Pumudu

    Can this same recipe use to make Raspberry cupcakes? If so how many cup cakes can I make from this ingredients?
    Best vegan cake I ever had.
    Thank you.

    1. Kaitlin @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Hi Pumudu, yes the cake batter can be made into cupcakes! And unfortunately we don’t know how many cupcakes it makes, as we haven’t tried making cupcakes out of this recipe ourselves.

  10. Aman

    5 stars
    I made this cake and it was amazing. The first try I tried using half the sugar and used an alternative for oil. That did not workout. Then, I just followed the recipe with all ingredients and the cake was perfect. Everyone loved it! I’ve made cakes before but not like this. People in my house who are not fans of frosting and all, also had 2 servings.

    1. Hannah Hairston

      Hi Aman,

      Sometimes you can get away with substitutes in baking, but baking is a science so it almost always will change the dish a lot more than you’d expect! I’m glad you gave it another chance and loved it :) Thanks for sharing!

  11. Erin

    I’m thinking of making this with the blueberry mojito chia seed jam from Nisha’s Instant Pot cookbook. About how much jam (in ounces) is used for frosting? I want to make sure I have enough but this recipe simply says “a batch.”

  12. My new favorite cake!!

    5 stars
    Um wow this cake may be my new all-time favorite!! We made it for Father’s Day and everyone couldn’t stop raving about it. We devoured our slices and literally ran back for seconds. Such a perfect balance of flavors… I will be dreaming of this cake for a long time… like it’s so good it must be MAGIC. Thank you so much for sharing Nisha!!

    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Thanks for the lovely feedback! We are thrilled the cake was a hit :)

  13. Nicolette

    Hi,
    I absolutely love this recipe and use it often.
    Do you think it can be made into a chocolate cake with cocoa?

    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life

      From Nisha: “Hi! I’m so glad you love this cake. I’m sure you could sub some of the flour with cocoa powder…but chocolate cakes made with cocoa tend to be a bit drier, so you might need some additional liquid (more milk or perhaps even some applesauce) to compensate for it.”

  14. Arminda Lindsay

    5 stars
    Holy Wow — this is probably the best cake I’ve ever baked. Ever.

    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Awesome, Arminda. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!

  15. Nancy F

    Could you tell me a good brand of vegan cream cheese? We have a family member who is allergic to nuts. Those I have found usually are made with nuts. Also, I usually throw out the juice from canned chickpeas as I want to avoid chemicals or salt. It there a brand of that you can recommend? Thanks

    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Hi there Nancy! We love Kite Hill cream cheese but that one’s made using almonds. Our other favorite vegan cream cheese is the tofutti brand: https://www.tofutti.com/better-than-cream-cheese-plain.

  16. Maureen Clement

    Nisha! 😊 made this lovely cake…. So deelish, thank you. My Mom and 86 year old neighbour loved it too 💕

    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life

      That’s so great to hear, Maureen! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating alongside your review? Star ratings are big help to readers who are thinking of making the recipe. Thanks!

  17. Liz

    5 stars
    this cake was an instant hit! and can easily be changed up with different fruit! I would note that I used HALF the called for powdered sugar in the frosting and it was still VERY sweet. I should mention that I made my own powdered sugar (by blending crystal sugar sugar in a vitamix, though I don’t think that would make much of a difference).

    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life

      We are sorry to hear you thought the frosting was too sweet. But we are glad you loved the cake, Liz!

  18. Aliya

    5 stars
    I made this and brought it for my mom’s birthday tonight and it was a huge hitsomebody even told me this was the best cake they have ever had!
    Thanks for the recipe.

    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Awesome, Aliya. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!

  19. Pumudu

    Best vegan cake I ever had. Since I becomes a vegan 4 years ago I have been missing a vanilla sponge cake in my life. This was perfect, making this cake again for my daughter’s 10th next week. Thank you Nisha.

    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Hi Pumudu, we’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed this recipe and are serving it for your daughter’s birthday! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating alongside your review? Star ratings are big help to readers who are thinking of making the recipe. Thanks!

    2. Heidi

      Can this be made in a 11×13 cake pan successfully?

  20. Keir

    Looks awesome. Would it work with coconut sugar instead of cane sugar?

    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Thanks, Keir! You can, it is a little less sweet than cane sugar so keep that in mind. Happy baking!

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