Team Vanilla-Vanilla

Featuring a vegan version of classic confetti cake and toasted almond vanilla bean cake

Feb 16, 2024

∙ Paid

Toasted almond and vanilla bean pair perfectly in this snacking cake

Before we get started, I want to get one thing out of the way: I am team vanilla-vanilla. You know how in elementary school, when your friend brought in cupcakes for their birthday, there were always four kinds: chocolate cake with chocolate frosting (chocolate-chocolate), chocolate cake with vanilla frosting (chocolate-vanilla), vanilla cake with chocolate frosting (vanilla-chocolate), and vanilla cake with vanilla frosting (vanilla-vanilla)? Well I would always, always, go for vanilla-vanilla. And if those were all gone, the correct rank order was and always will be chocolate-chocolate, then chocolate-vanilla, then lastly (ew) vanilla-chocolate. Jk jk, I won’t judge you for which combo you prefer, but if you are team vanilla-vanilla, this is the post for you.

The first recipe, for all subscribers, is my vegan take on the classic confetti (I am unable to call it Funfetti because I don’t want Pillsbury to sue me, but we all know what I’m talking about) cake. This is arguably the mid-90s Platonic ideal of vanilla-vanilla cakes. The sprinkles really make it taste SO much better, and a touch of almond extract in addition to the vanilla gives it that nostalgic boxed-cake flavor. You can also take a page out of the brilliant Christina Tosi’s book and use imitation clear vanilla in the cake and frosting, which does the same trick, but in my experience clear vanilla is difficult to find in most supermarkets. The finishing touch is a generous layer of fluffy vanilla buttercream, with two kinds of vanilla for depth, plus vegan cream cheese and lemon juice for a touch of tang to balance the sweetness.

Then, further down, for paid subscribers, is my toasted almond vanilla bean cake, which leverages almond flour and flaxseed to lend nutty complexity to the cake. The frosting is a tangy cream cheese number spiked with a bit of almond extract (a la Ina Garten’s perfect coconut cake). It is worth noting that I have made both of these cakes in one layer because I live in a two-person household that cannot support a double- or triple-decker treat on most days, but if you want to bake one of these for a special occasion, just double or triple the recipe accordingly.

Team vanilla-vanilla forever!!!

Vanilla Confetti Cake

Makes one 8-inch single-layer cake or 12 cupcakes

1 hour active time, 4 hours total time

Ingredients

Vanilla Confetti Cake Batter

195 g (1 1/2 cups + 2 tbsp) cake flour

7.5 g (1 1/2 tsp) baking powder

150 g (1/2 cup + 2 tbsp) full-fat oat milk (or other neutral plant milk)

150 g (3/4 cup) organic granulated sugar

37 g (3 tbsp) light brown sugar

2.25 g (3/4 tsp) kosher salt (Diamond Crystal or see note below)

57 g (1/4 cup) unsalted, margarine-style vegan butter (e.g. Violife) (see note below), room temperature, diced

50 g (1/4 cup) vegetable oil

75 g (1/4 cup + 1 tbsp) silken tofu, pureéd (see note below)

15 g (1 tbsp) vanilla extract

1.25 g (1/4 tsp) almond extract (see note below)

40 g (3 tbsp) rainbow sprinkles

Vanilla Birthday Frosting

113 g (1/2 cup) unsalted, margarine-style vegan butter (e.g. Violife) (see note below), room temperature

28 g (2 tbsp) vegan cream cheese (Trader Joe's or Kite Hill brands recommended - see note below), room temperature

275 g (2 1/2 cups) organic powdered sugar

7.5 g (1/2 tbsp) full-fat oat milk (or other neutral plant milk), room temperature

5 g (1 tsp) vanilla paste (see note below)

5 g (1 tsp) vanilla extract

2.5 g (1/2 tsp) lemon juice

2.25 g (3/4 tsp) kosher salt (Diamond Crystal or see below)

Assorted rainbow sprinkles

Instructions

Make the Vanilla Confetti Cake Batter and bake the cake

Preheat the oven to 350 F and position a rack in the center of the oven
Lightly grease an 8-inch round cake pan with cooking spray, then line the bottom with parchment paper and lightly grease the paper
Whisk together the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl
Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and kosher salt in a large bowl
In a small saucepan, heat the oat milk over medium heat; as soon as bubbles appear around the edges, remove from the heat
Add the hot oat milk to the sugar mixture and whisk until the mixture is fully dissolved; it will take 1-2 mins
Add the vegan butter and whisk until the butter has dissolved; add the oil and whisk until the mixture is emulsified
Add the tofu and extracts
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently whisk until the batter is mostly smooth and no large lumps of flour remain; however, do not mix until the batter is completely smooth or it will be tough
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake the cake for 35-40 mins, until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean
Allow the cake to cool for about 30 mins in the pan, then invert it onto a wire rack and allow it to cool completely, at least 2 hours
Cake can be made ahead up to 2 days in advance and kept in the fridge, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, until ready to use

Make the Vanilla Birthday Frosting

Place the vegan butter in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat it on medium-high speed until it is creamy and smooth; scrape down the sides of the bowl
Add the vegan cream cheese and continue beating until no lumps remain
Add the powdered sugar and continue beating until the mixture is bright white and fluffy
Add the oat milk, vanillas, lemon juice, and salt, and beat until they are fully mixed in; the frosting should be smooth and fluffy
Frosting keeps in the fridge for up to 1 week in an airtight container; allow the frosting to come to room temperature (for 4-6 hours) before serving

Frost and finish the cake

Once the cake is cool, top with as much frosting as you would like, and spread the frosting evenly over the cake
To make the decorative swirl in the images above, I used a rotating turntable: first spread the frosting in an even layer over the cake, then, starting at the outer edges, firmly press an offset spatula into the frosting to "dig" a spiral, working inward until you finish in the center
Sprinkle the sprinkles on the cake; I like to focus on one side of the cake for an asymmetrical look
Serve the cake at room temperature
Frosted cake keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days covered tightly in plastic wrap; allow the cake to come to room temperature before serving

Somehow the sprinkles in the batter make the cake taste THAT much better

Notes & Variations

Ingredient Notes

Kosher salt: I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt, which has larger crystals than other kinds of kosher salt, normal table salt or fine sea salt. As a result, when measured by volume (teaspoons/tablespoons) it will add less "saltiness" than an equal quantity of the other salts. If you are not using Diamond Crystal, I recommend measuring your salt by weight, in which case you won't run into this issue. Otherwise, use half the volume quantity of salt
Vegan butter: There are two main types of vegan butter: (1) margarine-style products that are basically butter-flavored vegetable shortening (e.g. Violife), and (2) cultured-style products made from cashew, coconut, or other kinds of fats (e.g. Miyoko's). I generally prefer the first type in cakes, muffins, and frostings, where the more obvious "butter" flavor and greater stability, and yellow color are beneficial. I prefer the second type in recipes where the fat will caramelize, such as cookies, pie or tart dough, and bread, as margarine-style butters can develop unpleasant burnt oil flavors when heated to high temperatures. Also, cultured-style butter can be browned similarly to dairy butter, while margarine-style butter cannot
Vegan cream cheese: Unlike dairy cream cheese, vegan cream cheese products vary significantly in taste and texture, as they are often made with vastly different ingredients, including soy, cashews, and coconut. I found that the Trader Joe's and Kite Hill products has both an excellent taste and texture that very closely resemble dairy cream cheese. If you want to use another brand, make sure you taste it first before making the frosting
Silken tofu: Tofu stands in for the egg in this recipe, lending structure and moisture to the finished cake. Don't worry - you won't taste it!
Vanilla paste: Using vanilla paste adds lovely specks of vanilla bean to the frosting. I like to use this to supplement normal vanilla extract for visual appeal and to give the frosting a more complex flavor
Almond extract: A small amount of almond extract in concert with the vanilla gives this cake that nostalgic, “boxed-cake” taste from childhood. You can also use imitation, clear vanilla extract, such as from McCormick, to achieve the same flavor. Or, feel free to just use whatever vanilla you have around; the cake will still be delicious :)

For Vanilla Confetti Cupcakes

Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake papers
Prepare the batter as directed and fill cupcake papers 3/4 full with batter
Bake the cupcakes at 350 F until they are light golden brown and a tester inserted comes out clean, 25 - 30 mins
Cool the cupcakes completely and make the frosting as directed
To frost, fit a piping bag with a large (1/2 inch wide) circular tip and fill with frosting
Hold the piping bag about 1 inch from the top of the cupcake and pipe a smooth mound of frosting to cover most of the cupcake, about 1 inch high
Use a small offset spatula to create a circular, swooping divot in the center of the cupcake
Finish each cupcake with rainbow sprinkles and serve at room temperature