Description
This vibrant and colorful Vegan Rainbow Cake is a delightful dairy-free and egg-free dessert that boasts layers of beautifully tinted sponge cakes, stacked and frosted with creamy vegan buttercream. Perfect for celebrations or any occasion that calls for a show-stopping cake, it combines fluffy, moist self-raising flour sponges with a smooth, sweet, dairy-free frosting, colored with natural vegan-friendly food gels. The recipe uses simple pantry staples with a clever vegan ‘buttermilk’ to ensure the perfect crumb and texture.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Batter
- 960ml dairy-free milk (unsweetened soya milk recommended)
- 4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 800g self-raising flour
- 600g caster sugar (fine white sugar)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
- 240ml sunflower oil
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Vegan-friendly food gels in purple, pink, peach, yellow, green (e.g. Rainbow Dust Colours)
Buttercream Frosting
- 560g dairy-free butter (Flora Plant Block Butter recommended)
- 600g powdered/icing sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Dairy-free milk (if needed for consistency)
Instructions
- Prepare Cake Tins: Preheat oven to 180°C fan. Line 5 or 6 eight-inch loose base/push up cake tins with greaseproof paper. If limited on tins, bake layers separately covering unused batter with a damp towel.
- Make Vegan Buttermilk: Combine dairy-free milk and apple cider vinegar in a bowl and whisk well. Set aside for 10 minutes to curdle and create a vegan buttermilk substitute.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, sift together self-raising flour, caster sugar, baking powder, and bicarbonate of soda. Stir to combine evenly.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: Add sunflower oil and vanilla extract to the vegan buttermilk and whisk until fully incorporated.
- Make Batter: Pour wet ingredients into the dry mixture and gently mix until just combined. Avoid over-mixing to keep the batter light.
- Color the Batter: Divide the batter evenly into 5 bowls. Add different vegan food gel colors to each bowl and stir until the colors are vibrant and uniform.
- Fill Cake Tins: Pour each colored batter into the prepared cake tins. Tap tins gently on the countertop to release air bubbles.
- Bake the Cakes: Place tins in the center of the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a skewer or knife – it should come out clean. Cakes should feel springy to the touch.
- Cool Cakes: Remove cakes from tins onto a wire rack after slight cooling. Allow layers to cool completely before frosting. Store in a sealed container if not frosting immediately.
- Make Buttercream: In a large bowl, whip the dairy-free butter until light and creamy using a stand or hand mixer.
- Add Icing Sugar: Sift in the powdered sugar and add vanilla extract. Whip on high speed for about 5 minutes, adding dairy-free milk if needed to achieve smooth, creamy consistency. Adjust thickness by adding more butter or icing sugar as necessary.
- Prepare Piping Colors: Set aside a small portion of buttercream and color it yellow for piping flowers. Fill a piping bag with this colored buttercream and snip the tip.
- Prepare Piping Bag: Fill another piping bag with 3 heaped tablespoons of plain white buttercream fitted with a large star nozzle for decoration.
- Assemble Cake Layers: Place one cake layer on a serving plate or cake stand. Spread or pipe an even layer of vanilla buttercream over it. Repeat layering with all cakes and buttercream.
- Crumb Coat: Apply a thin layer of buttercream over the entire cake to trap crumbs, smoothing evenly with a cake scraper or palette knife. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to set.
- Final Frosting: Apply a thicker final layer of buttercream smoothly over the cake’s surface and sides.
- Decorate Cake: Use the piping bags with plain and yellow buttercream to pipe flowers all over the cake’s top and sides to create a beautiful design.
- Serve: Slice the cake with a sharp knife, serve, and enjoy your colorful vegan delight!
Notes
- For best results, use unsweetened soya milk for the vegan buttermilk to ensure proper curdling and flavor balance.
- If you don’t have multiple cake tins, bake layers one at a time, covering batter to prevent skin formation.
- Adjust buttercream consistency by balancing dairy-free milk and icing sugar depending on ambient temperature.
- Use high-quality vegan food gels to achieve vibrant and distinct colors.
- Store leftover cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator; bring to room temperature before serving for best flavor and texture.
- This cake keeps well for up to 3 days refrigerated or up to 1 month frozen when properly wrapped.
- Use an offset spatula for smoother frosting application.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25-30 minutes per cake layer (total approx. 2-3 hours if baked separately)
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Vegan
Keywords: Vegan Rainbow Cake, dairy-free cake, vegan birthday cake, colorful cake recipe, vegan buttercream, plant-based desserts
