Mini Vegan Vanilla Cake

If you are doing veganuary - or, actually, even if you aren't - you need this recipe in your life. It's super quick and easy, made in one bowl, and has no weird ingredients. Plus it tastes seriously good.

This is also a great recipe to add other flavours to - make this a coffee cake by adding a shot of espresso to the batter and buttercream. I've used buttercream and strawberries to top it, but vegan cream (and any other fruit!) would also work beautifully.

Tips:

This is a small batch recipe and makes 1x6in layer. Double for 2x6in layers or 1x8in and triple for a 2x8in layers.

You can make the cake ahead and freeze (wrapping in cling film) - just defrost in the fridge before using. Once made, keep the cake in an airtight container and at room temperature - it will keep for a good few days.

Make sure to use block vegan butter for the buttercream - a spreadable one will become too runny.

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Recipe

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 25-30 minutes

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

For the cake:

65g Vegan yoghurt

115g Caster sugar

30ml Vegetable oil

100ml Plant milk

3/4 tsp Apple cider vinegar

150g Self raising flour

3/4 tsp Bicarbonate of soda

For the frosting:

60g Unsalted vegan butter, softened

120g Icing sugar

1tsp Vanilla extract

Splash plant milk (optional)

Handful strawberries (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 6in cake tin and line the bottom with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the yoghurt, sugar and oil until fully mixed. Add the apple cider vinegar and vanilla.

3. Slowly pour in the plant milk, mixing the whole time until fully combined.

4. Sift in the self-raising flour and bicarbonate of soda into the wet ingredients, and mix in until fully combined and there are no lumps.

5. Pour the mixture into the cake tin and bake for 25-30 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

6. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack. Once cooled, optionally even out the top using a serrated knife.

To make the frosting:

1. Cream the butter in a large bowl until lighter and paler in colour. Sift in the icing sugar in batches, mixing in between, and add the vanilla. Cream until light and fluffy.

2. If the mixture is too stiff to spread, add a little plant milk. If the mixture becomes too runny, add more icing sugar or a little cornstarch.

3. Evenly spread or pipe the buttercream on top of the cake. Top and serve with strawberries. Best eaten fresh!