The Amazing Vegan Vanilla Cake with Berries

This really is the best vegan vanilla cake recipe! Trust me. It doesn’t have any unusual ingredients and it’s very easy to make. Plus, it’s light, fluffy and nobody would guess that it’s vegan. Perfect as a vegan birthday cake.

Ingredients:

For the vegan vanilla cake:

• 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) almond milk or other non-dairy milk
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 150 g (2/3 cup) dairy-free butter / margarine
• 5 tbsp maple syrup or agave
• 275 g (2 1/4 cups) plain flour (all purpose flour)
• 175 g (3/4 cups) caster sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

For the vegan vanilla frosting (double to cover the sides as well):

• 75 g (1/3 cup) dairy-free margarine/butter
• 250 g (2 cups) powdered sugar (confectioner's sugar)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp almond milk or other non-dairy milk

To decorate:

• 1 handful berries fresh or frozen

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180° C/160° C fan/Gas mark 4 (350F). Lightly grease 2 x 20cm/8inch round baking pans.
2. Stir the lemon juice into the non-dairy milk and set aside.
3. In a pan over a medium heat, melt the vegan butter and syrup together. Set aside to cool slightly.
4. Sieve the flour, caster sugar, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a large mixing bowl.
5. Pour the milk (which will have curdled slightly into ‘buttermilk’), vanilla and melted spread mixture over the flour mixture and stir well until it becomes a smooth runny batter.
6. Divide the mixture between the two prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. If the cakes are darkening too much, cover them loosely with foil.
7. Allow the cakes to cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
8. Meanwhile, to make the icing beat together all ingredients until smooth. Add more milk or powdered sugar if necessary to get a thick frosting consistency.
9. When the cakes are completely cold, sandwich together with half of the icing. Spread the remaining icing over the top of the cake and decorate with the berries.