This bright vegan celebration cake is all at once low-maintenance and elevated. Swirls of house-made raspberry preserves melt into a tender lemon-zested cake, sweetened with maple and layered with subtle floral notes of Euphoria, Rose, and Vanilla.
Finished with a vibrant pink raspberry buttercream made from whipped vegan butter and freeze-dried berries, this cake strikes the perfect balance of tart and sweet. It's botanical, bright, and blissful!
RECIPE
Prep time: 20 minutes
Bake time: 50 minutes
Recipe by: Brit Berlin
Ingredients:
For the raspberry preserves:
- 10 ounces fresh or frozen raspberries
- ⅓ cup (75 g) maple syrup
- 1 tsp Euphoria Elixir
- 1 tsp Rose Powder
- Juice from 1 lemon
For the batter:
- 1 1/4 cup (300 mL) dairy free milk, room temperature
- 1 3/4 cup (360 g) granulated sugar
- 3 Tbsp lemon zest, from 1 lemon
- 1 cup (225 g) neutral oil
- 1 cup (240 g) dairy free yogurt, room temperature
- 2 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract (optional)
- 1 tsp Vanilla Powder
- 3 3/4 (450 g) cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot starch
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
For the frosting:
- 1 cup (226 g) vegan butter, room temperature
- 3 cups (420 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 0.8-ounce package (23 g) freeze dried raspberries, blended into a powder
- 2–4 Tbsp dairy free milk, optional (and in increments)
- Zest from 1 lemon
Instructions:
1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a 9×13″ cake pan with olive or coconut oil and line with parchment paper.
2. Make the raspberry preserves: In a medium saucepan, heat all raspberry jam ingredients on high heat until the mixture starts to bubble. Stir constantly then reduce to a simmer, and let simmer for 10 minutes. The mixture should begin to thicken up but still be slightly drippy. Remove from heat and let set aside to cool.
3. Make the lemon cake batter: In a large bowl, rub the sugar and lemon zest together. Then add in the neutral oil, dairy free yogurt, vanilla extract, optional almond extract, and sea salt. Whisk until combined. Then add in the cornstarch, baking powder and baking soda, and whisk again. Finally, add in the flour and dairy free milk, and whisk just until combined.
4. Bake: Pour the cake batter into your prepared pan, and swirl about ½ of the raspberry preserves into the cake, adding dollops of 1 tbsp sized drops into the cake then swirling. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a drying rack to cool completely before frosting.
5. Make the vegan raspberry frosting: When ready to frost the cakes, add vegan butter to a large bowl or stand mixer and cream for 2-3 minutes. Add in 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time, continuing to beat the mixture until it’s a thick buttercream. Add in a tablespoon at a time of dairy free milk and continue to beat until desired texture. Then add in the freeze dried raspberries, and mix again until the raspberries are evenly distributed throughout the frosting, and it’s a consistent pink color.
6. Frost the cake: Spoon and spread the raspberry frosting over the cooled cake. Top with fresh lemon zest.
7. Slice and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container and in the fridge for up to 1 week.
