Vegan Coffee Cake
This vegan coffee cake is sweet and moist with a subtle coffee flavour, and is topped with a deliciously fragrant buttercream. Whether you’re addicted to your morning cuppa or just like to enjoy a coffee now and again, you’re going to love this easy eggless cake!
I have a confession…
I have never drunk a whole cup of coffee in my life.
The only time I’ve had more than a sip of coffee is when I accidentally picked up the wrong order in a cafe and didn’t want to waste it.
It’s one of those things that I really want to like because a morning coffee seems so much more exciting, and way cooler, than a cup of chamomile tea.
But not only am I super sensitive to caffeine (even green tea makes me jittery!), I just can’t quite push myself through the bitterness of it all.
My solution? Mix it with lots of sugar and frosting and enjoy it in a tasty vegan coffee cake!
Almost everyone that I know and love enjoys a good cup of coffee most days. So, I thought this would be the perfect treat to share with them all.
I even had a couple of small slices myself and wasn’t affected by the caffeine!
In some other countries, coffee cake doesn’t actually contain any coffee. It’s more of a sweet companion to eat alongside your cup of coffee. But in the UK (at least, this is the way I do it) it is an actual coffee-flavoured cake!
How To Make Vegan Coffee Cake
- Preheat your oven and prepare your cake tins
Your oven will need to be set at 180°C/350°F (or 160°C/325°F if using a fan/convection oven), and you’ll need to prepare two 7-inch round cake tins. I greased and floured my tins a little then lined the bottom of them with baking paper
- Make your dairy-free buttermilk
Pour 280ml of unsweetened soy milk (1 cup + 2 tablespoons) into a small mug or bowl and add 2 teaspoons of vinegar. You can use either white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Give it a quick mix and set it aside for 5 minutes or so. It should become slightly thick or curdled.
Vegan buttermilk will help the cake rise while still keeping it nice and moist inside. - Prepare the coffee
Next, in a small cup or bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon of boiling water with 1 tablespoon of instant coffee granules. I used M&S gold granules.
Set it aside for a few minutes to give it a chance to cool down. - Cake mix
While the coffee is cooling, you can begin to make your sponge cake mix.
In a large bowl, mix together 250g of self-raising flour (2 cups), 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and 200g of caster/superfine sugar (1 cup). Add in the “buttermilk” and the coffee from earlier along with 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 100ml of vegetable oil (7 tablespoons).
Mix well until you have a smooth and creamy eggless coffee cake batter.
- Bake
Divide the batter equally between your two cake tins and use the back of your spoon to make sure the batter is evenly distributed (to avoid lopsided cakes!). Bake for 15-18 minutes until a toothpick through the centre comes out clean.
- Cool the cakes
Allow the cakes to sit in the tins for around 10 minutes then gently flip them out onto a cooling rack and leave them to cool completely.
- Prepare coffee for the buttercream
You can prepare the buttercream while the cakes are cooling!
Mix 1-2 teaspoons of instant coffee granules with equal amounts of boiling water. Set aside to cool.
If you’re like me and don’t particularly like the strong, bitter flavour of coffee then 1 teaspoon will suffice. I personally liked that my frosting had just a slight hint. For a stronger flavoured buttercream, simply add more cooled coffee! You may also need to add more icing sugar to the recipe if you use more coffee. - Mix the buttercream together
In a large bowl, mix together 120g of dairy-free margarine (1/2 cup) with 300g of icing sugar (~2 + 1/2 cups). I’d recommend using a wooden spoon until it’s mixed in properly, then giving it a quick mix with an electric whisk for a minute or so to make it fluffy.
- Add the cooled coffee to the buttercream
Add your coffee into the buttercream and gently whisk it in. It’s really important that the coffee is not hot when you do this, otherwise the buttercream will split and start to curdle.
If you’re adding extra coffee and the buttercream becomes too runny, just add more icing sugar until it’s firm enough to spread.
Assembling the cake
Place your first cake layer onto a cake board, stand or plate and spread a thick layer of the buttercream frosting on top.
Add the second eggless coffee cake layer on top then spread another thick layer of frosting. I used the end of my palette knife to create some texture on the top layer.
If you want to be extra fancy, you can use any remaining buttercream to pipe swirl decorations around the edges of the cake but obviously, this isn’t essential!
Leave the whole cake to sit in a cool, dry place for around 1 hour. This will allow the buttercream to stiffen up. Then, just cut into slices and enjoy!
FAQ:
Store it in an airtight container and keep it in a cool, dry place such as a kitchen cupboard. As long as it doesn’t get too warm, the buttercream will hold firm.
You can also put it in the fridge if you like but this will make the sponge taste a bit more dense.
Around 3-4 days if stored appropriately as above.
Yes! As I always do with my cakes, I froze this in an airtight container, with the frosting already on. It tastes just as moist, fluffy and delicious after it’s defrosted! I’d recommend storing it in slices rather than as a whole cake.
To defrost, just pop it on a plate and leave it out at room temperature until soft. Do not refreeze.
Absolutely! The coffee is only there for the flavour. Decaf would be a good option for anyone sensitive to caffeine.
More vegan cake recipes
- Chocolate cake
- Biscoff cake
- Lemon drizzle cake
- Red velvet cake
- Vanilla sheet cake
- Coffee and walnut sheet cake
Hope you enjoy this eggless coffee cake and if you make it yourself, please leave a comment or rating to let me know how it goes! Happy baking! xo
Vegan Coffee Cake
An eggless coffee cake with fragrant coffee buttercream frosting.
Ingredients
For the sponge:
- 280 ml Soy milk (1 cup + 2 tablespoons)
- 2 Teaspoons Apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar)
- 1 Tablespoon Instant coffee granules
- 250 g Self-raising flour (~2 cups)
- ½ Teaspoon Baking soda
- 200 g Caster/superfine sugar (1 cup)
- 100 ml Vegetable oil (7 tablespoons)
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla extract
For the coffee buttercream:
- 1 Teaspoon Instant coffee granules
- 120 g Dairy-free margarine (½ cup)
- 300 g Icing sugar (2 + ½ cups)
Instructions
For the sponge:
-
Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C/325°F if using a fan or convection oven). Grease or line two 7-inch round cake tins.
-
Mix the soy milk and vinegar and set side for a few minutes. This will act as vegan buttermilk.
-
Mix the coffee granules with 1 tablespoon of boiling water and leave it to cool.
-
In a separate, large bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda and sugar.
-
Now add in the buttermilk and the cooled coffee, along with the vegetable oil and vanilla. Mix well until you have a smooth and creamy batter.
-
Divide the cake batter between the two tins and use the back of a spoon to make sure it's evenly distributed.
-
Bake for 15-18 minutes, until a toothpick or knife through the centre comes out clean.
-
Leave the cakes in the tins for 10 minutes, then flip them out onto a cooling rack and let them cool completely.
For the buttercream frosting:
-
Mix the coffee granules with 1 teaspoon of boiling water and set it aside to cool. If you want your coffee cake to taste a bit stronger, just increase the amount to taste.
-
In a large bowl, mix together the dairy-free margarine and icing sugar. I recommend mixing with a wooden spoon until it comes together, then whisking with an electric whisk for a minute or two to make it fluffy.
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Add in your cooled coffee and gently stir it in.*
Assembly:
-
Place your first cooled cake onto a plate, board or cake stand. Using a palette knife or spatula, spread a thick later of buttercream frosting over the top.
-
Add your second cake on top and spread another thick layer of frosting on top of that. You can use any leftover frosting to pipe buttercream swirls around the top if you wish.
-
Allow the cake to sit for 1 hour so the frosting becomes firm. Then cut into slices and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- *The coffee must be completely cool otherwise the buttercream will split.
- If adding extra coffee, you may need to add more icing sugar too, to make it thicker.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Maraika
Friday 13th of August 2021
Hi. Is that Baking Powder or Bi-carb of Soda as we don't have Baking Soda in Australia and I never know which is the right one to use. Thanks
Chloe
Friday 13th of August 2021
Hey Maraika! Sorry for the confusion. It's bicarbonate of soda :)
Faye
Thursday 28th of January 2021
Sorry but I did everything to the exact instruction and measurement and the cake is so flat... The buttercreme has curdled too and I waited until the coffee was literally as cold as a glass of cold water. So frustrating as it was for my mums birthday in the morning.
Chloe
Saturday 30th of January 2021
Sorry to hear that Faye. I'm not sure what went wrong. Did you use self-raising flour and the correct cake tin size? It's quite a small cake so would turn out flat if a larger cake tin or plain flour was used. What type of butter/spread did you use for the buttercream?
Ronak Mehta
Thursday 29th of October 2020
The cake looks perfect and fabulous to bake for a special day. Yes, its definitely the best coffee cake. Lovely!!
Chloe
Saturday 31st of October 2020
Thank you Ronak :)
Zara
Saturday 3rd of October 2020
Loved this recipe. We made it for my boyfriend's birthday and everyone ate it all up. They couldn't believe it was vegan. lol. I used more coffee in the icing because he likes his strong and it was so yummy. Had to add a little bit more icing sugar too. Will definitely make again 😁
Chloe
Sunday 4th of October 2020
Thank you so much Zara! So happy to hear that :)