This vanilla birthday cake recipe is a lovely cake to make during the summer months when berries are abundant at farmers’ markets and your favorite berry picking spots, if you are lucky. The almond flour makes for a dense cake that pairs perfectly with the coconut whipped cream and is beautiful topped with an abundance of colorful berries. You can use whichever berries you have available; the more the better, you can never have too many.
This vegan gluten-free cake recipe has healthy ingredients, including almond flour, flaxseed, coconut oil, and monk fruit sugar. Monk fruit sweetener is a zero-calorie sweetener with no aftertaste. This vanilla layer cake recipe is easy to make and can be served with coconut whipped cream and fresh berries, or with raspberry or blueberry jam topped with coconut whipped cream between the layers and on top. Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve.
Vanilla Cake
Makes two 6-inch layers, three 6-inch layers, or one 8-inch cake
1/2 cup coconut oil melted, plus more for greasing cake pans
3 flaxseed eggs (see note)
1/2 cup monk fruit sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
4 cups almond flour
1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup almond milk or plant based milk
1 can (400 ml) full fat coconut milk, placed in refrigerator overnight
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
pinch of Himalayan salt
Chill the mixing bowl in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes. Scoop out the solid coconut cream at the top of the can into the chilled mixing bowl. Don’t include the water at the bottom of the can (but save it for later). Add pure maple syrup, vanilla extract, and salt, and whisk with an electric beater or stand mixer until soft peaks form, about 3 to 5 minutes. Store in the fridge for 2 to 3 days in a covered container.
You may need to try a couple of different brands of canned coconut milk before you find one that works best. Thai Kitchen premium unsweetened coconut milk is a brand that works well.
Assembly
Frost the vanilla cake with the coconut whipped cream. Add as many fresh berries to the top of the cake as you like. Strawberries (small strawberries, larger strawberries can be cut in half), blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries, as few or as many as needed for decorating. Another option is to top layers with raspberry or blueberry jam, topped with coconut whipped cream. You want to use enough jam so it comes through a bit on the sides of the cake. Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve.
Note
For each flaxseed egg, grind 1 tablespoon flaxseed in a spice grinder and stir into 3 tablespoons hot water. Set in the fridge for 15 minutes. For 3 flaxseed eggs, grind 3 tablespoons of flaxseeds, and add 9 tablespoons of hot water.
