Vegan Chestnut Vanilla Cake with Chestnut Buttercream Frosting
Are you looking for a showstopping cake that's delicious and homemade, and has that little something extra to make it even more special? Look no further than this vegan chestnut vanilla cake with chestnut buttercream frosting. This flavorful cake goes the extra mile by blending the comfort of vanilla with the mellow coziness of chestnut. It's both rich and elegant, and your friends and family will love it!
Ingredients
Chestnut Vanilla Cake:
- Coconut oil spray or vegan butter and parchment paper for greasing cake pans
- 1 cup (237 ml) non-dairy milk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 3 ½ cups (420 g) all-purpose flour (sifting is optional, but yields a fluffier cake)
- 2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup (78 g) plain non-dairy yogurt, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (420 g) 420 g sweetened chestnut puree, room temperature
- 8 tablespoons (114 g) softened salted vegan butter, room temperature
- 1 cup (211 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (220 g) 220 g packed light brown sugar, firmly packed
Chestnut Buttercream Frosting:
- 1 cup (227 g) 227 g salted vegan butter, room temperature
- 5 tablespoons (74 ml) heavy vegan whipping cream, cold
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups (340 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 3 cups (840 g) chestnut puree, room temperature
Instructions
For the cake:
- Prep ovens and cake pans:Preheat the oven to 350° F (175° C.) Position two racks, one just above and one just below the center of the oven. Spray or butter two 8-inch (20 cm) or three 6-inch (15 cm) cake pans, add a circle of parchment paper to cover the bottom of each pan. Spray or butter the parchment paper so that it won’t stick to the cake.
- Prepare the buttermilk: Pour the nondairy milk into a measuring cup. Add to this the apple cider vinegar. Stir and let this sit to curdle for at least 5 minutes while preparing the cake batter.
- Combine the dry ingredients, except for the sugars: In a medium mixing bowl, add the sifted flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Combine the wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, add the buttermilk, yogurt, vanilla, and chestnut puree. Whisk gently until ingredients are combined.
- Cream together the butter and the sugars: In the bowl of a stand mixer or hand mixer, add the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Using the paddle attachment, cream them together at medium high speed for 3 minutes until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as necessary.
- Add remaining ingredients to mixer: Add the wet ingredients and mix on low speed on your mixer until just combined. Then add the dry ingredients and mix again on the lowest setting until just incorporated. Make sure not to overmix. A few small lumps are fine. The batter should be thick and spreadable.
- Bake the cake: Pour the batter evenly into the two prepared cake pans. Place pans in the oven on separate racks, each as close to the center as possible. Since the top rack can brown more quickly, switch the racks approximately halfway through baking, after around 20 minutes. Start checking for doneness at around 35 minutes, until either a toothpick comes out clean, or until the surface at the center of the cake springs back quickly when gently pressed. This generally takes about 43 to 55 minutes, as results may vary.
- Allow the cake to cool: Place the cake pans on trivets or a baking rack to cool. Invert cakes out of pans, and prepare the frosting.
For the Frosting:
- Make the buttercream frosting: Fit a paddle attachment to your stand or hand mixer. Add the softened butter, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat at medium high speed for about 3 minutes until fully incorporated and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Slowly add the sifted powdered sugar in small batches at low speed. Add chestnut puree in small batches and beat on medium high until smooth.
- Frost the cake: Once the cake has cooled completely, frost the top. Add the second layer and frost the top and sides. If making three 6-inch (15 cm) cakes, repeat with the third layer. Enjoy!
Notes
- For the granulated sugar, I use either organic cane sugar or sugar derived from sugar beets. Otherwise, white granulated sugar is generally not vegan.
- For the brown sugar, I use the light brown type here. Dark brown sugar has a stronger flavor, and it might overpower the flavor of the chestnuts.
- I use salted vegan butter for this recipe. If you’d like to use less, you can reduce the salt in the cake batter accordingly. Or you can use unsalted vegan butter instead.
- Try not to open the oven too many times to check on the cake. I switched the top and bottom pans after about 15 minutes, and then waited another 15 minutes to start checking for doneness.
- Make sure your baking powder and baking soda are fresh! They should both stay fresh within 6 months of opening the container.
- If you have leftover frosting, it would be delicious spooned into a bowl of oatmeal, used as a dip for apple slices, spread on toast, or used as a decadent pastry cream for another dessert.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!