Vegan Ginger Cake with Chai Buttercream
We are going into the weekend with a serious sweet tooth, but wanted something with a little extra spice to it! If Ginger and Chai don’t sound like the perfect mix, you might be crazy. We grabbed this delicious recipe from Salt n’ Sprinkles - vegan take on the Ginger Cake recipe from the Great British Bake Off (also another fav)!
Find more delicious recipes from Salt n’ Sprinkles on their blog including No Bake Cheesecake, Pumpkin Black and White Cookies, and the Perfect Vegan Rose Macarons!
Ingredients for Vegan Cake
200g vegan butter, room temperature
200g dark brown sugar
100g maple syrup (or honey if not vegan)
30g molasses
275g self-raising flour
1tbsp powdered ginger
1tsp ground cinnamon
A pinch of salt
A pinch of nutmeg
A pinch of black pepper (just a bit!)
5 flax eggs (1 flax egg = 1 tbsp flax meal + 3 tbsp water, let sit 5 minutes)
3 tbsp ginger paste
100g crystallized ginger, roughly chopped into very small cubes
Ingredients for
Vegan Chai Buttercream
12 tbsp vegan butter
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground cardamon
A pinch of ground pepper
1/2 tsp almond milk
50g crystallized ginger, roughly chopped into very small cubes
Preheat the oven to 320 degrees F. Lightly grease three 10-inch round cake pans and set aside.
Put the vegan butter, sugar, syrup and molasses in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the beater attachment, and beat on medium speed for 3-5 minutes, until soft and creamy.
Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, sift together the flour, ground ginger, ground cinnamon and salt
Add the flax eggs, one tablespoon at a time, to the creamed mixture, beating thoroughly after each addition. Add in the ginger paste and mix until combined.
Lightly fold the flour mixture into the creamed mixture. Stir in the chopped crystallized ginger. Pour the batter evenly between the 3 cake tins and level so the tops are flat.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until risen and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely, preferably overnight.
When ready to decorate with the chai buttercream icing, beat the room temperature butter in a stand mixture until smooth and creamy (3-5 minutes).
Sift powdered sugar into butter in three 1/2 cup sections, wiping down the side of the bowl and beating together after every addition.
Add cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom, and pepper and beat again. Add a splash of almond milk and beat for a few minutes until the frosting is smooth and keeps it’s form when manipulated. If the frosting begins to look too runny, stop adding milk. If the consistency is wrong, add milk to make the icing less stiff and add powdered sugar to make the icing hold its form better.
Divide the icing evenly between two bowls, and stir the chopped ginger into one of the bowls. This is what you'll use for the icing layers.
Place one of the cake layers on a flat surface lined with parchment paper (put a dollop of icing underneath the cake to keep it from slipping around). Take about 1/2 of the buttercream icing with the crystallized ginger in it, and evenly ice the top layer of the cake.
Now, place a second cake layer on top and frost it with the remaining crystallized ginger buttercream. Place the third cake layer on top of that one to complete it.
Use the other half of the icing to frost the entire outside of the cake to your liking.
Let us know if you try out SALT N SPRINKLES Vegan Ginger Cake recipe, and tag us on social @omgdessertgoals! For more from Sam, Creator of Salt n’ Sprinkles, find her social and website links below.