Chef notes
I am the self-proclaimed queen of easy-peasy sweets, and nothing is easier than this cake. Known as a "wacky cake," due to the fact that it calls for no eggs and no dairy (wacky, I know), the cake is also vegan (save for the cream cheese glaze I top it with), tender, moist and, due to the rainbow sprinkles, super fun. I love topping it with a the above-mentioned glaze that's like a soft frosting, but my book also has a vegan chocolate almond glaze, if you're after a cake that is vegan top to bottom.
Technique tip: Be sure to test the cake with a long wooden skewer before pulling it from the oven — you want a moist crumb or two — but nothing gummy, and a clean skewer might mean you over-baked it! Test the cake at 40 minutes for extra insurance.
Swap option: For a chocolate version, omit the sprinkles, substitute light brown sugar for the granulated, whisk in 1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder along with the flour, and add an additional tablespoon of vegetable oil.
Ingredients
- nonstick cooking spray or softened unsalted butter, for greasing
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons rainbow sprinkles, plus more for decorating
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup cold tap water
- 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation
For the cake:
1.Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease an 8-inch round cake pan with cooking spray or softened butter. Line the bottom with parchment paper.
2.To make the cake, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, sprinkles, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Whisk in the water, oil, vanilla and vinegar until fully incorporated and smooth. The batter will be thin. Pour it into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes, rotating at the halfway point.
3.Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes, then invert the cake onto a cooling rack, right side up, running a knife around the edges if it resists. Let cool to room temperature before glazing.
For the glaze:
Gently whisk (so as not to send sugar flying around your kitchen) together the cream cheese, powdered sugar and salt in a medium bowl until combined and then vigorously whisk until smooth. Whisk in the milk and vanilla and spread decoratively over just the top of the cooled cake, leaving the outer edge and sides of the cake naked. Decorate with additional rainbow sprinkles. Refrigerate about 15 minutes to set the glaze before serving. Keep the cake, wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Excerpted from "Snackable Bakes" by Jesse Sheehan. Copyright © 2022. Used with permission of the publisher, Countryman Press. All rights reserved.
