Vegan Fresh Cream Fruit Cake Vegan Baking

The highlight of every gathering

I have fabulous memories of digging in to fresh cream cakes at almost every family birthday party I went to. We never had novelty fondant-covered cakes at our gatherings.

My mum would spend all day baking, listening to her favourite songs on the cassette player and letting me lick the spoon. In our family, it’s tradition that when you make something sweet at home, the youngest child must have the first taste. It’s something we do to honour the memory of my great uncle, Velji bapu who died very young. We remember him always.

Can a vegan cake still taste good?

The sponge for this Vegan Fresh Cream & Fruit Cake is entirely vegan and the cake itself can be topped with your favourite vegan whipped cream, too. Nature’s Charm do a fantastic one. It’s light, fluffy, not too sweet and tastes like it came from a bakery. I add a combination of vanilla and almond extracts to give the cake that “just baked” flavour. It’s absolutely delicious and I defy you to notice the lack of eggs or dairy in this cake.

Can I make this Vegan Fresh Cream & Fruit Cake ahead of time?

I’d recommend baking the cake a few days before you want to eat it. Decorate it with jam, whipped cream, fresh fruit and chocolate curls the night before. Keep it covered and refrigerated and remove it from the fridge an hour before serving to let it come to room temperature. Ultimately, this makes ALL the difference. If eaten cold, the sponge may feel too heavy.

Ingredients you’ll need for this Vegan Fresh Cream & Fruit Cake

Extra-fine self raising cake flour or sponge flourCaster sugarAlmond milk (or your favourite plant-based milk)Cornflour (cornstarch)Lemon juiceBaking powderSoy milk powder (NOW is a great option)Oil (any unflavoured – I use sunflower)Pure vanilla extractAlmond extractSaltVegan whipping cream (I use Nature’s Charm Coconut Whipping Cream)Mixed fresh fruit of your choice (I use strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, kiwis, mandarins, peaches and pineapples)Chocolate curls (optional)