Vegan Sour Cream Cake

Sour cream cake is another one of those delicacies I first encountered on the East Coast, at my college dining hall freshman year. I believe it’s more of a Southern thing, but all I knew at the time was that it is very much a delicious thing. People liken it to pound cake; but while sour cream cake has a similar weight, it has a distinct texture (more moist, less crumbly and sponge-y) and flavor (slight pleasant tang mixed with vanilla).

Ever since my recent private vegan baking class at Blossom NYC, I’ve been feeling bolder and practically wild when it comes to baking. So for Easter, I decided to go for broke and make a vegan sour cream cake, without packaged vegan sour cream–or oil, egg replacement, or tofu. Or bananas. But as crazy as that sounds–the resulting cake was one of my favorite things, of all that I’ve ever baked. It’s everything I ever hoped for in a sour cream cake: luscious, moist, tanginess balanced by vanilla, sweet but not cloying–topped with heavenly, simple vanilla frosting. And that lovely pastel hue is just so becoming. No?

Vegan sour cream cake, just out of the oven.

Vegan Sour Cream Cake

Makes 1 9 x 9 cake with 2 layers

1 1/2 cup non dairy milk (I used unsweetened soy)

1 1/2 avocados

1.5 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 cup flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

frosting

2/3 cup vegan butter

1 2/3 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 tsp non dairy milk (splash as needed)

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 x 9 square baking pan (or an 8″ circle pan).

2. In a blender or food processor, process avocados, non dairy milk, and lemon juice together until consistency is thick and creamy. Add vanilla extract and give it a few more pulses. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder and sift with a fork.

4. Add the avocado “sour cream” to the large bowl and quickly combine with the dry ingredients. When just mixed, immediately transfer to the cake pan and put in the oven.

5. Bake for 35-45 minutes, depending on the oven and the size of the pan. Check by doing the toothpick test.

6. Allow the cake to cool completely before removing it from the pan. (I cooled mine on the counter until room temperature, and put it in the fridge overnight.) In the meantime, in a large bowl, mix the frosting ingredients, breaking apart the vegan butter and adding the powdered sugar slowly, until everything is combined smoothly.

7. When the cake is cool to the touch, gently insert the knife at the edge of the pan and lift it out. Flip it over on top of a plate, and carefully insert the knife at the midpoint of the cake, making 2 equal layers. Frost one layer, then add the top layer and frost over that one. (This is if you used one cake pan. I chose to use 2 pans and create 2 unequal tiers as opposed to 2 equal layers). I chose to leave the sides un-frosted, to show off the beautiful, pale yellow-green color of the cake. But covering it up with frosting would be more traditional. I added some all-natural vegan sprinkles on top. Berries and flowers would be lovely, too. Really, decorate as you wish!