9 vegan Christmas cake recipes for a delicious break from tradition (2024)

9 vegan Christmas cake recipes for a delicious break from tradition (1)

Break from tradition this Christmas and try something new with these show-stopping vegan Christmas cake recipes

Being vegan shouldn’t mean missing out on the best parts of the festive season, and amazing Christmas cakes are no exception!

And why should you miss out on a decadently decorated vegan cake taking centre stage on your Christmas dinner table just because you don’t eat eggs or dairy?

These cakes are perfect for sharing with friends and family over a warm cup of tea during the cosy days leading up to Christmas.

And if you need a last-minute vegan gift, handmade with love, a homemade vegan Christmas cake is sure to delight the recipient. After all, who doesn’t love a cruelty-free gift you can eat?

These vegan Christmas cake recipes will also make great family activities for little ones on winter break, as many of them are as enjoyable to make as they are to eat.

Whether you’re looking for a masterpiece of pâtisserie to grace your festive table, or a simple sweet treat to leave out for Santa, you’ll find your perfect vegan Christmas cake recipe here.

ADVERTIsem*nT

1. Classic Christmas Fruit Cake

This classic festive fruit cake stays true to the traditional recipe while using fully vegan ingredients. With its sweet, dense sponge and plenty of brandy, this fruit-filled cake is perfect as it is or it can be decorated with fondant for a stunning centrepiece.

This cake can be made in advance and stored for months. Feed it regularly with extra brandy to keep it moist and delicious for the big day.

9 vegan Christmas cake recipes for a delicious break from tradition (2)

GET THE RECIPE ⇨

2. Vegan Spiced Orange Gingerbread Cake

For those who prefer a less traditional Christmas cake while keeping with classic festive flavours, this striking gingerbread cake is the perfect choice.

It features a soft, fluffy orange sponge cake and zesty ginger-flavoured buttercream icing, while decorate dried orange slices and homemade gingerbread cookies give it a festive flair.

9 vegan Christmas cake recipes for a delicious break from tradition (3)

GET THE RECIPE ⇨

ADVERTIsem*nT

3. Naked Ginger and Orange Cake

Citrus fans will love this contemporary take on a Christmas cake. The fresh, light sponge and sweet orange icing come together to form a delightfully zesty after dinner treat, while the hint of ginger in the cake keep it suitably festive.

The ‘naked’ cake look means that this striking cake is deceptively easy to decorate.

9 vegan Christmas cake recipes for a delicious break from tradition (4)

GET THE RECIPE ⇨

4. Rudolph Reindeer Cake

They say we eat with our eyes, and your guests will want to devour these beautifully decorated reindeer cakes. A large cake makes a stunning centrepiece, while smaller, individual portions will serve as an a-doe-rable party favour or festive dessert.

The sweet antler biscuits are a simple but effective decoration for these cute cakes, but they can just as easily be made from cardboard if you have limited time for baking.

9 vegan Christmas cake recipes for a delicious break from tradition (5)

GET THE RECIPE ⇨

5. Reindeer Cake Pops

For a deer-ingly different take on Christmas cake, try making these vegan reindeer cake pops. They’re easy to make and are a fun activity for children during the winter break. They also make a wonderful edible gift.

These cake pops can also be a great way to reduce food waste as you can make them with leftover cake (if such a thing exists in your home!) Simply skip the steps to make your own cake and use offcuts, misshapen cakes, or party leftovers to form your cake pop mixture.

9 vegan Christmas cake recipes for a delicious break from tradition (6)

GET THE RECIPE ⇨

6. Cranberry and Orange Loaf Cake

This fruity loaf cake is for life, not just for Christmas but that doesn’t mean it won’t make the perfect festive treat for tea time in winter.

With succulent cranberries, a soft, spiced sponge, and a zesty orange glaze this humble loaf cake is loaded with flavour and perfect with a warming cuppa.

9 vegan Christmas cake recipes for a delicious break from tradition (7)

GET THE RECIPE ⇨

7. Chestnut, Chocolate Almond Cake With Spiced Pears

This rich, chocolatey cake makes a wonderful dessert and is a great alternative to Christmas pudding for those who don’t like fruit cake.

With its moist almond sponge and sweet pear glaze, it’s an unconventionally festive sweet treat that’s delicious on its own, or served with a dollop of thick dairy-free cream.

9 vegan Christmas cake recipes for a delicious break from tradition (8)

GET THE RECIPE ⇨

8. Mini Christmas Chocolate Almond Fruit Cakes

These mini vegan Christmas cakes prove that great things come in small packages! These tiny treats are loaded with rich chocolate and cacao, giving traditional Christmas fruit cakes a charming chocolate twist.

9 vegan Christmas cake recipes for a delicious break from tradition (9)

GET THE RECIPE ⇨

9. Vegan Christmas Cake with Sugared Cranberries and Meringue

Sumptuous aquafaba meringue frosting and sparkling sugared cranberries give this delectable cake an icy look, reminiscent of a crisp winter morning.

This vegan Christmas cake recipe offers an impressive way to decorate your traditional fruit cake, elevating your bake beyond the usual fondant and marzipan topping.

9 vegan Christmas cake recipes for a delicious break from tradition (10)

GET THE RECIPE ⇨

Want to make even more festive vegan treats? Browse our favourite vegan Christmas recipes

9 vegan Christmas cake recipes for a delicious break from tradition (2024)

FAQs

What is left out of vegan cake? ›

Vegan baking, on the other hand, omits all animal products. While baking without eggs and butter can seem daunting, it's not impossible. All it takes is getting familiar with the right substitutions, and you'll be whipping up cakes, cookies, cupcakes, and more in no time.

What type of cake is traditionally eaten at Christmas time? ›

Christmas Cake is a traditional fruit cake with a rich, velvety texture that's so full flavoured and moist it can be eaten plain.

What is traditionally hidden in Christmas cake? ›

Whoever finds the fava bean in their slice is considered to have good luck for the coming year. Additionally, a small trinket or figurine is sometimes hidden in the cake, and the person who finds it is said to be the "king" or "queen" of the celebration.

What can I use instead of marzipan on a Christmas cake? ›

Can you ice a Christmas cake without using marzipan? Yes. If you paint the cake with apricot jam, you can use a fondant icing and just fix it on with the jam.

What do vegan bakers use instead of butter? ›

In baking, you can use vegan butter, applesauce, dairy-free yogurt, coconut oil, coconut butter, olive oil, nut butter, mashed banana and mashed avocado. In cooking, you can use olive oil, coconut oil, vegetable stock, or avocado oil to replace butter.

Is vegan cake healthier than regular cake? ›

Because the ingredients of vegan cakes contain fewer calories than those of regular cakes, you have a lower tendency to gain weight while eating them. However, this depends on your amount of consumption. Like any other thing, eat vegan cakes in moderation.

What is the difference between a fruit cake and a Christmas cake? ›

Christmas cakes are also commonly made with pudding while a fruit cake uses butter, however there are Christmas cake recipes that do contain butter. The traditional Scottish Christmas cake, also known as the Whisky Dundee, is very popular. It is a light crumbly cake with currants, raisins, cherries and Scotch whisky.

What do British call fruitcakes? ›

Did you know that the of eating fruitcake around the holidays stemmed from Great Britain? The traditional Christmas dessert isn't at all similar to the candied peel and citron cakes you might think of when “fruitcake” is mentioned. Called Christmas cake or plum cake in Great Britain, the dessert dates to Roman times!

What is the traditional Christmas cake in Europe? ›

Panettone, Italy

Originating from Milan, Italy, this cake has become one of the most popular Christmas cakes around Europe and in many parts of the world. The panettone is a dome-shaped spongecake with a sweet, yeasty taste. Similar to sourdough, this cake needs to be proofed three times before it is baked.

What does a Christmas cake girl mean? ›

In the 1980s, a woman unmarried by 25 was dismissed as "Christmas cake" — thrown out on Dec. 26. These days the big number is 31, and women unmarried by that age are "New Year's Eve noodles," noodles being a typical New Year's Eve dish.

What is a Little Debbie Christmas tree cake? ›

A tree-shaped yellow cake with creme filling. Decorated with white frosting, green sprinkles, and a red frosting stripe. single serve and family pack. I'm dreaming of a white Christmas Tree Cake! The wrapping paper is rustling, Christmas lights are twinkling, and Little Debbie® Christmas Tree Cakes® are ready to serve!

What is the sixpence Christmas cake? ›

The Christmas sixpence

A silver sixpence was placed into the pudding mix and every member of the household gave the mix a stir. Whoever found the sixpence in their own piece of the pudding on Christmas Day would see it as a sign that they would enjoy wealth and good luck in the year to come.

Can you buttercream a Christmas cake? ›

Fill and Frost the Cake

Once you've baked and cooled your cake layers, and made your buttercream, you can get started on the decorating. Stack and fill your cake layers with buttercream, then frost your cake all over with a thin crumb coat of buttercream.

Why do you put apricot jam on Christmas cake? ›

The surface of the cake is usually brushed with apricot jam before the marzipan is added, to give a slighty tacky surface that the marzipan can stick to. If you can't find apricot jam then marmalade is a good alternative.

What can I use instead of alcohol in Christmas cake? ›

For the pudding and the cake, you could substitute the alcohol with apple, orange, red grape or prune juice. The cake can be made ahead but don't feed it.

Can vegan cake go bad? ›

Stored using cling film, a vegan cake will last for approximately five days. It does change depending on the humidity and the temperature.

What is a vegan cake made of? ›

Vegan cake is cake made without eggs, dairy butter or dairy milk. Each of these standard ingredients is easily replaced by plant-based substitutes, such as banana or flaxseed for eggs, non-trans fat margarine or oils for butters and plant milks for milk.

What do vegan cakes have instead of eggs? ›

Ground flax seeds

One of the most popular egg substitutes in vegan baking is a flax egg. This is made by combining ground (not whole) flax seeds with water and leaving to sit for 15 minutes until the mixture becomes thick, almost the same consistency as a regular egg.

What is the difference between a vegan cake and a regular cake? ›

To put it simply, a vegan cake is a cake that doesn't contain any animal-derived ingredients, most notably eggs, milk, and other dairy products. In 'regular' cakes, eggs and dairy products are among the key ingredients used to create the sponge and icing, and often decorations, too.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Nathanial Hackett

Last Updated:

Views: 5965

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (72 voted)

Reviews: 95% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Nathanial Hackett

Birthday: 1997-10-09

Address: Apt. 935 264 Abshire Canyon, South Nerissachester, NM 01800

Phone: +9752624861224

Job: Forward Technology Assistant

Hobby: Listening to music, Shopping, Vacation, Baton twirling, Flower arranging, Blacksmithing, Do it yourself

Introduction: My name is Nathanial Hackett, I am a lovely, curious, smiling, lively, thoughtful, courageous, lively person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.