Dairy-free layered birthday cake with raspberry jam and buttercream
A light, moist two-layer vanilla sponge finished with dairy-free buttercream, raspberry jam and optional chocolate drip — perfect for birthdays.
This is a proper celebratory cake that skips the dairy but keeps all the party vibes. Two light vanilla sponge layers sandwich a tart hit of raspberry jam and a rich dairy-free buttercream — exactly what you want on a birthday table.
It’s designed for home bakers: straightforward ingredients, forgiving technique, and the option to add a chocolate drip or sprinkles for max birthday cheer. Makes one 20 cm two-layer cake, about 12 generous slices.
Ingredients
- 225 g plain flour
- 10 ml baking powder
- 0 ml fine salt
- 225 g caster sugar
- 425 g dairy-free spread — 425 g total: 225 g for the sponge, 200 g for the buttercream
- 4 free-range eggs
- 10 ml vanilla extract
- 80 ml dairy-free milk — 80 ml total: ~30 ml for the sponge, ~50 ml for the buttercream as needed
- 150 g raspberry jam
- 400 g icing sugar
- 100 g dairy-free dark chocolate — optional, for drip or shards — check label to ensure dairy-free
- 20 g decorative sprinkles — optional
Equipment
- two 20 cm loose-bottom cake tins
- electric whisk or stand mixer
- cooling rack
- sieve
- piping bag and nozzle (optional)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 160°C fan/180°C conventional. Grease two 20 cm round loose‑bottom cake tins with a little dairy-free spread and line the bases with baking parchment.
In a large bowl, beat the dairy-free spread and caster sugar together with an electric whisk until pale and light, about 3–4 minutes.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and scrape down the bowl so everything is evenly combined.
Sift the plain flour and baking powder, add the fine salt, then gently fold into the egg mixture in three additions. Fold in the dairy-free milk to loosen the batter if it feels too thick.
Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared tins, level the tops with a spatula and bake in the centre of the oven for 22–25 minutes, or until the sponges are springy and a skewer comes out clean.
Remove the tins from the oven and leave the sponges to settle in their tins for 10 minutes.
Turn the sponges out onto a cooling rack and cool completely for about 60 minutes before you ice them.
To make the buttercream, beat the dairy-free spread in a bowl until soft. Gradually add the icing sugar, beating until combined, then add the dairy-free milk a little at a time to reach a smooth, spreadable consistency (about 2–3 tablespoons).
Level the cooled sponges with a serrated knife. Spread the raspberry jam over one sponge, then spread a generous layer of buttercream on top. Sandwich with the second sponge and use the remaining buttercream to cover the top and sides.
If using, melt the dairy-free dark chocolate gently and drip it over the edge of the cake, or make shards by cooling it thinly on baking parchment. Finish with decorative sprinkles.
Chill the assembled cake in the fridge for 30 minutes to set the buttercream and chocolate before slicing.
Remove the cake from the fridge 20 minutes before serving to let it come slightly closer to room temperature for the best flavour and texture.
Tips
- Measure ingredients by weight for a reliable sponge — baking is precise and flour levels vary wildly if you scoop.
- If your dairy-free spread is very hard, soften it at room temperature rather than microwaving; overheating makes the cake greasy.
- Sieve the icing sugar and start beating slowly to avoid a cloud of sugar dust in the kitchen.
- Make the sponges a day ahead and freeze wrapped in parchment; thaw completely before icing to avoid condensation.
- If you want a taller cake, bake in three tins and reduce each bake time slightly, checking with a skewer.
Substitutions
dairy-free spread → solid coconut oil (same weight), but expect a faint coconut flavour and a firmer buttercream
Noticeably differentfree-range eggs → flax eggs (4 tbsp ground flaxseed + 12 tbsp water, chilled), works for a vegan version but texture will be denser
Noticeably differentraspberry jam → stirred fruit compote or lemon curd (check dairy-free), gives a fresher or tangier note
Stays closedairy-free dark chocolate → shop-bought dairy-free chocolate spread for a glossy drip (use sparingly)
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 640
- Calories
- 5 g
- Protein
- 79 g
- Carbs
- 33 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 65 g
- Sugar
- 200 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this cake vegan as well as dairy-free?
Yes — replace the eggs with flax eggs (1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, chilled) and proceed. The texture will be slightly denser; reduce mixing to avoid a heavy crumb.
How do I know when the sponges are done?
They should be golden, spring back when lightly pressed and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter.
Can I freeze the cake?
Freeze sponge layers individually wrapped for up to 3 months. Thaw completely before assembling and icing. A fully iced cake freezes too, but texture of the buttercream can change slightly.
My buttercream is too soft — how do I fix it?
Chill the buttercream briefly for 10–15 minutes, then rewhip. If it’s split, add a little icing sugar and whip on low speed to bring it back together.
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