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    Home » Recipes » Layer Cakes

    Vegan Surprise Cake

    Published: Nov 25, 2021 · Updated: Mar 7, 2022 by Jacqui Wormington · This post may contain affiliate links. · 17 Comments

    Looking for a spectacular vegan celebration cake to wow your guests with? This three-layer vegan surprise cake will delight all your guests! This fluffy vegan vanilla sponge cake is surrounded by a cream cheese frosting and is filled with the sweetest surprise. Colorful sprinkles and candy will tumble out when you cut into it.

    Jump to:
    • 💡 The recipe in a nutshell
    • 💭 What sprinkles and candy should I use?
    • 🍰 How to
    • 🥣 Storage
    • 🎥  Video
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Reviews
    vegan surprise cake

    💡 The recipe in a nutshell

    • Vegan (eggless and dairy free)
    • A Piñata in cake form 
    • Simple to make
    • Fun for every age 

    💭 What sprinkles and candy should I use?

    What sprinkles and candy you end up using to decorate the cake is totally up to you. Fill this vegan piñata cake with whatever vegan candy and sprinkles you like best! To find the best vegan brands read my guide on vegan sprinkles.

    I like to use Katjes Rainbow gummies for the candy since they are entirely plant-based (no animal gelatin) and palm oil free. Their rainbow gummies are so cute, and they make the perfect decoration on the outside of the cake as well! 

    🍰 How to

    I recommend using my vanilla sponge cake recipe. It is super fluffy, delicious and the batter is easily colored if you'd like to add even more color! It tastes incredibly great with my vegan cream cheese frosting. Both recipes are super simple and easy to make. Even beginners can create this stunning surprise piñata cake!

    However, feel free to use any vegan cake (that is suitable for layer cakes) and frosting recipe that you like.

    Assembling the cake is surprisingly (hehe) easy, as well! Place a whole cake layer on a rotating cake stand or serving plate. Then, by using a round cookie cutter, or small cake cutter, cut a circle into another layer. Spread a layer of frosting on top and smooth. Top with the cut cake layer and fill the hole with sprinkles and candy. Spread frosting on the edges, then top with the remaining whole cake layer. Frost side and top of the cake and decorate as desired.

    vegan pinata cake

    🥣 Storage

    To store the frosted cake cover with a big cover. Or put it in a cake box and wrap it in plastic. Thankfully the buttercream coating acts as a protective layer to the cake. It will last for approximately five days in the fridge. However, this highly depends on the humidity and the temperature. For the best experience add gummy candy shortly before serving and eat as fresh as possible!

    🎥  Video

    📖 Recipe

    vegan surprise pinata cake

    Vegan Surprise Cake

    Jacqui Wormington
    Looking for a spectacular vegan celebration cake to wow your guests with? This three-layer vegan surprise cake will delight all your guests! This fluffy vegan vanilla sponge cake is surrounded by a cream cheese frosting, and is filled with the sweetest surprise. Colorful sprinkles and candy will tumble out when you cut into it. 
    5 from 8 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
    Assembling 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 2 hours hrs
    Course Dessert, Sweets
    Cuisine Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Vegan
    Servings 10 servings

    Equipment

    • Cake Pans, Mixing Bowl, Electric Mixer, 3 or 4 inch round Cake (or cookie) Cutter

    Ingredients
      

    • 3 layers of vegan vanilla sponge cake
    • 1 batch of vegan cream cheese frosting
    • ¼ - ¾ cup vegan sprinkles
    • ¼ - ½ cup vegan candies e.g. Katjes rainbow gummies
    Get Recipe Ingredients

    Instructions
     

    • Make vegan cream cheese frosting and store in fridge until ready to use.
    • Prepare 3 layers of vanilla sponge cakes. Let them cool completely before assembling.
    • If you mix sprinkles and several kinds of candy, add everything into a small bowl and mix to combine.
    • If needed, flatten cake layers by trimming off rounded tops. In 1 layer, cut small round out of center, using a 3-inch round cutter for a 6 inch cake, or a 4-inch round cutter for an 8-inch cake.
    • To assemble cake: Place 1 uncut cake layer on rotating cake stand; spread ⅓ cup frosting on top. Top with the cored layer. Fill cake with candies and sprinkles and gently press candies to level. Then frost the top, and top with another full cake layer.
    • Frost side and top of cake with remaining frosting and decorate as desired. Transfer to a cake stand, keep in fridge until served.

    The provided nutritional information is an estimate. Accuracy is not guaranteed.

    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment & tag @thesimplesprinkle on Instagram

    PS: Don't forget to rate this recipe and leave a comment on your experience - this helps improve my recipes and serves you with the best instructions, tips, and substitution ideas. Plus, I love hearing about your takes on my recipes! Tag me on Instagram @thesimplesprinkle to show me your pictures.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 8 votes

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Chris says

      November 29, 2021 at 8:53 pm

      5 stars
      Oh my gosh, this cake is phenomenal! It could be perfect for kids party! I love it! Thank you for sharing this AMAZING recipe!

      Reply
      • Jacqui says

        December 01, 2021 at 11:47 pm

        Thanks so much Chris, I appreciate your feedback. A bunch of readers told me their kids loved it!

        Reply
    2. Andrea White says

      November 29, 2021 at 8:53 pm

      5 stars
      What an awesome cake!!! Love how unique this is!

      Reply
      • Jacqui says

        December 01, 2021 at 11:46 pm

        Thank you Andrea!

        Reply
    3. Kayla DiMaggio says

      November 29, 2021 at 9:24 pm

      5 stars
      This vegan surprise cake is so much fun! I loved making it for a friend's baby's 1st birthday!

      Reply
      • Jacqui says

        December 01, 2021 at 11:46 pm

        It definitely is so much fun! Thank you for your comment.

        Reply
    4. Meryl says

      November 30, 2021 at 1:31 am

      5 stars
      Wow what an amazing cake!! Stunning! I plan to make it for my daughter's birthday!

      Reply
      • Jacqui says

        December 01, 2021 at 11:46 pm

        Thank you, Meryl. I'm sure your daughter is going to love this cake!

        Reply
    5. nancy says

      November 30, 2021 at 5:01 am

      5 stars
      wow what a FUN looking cake!

      Reply
      • Jacqui says

        December 01, 2021 at 11:45 pm

        Thank you Nancy!

        Reply
    6. Tavo says

      November 30, 2021 at 7:44 am

      5 stars
      I love it! I am making it for my niece's birthday! I think is really awesome that you need only very few ingredients!

      Reply
      • Jacqui says

        December 01, 2021 at 11:45 pm

        Thank you for your feedback, I try to keep my recipes as simple as possible! I can't wait to hear how it all turned out and how your niece liked it.

        Reply
    7. Julia says

      November 30, 2021 at 12:19 pm

      5 stars
      Wow! Such a light vanilla sponge cake it makes such a brilliant looking celebration cake. Thank you for sharing this.

      Reply
      • Jacqui says

        December 01, 2021 at 11:44 pm

        Thank you so much for your feedback!

        Reply
    8. Lauren says

      December 20, 2021 at 6:35 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks for the wonderful recipe! 💕 Your creative mind and that stirring fat technique into the dry ingredients totally worked. This is one of the best cakes I have ever made! It intrigues me making cakes without eggs!!

      I opted for a dairy-based frosting! 🎂

      Reply
      • Jacqui says

        December 20, 2021 at 8:47 pm

        Thank you so so much for trying it out Lauren! I loved seeing your cake on Instagram, it looked absolutely amazing.

        Reply
    9. Deepa says

      June 27, 2022 at 4:38 pm

      Love this idea!
      I'd like to try this for my Mom's 94th birthday! Vanilla is her favorite flavor. Am thinking to fill the center with chocolate candies.

      Question. Could the layers be pre-made and frozen. I don't live in a different part of the state and would like to transport them in a cooler, so I don't have to heat up her house.

      Thank you in advance for any advice you can give.

      Reply

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    Portrait of Jacqui from The Simple Sprinkle

    Hey there, I am Jacqui! I'm a self-taught vegan recipe developer, content creator and food photographer. My goal? To make veganism easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy! With my drool-worthy recipes and savvy tips, I'll prove that going plant-based doesn't mean giving up your favorite meals.

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