Vegan Sponge Cake with Red Currants
This easy vegan sponge cake bakes up tall and fluffy with no eggs, no dairy, and no refined sugar. A simple batter of all-purpose flour, almond milk, oil, and apple cider vinegar rises thanks to baking soda and powder, while tart red currants cut through the sweetness. It is ready in about 30 minutes of baking, perfect for a festive Christmas dessert.
I wanted to make a festive dessert this weekend so I could fully enjoy the holiday spirit while sipping on hot chocolate and watching Christmas-themed movies. I decided to make this easy vegan sponge cake with red currants, and the recipe could not be simpler. This time I really wanted to achieve a fluffy, soft texture, so I tweaked my usual approach, and the result turned out just as I imagined.
I baked it in a rectangular tin for pound cakes, and because my tin was a bit too small for the quantities I used, I poured the rest of the mixture into two souffle forms. You can give this cake any shape you want. I have to admit I am usually impatient and wanted to take the photos quickly, so in my pictures the slices look a touch fragile. Trust me, once it cools properly it holds together beautifully. Maybe I will make it again this Christmas and add some frosting, though I will have to test a good vegan white frosting without margarine first, because I hate margarine and will never use it.
This Recipe Works If You Need
- An egg-free, dairy-free dessert that still rises tall and tender for guests with allergies or a vegan diet.
- A refined-sugar-free cake sweetened with fructose or stevia instead of white sugar.
- A festive Christmas centerpiece you can dress up with toppings, frosting, or a dusting of fresh fruit.
- A quick bake that goes from bowl to oven in minutes, with no creaming, no whipping, and no special equipment.
- A forgiving recipe for beginner bakers who want a reliable sponge without separating eggs or folding meringue.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Truly fluffy without eggs. The apple cider vinegar reacts with the baking soda to create the lift eggs normally provide, so you get an airy crumb with none of the density people expect from vegan cakes.
- No refined sugar. Sweetened with fructose or stevia, it keeps the dessert lighter on the palate and lets the tart currants shine.
- One bowl, no fuss. You sift, mix the dry, whisk in the wet, fold in the fruit, and bake. There is nothing to whip or chill.
- Tart fruit cuts the sweetness. Red currants add little bursts of acidity that keep each bite bright rather than cloying.
- Endlessly adaptable. Bake it in a loaf tin, a round pan, or small souffle forms, and add frosting or toppings to make it as festive as you like.
- Naturally suits a gluten-free swap. A good gluten-free flour mix steps in for the all-purpose flour with no other changes needed.
Ingredient Notes
All-purpose flour gives this sponge its structure. I sift it first so the crumb stays light and free of lumps, which matters more here than in a denser cake. If you want a gluten-free version, a baking-ready mix such as Mix It Schar or Mix Patisserie by Schar swaps in cup for cup. Look for a blend that already contains a binder like xanthan gum, otherwise the crumb can turn crumbly.
Fructose is what keeps this cake refined-sugar-free while still tasting like a proper dessert. You can use stevia powder instead, or brown sugar if you double the quantity, since it is less sweet by volume. Whatever you choose, the goal is gentle sweetness that lets the currants do the talking.
Almond milk is the liquid base. Any unsweetened non-dairy milk works, but I reach for my favorite brand, Joya, because it stays neutral and does not overpower the vanilla. If your plant milk is sweetened or flavored, taste it first so it does not throw off the balance.
Apple cider vinegar is the quiet workhorse here. When it meets the baking soda it produces carbon dioxide, and those tiny bubbles are what make an eggless sponge rise. Do not skip it or substitute a milder vinegar, and get the batter into the oven promptly so the reaction does its job inside the tin rather than in the bowl.
Oil keeps the crumb moist and tender. A neutral oil like sunflower or light vegetable oil is ideal so it does not compete with the vanilla and fruit. Avoid anything strongly flavored such as unrefined olive oil.
Red currants are the star. Their sharp, almost sour bite is the perfect foil for a sweet sponge, and they look jewel-bright against the pale crumb. Frozen or fresh both work. If you use frozen, add them straight from the freezer without thawing so they do not bleed and turn the batter pink.
Tips
- Work quickly once the vinegar goes in. The acid and baking soda start reacting the moment they meet, so whisk the wet ingredients into the dry, fold in the fruit, and get the tin into a preheated oven without dawdling. Waiting lets the lift escape before baking.
- Do not overmix the batter. Stir just until the flour disappears. Overworking develops gluten and gives you a tough, chewy sponge instead of a tender one. A few small lumps are fine.
- Toss frozen currants in a spoonful of flour before folding them in. This helps suspend them through the batter so they do not all sink to the bottom of the tin.
- Test with a toothpick. Insert it into the center after 30 minutes. It should come out clean or with a few dry crumbs. If wet batter clings, give it a few more minutes and check again.
- Let it cool fully before slicing. I am impatient and cut into mine too soon, which is why my slices looked fragile in the photos. A warm sponge is delicate and falls apart, but once it cools the crumb firms up and slices cleanly.
Substitutions and Variations
- Go gluten-free. Replace the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free baking mix like Mix It Schar or Mix Patisserie by Schar. The rest of the recipe stays exactly the same.
- Swap the fruit. If red currants are out of season, fresh or frozen raspberries, blueberries, or cranberries bring the same tart contrast. Keep the quantity the same at two cups.
- Adjust the sweetener. Use stevia powder for a sugar-free version, or brown sugar if you double the amount, since it is less sweet than fructose by volume.
- Add frosting for the holidays. For a more festive cake, finish it with a vegan white frosting. I prefer one made without margarine, which I avoid entirely, so look for a recipe built on coconut cream or vegan butter instead.
Storage and Make Ahead
Once the cake has cooled completely, keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days, or in the fridge for up to four. The crumb actually settles and slices more cleanly the day after baking, so this is a good dessert to make ahead for a Christmas gathering. To store longer, wrap individual slices well and freeze them for up to a month, then let them come back to room temperature before serving. If you used fresh currants on top, they are best eaten within a day or two.
If you want to try some other Christmas-inspired desserts, take a look at my vegan Christmas pound cake and my vegan chocolate-cherry cake. This recipe was inspired by my older vegan chocolate cake, which is another reliable eggless bake worth keeping in your repertoire.
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Vegan Sponge Cake with Red Currants
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour or a gluten-free flour mix
- ½ cup fructose or stevia powder; double the quantity if using sugar or brown sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup almond milk or other non-dairy milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup oil
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups red currants frozen or fresh
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C).
- Sift the flour into a mixing bowl, then add the fructose, baking soda and baking powder, and mix.
- Add the liquids: almond milk, vanilla extract, oil and vinegar, and whisk together.
- Add the red currants and mix gently.
- Grease a tin (I used a tall, rectangular pound cake tin, but a round cake tin works as well).
- Pour the mixture in and top with a few more red currants.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Let it cool before serving. It firms up as it cools, so although it may look fragile straight out of the oven, it sets perfectly once cooled.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
The lift comes from a chemical reaction rather than eggs. When apple cider vinegar meets baking soda and baking powder in the batter, it releases carbon dioxide bubbles that aerate the crumb as it bakes. To get the most rise, whisk the wet ingredients into the dry quickly and bake right away, before the bubbles escape.
Yes. Swap the all-purpose flour for a baking-ready gluten-free mix such as Mix It Schar or Mix Patisserie by Schar, cup for cup. No other changes are needed. Choose a blend that already contains a binder like xanthan gum so the crumb holds together and does not turn crumbly.
Yes, frozen red currants work just as well as fresh in this cake. Add them straight from the freezer without thawing, and toss them in a spoonful of flour first. This stops them from bleeding into the batter and helps keep them suspended through the crumb instead of sinking to the bottom.
Yes. It is sweetened with fructose, so there is no refined white sugar in the recipe. You can also use stevia powder for a sugar-free version, or brown sugar if you double the quantity since it is less sweet by volume. The tart red currants balance the sweetness either way.
It was most likely still warm. A freshly baked sponge is delicate and crumbles easily, which is exactly what happened in my own photos when I was too impatient to wait. Let the cake cool completely before slicing. As it cools the crumb firms up and holds together cleanly.
If red currants are out of season, use the same amount of another tart berry. Fresh or frozen raspberries, blueberries, or cranberries all give the same bright contrast against the sweet sponge. Keep the quantity at two cups and add frozen fruit straight from the freezer without thawing.
Want to try it
What adjustment of stevia quantity should be done if i want to add dark chocolote melted on top or 100% cacoa powder ?
Thank u
It depends a lot on the brand of stevia you use. I usually do 1:1, However, I’ve heard that some brands are sweeter than sugar. I’d try the same quantity as for sugar.
This turned out perfect! So fluffy. Perfect texture for a vegan sponge cake!
Glad you liked it!