Vegan Spice Cake: Guinnessless Sheet Cake

This vegan spice cake is so delicious you may not believe it’s whole-grain and oil-free!

In fact, I dare say that you’ll enjoy this cake so much that it will be in regular baking rotation – not just for special occasions.

This spice cake is wholesome, made with whole-grain flours and natural sweeteners, and made without added oil. I also have a nut-free option for those that want that alternative.

This vegan spice cake is titled Guinnessless Sheet Cake in Dreena’s Kind Kitchen. Why the peculiar name?

Well, like most recipes, this spice cake has a story.

This healthy spice cake recipe was born out of a school project. Ohhhh those elementary school projects. 🙄

A few years back ago our daughter needed an Irish dish for a heritage-themed event at school. I searched for traditional Irish recipes and there wasn’t a lot I felt inspired to veganize. Until I found a recipe for an Irish spice cake with Guinness beer.

I revamped the original version quite a bit. Let’s say it received some “kind” treatment. And, I removed the beer from the ingredients – just because we never have it on hand (I’ve never liked it).

The result? This cake is pleasantly spiced and has a moist crumb like a gingerbread. So, while delicious any time of the year, it is especially suited for a holiday table.

Vegan Spice Cake FAQ

Print Pin

5 from 2 votes

Vegan Spice Cake: Guinnessless Sheet Cake

Our daughter needed an Irish dish for a heritage-themed event at school. This traditional Irish fruitcake recipe received some “kind” treatment, as well as removing the beer from the ingredients. The cake is pleasantly spiced and has a moist crumb like gingerbread—so while delicious anytime of the year, it is especially suited for a holiday table!

Course Dessert

Keyword cake, holidays, spice

Ingredients

• 1 cup oat flour
• 1 1/4 cups spelt flour
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 11/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 – 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 1 cup vanilla or plain nondairy milk
• 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 tablespoons macadamia nut butter cashew butter, or raw almond butter (optional; see note for nut-free)
• 1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar apple cider vinegar, or fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly wipe an 8" x 12" baking dish with oil and line with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients, including the raisins and zest. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, applesauce, nut butter, molasses, vinegar, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Bake for 26–29 minutes, until a toothpick or skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven, and let the cake cool in the pan.

Notes

Nut Butter/Nut-Free Note: Macadamia nut butter is lovely in this cake, but can be tricky to find. You can order through Wildnerness Poets. Or, you can use another mild-flavored nut butter like this one or raw cashew/almond butter. Since they can be thicker/denser than macamadia butter, try to use the thinner butter from the top of a fresh jar rather than the thick/dense nut butter at the bottom of a jar. I have tested this cake without nut butter at all, and it’s still beautiful! To make it nut-free, omit the nut butter and increase the applesauce to 1 cup.

Serving Suggestions: Pair with a scoop of vanilla nondairy yogurt, a dollop of Dessert Cashew Cream, or a drizzle of Coconut-Date Caramel Cream (both from Dreena’s Kind Kitchen).