One of the few thing I miss about working in an office is the birthday cake. At every company at which I’ve worked, there has been a birthday cake and the birthday girl or boy gets to choose a cake. I would choose the one with cream cheese icing, whether it was a hummingbird cake or a carrot cake. I miss slicing up the cake, handing out pieces of it on a paper towel or napkin, eating the icing and then getting a sugar rush that would get you through the rest of the day. I missed it so much that I wondered aloud on twitter if I could just pop into someone’s office for the day for a bit of nostalgic birthday cake action. I could pretend to be in some obscure department housed on the basement floor, or perhaps seconded for the day from an interstate or overseas office.
The world of corporate cakes had changed and people told me about birthday cake months where for two months a year, they’d get cake to suffice for everyone’s birthdays throughout the year. This worked because they would have seasonal period of frantic activity and this would be their reward after a hard slog. Other companies did away completely with the birthday cakes, citing reasons of health and apathy – and cake apathy is a terrible apathy to have! 
Then a friend told me that they always get their birthday cakes from one of the best patisseries in Sydney and I instantly thought “now that is a place that doesn’t have cake apathy – I want to work there!”
I used to bake birthday cakes for friends and family. It was actually a chance to make something and then share it but after a while, it started to be taken for granted. People didn’t care that you made the cake for them, and after a while, nobody really cared that you spent quite a bit on the ingredients, until that is, they had to buy a cake from a shop and they have to hand over $40 for a cake. So I decided to just pop up randomly to birthdays with a cake.
So instead of having pressure to bring one and expectation, I just bring one if I have time to make one and there was no expectation if I would and there was never anything wrong with an extra cake. This one was for Mr NQN’s mother Tuulikki, she of the vegan diet. Last year, I had made her a chocolate vegan cake and this year, I wanted to make a vanilla version but one moist with summer fruit.
Before you turn away and tell me that vegan cakes without eggs and dairy can be dry, please let me assure you that this is not. In fact it is probably one of the most moist cakes I have made, courtesy of the summery fruit in the filling and topping. However, the cake itself is no after thought. Even without eggs and dairy it remains moist and I actually make this when I have run out of eggs or I haven’t taken the butter out of the fridge in time. You and your lucky cake eaters won’t notice either missing out of it, you’ll probably be busy smitten eating the cake.
So tell me Dear Reader, do you have birthday cakes at your office? What do you think of the office cake tradition? Excuse for sugar and reason why everyone puts on weight or harmless, delicious fun? And what kind of cake do you usually choose?
Luscious Vanilla Vegan Cake With Mango & Passionfruit
An Original Recipe by Not Quite Nigella
- 2 cups plain or all purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cups caster or superfine sugar
- 1.5 teaspoons bi carbonate of soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1.5 cups water
- 1/2 cup mild flavoured vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 90g dairy free spread, softened
- 140g icing sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
To decorate
- 2-3 whole passionfruit
- 1/2 a mango
It’s a little green because I ran out of oil and used a little Grove avocado oil
2. Make buttercream by beating the dairy free spread until smooth and then adding the icing sugar and vanilla until it becomes a smooth, fluffy texture.
3. First make a crumb layer. Slice the cake in half horizontally and spread a thin layer of buttercream on it. Top with the seeds of one passionfruit and some thin mango slivers. Make them but slicing the cheek of the mango thinly and cutting thin ribbons. Place other half of cake on top. With a clean spoon, add some buttercream on the cake top and sides and using an angled spatula, spread it thinly to pick up any stray crumbs (you should still be able to see the cake through it). It’s not a particularly crumbly cake so you can skip this step if you want. Place in the fridge to at least 30 minutes to stiffen up.
Covering it with the icing
Slicing the mango into thin layers
Cutting the mango into ribbons
4. Spread the buttercream around the cake and top again-you can make patterns with the angled spatula. The one on the side of the cake is simply by pressing the spatula against the sides of the cake. Do swirls on top. Top with the rest of the passionfruit and add more mango ribbons.
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100 Comments | Add your own
A wonderful cake! So fluffy and irresistible.
Cheers,
Rosa
In my last job people always brought in cakes on their birthday, but most people bought rather than made cakes, which can be expensive when you have to buy enough for 30 people! And some months there seemed to be cake every few days which was hard if you were trying to diet!
Now I work in a mainly male team and they don’t seem to really eat cake, or even tell anyone when it’s their birthday, and they certainly don’t bring in cakes on their birthday! I’m taking a day off for my birthday this year so I probably won’t bother bringing in cake either.
A lot of schools I’ve worked at, have one day a month to celebrate all birthdays for that month. The car responsibly is shared month to month. I think it’s a good way to go.
By looking at it, you would never know it was a vegan cake. I used to work in an office in the CBD where it was always someone’s birthday – at least you went to work hoping it would be, and one of the secretaries would go to the shop and buy the cake which was always either chocolate mud or carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, and like you, I would always go for the carrot cake. Perhaps we ate cakes from the same shop!
Wow, I’ll definitely be bookmarking this recipe! There’s a girl at work who is vegan, gluten & sugar free & I always like to bake something for her birthday as its near impossible to find a cake in an ordinary store! I’ll tweak this recipe to suit her needs – I love the way it looks!
It all sounded good until you got to the dairy free spread, which I suppose is margarine. I guess you could do without the topping.
Hi Debra, well if you’re not a vegan you can always use butter!
This looks delicious!! Thank you for sharing. I agree that people can take it for granted when you make things. I am lucky to work in a place where the whole team respects each others cooking and the effort taken to make something. We have never had the luxury of the company providing a birthday cake for us. I make things and take it in to work because I can’t possibly eat the whole lot myself so it’s a win win situation.
Wow, I have all of the ingredients for this cake – and I only have one lonely egg in the fridge! It looks devine and summery – I’d never know it was vegan. Yes, people do start to take cakes for granted. I bake them for friends and colleagues, as they aren’t appreciated at home.
I don’t work in an office anymore, but I will always remember the one year they forgot my birthday. I say YES to cakes. In fact, one cake per birthday is just not enough!
I usually choose a fruity cake, so the passionfruit and mango sound delightful here. I think the tradition of birthday cakes should definitely continue, especially if the cakes are coming from great patisseries!
I love the office birthday cake as you know
I recently made a moist coconut milk cake for a colleague and it was super delicious.
Aww this cake looks absolutely lush!! I love it!
I agree with being taken for granted. I was always doing friends birthday cakes and dinner parties at my place, and then I realised that it was just expected. The one time I was tired and said BYO meat for a barbie, I am not cooking tonight “friends” got there nose out of joint…
I didn’t even get a birthday cake last year 
Okay… that’s the end of my whining, I do agree, it’s so much nice to give when it is appreciated, now I surprise friends when I feel like it
From first looks you cannot even tell that this is a egg and dairy free cake. I think this really makes those with dietary requirements not have to miss out on anything. IT looks great Lorraine
I love the flavors here. Passionfruit wins my heart every time!
Fabulous – this is going to be my vegan son’s birthday cake.
So simple to make, and has to taste good!
This looks incredibly delicious! Gorgeous colours and flavours
I totally get the being taken for granted thing when baking cakes for family. I’ve become the cake baker, and it can be an expensive exercise.
One department in our office has birthday cakes for each staff member, but they’re always those commercial mass-produced cakes and I’ve stopped eating them because of er, food snobbery – they just don’t taste as good as homemade or from a quality store so it’s not worth the calories :p
Beautiful cake, I love the tropical fruits!
Thank you so much for putting these vegan recipes up from time to time. The vegan chocolate cake was amazing. I made it at Christmas and my non-vegan family (including kids) loved it!
I can almost taste this…yum. I so love both mango and passion fruit.
I’ve never really worked in an office as such, but if I did, I’d probably always go for something chocolate.
Good morning! Please clarify ‘dairy free spead’?
Morning Bee! I just used Nuttelex which is found on the shelf near the butter. It’s made from vegetable oil but looks like butter
I hope that helps!
I’m afraid I don’t have any understanding of the term “cake apathy”. They are 2 words that would never be found in the same sentence with me and, really, it sounds like an oxymoron.
By the way, beautiful looking cake.
I am seriously salivating. I think I have to try this, but will need to use gluten free flour. Do you think it will still work okay?
On sight, I would never believe it is a vegan cake, it looks much too delicious actually!!!
I love your flavours used
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Hi Caz! Hmm good question! I haven’t really tried cakes with gluten free flour a lot but I don’t see why not because the gluten doesn’t have to be worked like bread!
thanks so much for this!!! it came at a perfect time. My husband and I are both vegan and we are having 8 people over tomorrow night to celebrate my birthday. I’m 100% going to make this for dessert!
I love birthday cakes at work but unfortunately I’m usually the one who bakes the cake and like what you said Lorraine, people start taking it for granted! I have friends who always ask why I didn’t bake a cake
It’s annoying hahaha i bake too much they don’t eat it and when I don’t bake they ask.
I’m really intrigued to try this vegan cake
Will need to try it out soon!
I love vegan cake! It is super-moist, and I’ve never really had a problem with it. I like it better than most cakes, as I find them quite dense and dry. Almond meal makes for a wonderful cake too. Pity we’ll miss you at the end of April, we could have caked for my birthday!
It’s great to see an omnivore cooking vegan cake recipes, no less, inventing them!
I do have to wonder though – if it’s so good, why wouldn’t you make it your standard go-to cake?
I know what you mean about people no longer caring that you’ve spent time and money and love on baking them something! It sure does take a lot of the joy out of it. Here’s to baking for the people who’ll truly appreciate it. (clinks morning cup of tea with screen)
I worked at a place where you had to bring your own cake to share with everyone! But at least we had cake.
You are very generous to bake such beautiful things for your MIL.
Hi Matthew, I don’t have a standard go to cake-I always make different ones! That’s the beauty of baking, to always explore new recipes
Zing
My (vegan) BF is visiting in a couple of weekends time so this is perfect timing.
She’ll love this!
Hi,
That looks just beautiful and sounds delicious too. I can’t wait for this spell of hot weather to finish so I can bake one!
Oh it is my birthday on Sunday! I might make this one! I miss office birthday cake morning teas.
What’s a Birthday without cake I say? I think it’s pretty sad of some offices not to have them. At the very least is’s an excuse for 15 mins away from your desk!
That looks really good! All occasions call for cake… Cake is the best!
Oh my, Lorraine! No wonder you’re the best with cakes like this! I love it, and if I use gfree flour it’s perfect for absolutely everyone
I bet your MIL loved it- did you take her an inappropriate card as well?
OMG, I remember when I worked on staff at the newspaper — it was like there was cake in some office or some department every other week. Be it a birthday or a going-away, cake was to be had all the time. I do miss that — even if the calories were brutal.
This is just what I have been looking for – my little niece needs to have a gluten, dairy and sugar free diet. I can replace the flour, but what could I use for the the sugar replacement, could I replace it with the equalivant of orange, mango or apple juice (freshly squeezed), I prefer not to use agave or any other sweeteners. I would love to make this cake for her birthday this week as she is having a party and I hate the thought of her missing out on cake. Please let me know
Your cake looks light and moist as can be!
Love is Egg & Dairy Free!
I ALWAYS loved the birthday cake tradition, TRUE!
ALL the offices I worked it, we also had FOOD Fridays once a month too!
Is not about healthy or not, but was a tradition TRUE!
Sadly, not many of these food traditions are preserved, but (in my opinion) REALLY boosted moral and was something people looked forward to!
Hi Nadia! I don’t know if the juice will be sweet enough, I must admit I’ve never really tried sugar free cakes but if she has a sugar free diet then perhaps she won’t mind as she won’t be used to having things very sweet. Maybe a juice concentrate would be good?
Jeniqua made me a chocolate peanut butter tart two years ago. It made my heart sing. This would also be heaven. Dairy-free! Passionfruit!
Thankyou for these eggless recipes. They suit my mum who is allergic. She will really like this one.
Do you think I can add lychees to this in stead of passion fruit?
Hi Ting! I think that would be a fabulous idea to use lychees!
Any seasonal fruit would be lovely! 
So thoughtful. It’s a beautiful cake. I’m sure she was so pleased. xoxo Mum
I am actually quite surprised this cake is one of the moist cakes you have made. I usu stay away from diary free cakes because I always think it is going to be dry and etc.
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. We are not vegan, we are doing a dairy free diet. My daughter has ear problems and has been taken off all dairy by the surgeon to avoid surgery. (in our family one in, all in, so we are dairy free, good for me as I am lactose intolerant) this looks wonderful cannot wait to try this one!
The vanilla cake with mango and passionfruit looks really inviting! It sounds like a really light and refreshing cake to have.
Perfect that you created a vegan one so that many of us can bake it for friends who are vegan.
I’m glad to know that I’m not the only one being taken for granted for my cakes. I like baking cakes for people’s birthday but the effort isnt always appreciated. So now, like you, I wouldn’t tell them that I’m bringing a cake over..and will only bake when I have the time and feel like it.
I love the look of that cake. Mango and passionfruit cannot go wrong.
We have a ‘cake roster’ at work where birthdays for the month are celebrated once a month and people take turns bringing in a cake.
My team consists of about 50% bakers / 50% buyers. Everyone is very appreciative of home made efforts.
I tend to take in cakes throughout the month as I experiment with different recipes so they aren’t at home to be eaten! There are a few people that are super health conscious / dieting / gluten issues who don’t partake, but most do.
I tend to bake cakes that I am experimenting with. Last one was a chocolate / beetroot cake with cream cheese icing that really divided the masses!
very similar to a gluten free cake I used to make for Boo!
No one ever knew the difference.
Really looking forward to trying this recipe… Good that it’s still lovely and moist even without eggs and dairy. And I love the idea from one of your readers for using lychee.
What a lovely cake, a slice with a cuppa would be ideal right about now but alas we live too far away from each other . I’d love to be one of your special friends Lorraine and have you make my birthday cake. I would be oohing and yummying until the very last crumb!! I just don’t get people who show no appreciation for kindly gestures! I’m sure Tuulikki appreciates that you seek out these recipes for her.
I would replace the dairy free spread with butter just because I’m a purist when it comes to any type of cake but everything else is do-able .
We used to have birthday cakes at work, usually bought ones like Cream sponge or Mud but some girls were annoying and wouldn’t eat any for fear of gaining weight!
Which is my favourite, don’t have one, love them all lol!
Looks so delicious, I wanna try the recipe right now.. thanks for sharing..
We don’t do the birthday cake thing where I work at the moment, but once I’m a teacher we sure will haha. I prefer ice cream cakes myself. And I’d never take your cake making for granted
My Dog Walking Group gave me the best birthday party/picnic in the park with CAKE last friday night.
I felt very special, now to start planning for the next group birthday!!
ooh yum! so glad it caters for everyone!
This is just perfect for the dairy and egg allergic members of my family!
I to miss the corporate world of birthday cakes but I still make birthday treats for whoever’s birthday it is at my work just to get my bake on!
looks delicious – I started off making lots of birthday cakes for my nieces but now some of my sisters are getting in on the act – which is not bad as there are only so many cakes I have time for. Our office has an odd birthday cake culture – and I miss the previous office where cake always disappeared in the blink of an eye and was greatly appreciated!
That definitely DOESN’T look like a vegan cake; it looks so rich and gorgeous, sweet and tempting!
Delicious
My work has once a month morning tea to celebrate that months birthdays and we all bring a plate of whatever we wish. It kinda works. but there is also the random cakes that someone brings in and everyone happily eats up.
Thank you Lorraine for making this amazing cake! I don’t generally eat or even miss eating cakes, because usually they are not vegan, but this cake was truly delicious!
This actually looks good but I’ve had a couple of vegan cakes which I didn’t like and one made me tummy achy!
but yes, this one looks good. I work from home but if I know there’s a bday on I sometimes “happen” to go to the office hehe 
I always thought cakes like this were dry till I started making a banana chocolate cake that was moist as could be. I’m a believer now. I’ve never tried dairy-free spread before but you have my attention and I love the summer fruit flavors in the mix… delish!
What a beautiful cake! I love both the vanilla and the chocolate vegan cakes and will bookmark the recipes. I love birthday cakes….
I just made this cake (i had all the ingredients plus a large bag of ripe mangoes that i was wondering what to do with!) and it is delicious! I couldnt resist waiting for it to cool so i filled and iced it semi-warm and it is so divine! Great recipe!
Hi Reem! YAYYYY I’m so pleased that you made it and liked it! I’ve discovered today that it keeps quite well too as I baked it just over a week ago and it was still good (I kept it in the fridge). Thanks so much for letting us know!
I know what you mean… I miss office birthday cake as well. In my department, it was my ‘job’ to bake the cake and I was always happy to bake a cake or two.
I remember baking my own birthday cake one year which was odd thinking about it now
Chocolate cake is a safe pick at the office because everyone loves chocolate. Flourless chocolate cake made with ground almonds is my favourite.
Lovely photos Lorraine, your cake looks gorgeous! Well done! My husband is vegan and would love this cake for his birthday. I miss the office birthday cake morning tea, there should be more of it, it’s good for staff moral. The office birthday cake should be a tradition in all workplaces. I don’t bake much myself but can understand the time and money spent on baking a cake for someone, it’s a very generous gesture from the baker. I would be rapt if someone baked me a cake
I love all cakes
Our office bday cake has vanished over the years. There are no more. I miss it. It was always about 3 cakes bought at a fancy bakery. Yes making a fancy cake yourself can get $$$. This one looks amazing and love the flavors.
Birthday morning teas are alive and well in the public service!! We had one on Tuesday last week and the leftovers lasted until Friday!!!
What a lovely cake recipe and it looks almost healthy. I used to always make cakes when I worked in an office. Being a Queenslander, my favourite to make was banana cake. Funny, neither of my kids like banana, so I never make it now.
mmm passionfruit and mango ? too bad both fruits are so expensive in the u.s.
in my old office they changed the birthday cake tradition very often. i think it started as once a month, then went to once a quarter, and then done away with except for the highest up execs.
i personally find cake apathy ALARMING. there should always be room in the budget for cake. it’s a small price to keep employee spirits up.
What a great cake and great recipe Lorraine. Hope this one makes it into your book. All the best, Noela
Hi MS NQN,
just want you to know that I enjoy reading your posts before I start work every day, you are welcome to drop in to my office for birthday cake next time you are in Noosa. My daughters middle name is Tuulikki, not very common here in Australia, but a beautiful Finnish name, all the same
I’ve long loved your vegan recipes and now I have moved from veggie to vegan, I shall love them even more. I made your choc / banana / avocado icecream for the bazillionth time this evening and I am so going to make this gorgeous cake this weekend. As a mad baker, now having to adapt to vegan baking, this couldn’t be more perfect for me. Cakes can take a lot of time, effort, money, thought and love, so them being taken for granted would not be very nice at all.
HI everyone! I know I’ve said it about a thousand times but I’ll say it again, I really do have the nicest readers! You really put a smile on my face reading through each and every one of your comments. I’m at home sick in bed at the moment and it’s the best medicine. Love you guys!! xxx
My vegan daughter will love this. Maybe I’ll surprise her when I visit Sydney next weekend! Thanks for the great recipe!
Flavia
In our office the birthday girl/boy brings something sweet to share: cake, cookies, something from the café downstairs, like coffee and croissants for breakfast. I love this cake and although I don’t know anyone vegan, I think I will give it a try, it looks so lucious.
It sounds delicious. I make a cake for my own birthday every year
We used to have cakes at the office, first, each time somebody’s birthday, but then cakes came only once a moth, and I’m so sad of that, ok, maybe less calories that I have thanks, but the tradition of cutting, and eating like little kid (paper towel and ups..somebody forgot spoons)…I really miss it.
Waw, Lorraine!
This georgous & festive decorated cake is all vegan! It looks very stylish, pretty & must be very appetizing & tasty too!
FABULOUS even!
Perfect timing! One of my friend was looking for a Vegan cake, and the baker that I am, I had no clue. Now I can redirect her here.I am a Vanilla girl, but one co worker always got a chocolate cake she baked and it used to be amazing. Though she brought it in random, no reason.
how did you know i was on the hunt for a vegan vanilla cake recipe?! this sounds great.
I made this cake today and served it tonight after dinner. It was undeniable hit with fly.
Do you think I could make this with winter fruit? That is all we have here unless I use imported fruit!
Hi! Just made this beautiful cake for my birthday, it was really moist & delicious! Only I had to double the recipe to get it looking like the picture
Many thanks!
Hi Saruci! Happy Birthday! That’s wonderful, thanks so much for letting us know! I’m just wondering, what sized round tin did you use?
I know I’m late posting – but I know you’d be amused to know that when I was CEO of a high profile organisation I always asked at the final interview if the person could cook (be they male or female) and what their views on office birthday cakes were. One of the applicants answered that she didn’t cook but that she knew all the good bakeries in town and would keep high standards in any food provided. Needless to say she got the job. It was an excellent question to get people a bit more comfortable at the interview, and was good for testing out their ability to think on their feet. And she did always bring in fabulous food, but now works for a major weight loss chain (where she knows how to make the slimming foods fattening – so clearly they didn’t ask her the right questions!!).
I made it this weekend and it is perfect! You cannot tell that it is egg and dairy free. It even smells like a regular eggy cake when baking. I’m so happy that I can have plural cake again!!!!!!
Plural means real. I am typing on a phone on the train!!!
Just thought you might want to know that we linked to you today. http://rooted-vegan.blogspot.com/2013/02/vegan-baked-good-link-roundup.html
This is fantastic! We’re having some friends over for dinner and one of them has an egg & dairy allergy. I was wondering instead of vanilla extract can it be replaced by vanilla pods? I just prefer the taste of the latter. If so, what would the measurements be? Thanks so much!
Hi Alannah! Absolutely, you can scrape the seeds out of one vanilla pod. I also use a vanilla bean paste too
Do you think I could sub almond flour in this recipe and it come out ok?
Oh I love you! Dairy free cake that looks sensational!!! Definitely making this one
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