Sunshine Cake

A slice of sunshine cake is like having Mom’s moist, dense homemade birthday cake with fluffy frosting. Perfect for a snack or Sunday supper dessert!

The Pejoy biscuit sticks and Oreo sunshine add a welcome crunch. The cookie and biscuits are also marvelous contrast to the tangy apricot spread in between layers of cake and buttercream.

Adapted from Averie Sunshine's recipe for Easy Yellow Cake with Buttercream Frosting.

Ingredients: 

Sunshine Cake:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1½ cups  (½ sugar, ½ stevia) Sweet & Lite
  • (You could also try ½ Erythritol - another healthy granulated sugar substitute with regular sugar.)
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2/3 cup Greek yogurt
  • 6 tablespoons canola oil
  • 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • Drops of yellow food coloring

Sunshine Buttercream Frosting:

  • 1½ Earth Balance (or similar non-dairy, non-GMO butter substitute) or butter
  • 6 teaspoons vanilla powder
  • Pinches of salt
  • 4 cups of powdered sugar
  • Drops of yellow food coloring

Optional Filling:

  • 2 to 3 tablespoons of organic apricot jam or your favorite jam (to spread on top of the buttercream in the middle -  between the two layers of cake.)

Create your own sunshine centerpiece:

  • I used a Vanilla Oreo and Matcha Pejoy. (Pejoy is an inside out Pocky.)
Directions: 

Sunshine Cake:

Line two 8 x 8 pans with non-stick aluminum foil. Spray with coconut oil. Place on cookie sheet (to protect from any splish-splashing in the oven.) Set oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in one big bowl.

In a smaller bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Gently whisk in the buttermilk, Greek yogurt, canola oil, vanilla and drops of sunshine yellow food coloring. Pour the mixture into the flour bowl. Stir with a spatula or big spoon until all ingredients are combined. No worries if you still see lumps.

Divide the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 34 to 38 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool. Frost with sunshine buttercream frosting.

Sunshine Buttercream Frosting:

In a kitchen stand mixer, beat the butter (or Earth Balance), vanilla powder and pinch of salt together. Add the yellow food coloring along with a cup of powdered sugar. Blend well. Gradually add the rest of the powdered sugar. For the frosting you do want a smooth consistency so put the mixer to work! Once smooth, frost your cake.  For the middle filling, spread a bit of apricot spread or your favorite jam atop buttercream frosting.

Create your own sunshine centerpiece: I used a Vanilla Oreo and Matcha Pejoy. (Pejoy is an inside out Pocky.)