I started to create this recipe in my head a few weeks ago and it began with a vision of bright pink pomegranate icing. I also happened to be going to a vegan dinner party and the idea of bringing a pink cake covered in pomegranate jewels sounded ultra festive.
In retrospect, it was a horrible idea to start building a cake recipe based on pink icing. Especially since the cake had to be vegan (it also started out as a gluten free endeavor but that quickly failed). After three tries, I finally got the vegan version right (sort of).
My friends were happy (vegan and non-vegan alike), but I kept dreaming of a moist, medium crumbed cake that didn’t have a distinguished vegan chew. Don’t get me wrong, the recipe below is GOOD for a vegan cake without lots of weird, hydrogenated oils. It’s just that if you’re not vegan, it doesn’t quite compare to a cake made with butter, eggs, sour cream, buttermilk or fill in the blank with a dairy product of your choice.
So this recipe includes not one but TWO cakes. And I’ll be fully transparent, the real star of this pomegranate cake is the icing and those little crunchy, juicy pink pearls on top. There is something so satisfying to me about a pink icing that uses ZERO food coloring and also doesn’t have that bitter food coloring taste (or any cancer causing chemicals).
I made the non-vegan version of this cake on Christmas day with a lime whipped cream and all three of us (me, Colin and my mother-in-law Deborah) went crazy for it while watching Home Alone. It made those head burning, ornament crunching, tarantula crawling scenes all the more bearable.
The yogurt cake is based off of a classic french recipe for yogurt cake and is extra moist and buttery, but strangely doesn’t have any butter. It also pairs really nicely with the icing, the tartness in the pomegranates bring out the tartness in the cake from the yogurt.
AND I think this pomegranate party cake would make a beautiful dessert no matter the time of year, especially placed on a gorgeous silver platter. It is definitely a show stopper around the holidays and I could see this cake, and you, being a hit at your New Years party!
Pomegranate Party Cake
For the cake:
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sunflower oil (or other neutral oil such as safflower or canola)
For the icing and garnish:
3 tbsp of pomegranate juice (1/2 pomegranate blended and strained)
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
1 cup powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350.
Grease an 8 inch springform pan with olive oil or another neutral oil, line with parchment, grease other side of parchment.
In a large bowl, combine yogurt, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Whisk well.
Add flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Add dry to wet ingredients and fold until just incorporated.
Add oil last and fold into the batter until it’s full incorporated.
Pour into cake pan, tap on the counter a few times to get minimize any bubbles.
Bake for 40-50 minutes until set and golden brown.
For the icing, blend 1/2 of the pomegranate seeds in blender well. Strain in a fine mesh strainer and use 3 tbsp of the juice.
Add 3/4 cups of powdered sugar until the icing is thick and glossy. Add another 1/4 cup if it’s still too runny.
Make sure to top the cake with icing when the cake is completely cool. Garnish with pomegranate seeds while the icing is still wet.
Vegan Vanilla Cake
1 3/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup non-dairy milk (I used rice milk)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup sunflower oil
1 tbsp white vinegar
Preheat oven to 350.
Add flour, sugar, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
Add non-dairy milk, vanilla, oil and vinegar to another small bowl, whisk to combine.
Add wet to dry ingredients and whisk until no flour remains to be seen.
Add to prepared pan, bake for 30 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
Add icing when cake is cool and garnish with pomegranate seeds promptly!
