Our Vegan British Fairy Cakes are based on the classic little cakes traditionally served at birthday parties or picnics. These cakes are similar to small cupcakes and are among the easiest and quickest bakes. Best of all, they are prepared using the all-in-one method with five everyday pantry ingredients for the sponge: flour, baking powder, sugar, vegetable oil, and vanilla. The topping is made with icing sugar, water, and a wee sweetie.
Each bite of these egg-free fairy cakes is packed with the flavour of sweet vanilla, and the texture is incredibly moist, airy, and fluffy. The cakes are simply decorated with a thick water icing and a wee sweetie or candy. Fairy cakes are part of a traditional British childhood.
Origins of fairy cakes
Fairy cakes are similar to cupcakes albeit a fairy cake is smaller and more plainly decorated. Cupcakes have been around since at least the late 1700s and they got their name because of the little cup vessels or moulds that were traditionally used to bake the cakes.
An early recipe for little cakes that resemble cupcakes can be found in the early American cookbook ''The First American Cookbook'' written by Amelia Simmons in 1796. The was the first cookbook authored by an American as all previous cookbooks in America were all by British authors.
On page 37 Simmons records a recipe titled - ''Soft cakes in little pans'' and the ingredients and method are '' One and a half pounds of sugar, half pound of butter, rubbed into two pounds of flour, add one glafs wine, one do rofe water, 18 eggs and a nutmeg''!
Underneath, there is another recipe similar to cupcakes or fairy cakes titled ''A light cake to bake in small cups'' with the method and ingredients stating ''Half a pound of sugar, half a pound of butter, rubbed into two pounds of flour, one glafs of wine, one do rofe water, two do. emptins, a nutmeg, cinnamon, and currants. Interestingly this cake recipe is egg-free as the emptins refer to the dregs found at the bottom of a barrel of ale which would have provided a source of yeast! The thick yeasty liquid would have helped the cakes rise!
If you would like to read Simmons cookery book then you can borrow it for free over on the Internet Archive.
Small cakes or buns have also been part of British history for centuries and the fairy cake likely evolved into what it is today somewhere along the way. Of course, American baking was influenced by traditional British baking, thanks to Scottish, Irish, Welsh, and English immigrants to the New World. So, fairy cakes and cupcakes are likely close cousins, having evolved from the bread-like yeast cakes of old or the cakes that were cooked on a flat griddle within a fire place.
Ingredients
This recipe for vegan fairy cakes result in 16 little cakes that have a light, fluffy vanilla sponge, topped with a thick water icing and a little sweet or candy.
The ingredients you will need for our fairy cake recipe is - self-raising flour, baking powder, caster or granulated sugar, vanilla, vegetable oil and water. For the topping you will need icing sugar [powdered sugar], water and little sweets or candy.
We like to use Jelly Tots as they are labelled as vegan. Incidentally, Rowntree Jelly Tot sweets have always been vegan and they were first produced in 1965 but it's only been quite recently that they have begun to display the sweets vegan status on the packaging.
Other vegan sweets that can be used include skittles (vegan in the UK), the Candy Kitten range of sweets (candy) fruit pastels (vegan in the UK), and Fruit-Tella Koala jelly bears.
The fairy cakes in the first image above have been decorated with a simple water icing and Rowntree jelly tot topping. In the second image the fairy cakes have been decorated with a classic fruit jam and desiccated coconut topping.
Cake sprinkles are also a good idea for shaking over the water icing and will look great along with a party food spread or buffet.
How To Prepare
Mixing this cake batter together is so easy as it's just a case of mixing the dry, mixing the liquids, then combining both. Alternatively, you can just mix with the all-in-one mixing method if you're in a hurry - we have tried both methods and each works fine.
- Step 1: Add the flour, baking powder and sugar to a mixing bowl, and stir.
- Step 2: To a separate jug pour in the water, oil and vanilla, and mix.
- Step 3: Pour the water mixture into the flour mix and stir until smooth.
- Step 4: Divide the mix between 16 small cupcake cases or 12 larger cupcake cases.
- Step 5: Bake until risen, firm, and very lightly golden.
- Step 6: Leave to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before removing to a cooling wrack.
- Step 7: Once cool prepare the water icing by mixing icing sugar with a little water.
- Step 8: Pop a dollop of thick icing onto each cake and with the back of a spoon spread the icing gently into a circle. Decorate with a little sweet or candy in the middle. Alternatively spread the icing out to cover the entire surface and finish by shaking cake sprinkles over. For a different decoration spread the top of each cake with fruit jam and then cover with desiccated coconut.
A box of fairy cakes for someone you love is perfect for Birthday's, Celebrations, Valentines' Day, Father's Day, Mother's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas. Also fairy cakes are always very popular at cake sales.
Recipe Notes
Storing
Store your fairy cakes within a cake tin or food container for up to 3-4 days.
Freezing
Undecorated fairy cakes can be frozen, well wrapped, for up to 2-3 months.
These fairy cakes are so light, soft and airy and incredibly moist!
More traditional cupcakes and bun recipes - made vegan
A few of our family favourite cupcakes, wee cakes, and buns are these Old-Fashioned Granny Cakes , Old-Fashioned Carrot Cakes, Old-Fashioned Chocolate Buns, and Old-Fashioned Coconut Buns. Can you see a pattern?! We absolutely love old-fashioned bakes so we do have a lot of recipes to share and we hope you love them too!
***please note: for US measurements click the 'US customary button' within the recipe and the measurements will switch to tablespoons, cups, and ounces.***
📖 Recipe
Traditional Vegan Vanilla Fairy Cakes
Equipment
- Fairy cake/cupcake tray either one 16 hole baking tray or two smaller trays
- fairy cake cases/small cupcake cases
- Mixing bowls
Ingredients
- 225 grams self-raising flour sieved, or plain/all-purpose flour with an extra ½ teaspoon of baking powder
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 175 grams caster sugar or granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoon vegetable oil such as rapeseed or sunflower
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 225 millilitres water
Enough to cover 8 cakes so double up if covering all 16
- 8 tablespoon icing sugar powdered sugar, sieved
- 1 tablespoon water many need an extra teaspoon or two
- 8 jelly tot sweets (candy) or a candy of your choice such as vegan chocolate buttons. Or glace cherries, candied fruit etc.
Enough to cover 8 cakes so double up if covering all 16
- 3 tablespoon fruit jam (fruit jelly in the US)
- 3 tablespoon desiccated coconut
Instructions
- Preheat the oven 160 F/180 Celsius/ 350 Fahrenheit/ Gas 4.Place a fairy cake case in each hole of your baking tray.
- Mix flour, baking powder and sugar together.
- In a separate bowl or jug mix the water, oil and vanilla together.
- Pour the water mix into the flour mix. Stir until all the lumps are out and all the ingredients are mixed together.
- Divide the cake mix between the fairy cake cases.For larger cakes use larger cupcake or muffin cases.
- Place on the middle shelf of the oven.Bake until risen, firm, very lightly golden and a skewer comes out clean.Check after 15 minutes for doneness. Some ovens may require 20 minutes to bake the fairy cakes.
- After a few minutes remove the cakes from the baking tray to cool on a wire rack or similar.
- Once cool the cakes can be decorated.
Water icing topping:
- Using a teaspoon of water at a time mix with the icing sugar until a thick but easily spreadable paste is achieved. If too much water is added just add more sieved icing sugar.
- Using the back of a teaspoon or little spatula add about a teaspoon worth of icing to each cake and smooth into a little circle in the middle of the cake. Or just spread the icing to cover the entire surface.Top with a jelly tot or your choice of sweet. Vegan cake sprinkles are also nice.Wait until the icing sets before eating if possible! For quicker setting place in the fridge for a short while.
Jam-coconut topping:
- Mix the jam with a teaspoon for a few seconds to make it easier to spread. Cover the entire surface of the fairy cake with a thin layer of jam.
- Tip the coconut into a little dish. Gently press the fairy cake into the coconut and move around so it evenly coats the cake.
- Remove and the cake will be perfectly covered.
Notes
- Nutritional information is provided for guidance only and is not a strict calculation as ingredients vary.
- Nutritional data is for 1 un-decorated fairy cake.
- Calories for 1 fairy cake with a jam and coconut topping is roughly 156 per cake.
- Calories for 1 fairy cake with a water icing and sweet topping is about 165 calories per cake.
- Fairy cakes will keep fresh for up to 3-4 days within a cake tin or covered container.
- Fairy cakes can be frozen without the toppings for up to 3-4 months. Although water icing does freeze well so iced fairy cakes can also be frozen.
- Switch it up and add different toppings such as dairy-free chocolate buttons, vegan cake sprinkles, glace (candied) cherries and candied fruits.
- These fairy cakes are ideal for kids birthday parties or other celebrations. In Scotland and most of the UK fairy cakes are traditionally served at parties. Better still have kids prepare a batch of fairy cakes. Its an ideal holiday time activity.
Nutrition
Comments
Baked our Vegan Fairy Cakes? Do let us know how you got on with the recipe by dropping us a comment below and clicking the star ratings. All feedback is very much appreciated. Thanks so much! All the best, Jacq x
Biana
I like the name of fairy cakes, so cute! Thank you for sharing the different toppings ideas.
Jacq
Your welcome! I love the name fairy cakes as well 🙂
cass
This is what I need in my life - more recent vegan cake recipe ideas! Love how easy they look. I love being vegan but am not so good with baking!
Jacq
Hi Cass! These fairy cakes don't require lots of baking skills and are really quick to prepare so I am sure you will get on fine. Hope you enjoy the cakes 🙂
Fiona Maclean
you know I always wondered how to do that pretty jam and coconut topping! Now I know. I'm amazed at how many traditional recipes can be easily veganified (is that a word?)
Jacq
It is now! Perfect word to describe it 🙂
Jen
I made these for my neighbor who's done so much for me the last few months and she already texted asking for the recipe. I'd say they're a huge hit! Thanks for the tip about weighing the ingredients. Worked like a charm.
Jacq
Aww that's so good to read! Happy your neighbour enjoyed the fairy cakes. What a great idea to bake a batch of these fairy cakes as a thank-you gift!
Julia
Love the jam and coconut topping! Such a great idea!
Jacq
Thanks! Its a classic topping which are always the best 🙂
Claudia
These are truly the best vegan cake ever, we will make this often!
Jacq
Thanks so much! Happy you loved the fairy cakes 🙂
Dannii
I love making fairy cakes with my kids. I will definitely be giving these vegan ones a try.
Jacq
Awesome. Hope the kids have a great time baking the fairy cakes 🙂
Caroline
I haven't had fairy cakes in so long, though we used to decorate them differently again. Great to have a vegan version as an option.
Jacq
Thanks! Hope you try these vegan fairy cakes. They are so easy and delicious.