Vegan Cortadillo (Mexican Pink Cake)

This was my favorite pan dulce as a child! Vegan cortadillo is a sweet vanilla cake topped with bright pink frosting, and colorful sprinkles. It’s instantly recognizable at the panadería (Mexican bakery), sold in square or triangle slices, and adored by Mexican children everywhere. This is why it’s also known as pastel de niños (kid’s cake).

Vanilla cake covered in pink icing with sprinkles.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe


Instead of making a homemade cake, I veganized a vanilla box cake mix, making this a super easy recipe. Traditionally it is served as a pan dulce (sweet bread) for an afternoon snack, but it can also double as a birthday cake. Plus it is vegan and dairy-free! 

Four slices of pink cake with sprinkles.

Ingredients

Vanilla Box Cake Mix: I used the Duncan Hines French Vanilla but any vanilla box cake will work.

Chickpea flour: Chickpea flour is garbanzo bean flour made by grinding chickpeas. In this recipe, it is used as an egg replacer. You can find it in the gluten-free flour section of the grocery store or online.

Box of duncan hines french vanilla cake.

Powdered Sugar: Not all powdered sugar is vegan, while the sugar itself doesn’t contain animal products it can be filtered with bone char. To be safe I recommend you buy organic powdered sugar.

Food Coloring: Food coloring is not essential to this recipe, in fact, in some versions of cortadillo the frosting is white. You can also use natural food coloring if you’re trying to avoid red #5.

How to Make Vegan Cortadillo Step by Step

Chickpea flour and water in a bowl.

Combine 6 tablespoons of chickpea flour and 6 tablespoons of water and whisk until smooth. 

Chickpea flour paste in a bowl.

It should have the consistency of a soft paste.

Water being poured into a bowl with cake mix.

Combine 1 box vanilla cake mix and 1 1/4 cups of water.

Oil being poured into the ball with the cake mix.

Add 1/3 cup of vegetable oil.

Vanilla being poured in a bowl with the cake mix.

Add 1 teaspoon of Mexican vanilla extract,

Chickpea flour paste, being added to cake mix.

and the chickpea flour paste.

Cake batter being poured into a baking pan.

Whisk until smooth and pour into a prepared baking pan. Bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes.

Powdered sugar in a bowl with almond milk being added to it.

To make the icing, 2 cups of powdered sugar, and 3 tablespoons of almond milk.

Food coloring added to the powdered sugar in a bowl.

Add 5 drops of red food coloring.

Pink frosting in a glass bowl.

Whisk until completely smooth.

Pink frosting spread on a cake.

Once the cake is cool, pour the icing on top.

A spatula spreading pink frosting on a cake.

Spread into a thin layer with a spatula.

Sprinkles on bright pink icing on top of a cake.

Top with rainbow sprinkles.

Knife cutting into cake with pink frosting and sprinkles.

Cut into squares or triangles.

Expert Tricks and Tips

The frosting on this cake is more of a royal icing than a buttercream, you want it to set and harden like royal icing. This provides some texture to this fluffy and soft cake. 

Work Ahead

You can make the cake the day before, let it cool, and wrap it in plastic wrap. The next day cover it in icing and serve. 

A bite taken out of vegan cortadillo.

Serving

​Once your frosting has set, cut the cake into squares or rectangles and serve.

Storing 

Store the cake at room temperature for up to 2 days in an airtight container. 

More Vegan Mexican Desserts

Vegan Cortadillo (Mexican Pink Cake)

Cortadillo is a sweet vanilla cake topped with bright pink frosting and colorful sprinkles. It's a very popular Mexican pan dulce adored by children everywhere.
Pin Recipe Print Recipe
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Mexican
Diet: Vegan
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 382kcal
Author: Dora R.

Ingredients

Cake:

  • 6 tablespoons chickpea flour
  • 1 box vanilla cake mix
  • cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon Mexican vanilla extract

Icing:

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
  • 6 drops red food coloring
  • 3 tablespoons rainbow sprinkles

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 9 x 13 cake pan with parchment paper.

To Make the Cake Batter

  • In a small bowl, combine the chickpea flour and 6 tablespoons of water and whisk until smooth. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, 1 ¼ cups water, vegetable oil, vanilla, and chickpea flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
  • Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove cake from oven and let it cool for 5 minutes in pan. Invert cake pan onto a rack, remove parchment paper, and let it completely cool.

To make the Icing

  • In a medium bowl combine powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons of almond milk, and the food coloring and whisk until smooth. The icing should the texture of a thick cake batter. If it is too thick add the remaining tablespoon of almond milk.

To Assemble

  • Spoon the icing on top of the cake and spread a think layer of frosting with an offset spatula until it covers the top of the cake. Some of it may drip off the sides, that’s ok. Immediately cover generously with the rainbow sprinkles.
  • Once the icing sets, cut the cake into squares or triangles and serve.

Notes

  • You can make the cake the day before, let it cool, and wrap it in plastic wrap. The next day cover it in icing and serve.
  • Once your frosting has set, cut the cake into squares or rectangles and serve.
  • Store the cake at room temperature for up to 2 days in an airtight container. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 382kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Sodium: 368mg | Potassium: 71mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 49g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Calcium: 121mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @dorastable or tag #mexicangonevegan!

Although dorastable.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates.

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3 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    What rainbow sprinkles did you use? Most are not vegan and red dye is not either. Is there a beetle free brand you recommend?

  2. 5 stars
    Simple and sweet and just what I needed to get around food allergies in our house and still have a cake! Thanks so much for this recipe!

5 from 2 votes

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