• Preheat the oven to 350F and line an 8*8 inch square pan with parchment paper or grease the pan lightly. Set aside for later.

Make the vanilla cake batter:

• Add the soy milk and apple cider vinegar to a large mixing bowl and whisk together. Let sit for 2-3 minutes to curdle.
• Next, add the sugar, oil, and vanilla to the bowl and whisk together. Then, add in the dry ingredients starting with the pastry flour and then adding the baking powder, salt, and baking soda on top.
• Mix into a thick batter. I recommend starting with a whisk and then switching to a spatula so the batter does not get overmixed.
• Pour the batter into the pan and add to the oven. Bake for 30-32 minutes or until cooked through.
• Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then carefully move to a wire rack to finish cooling completely before frosting.

Make the frosting:

• Once the cake has cooled completely, make the vanilla buttercream. Add the butter to a bowl and use a standing mixer or electric mixer to whip for a minute or two until fluffy.
• Next, add in the coconut cream and vanilla bean paste and whip with the butter for another minute.
• Gradually mix in the powdered sugar until incorporated. Once all the powdered sugar has been mixed in, I recommend whipping the frosting for a few minutes longer to make it extra fluffy!
• Use a cookie scoop to add the frosting to the cake and then spread it out with a cake spatula. Top the cake with optional sprinkles. Then, slice into 9 evenly-sized pieces and serve!