Baked Rice Pudding Cake (Vegan + Easy)
This vegan baked rice pudding cake - aka vegan Reisfladen (also known as rijstevlaai) - is a nostalgic European rice pudding cake with a soft vlaai-style yeast base and a thick, creamy baked rice pudding filling. It’s gently sweet, vanilla-forward, and sets beautifully once chilled for clean slices. Serve it simply with a dusting of icing sugar, or spoon warm cherries over the top for an extra cozy finish.
Equipment
- 1 tart tin or springform tin 22 cm / 9-inch
- 1 large mixing bowl for the dough
- Measuring cups/spoons or a digital scale, optional but handy
- 1 whisk
- 1 Silicone spatula or wooden spoon
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 Clean tea towel or bowl cover for proofing
- 1 medium saucepan for the rice pudding
- 1 Fine grater or microplane for lemon zest, if using
- 1 Electric hand mixer/stand mixer for whipping aquafaba
- 1 Rubber spatula for folding aquafaba into the rice pudding
- 1 cooling rack
- parchment paper to line the base if using a springform, and for easy release (optional)
- 1 pastry brush for glazing the crust (optional)
- 1 sieve for dusting icing sugar (optional)
- 1 small saucepan for the cherry compote
- 1 spoon or spatula for stirring for stirring
- 1 small bowl for cornstarch slurry, if using
Ingredients
For the yeast base (soft vlaai-style)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (250g) + 1 tablespoon
- 3 tablespoons caster sugar (35g)
- 1 sachet instant yeast (7g)
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- ½ cup warm oat milk (120 ml) or other plant milk
- 3.5 tablespoons vegan butter (50g) melted (plus extra for greasing)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
Optional glaze for the crust:
- 2 tablespoons oat milk (30 ml)
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
For the rice pudding filling:
- 1 cup pudding rice (180g) uncooked, short-grain rice such as arborio works
- 1 can evaporated oat milk (400 ml) I used Nature's Charm
- 1.5-2 cups oat milk (350-450 ml) start with 350ml; add more if needed
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 cinnamon stick optional
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- zest of 1 lemon optional, but very classic
- ⅓ cup condensed oat milk (120 ml) plus 1 tablespoon, I used Nature's Charm
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch (25g)
- 3 tablespoons water
- 6 tablespoons aquafaba (90 ml) unsalted chickpea brine
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon caster sugar (25g)
Hot cherry compote (serving suggestion):
- 2 ¼ cups pitted cherries (300g) fresh or frozen
- 2-3 tablespoons sugar or maple syrup to taste
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch + 1 tablespoon water optional, for thicker sauce
Instructions
Make the dough:
- In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, yeast and salt.
- Add warm oat milk, melted vegan butter and vanilla (if using). Mix into a dough.
- Knead for 6-8 minutes until smooth and elastic (by hand or mixer).
- Cover and leave somewhere warm for 45-60 minutes, until puffed and risen.
Line the tin:
- Grease a 20-22cm tart tin (or springform).
- Roll the dough out and line the base and sides (aim for a 2-3cm "wall"). Trim any excess.
- Cover and let it rest/proof again while you make the filling (15-20 minutes).
Cook the rice pudding:
- Add rice, evaporated oat milk, oat milk, salt and the cinnamon stick (if using) to a saucepan.
- Bring to a gentle simmer, then cook on low for 20-25 minutes, stirring often, until the rice is tender and the mixture is thick and creamy. If it thickens too quickly before the rice is soft, add a splash more oat milk.
- Remove from the heat. Take out the cinnamon stick. Stir in vanilla, lemon zest (if using) and condensed oat milk.
Thicken slightly + cool:
- Mix the cornstarch with water until smooth, then stir into the hot rice pudding.
- Return to low heat and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring, until it tightens slightly.
- Let it cool for 10 minutes (warm is fine - just not piping hot).
Whip aquafaba + fold in:
- In a clean bowl, whisk aquafaba with cream of tartar (or lemon juice) to soft peaks.
- Add the 25g sugar gradually and whisk to glossy stiff peaks.
- Fold the aquafaba into the slightly cooled rice pudding in 2-3 additions, gently, to keep the mixture airy.
Fill + bake:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan).
- Spoon the filling into the dough-lined tin and smooth the top.
- Optional: brush the exposed dough edge with the oat milk + maple glaze.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the edges are set and the center has just a slight wobble.
- Cool completely, then chill for at least 4 hours (overnight gives the cleanest slices).
Prepare the hot cherry compote:
- Add cherries, sugar/maple and lemon juice to a small saucepan.
- Simmer 8-10 minutes until juicy and softened.
- If you want it thicker: stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook for 30-60 seconds until glossy.
- Spoon warm over chilled slices of Reisfladen.
Notes
- Tin size: An 8-9 inch (20-22cm) springform or tart tin works best. If your springform ring is very tall, just trim the dough to your preferred rim height (around 3-4cm looks most classic).
- Measuring flour (US cups): For the most consistent results, use a kitchen scale if you can. If measuring in cups, spoon the flour into the cup and level it off (don’t scoop/pack).
- Rice choice: Pudding rice is most traditional. Short-grain rice works well too (arborio is a great substitute).
- Consistency check (before baking): The cooked rice pudding should be thick and creamy - it should mound slightly on a spoon, not pour like a sauce. Add extra oat milk only if the rice isn’t tender yet.
- Cornstarch slurry: Always mix cornstarch with cold water first to avoid lumps, then stir it into the hot rice pudding.
- Aquafaba tips: Use a clean, grease-free bowl for whipping. Let the rice pudding cool for about 10 minutes before folding in the aquafaba so it doesn’t deflate. Fold gently (don’t stir).
- Bake cue: The edges should look set and the center should still have a slight wobble - it firms up as it cools and chills.
- Chilling: This cake needs fridge time for clean slices. Chill for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
- Serving suggestion: Warm cherry compote on top is amazing, especially with the chilled cake (warm + cold = the whole point).