Fail Proof Simple Vanilla Protein Cake with Oat Streusel

A super easy and simple Vanilla Protein Cake topped with an Oat Streusel – the perfect high protein cake recipe for a birthday or just a dessert. Made with whole wheat flour and vanilla protein powder, this protein cake is healthy and sugar-free too!

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This recipe is a prime example of a last minute recipe and not sticking to a plan. My actual plan was to make a gingerbread coffee cake, which then went to a regular coffee cake, and somehow ended up at this.

I got this box of protein bites mix delivered and thought of using that as the topping for the coffee cake, but turned out those recipes don’t call for oats in the streusel.

So I just dropped that plan and went with the protein concept of the mix and made a protein cake instead. No planning needed either coz the recipe really was so easy!

Vanilla Protein Cake Recipe Ingredients:

• Whole Wheat Pastry Flour for a healthy and whole grain cake recipe. You can replace it with all purpose flour if you like
• Vanilla (Whey) Protein Powder – this replaces the sugar in this recipe and is the key to what makes it a high protein cake. I use Quest Nutrition’s Vanilla protein powder – it’s a  whey-caesin blend.
• Non-fat Greek Yogurt another protein-packed ingredient!
• Almond Milk for a slightly low calorie and healthy recipe; No buttermilk needed here
• An Egg
• Just a bit of softened butter
• Baking Powder and Baking Soda
• A bit of salt

How to make Healthy Protein Powder Cake

This vanilla protein powder cake not only has simple ingredients, but is also really easy to make. 

Trust me, it was a total unplanned recipe so I hadn’t set out the time to make it either. Thankfully I didn’t even need much!

Here’s what you have to do:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a round 8” cake pan or  8 x 8” baking pan with parchment paper

2. Combine the dry ingredients in bowl: whole wheat flour, half vanilla protein powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt

3. Beat the softened butter and half protein powder in a large bowl using a hand mixer until it’s completely mixed. This should take about 30 seconds.

4. Add all the remaining wet ingredients and beat again: Greek Yogurt, almond milk and egg

5. Add the flour mixture to the wet mix and fold together. DO NOT OVER-MIX the batter or the cake will be too dense at the bottom.

6. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan.
   (See optional streusel details in the section below)

7. Bake for 25-30 minutes. A tester inserted into the center should come out dry – no crumbs or batter.
   

For a 9 x 13” pan, double the recipe and bake for about 25-30 minutes again, but start checking early.

For a layered protein birthday cake cake, double the recipe and use 2 8” cake pans.

The Chocolate Chip Streusel Topping

I was really trying to go for a basic healthy vanilla cake here, so I went for an easy oat streusel topping.

Not gonna lie, even combining ingredients seemed like too much effort, so I used a pre-mixed oatmeal, protein powder and chocolate chip mix from Kodiak Cakes.
For a homemade version, just make your own blend of rolled oats, mini chocolate chips and some unflavored protein powder (recommendation: Quest again).

Steps?

1. Melt butter

2. Combine melted butter and oatmeal chocolate chip mix

3. Sprinkle the chocolate chip oatmeal streusel on the protein cake

4. Bake according to the recipe

How about a Protein Powder Frosting for an extra High Protein Cake

To make a classic vanilla protein birthday cake, frost it with some protein powder cream cheese frosting.

If you’re a peanut butter lover, try my protein peanut butter frosting.

For a Greek yogurt protein cake frosting, go for the frosting from this carrot cake recipe.

Tips for this Simple Protein Cake Recipe

• Use softened butter
  You want to be able to beat the butter and protein powder together. If you just took it out of the fridge, microwave it for about 7-10 seconds.

• Use room temperature Yogurt, Milk and Eggs
  Microwave these too for about 5 seconds if you took them out of the fridge, otherwise they will make the butter harden.

• Don’t over-mix the batter!
  Make sure you gently fold the dry mix into the wet to combine them.
  If you over-mix it, the protein powder and gluten from whole wheat flour will make it tough, dense and gummy.

Make ahead and Store Protein Birthday Cake:

Another great part about this vanilla protein cake recipe is that you can make in advance for a party, and even store leftovers!

You can keep the protein powder cake out at room temperature (on the countertop) for a day – as long as it has no frosting. A few hours if it has the frosting.

Store any leftover cake in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container.

To freeze his protein vanilla cake, slice it, wrap each piece in plastic wrap, and place the pieces in a freezer-safe zipper bag. They keep in the freezer for a few months.
You can even store the whole cake itself!

More Quest Protein Powder Desserts Recipes:

• Protein Apple Cupcakes with Protein Peanut Butter Frosting
• Mini Protein Cheesecakes with Protein Bar Crust
• Protein Banana Cake with Vanilla Protein Frosting
• Protein Pumpkin Cake & Cream Cheese Frosting (No Oil)
• Healthy Carrot Cake with Protein Yogurt Frosting