Vegan Strawberry Cake

This vegan strawberry cake has a fluffy and moist crumb made with tons of fresh strawberries and topped with a simple vegan strawberry cream cheese frosting. Made with all-natural ingredients, this cake is soft, moist, and bursting with strawberry flavor.

Jump to:

• 💗 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• 🥣 Ingredients and Notes
• 👩🏻‍🍳 How to Make Vegan Strawberry Cake
• 📝 Expert Tips
• 🧁 How to Make Into Cupcakes
• 🍴 How to Serve
• ❄️ How to Store and Keep
• 😋 More Vegan Cake Recipes!
• 🎥 Video
• 🍰 Serving Size
• Recipe

Sometimes you’re just in the mood for cake, am I right? When it’s strawberry season, it’s the perfect time to make this light and fluffy cake with fresh strawberries and a decadent strawberry frosting. It’s an irresistible plant-based dessert! This double-layer 8-inch cake will be the star of any special occasion.

If you’re looking for more vegan strawberry recipes, try my vegan strawberry shortcake made with vegan whipped cream or my chia strawberry jam, vegan vanilla pudding with fresh berries, or vegan chocolate-covered strawberries!

💗 Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Made with Real Strawberries
• Intense Strawberry Flavor
• Simple and Wholesome Ingredients
• Light and Fluffy Crumb

🥣 Ingredients and Notes

All Purpose Flour-Using all-purpose flour is lighter than whole wheat or white whole wheat flour. This results in a more delicate cake texture. You could also use cake flour for an even fluffier texture.

Organic Cane Sugar-Alternative sugars cause the cake to have a darker brown appearance, so I opt for organic cane sugar.

Beetroot Powder (optional): The beetroot powder is a natural way to give the cake a more vibrant pink color. You can leave it out if you don’t have beetroot powder.

Baking Powder, Baking Soda, and Salt- Combining baking powder and baking soda helps the cake rise, while salt helps balance all the flavors.

Dairy Free Milk-Any type of dairy-free milk works. Use what you have on hand. It will be combined with apple cider vinegar to create a vegan buttermilk.

Apple Cider Vinegar-Using apple cider vinegar coupled with dairy-free milk creates a vegan buttermilk. The vinegar also helps the cake leaven.

Vegetable or Canola Oil-Using oil in this recipe gives the cake the needed moisture. You could also use fractionated coconut oil.

Vanilla Extract-The vanilla extract gives this recipe its vanilla flavor. You can add vanilla powder for an even more intense vanilla flavor.

Fresh Strawberries-The strawberries will be pureed and then reduced to create a simple strawberry syrup.

Vegan Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

Vegan Cream Cheese: There are many brands of vegan cream cheese on the market. Violife is my favorite.

Vegan Butter: I prefer to use Earth’s Balance Baking sticks. Make sure the butter is at room temperature.

Freeze-Dried Strawberries: Gives the frosting its strawberry flavor.

Powdered Sugar-Use more or less than the recipe calls for depending on how sweet you like it.

👩🏻‍🍳 How to Make Vegan Strawberry Cake

For the Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Combine the dairy-free milk and the apple cider vinegar. Allow to sit for 10 minutes to create vegan buttermilk.
3. Add the strawberries to your food processor, and blend until smooth. I recommend using fresh strawberries rather than frozen ones. Set aside.
4. Add the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, beetroot powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together to combine.
5. Add the strawberry puree, vegan buttermilk (dairy-free milk and apple cider vinegar), vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Fold together using a spatula until combined. Don’t overmix.
6. Pour the batter equally between the two 8-inch cake pans.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick in the cake comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in their pans for 10 minutes, then carefully remove them and cool completely on a wire rack.

For the Frosting

1. While the cake is baking, make the vegan strawberry cream cheese frosting. In a large mixing bowl, add room-temperature butter to your mixing bowl. Beat until creamy, about 30 seconds.
2. Drain any excess water from the cream cheese, then add it to the bowl with the vanilla extract and salt. Beat for 30 seconds to a minute but no longer! Beating for too long can cause a runny texture.
3. Run a spatula along the sides of the bowl. Then add 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time, beating on low speed until it becomes thick. 
4. Add the freeze-dried strawberries to a food processor. Pulse until a fine powder is formed. Then add the strawberry powder to the cream cheese frosting, beating on low until it’s completely incorporated.
5. Use immediately if the cakes are cool, or refrigerate until you are ready to frost the cake.

Assembling the Cake

1. Once the cakes are completely cool, carefully remove the top dome of one of the cakes so that it has a flat top. Use a large bread knife.
2. Spread one cup of the frosting on the flat-top cake. Note: If you refrigerate your cream cheese frosting, allow it to sit for about 5 minutes at room temperature and give it a good stir to make it easier to spread.
3. Place the other cake on top of the frosted layer. Spread another cup of the frosting on the top. If you have additional frosting, carefully spread the frosting along the sides of the cake.
4. Top with fresh strawberries or red sprinkles.

📝 Expert Tips

• The best type of oil to use is vegetable or canola oil. You could also use coconut oil, but be sure that it is melted and cooled.
• Don’t over-mix the batter. It will cause a dense cake texture.
• Add a teaspoon of strawberry flavoring to the cake batter to infuse more strawberry flavor.
• Place the cake pans on the middle rack of the oven.
• Check the cake at the 20-minute mark to ensure it doesn’t overbake. All ovens are a bit different.
• Make sure to line your cake pan with parchment paper and grease the sides so that it releases easily.
• Do not frost the cake until it is completely cool. A warm cake will melt the cream cheese frosting.
• Keep the vegan strawberry cream cheese frosting in the refrigerator until you’re ready to frost the cake. Allow the frosting to come back to room temperature, and give it a good stir before frosting the cake.
• Use a piping bag to frost the cakes for a neat and even finish.
• Reserve a handful of strawberries to decorate the top of the cake.

🧁 How to Make Into Cupcakes

Line cupcake tins with cupcake liners. Fill cupcakes liners ¾ of the way full. Bake at 350 F for 15 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. This batter should make about 12 cupcakes.

🍴 How to Serve

• Use a sharp knife to cut the cake into slices. Wipe the blade clean between each slice for neat servings.
• Serve the slices on dessert plates or cake stands.
• You can accompany the cake with additional fresh strawberries, a dollop of vegan whipped cream, or a side of vegan ice cream for extra flavor and variety.

❄️ How to Store and Keep

Cover and store the leftovers in the refrigerator. Since this cake has a cream cheese frosting, it must be stored in the refrigerator. The cake will keep for up to 5 days.

😋 More Vegan Cake Recipes!

🎥 Video

🍰 Serving Size

This cake makes 10 large slices of cake.

Recipe