Vegan Strawberry Cake
This vegan strawberry cake has a fluffy 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.
Prep Time20 minutes mins
Cook Time25 minutes mins
Cool and Assemble1 hour hr 20 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr 55 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 10 slices
Calories: 555kcal
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoon beetroot powder
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- ⅓ cup almond milk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- ½ cup vegetable oil or canola oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Cake
Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside.
Combine the dairy-free milk and the apple cider vinegar. Allow to sit for 10 minutes to create vegan buttermilk.
Add the strawberries to your food processor, and blend until smooth. I recommend using fresh strawberries rather than frozen ones. Set aside
Add the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, beetroot powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together to combine.
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.
Pour the batter equally between the two 8-inch cake pans.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Use immediately if the cakes are cool, or refrigerate until you are ready to frost the cake.
Assembling the Cake
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.
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.
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.
Top with fresh strawberries or red sprinkles.
Tips for Making Vegan Strawberry Cake
-
- 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.
-
- 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.
- 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.
Calories: 555kcal | Carbohydrates: 102g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.05g | Sodium: 529mg | Potassium: 302mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 67g | Vitamin A: 439IU | Vitamin C: 179mg | Calcium: 114mg | Iron: 5mg