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This easy Vegan Strawberry Cake is delightfully sweet and made with fresh strawberries. Decorated with a pretty-in-pink strawberry icing, it’s the perfect dessert for Valentine’s Day, summer, or whenever you’re craving sweet and tart strawberries!
‘Wow’ your guests or Valentine with this pinkalicious Vegan Strawberry Cake! It’s light and fluffy, just like my vegan vanilla cake, but made with fresh strawberries for a vibrant color and mouth-watering flavor. The vegan strawberry icing takes it over the top!
The best part: you won’t find any chunks of strawberries in the cake or icing. Fresh strawberries are blended into a smooth puree before they’re folded into the cake batter, and the icing gets its color and flavor from blended freeze-dried strawberries. You get all of the berrylicious flavors without the work of chopping heaps of berries.
Recipe features
- It’s pretty in pink! This vegan strawberry cake recipe is one of the best vegan desserts to make for Valentine’s Day (along with my fudgy vegan brownies) or when you’re simply craving strawberries.
- The cake and icing are naturally dairy and egg free, but just as moist, fluffy, and light as a classic strawberry cake.
- Make the cake layers ahead of time and store them in the fridge or freezer for later!
Ingredients
Fresh strawberries - The cake gets its light pink color and strawberry flavor from blended fresh strawberries. You can use frozen strawberries if that’s what you already have at home, but make sure to thaw them first.
Milk - Any dairy free milk can be used, like oat milk, almond milk, or cashew milk.
Vanilla extract - You need this to help flavor the cake. The notes of vanilla balance very nicely next to the strawberry puree.
Cake flour - Cake flour is ideal when baking light and delicate cakes because it contains very little protein, thus creating less gluten in the cake. If you don’t have cake flour at home, this homemade cake flour substitute by Sally’s Baking Addiction is easy to make by sifting all purpose flour and cornstarch together.
Vegan butter - You need vegan butter both for the cake batter and the vegan strawberry frosting. I always have great results with Earth Balance vegan butter.
Freeze-dried strawberries - These give the strawberry icing its pink color and strawberry flavor. Fresh or frozen strawberries won’t work as well because they can make the icing too watery and not as smooth. You should be able to find freeze-dried strawberries in many well-stocked grocery stores or online.
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Puree the strawberries. Place the strawberries in a blender or food processor and blend until you have a puree.
Step 2: Make the cake batter. Whisk the melted butter, strawberry puree, milk, and vanilla together in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together. Pour the dry mix into the wet and beat together until the batter is smooth.
Step 3: Bake. Transfer the batter to two prepared cake pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Step 4: Make the icing. While you wait for the cakes to cool, pulse the freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor or blender. Whisk the butter and milk together in a bowl, then add the blended strawberries and powdered sugar. Mix until the icing is smooth.
Step 5: Ice, slice, and enjoy. Decorate the cooled cake layers with the strawberry frosting, then place it in the fridge for later, or slice and serve!
Tips and FAQs
- Try not to overmix the batter! When you pour the dry mix into the wet, only stir the two until they just come together and no dry flour streaks remain.
- I made this cake in two 8-inch round cake pans. A 10-inch square pan or bundt pan could also work, but the baking times may vary.
- Prevent the cakes from sticking by lining the bottom of each cake pan with a round piece of parchment paper.
- For an extra pink strawberry cake, mix 1 to 2 drops of pink or red gel food coloring in with the batter.
- Remember to keep some fresh strawberries on the side for decoration!
Can I use all purpose flour instead?
Yes, but you don’t need as much all purpose flour since it’s heavier than cake flour. For this recipe, only use 2 cups of all purpose flour.
Can I use this recipe for cupcakes?
Absolutely! Make vegan strawberry cupcakes instead by pouring the cake batter into a lined cupcake tin and baking for 20 to 25 minutes
Can this cake be made gluten free?
I haven’t tested this recipe with gluten free flour, but you can try replacing the cake flour with a high-quality gluten free flour blend.
How do you store the baked cake layers?
Once the cakes are completely cool, wrap each one in plastic and store them in the fridge for up to 5 days. They also really well for around 2 months.
As for the frosted cake, make sure to keep it covered and in the fridge to prevent it from drying out.
More vegan cake recipes
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
Vegan Strawberry Cake
Ingredients
- ½ cup vegan butter melted
- 1 ½ cups strawberry puree buy 2 lbs strawberries, use extra for garnish
- ½ cup milk of choice I used almond milk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups cake flour
- 1 ½ cups cane sugar
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
for the icing
- 6 tablespoon vegan butter softened
- 5-6 tablespoon milk of choice I used almond milk
- 1 cup freeze dried strawberries
- 3 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° and line two 8” cake pans with parchment rounds.
- Add strawberries to a small blender or food processor and pulse to create strawberry puree (NOTE: start by blending 1 lb. strawberries and increase as needed. It’ll be somewhere around 1.5 lb. whole strawberries to create 1 ½ cups puree).
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the butter, strawberry puree, milk, and vanilla together.
- In a separate bowl, stir the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and stir with a hand mixer until the batter is smooth, but being careful not to over-mix.
- Divide the batter into the prepared cake pans, then bake the cake for 32-37 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Leave the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then carefully invert them onto a cooling rack. Wait for the cakes to cool completely before icing them.
for the icing:
- Pulse the freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor or small blender; set aside.
- Whisk the butter and milk together with a hand or stand mixer, then add in the blended freeze-dried strawberries and powdered sugar; mix until the icing is smooth.
- Ice the cake, slice and enjoy!
Jane says
This was delicious! My son requested a strawberry cake for his birthday and we all were pleased with the outcome! I cooked it in a 9x13 dish for a little over 40 minutes. I cut the sugar to 1 cup and it was still sweet enough. Thanks!
Jane says
Could I make this in a 9x13 pan? Thanks!
Erin says
I think that should work!
Jane says
Thanks! Thinking it’ll need closer to 40-45 min. I’ll report back on how it goes.
Jill says
Made this for the family this past weekend for Valentine's Day. It was such a huge hit! Such a great strawberry flavor.