Fairly.
Pink.
And truly tastes like strawberries!!
This vegan strawberry cake is totally BURSTING with strawberry taste. Made with contemporary strawberries and freeze-dried strawberries, this vegan strawberry cake recipe is the PERFECT CAKE for if you need one thing that makes you are feeling like spring or like love is within the air!
This scrumptious dessert is strictly what you wish to bust out for Valentine’s Day, a particular celebration, or Mom’s Day. I’ve scoured the web and even talked to folks (like within the olden instances) to gather all the data on the market on obtain an excellent moist strawberry cake that retains most strawberry taste. And I really suppose that is the BEST vegan strawberry cake you’ll ever have.
So, with out additional ado, let’s get into it!
Disclaimer: A few of the hyperlinks on this put up could also be affiliate hyperlinks for merchandise I exploit and love. In case you make a purchase order after clicking a kind of hyperlinks, I’ll earn a small affiliate fee, maybe sufficient to purchase some additional gochujang or gochugaru 🙂
pink strawberry cake versus strawberry shortcake.
Pink strawberry cake recipes shouldn’t be confused with plain, previous common strawberry cake recipes. The latter refers to any cake with strawberries in it. In Europe and even in the USA, “strawberry cake” can check with strawberry shortcake, for instance, a confection of vegan vanilla cake, sandwiched with clouds of fluffy whipped cream and contemporary strawberries.
Pink strawberry cake, alternatively, refers to a particular sort of strawberry cake that grew common within the Fifties and 60s, when retailers started to incorporate strawberry taste of their boxed muffins. They had been additionally identified for his or her fairly pink shade.
Apparently sufficient, when you evaluate the elements lists for these “strawberry” field muffins, a few of them don’t truly embrace any strawberry. Certainly one of them lists “strawberry juice solids” (no matter that’s) because the third to final ingredient. In different phrases, regardless of calling themselves “strawberry muffins,” and regardless of producing a good looking cake with a superbly pink crumb, these commercialized confections don’t have a lot precise strawberry in them!
For the reason that strawberry field cake craze of the 50s and 60s, formidable at-home bakers decided to make strawberry muffins “from scratch” got here up with one other iteration of this pink dessert: the strawberry jello cake. In lieu of including actual strawberries, the recipe requires a number of packets of strawberry jello powder. Sadly, most strawberry jello packets include gelatin, a vegan no-no.
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Strawberry Cake.
This vegan strawberry cake will embrace actual contemporary strawberries and freeze-dried strawberries within the cake batter itself, to create a moist cake that’s stuffed with actual strawberry taste. This vegan strawberry cake recipe may even incorporate contemporary strawberries within the filling, in addition to freeze-dried strawberries within the vegan buttercream that isn’t too candy (you already know me!). Briefly, this vegan strawberry cake shall be:
- Moist
- Flavorful
- Strawberry-y
As a result of it is a vegan strawberry cake recipe, we won’t be utilizing jello powder (although, I do wish to strive a model utilizing vegan jello powder, simply out of curiosity).
Is that this vegan strawberry cake an “simple” recipe? Look, I’ve a lot of simple recipes (take a look at my 3-Ingredient Bagels!), however this one, my buddies, will not be certainly one of them. I want I might name this an “simple vegan strawberry cake,” however I’d be mendacity. Except you’re knowledgeable cake maker, no vegan cake recipe that requires a number of layers and vegan frosting and freeze dried strawberries goes to be “simple.” I’m not gonna pull one over on ya for web optimization functions! BUT, I’ll information you thru this STEP-BY-STEP so as to do that with me! I promise!!
Key Substances and Notes on Substitutions for vegan carrot cake.
Contemporary Strawberries.
Right here is the place I’d usually say one thing snarky like “you’ll be able to’t have vegan strawberry cake with out strawberries,” however, as we mentioned above, apparently I’d be unsuitable! However this vegan strawberry cake will have precise strawberries in them! Particularly, contemporary strawberries shall be utilized in each the batter and the filling, to wit:
First, we’ll use a whole pound of strawberries to create a strawberry discount. What’s a strawberry discount? It’s not a contemporary strawberry puree. Contemporary pureed strawberries can have an excessive amount of liquid and make our cake too gummy or unstable. A strawberry discount is extra like a strawberry paste–it’s thick and can inject a ton of contemporary strawberry taste into our vegan strawberry cake, with out numerous moisture.
Second, we shall be utilizing one other half pound of strawberries to sandwich between the layers of our vegan strawberry cake, proper in the course of the cake. Many strawberry cake recipes don’t name for contemporary strawberries in between the cake layers, however I made it each methods (with and with out) and I’m tellin’ ya–if you need strawberry taste in your cake, this element is totally crucial.
Substitutions: Can you utilize frozen strawberries? Sure. If it’s not strawberry season, contemporary strawberries is likely to be exhausting to come back by. You may completely use frozen strawberries for this recipe.
Freeze Dried Strawberries.
On my first try at vegan strawberry cake, I utilized solely contemporary strawberries. Whereas the cake was scrumptious and moist, you can not style any strawberry. It was only a good cake with vegan strawberry frosting. I made a decision to up the ante in my second iteration and add (not change) with freeze-dried strawberries to the batter. And the distinction was fairly unimaginable. The freeze-dried strawberries shall be floor to create a “strawberry powder” that can go instantly into your batter, in addition to your frosting.
Substitutions: In case you can’t discover freeze dried strawberries, you’ll be able to substitute with freeze-dried raspberries. Clearly, this may have an effect on the flavour, however the tartness will nonetheless give this cake a really berry vibe!
Strawberry Jam.
For the contemporary strawberry filling, I combine the minimize up strawberries with a tablespoon of strawberry jam. Not solely will this take your strawberry taste to the billionth diploma, it’ll additionally make the filling sticky, in order that it doesn’t fall all over if you’re frosting your cake! One other good profit? The sugar within the jam will stop your strawberries from turning brown!
All Objective Flour.
I debated whether or not or not I ought to use cake flour for this vegan strawberry cake recipe, however all of the non-vegan strawberry cake recipes referred to as for normal all goal flour. After making it for the primary time, I concluded (in all probability like everybody else) that cake flour is just too delicate for this recipe. There’s a lot of moisture on this cake and all goal flour gives the durability vital to forestall the cake from falling aside!
We may even be utilizing somewhat flour within the frosting. The frosting??? Yup, the frosting. As I alluded to up entrance, I don’t like overly-sweet frostings. To be able to guard towards that, I used an ermine frosting–a frosting that’s made out of a milky roux.
Substitutions: Sub in your favourite all-purpose gluten-free flour mix to make this cake gluten-free!
Lemon.
Do you know that lemon zest helps to attract out the flavour of strawberries? To be able to maximize the “strawberriness” of our vegan strawberry cake, we’ll be utilizing each lemon juice and lemon zest in our cake batter!
Substitutions: In case you can’t get your arms on a lemon, an orange will do!
Sugar.
Natural cane sugar goes to assist lock within the moisture for our vegan strawberry cake whereas additionally offering sweetness. Sugar may even improve the flavour of strawberries. Natural cane sugar shall be used within the ermine strawberry frosting.
I wouldn’t attempt to substitute these elements. Changing sugar with maple syrup or a liquid sweetener will render the cake batter far too moist. Utilizing coconut sugar or date sugar will end in a really dense crumb, making it troublesome to realize a fluffy texture.
Vegan Buttermilk.
“My grocery retailer doesn’t promote vegan buttermilk!!”
I do know. Mine doesn’t both. Which is why we at all times make it from scratch! Vegan buttermilk is solely the combination of your favourite dairy-free milk (like oat milk or soy milk) and a few sort of acid. On this case, we’re going to be utilizing lemon juice! Whisk these two collectively and set it apart and voila! Vegan buttermilk!
Vegan buttermilk will give your vegan strawberry cake crumb the right tenderness, so that every strawberry-filled chew will soften in your mouth.
Aqaufaba.
The normal strawberry cake recipe requires egg whites solely. Accordingly, this vegan strawberry cake recipe would require aquafaba solely (versus including silken tofu because the “yolk”)! What’s aquafaba? It’s the liquid in a can of chickpeas.
Substitutions: you don’t have a can of chickpeas mendacity round, you need to use the gelatinous liquid that’s produced if you combine water with flax seeds (typically known as “flax eggs”). In case you don’t have flax eggs, it’s also possible to simply change with soy milk or oat milk or your most well-liked non-dairy milk.
Vegetable Oil.
To be able to preserve the cake as moist as doable, this vegan strawberry cake recipe does name for vegetable oil. You may substitute with any impartial oil (grapeseed oil, canola oil, avocado oil, safflower oil, sunflower seed oil, and many others.). You can too use additional virgin olive oil when you don’t thoughts the flavour. Lastly, if you wish to preserve this recipe oil free, you need to use applesauce. Nonetheless, it will probably make the cake a bit gummy.
Vegan Butter.
Vegan butter will assist with setting each the vegan strawberry cake and the frosting. Vegan butter is, in spite of everything, strong at even room temperature. This may even be certain that your frosting doesn’t get too smooth. In case you don’t have vegan butter, you’ll be able to substitute with coconut oil (once more, when you don’t thoughts the hints of coconut in your frosting and cake).
Pink Meals Coloring.
If you need a pink vegan strawberry cake, you’re going to have to make use of somewhat meals coloring. And right here’s the information you don’t wish to hear–it’s not a kind of all-natural issues. The issue with strawberries, beet juice, raspberry juice, and different sources of all-natural meals coloring is that when combined with baking powder and/or baking soda underneath warmth, the PH stability turns your pretty pink batter brown.
The primary time I baked this vegan strawberry cake, I fell for the “all-natural” meals coloring and was completely crestfallen when my completely pink cake turned out wanting like chocolate cake. I used Wilton’s meals coloring for my second try, leading to a really vibrant, pink crumb. In case you don’t thoughts a brown cake (in lieu of a pink one), you need to use no matter meals coloring you want (or just ditch it).
The excellent news is that the frosting doesn’t must be subjected to warmth and due to this fact, you don’t want any meals coloring in any respect! The freeze-dried strawberries provides you with a beautiful, pale pink!
Strawberry Extract.
Look, I needed to take NO CHANCES with my vegan strawberry cake and due to this fact used every thing I had obtainable to me. My native grocery shops promote strawberry extract so I added only a couple drops to my batter. Many strawberry cake recipes do not require strawberry extract so when you can’t discover some or just gained’t be bothered, you’ll be able to ditch it!
Step-by-Step Directions for Making This vegan Strawberry cake recipe.
It is a cake. So buckle up, there shall be just a few transferring elements to this vegan strawberry cake. I’d advocate reviewing this recipe a pair instances earlier than you dig in!
Step 1.
Make the strawberry discount: Trim and hull 1 pound of contemporary strawberries. Place them in both a meals processor or upright blender and mix till you will have a strawberry puree. Place the puree right into a small sauce pot over medium-low warmth. Cook dinner till the contents have been decreased by half, stirring regularly to keep away from burning or sticking, for about 20 to 25 minutes. Place your strawberry discount in a shallow bowl. Let it cool within the fridge earlier than utilizing (no less than one hour). Let it come again to room temperature earlier than utilizing.
Step 2.
Assemble all of your elements (butter, milk, aquafaba) upfront so they’re at room temperature if you use them.
Preheat your oven to 350° F. Line two 6-inch spherical baking pans with parchment paper. Grease the edges with vegan butter or cooking spray.
Put together your strawberry powder: Add 1 1/2 ounces of freeze-dried strawberries into your meals processor. Grind till you obtain a high-quality powder. Place the powder via a sieve or sifter to take away any giant bits.
Step 3.
In a small cup, combine collectively your non-dairy milk with lemon juice and put aside (that is your vegan buttermilk). In a big mixing bowl, sift and whisk collectively the flour, sea salt, baking powder, baking soda, and 1/4 cup of strawberry powder.
Step 4.
In a big mixing bowl (or to the bowl of your stand mixer), add your sugar and lemon zest. Utilizing your arms, therapeutic massage the lemon zest into the sugar, serving to to launch the lemon oils. Then, add your butter. Utilizing a hand mixer (or the whisk attachment), combine the butter into the sugar till creamy (about 2 minutes).
Add your aquafaba and blend till frothy (about 30 seconds). Lastly, add your strawberry discount, vegan buttermilk, vegetable oil, strawberry extract, somewhat vanilla extract, and a pair drops of pink coloring and blend till totally included (about 4 to five minutes).
Step 5.
Add your dry elements to your bowl of moist elements. Utilizing a spatula, incorporate the dry elements in giant round motions round your bowl, till all of the dry elements have been included. Don’t overmix. Divide your batter equally into your ready baking pans and bake till a toothpick inserted within the heart of every cake comes out clear (round 38 to 40 minutes). Permit the cake to chill fully. (You may even wrap it in plastic wrap and place it within the fridge in a single day–doing so will make frosting a lot simpler).
Step 6.
Make your strawberry frosting: To a medium sauce pot over low warmth, add your flour and sugar. Stir the contents with a rubber spatula in order that the sugar and flour get barely toasted (about 2 minutes). Whisk in non-dairy milk and proceed to whisk over low warmth till it turns right into a thick paste (about 2 minutes). Pour the contents out right into a shallow bowl and canopy with plastic wrap in order that the plastic wrap is touching the highest of your roux (in any other case, it’ll develop an disagreeable “pores and skin”). Place it within the fridge (or freezer if you wish to use it as quickly as doable) in order that it cools down earlier than you mix it with the butter.
As soon as your roux has cooled, place it, along with butter and remaining strawberry powder, in a big mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Combine collectively till you will have a clean, pink frosting.
Step 7.
Make your strawberry filling: Combine your strawberries along with strawberry jam and put aside.
Step 8.
Assemble your cake: As soon as your cake has fully cooled, use a spoon or a piping bag so as to add sufficient frosting on prime of the underside layer in order that it’s solely coated. Add your strawberry filling to the middle, leaving some house across the margin (in any other case the strawberries will fall out if you add the second layer). Pipe or spoon extra frosting excessive of the filling and unfold utilizing the again of your spoon or offset spatula. Then, gently place the second layer on prime. Add frosting to the highest and utilizing your spoon or an offset spatula, clean out the highest and frost the edges.
Ceaselessly Requested Questions.
Can you utilize freeze-dried strawberries for strawberry cake?
Sure! When floor up right into a high-quality powder, freeze-dried strawberries can be utilized in each the batter and the frosting of a strawberry cake.
Can you utilize frozen strawberries as a substitute of contemporary strawberries for strawberry cake?
Sure! You should use frozen strawberries rather than contemporary strawberries when making strawberry cake.
Are you able to make this vegan strawberry cake gluten-free?
Sure! Merely change the flour along with your favourite gluten-free all goal flour mix (I want Bob’s Crimson Mill’s all goal gluten-free flour) to make this vegan strawberry cake gluten-free.
Do I would like to make use of meals coloring for my strawberry cake?
If you wish to have a vibrant pink shade on your strawberry cake, it is suggested that you just use a man-made meals coloring. Strawberries, by themselves, will flip your cake grayish-brown when baked. The identical will end result from utilizing all-natural meals coloring.
Need Extra Vegan Cake Recipes?
5
6-Ingredient No-Bake Simple Pumpkin Cheesecake.
A no-bake pumpkin cheesecake that’ll be the HIT of your vacation banquet!
6
6-Ingredient No-Bake Simple Peaches & Cream Cheesecake.
A no-bake cheesecake that’s really the stuff of desires!
7
Simple No Bake Vegan Sponge Cake
The BEST and ONLY vegan sponge cake recipe you may ever want!
8
Recipe Card.
Gorgeous Pink Vegan Strawberry Cake.
For a good looking pink cake made with ACTUAL strawberries!
For Strawberry Discount.
- 1 lb contemporary strawberries, trimmed and hulled
For Strawberry Powder.
- 3 ounces freeze-dried strawberries
For Strawberry Cake.
- 1/2 cup (4 ounces) non-dairy milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 1/4 cup (400 grams) all goal flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 cup strawberry powder
- 1 1/2 cups (300 grams) natural cane sugar
- 1 lemon (zest)
- 1 cup (226 grams) unsalted vegan butter
- 3/4 cup (6 ounces) aquafaba
- 1/2 cup strawberry discount
- 3/8 cup (3 ounces) vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp strawberry extract
- 1/2 tsp pink meals coloring
For Strawberry Filling.
- 1/2 lb strawberries, trimmed, hulled, and minimize into small items
- 1 tbsp strawberry jam or preserves
For Strawberry Ermine Frosting.
- 1/2 cup (42 grams) all goal flour
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) natural cane sugar
- 1 cup (8 ounces) non-dairy milk
- 1/4 cup strawberry powder
- 1 1/4 cup (272 grams) unsalted vegan butter
-
Make the strawberry discount: Trim and hull 1 pound of contemporary strawberries. Place them in both a meals processor or upright blender and mix till you will have a strawberry puree. Place the puree right into a small sauce pot over medium-low warmth. Cook dinner till the contents have been decreased by half, stirring regularly to keep away from burning or sticking, for about 20 to 25 minutes. Place your strawberry discount in a shallow bowl. Let it cool within the fridge earlier than utilizing (no less than one hour). Let it come again to room temperature earlier than utilizing.
-
Assemble all of your elements (butter, milk, aquafaba) upfront so they’re at room temperature if you use them.Preheat your oven to 350° F. Line two 6-inch spherical baking pans with parchment paper. Grease the edges with vegan butter or cooking spray.Put together your strawberry powder: Add 1 1/2 ounces of freeze-dried strawberries into your meals processor. Grind till you obtain a high-quality powder. Place the powder via a sieve or sifter to take away any giant bits.
-
In a small cup, combine collectively your non-dairy milk with lemon juice and put aside (that is your vegan buttermilk). In a big mixing bowl, sift and whisk collectively the flour, sea salt, baking powder, baking soda, and 1/4 cup of strawberry powder.
-
In a big mixing bowl (or to the bowl of your stand mixer), add your sugar and lemon zest. Utilizing your arms, therapeutic massage the lemon zest into the sugar, serving to to launch the lemon oils. Then, add your butter. Utilizing a hand mixer (or the whisk attachment), combine the butter into the sugar till creamy (about 2 minutes). Add your aquafaba and blend till frothy (about 30 seconds). Lastly, add your strawberry discount, vegan buttermilk, vegetable oil, strawberry extract, somewhat vanilla extract, and a pair drops of pink coloring and blend till totally included (about 4 to five minutes).
-
Add your dry elements to your bowl of moist elements. Utilizing the hand mixer, incorporate the dry elements, till all of the dry elements have been included. Don’t overmix. Divide your batter equally into your ready baking pans and bake till a toothpick inserted within the heart of every cake comes out clear (round 38 to 40 minutes). Permit the cake to chill fully. (You may even wrap it in plastic wrap and place it within the fridge in a single day–doing so will make frosting a lot simpler).
-
Make your strawberry frosting: To a medium sauce pot over low warmth, add your flour and sugar. Stir the contents with a rubber spatula in order that the sugar and flour get barely toasted (about 2 minutes). Whisk in non-dairy milk and proceed to whisk over low warmth till it turns right into a thick paste (about 2 minutes). Pour the contents out right into a shallow bowl and canopy with plastic wrap in order that the plastic wrap is touching the highest of your roux (in any other case, it’ll develop an disagreeable “pores and skin”). Place it within the fridge (or freezer if you wish to use it as quickly as doable) in order that it cools down earlier than you mix it with the butter.As soon as your roux has cooled, place it, along with butter and remaining strawberry powder, in a big mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Combine collectively till you will have a clean, pink frosting.
-
Make your strawberry filling: Combine your strawberries along with strawberry jam and put aside.
-
Assemble your cake: As soon as your cake has fully cooled, use a spoon or a piping bag so as to add sufficient frosting on prime of the underside layer in order that it’s solely coated. Add your strawberry filling to the middle, leaving some house across the margin (in any other case the strawberries will fall out if you add the second layer). Pipe or spoon extra frosting excessive of the filling and unfold utilizing the again of your spoon or offset spatula. Then, gently place the second layer on prime. Add frosting to the highest and utilizing your spoon or an offset spatula, clean out the highest and frost the edges.
- Don’t use salted vegan butter for this recipe. Your cake and frosting will end up overly salty.
- All your perishable elements (butter, milk, aquafaba) ought to be delivered to room temperature earlier than utilizing.
- Use a scale to precisely divide your batter into two cake pans, so that you just don’t have lopsided muffins!
- Stick your muffins within the fridge to chill (utilizing plastic wrap) earlier than frosting. This can assist with stabilizing your crumb earlier than you add the frosting.
- Place your cake within the fridge and even freezer earlier than serving (although ensure that to thaw a bit if utilizing the freezer). I’ve discovered that doing so really enhances the “strawberriness” of the muffins!
Energy: 301kcalCarbohydrates: 59gProtein: 4gFats: 6gSaturated Fats: 1gPolyunsaturated Fats: 3gMonounsaturated Fats: 1gTrans Fats: 0.03gSodium: 267mgPotassium: 147mgFiber: 2gSugar: 34gVitamin A: 52IUVitamin C: 58mgCalcium: 89mgIron: 2mg
Did you want this recipe? In that case, please go away a ranking and share it!
