This easy Vegan Strawberry Snack Cake uses fresh reduced strawberries to get the absolute best natural strawberry flavor in both the cake & the buttercream frosting. If you are looking for an easy, eggless, & dairy-free strawberry snack cake, this recipe is a must-try!
This vegan strawberry cake is the 6th cake to join my vegan snacking cake series! So far we have made a classic vegan vanilla cake, banana cake with cookie butter frosting, banana chocolate chip cake, peanut butter cake, and delicious blueberry lemon cake!
This new strawberry flavor uses reduced strawberries to create the best flavor and texture. You will love this summer snacking cake!
Cake & Frosting Ingredients:
Ingredient & substitution notes:
- Pastry flour: Works best in this recipe because of its lower protein content which leads to a super tender peanut butter cake.
- To substitute for all-purpose flour swap 2 Tablespoons of flour for 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch. This equals 1 ¼ cups+ 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour and 1 Tablespoon cornstarch in the batter.
- Oat milk: can be substituted 1:1 for any plant-based milk such as almond, rice, or soy milk.
- Apple cider vinegar: Can be substituted 1:1 for lemon juice.
- Olive Oil: I used olive oil and prefer it for this cake, but it can be swapped out for any neutral oil
- Strawberries: Fresh is best, but if you have to you can use frozen strawberries too!
How to make vegan strawberry cake
Reduce the strawberries
First, wash the strawberries, cut off & discard the strawberry tops, and add the fresh strawberries to a blender. Blend into a smooth puree, then pour that into a saucepan.
Reduce the strawberries at low/medium heat, stirring consistently, for 20-25 minutes. The strawberries are ready when they have a deeper flavor, thick consistency, and have reduced in volume.
This step helps to remove water from the strawberries leading to a cake and frosting that have a better overall texture and deeper flavor, so don't skip it!
Make the strawberry cake batter
First, make the vegan buttermilk by whisking together the oat milk and apple cider vinegar. Let it sit a few minutes to curdle.
Then, add in the olive oil, reduced strawberry puree, and vanilla. Whisk together until smooth.
Then, mix in the dry ingredients including the pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. I recommend starting with a whisk, then switching to a spatula so the batter doesn't get overmixed.
Add to pan & bake
Pour the batter into a parchment-lined 8*8-inch square pan or a 9-inch circular pan. Then, use a spatula to spread the batter out evenly in the pan.
Add the cake to the oven and bake at 350F for 30-32 minutes. Then, remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. After that, carefully transfer the cake to a wire rack to continue cooling.
How to make vegan strawberry frosting
First, whip together the room-temperature vegan butter and coconut cream until smooth. Then, gradually add in the powdered sugar and whip it into a thick but smooth frosting.
As a final step whip in the reduced strawberry puree (making sure it's room temp!). Adding it last helps to create a cohesive frosting that doesn't separate or curdle.
Then, frost the cake using a cake spatula. I like swirling an extra bit of strawberry puree on top and topping each slice with fresh strawberries to enjoy!
FAQ & Tips:
Can I make this strawberry cake gluten-free?
Yes! While I have not tried it myself, it should work. You'll need to use a gluten-free 1:1 baking mix like this one from King Arthur.
Unfortunately, flour alternatives like coconut flour or almond flour will NOT work in this recipe as it's not a 1:1 substitution.
Can I bake this cake in a different pan?
You can bake this cake in a circular 9-inch pan for similar results.
This recipe can also be doubled and baked in a 9 by 13-inch pan if you want to make more cake. Please keep in mind, baking time may vary slightly in a different pan so I recommend checking on your cake at the 25-minute mark.
How do I store this vegan strawberry cake?
If unfrosted, the cooled strawberry cake can be wrapped in plastic wrap or tin foil and stored at room temperature for 24 hours.
If frosted, you can cover the cake and store it in the fridge for 2-3 days.
You can also slice it and store it in a closed container in the freezer for up to 1 month. Just defrost at room temperature for about 1 hour before enjoying!
I hope you love this easy Vegan Strawberry Cake with strawberry buttercream frosting. Not only is it dairy-free & eggless, but it's packed with fresh strawberry flavor!
-TSG
More vegan cake & cupcake recipes you will love:
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Vegan Strawberry Snack Cake
Ingredients
Reduced Strawberries:
- 1 pound strawberries (16 ounces, reduced to about ⅔ cup puree)
Strawberry Cake:
- ⅔ cup oat milk or any plant-based milk subbed 1:1
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ⅔ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup reduced strawberry puree *made above
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups pastry flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
Strawberry Frosting:
- ½ cup vegan butter room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons coconut cream room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 Tablespoons reduced strawberry puree *made above
Instructions
- I recommend making the reduced strawberries at least 1 hour before making the cake so it can cool completely.
Reduce the strawberries:
- Rinse the strawberries, cut off and discard their green leaves/tops, and add them to a blender. Blend until they form a liquid puree.
- Pour the blended strawberries into a saucepan. Cook over low to medium heat for 20-25 minutes, stirring consistently, until the strawberries have reduced to around ⅔ cups. You will know the strawberries are reduced when they have a deeper flavor, lighter color, and a thick consistency.
- Pour the reduced strawberries into a bowl and set aside to cool completely before using.
Make the cake batter:
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line an 8*8 inch square pan with parchment paper or grease the pan lightly. Set aside for later.
- Add the oat milk and apple cider vinegar to a large mixing bowl and whisk together. Let sit for 2-3 minutes to curdle.
- Next, add the sugar, reduced strawberry puree, oil, and vanilla to the bowl and whisk together. Then, add in the dry ingredients starting with the pastry flour and then adding the baking powder, salt, and baking soda on top.
- Mix into a thick batter. I recommend starting with a whisk and then switching to a spatula so the batter does not get over-mixed.
Bake the cake:
- Pour the batter into the pan and add to the oven. Bake for 30-32 minutes or until cooked through.
- Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then carefully move to a wire rack to finish cooling completely before frosting.
Make the strawberry frosting:
- Once the cake has cooled completely, make the frosting. Start by adding the butter and coconut cream to a bowl. Use a standing mixer or electric mixer to whip for a minute or two until combined and fluffy in texture.
- Gradually whip in the powdered sugar until incorporated. Once all the powdered sugar has been mixed in, add in the strawberry puree and whip it into a smooth frosting. Once combined, I recommend whipping the frosting for a few minutes longer to make it extra fluffy!
Frost the cake:
- Use a cookie scoop to add the strawberry frosting to the cake and then spread it out with a cake spatula. If you have any leftover puree, spread it out over the cake.
- Top with fresh strawberries, slice, serve, & enjoy!
Notes
- Please see the blog post for substitution ideas & recipe tips
- You can bake this cake in a circular 9-inch pan for similar results.
- This recipe can also be doubled and baked in a 9 by 13-inch pan if you want to make more cake. Please keep in mind, baking time may vary slightly in a different pan so I recommend checking on your cake at the 25-minute mark.
- If unfrosted, the cooled strawberry cake can be wrapped in plastic wrap or tin foil and stored at room temperature for 24 hours.
- If frosted, you can cover the cake and store it in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- You can also slice it and store it in a closed container in the freezer for up to 1 month. Just defrost at room temperature for about 1 hour before enjoying.
Ariane says
Hi Megan,
I have a mini bundt pan (muffin size) and I was wondering if I could use it for this recipe ?
Or if I should I use a bundt cake recipe instead with this pan
Thank you 🙂
Megan says
I would only recommend baking this recipe in a shallow cake pan as bundt cakes take longer to bake and usually you need a batter with a bit more moisture in it to handle that longer baking time. I do have recipes for an apple bundt cake and chocolate bundt cake on the blog that you can use :). This cake could be doubled and baked in a 9*13 inch pan though. Hope that helps!