Vegan Strawberry Cake
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My vegan strawberry cake recipe uses fresh strawberries to make a light, fluffy, refreshing cake enveloped in strawberry frosting. I love how simply it comes together.
When strawberry season approaches, I love coming up with new recipes to incorporate them. My fresh vegan strawberry cake recipe is one of my partner’s favorites. Topped with pink cream cheese frosting, it’s the kind of cake people ask for the recipe right away.
As someone who has developed vegan desserts since 2015, the tricky part wasn’t the cake batter itself. Rather, it was how best to impart strawberry flavor and color into the cake without affecting the texture. The trick is to blend the strawberries into a puree so they blend seamlessly into the batter, rather than staying whole and releasing extra moisture.
The result is a naturally pink cake that doesn’t rely on artificial flavorings or colors.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Simple baking staples. Aside from the strawberries, everything else is a standard pantry item. No specialty vegan ingredients are needed.
- Bursting with strawberry flavor. Most strawberry cakes look pink but don’t taste like strawberries. I tested this until you could taste strawberry flavor in every bite.
- Perfect texture. Vegan cakes are notorious for falling apart, but this recipe uses the right ingredient ratios to yield a tender crumb.
- Baked in under 30 minutes. And the prep time is kept to a minimum, too.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“This was delicious! I made the cream cheese icing with freeze-dried strawberries (ground into powder). Absolutely delicious! Thank you!” – Melanie
Key Ingredients
Here’s what goes into a dairy free strawberry cake, along with my kitchen notes. Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
- All-purpose flour. I suggest sifting it first to remove any clumps. If you need this cake to be gluten-free, I tested it with Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour successfully.
- Baking powder and baking soda. Using both gives the cake a lighter crumb than one leavener alone.
- Powdered sugar. I tested regular sugar, too, but I loved the airy, fluffy texture you get from the powdered sugar. If you only have granulated sugar, blend it until it reaches a powdered consistency.
- Oil. To add moisture without using eggs. Use a neutral-tasting oil, such as canola or vegetable oil. I tested coconut oil, but in the end, I thought it made the cake too dry.
- Dairy-free yogurt. Coconut yogurt or soy yogurt works. I used plain, but vanilla pairs well with the strawberry flavor.
- Fresh strawberries. They’ll be blended into a puree. If you only have frozen strawberries, let them thaw overnight and drain the excess juice.
- Vegan frosting. I made my own and included instructions below, but you can buy vegan buttercream frosting at most grocery stores.
- Natural pink food coloring. Optional, but use a few drops if you’d like a pink cake. I like all-natural gel, as it gives a more vibrant pink color.
Frosting ideas
Any frosting will work, but I made a vegan cream cheese frosting. Here’s how it’s done:
- Combine 8 ounces vegan cream cheese with ⅓ cup softened vegan butter and beat until creamy.
- Add 2 cups of powdered sugar and continue beating.
- Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and another 2 cups of powdered sugar, and beat until smooth. Fold in pink food coloring if using.
If you want to make a vegan strawberry buttercream frosting, fold in freeze-dried strawberries. If you want to make a chocolate frosting, fold in ¼ cup of cocoa powder.
How to make vegan strawberry cake
Step 1- Prep. Preheat oven to 180C/350F and spray two 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray.
Step 2- Blend the strawberries. Using a high-speed blender or food processor, blend the strawberries to a puree.
Step 3- Combine dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
Step 4- Finish the cake batter. In a separate bowl, combine the powdered sugar, yogurt, strawberry puree, and food coloring (if using). Whisk in the dry ingredients slowly until combined.
Step 5- Bake. Pour the batter into the cake pans. Bake the cakes for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely in the pans, then remove them and frost.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Prepare the pans. Trace the bottom of the pan with a pencil and cut it out. It takes 30 seconds and makes removal completely clean. If possible, use a springform pan for easier removal.
- Avoid overbaking the cakes. They’ll continue to cook as they cool, so pull them from the oven as soon as a toothpick comes out mostly clean, not completely dry.
- Guarantee even-sized cake layers. Use a food scale to weigh the cake pans as you add the batter.
- Let the cakes cool completely before frosting. Otherwise, the frosting will melt, and the cake will begin to sink.
- Don’t skip blending the strawberries. Whole or chopped up strawberries release too much moisture during baking, and will make the cake dense. Blend completely smooth before adding it to the batter.
Variations
- Add more strawberry flavor. Add one teaspoon of strawberry extract or fold in ¼ cup of strawberry jam for a texture change.
- Make vegan strawberry cupcakes! To make cupcakes, pour the batter into a cupcake tin with cupcake liners and bake for 12-15 minutes.
Storage instructions
To store: Leftover strawberry cake should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. For longer storage, refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
To freeze: Wrap leftover cake slices in parchment paper and store them in a freezer-safe container for up to 6 months.
Vegan Strawberry Cake
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup strawberries blended and pureed
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour use gluten free, if needed
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup confectioners sugar
- 1/2 cup canola oil or any oil of choice
- 1/2 cup dairy free yogurt can use any plain or vanilla yogurt
Frosting
- 8 ounces vegan cream cheese
- 1/2 cup vegan butter
- 4 cups confectioners sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon red food coloring optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Line 2 8-inch pans. Cut a circular piece of parchment paper by tracing the bottom of the pan with a pencil and cutting it out.
- Using a high speed blender or food processor, blend your strawberries until a pureed texture.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine your flour, baking soda, and baking powder and mix well.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the powdered sugar, oil, yogurt, and strawberries, and mix until combined and creamy. Gently fold through your dry mixture, and mix until just combined.
- Distribute the cake batter amongst the two cake pans. Bake the cakes for 20-25 minutes, until a skewer comes out just clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pans completely. Once cool, remove from the pans and frost, if desired.
- To make the frosting, combine the vegan cream cheese and vegan butter and beat until fluffy. Add half the confectioners sugar and continue beating. Add the vanilla and the remaining confectioners' sugar and beat until smooth. If using food coloring, stir that through at the end.
Notes
Nutrition
More vegan cake recipes
- Vegan chocolate cake– The chocolate cake I make for any occasion, vegan or not.
- Vegan lemon cake– A moist, bright cake topped with a simple cream cheese frosting.
- Vegan German chocolate cake– If you love sweet cakes, this one is for you.
- Vegan birthday cake– The perfect cake for any birthday or celebration.
Originally published July 2020
The cake was moist and spongey but it had little to no flavor. The only flavor we tasted was from the frosting.
Hi KF- I’m sorry to hear that. Did you omit some of the sugar or use strawberries that aren’t overly sweet? That can dilute the sweetness of the cake, and especially if the strawberries were frozen first (frozen strawberries are notorious for being flavorless). I’d love to troubleshoot for you!
Best dairy free recipe I’ve made so far.
Moist and tasty
Love
Moist and tasty is certainly what I strive for with a good cake recipe! So glad you enjoyed this one, thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
In the oven, but I already know it’s a winner. I added about 2 tablespoons of dehydrated strawberries to the mix, a teaspoon of vanilla and a pinch of salt. My house smells amazing
So YUMMY! My sister is vegan and she loved this.
Do you have a puree measurement handy? I have strawberry puree from another recipe and just want to make sure I don’t add too much!
Hi Jen! Approximately 3/4 cup. It would vary depending on how ripe/juicy they are 🙂
This cake was outstanding! It got rave reviews when I made it. The only thing I’d like to point out was that I used 9 inch round cake pans and it definitely wasn’t enough for two layers, following this recipe as stated. I had to double the cake part of the recipe to have enough for 2 adequate layers. Will definitely be making this again😋Thank you!
Wow, this is the first time I made a cake that turns out fluffy & moist inside! Amazing!
I only made one layer as I only have 1 cake tin. I used coconut oil which is the only difference from the recipe. It came out nice, not red as in the pic, since I didn’t use any coloring. Just that it’s slightly thinner than in the pic. I wonder what could cause the difference in height. 😛
Anyway thanks for sharing this recipe! I’m glad I made it! : )
Love to hear that, Angelina. Hmmm odd that it was thinner for you- did you use the right size cake pan? Glad you enjoyed the flavor 🙂
Hi! I am going to make this! 1 cup of strawberries as in whole strawberries, or 1 cup of pureed strawberries? It will be difficult to gauge if some strawberries are big and take up the whole cup with just a few. ‘:P
Thanks for your reply! : )
Hi Angelina, one cup of strawberries, whole, before blending 🙂
What a nice colour of the cake. Like strawberries so much!
Hi your cake look good but is it truly moist. I want to make it but I want a batter for three layer 9 inch cake pans. Could you please tell me the exact amount of ingredients that I should use please?
I want to make it for some one who lost a family member and she’s a vegan.
Made this cake for my daughter’s birthday. It turned out so good! Some alterations I made were using organic yogurt instead of vegan yogurt (so it was almost vegan), and I ground the dehydrated strawberries and added vanilla for the icing. Superb!! I should have doubled the cake recipe for either two taller layers or for a total of four short layers. Next time…
I made this cake today. It didn’t come out the way I expected. I used gluten-free flour, olive oil and half a cup of the powdered sugar. It came out really gooey. Maybe next time it’ll come out better.
This was delicious! I made the cream cheese icing with freeze dried strawberries (ground into powder). Absolutely delicious! Thank you!
Can this be converted to cupcakes with gluten free flour?
The cake was scrumptious 😋😋😋
Thank you for the recipe🙏🏻😊
the best strawberry cake recipe I’ve ever made.
Hi,
Do you think this would work as cupcakes ?
Wondering if the bake time would be the same.
Thanks for the recipe !
I don’t see why not- you’ll need to reduce the baking time to around 15-20 minutes.
Made this cake for my friend since she’s lactose intolerant. I didn’t get to try the cake (I usually do) because I only had enough batter for the cake. She said it was delicious so definitely saving this for next time! Thank you!
Hello,
I am wondering if spelt flour will give the same effect?
Haven’t tried- feel free to experiment and see!
Very clever recipe. I made the gluten free version along with your cream cheese frosting. It really is yummy!
My family loved this! They said it was “bakery quality.” I love the fresh strawberry flavor. A lot of cake recipes call for making a strawberry reduction but I really prefer the flavor of fresh strawberries in this cake. A great way to enjoy strawberry season!
Love the “bakery quality” compliment! You must have done an amazing job!
Hi! I made this recipe a couple months ago and fell in love. Would love to get your opinion on making this chocolate/orange. Not sure which part to make cake and which to make frosting lol. Is this possible?
I have a chocolate orange cake that uses similar ingredients 🙂
I made this cake for 2 groups with a vegan buttercream frosting and everyone LOVED it. My mom said it’s the best cake she’s ever had! Delicious. I can’t wait to make it again!
Love this recipe! Sponge turned out moist and held shape well as a sandwich. I wanted a non dairy cream filling rather than buttercream and so experimented with vegan ice cream as other vegan double creams had no substance. The ice cream worked perfectly, frozen in 2 same size discs and added on construction inbetween 3 layers of sponge. Cuts beautifully and re freezes!
Has anyone ever tried this with King Arthur Keto Wheat flour?
To follow up on my previous question; I see that you have already answered to others…..sorry to bother and not have read ALL the comments before me first!!😊
Sheri: I am interested in what your “easy fix” was in making this Could you share what that was?
Hello,
I made the recipe with GF flour (King Arthur) and followed the directions entirely. The cake does not rise during baking for GF as the regular flour does. Easy fix! I made another batch and now have a beautiful four-layer cake instead of two. Delicious! Also, the cream cheese frosting tastes lovely! Thank you!
OOoooh, thanks for that tip, Dawn! I’m going to try it that way too. Arman, thank you for this awesome recipe. It’s my and my daughter’s favorite flavor cake.
You are so welcome, Lisa!
For more intense strawberry flavor – I added 1 cup freeze dried strawberries (that I ground into powder in a food processor) – yum!
Do you think this would turn out if I used applesauce in place of the oil?
Haven’t tried!
i loved that this recipe is do easy peasy. any replacement for vegan yogurt though ?
Traditional yogurt works!
I’m trying this recipe later this week and just wanted to double check that the 1 cup of strawberries blended and pureed is measured at a cup of whole strawberries, and then blended and pureed, rather than a cup of the puree. Thanks for any help1
Yes that is correct 🙂 One cup pre-blended!
I’ve tried the recipe with regular yogurt, gluten free, and added strawberry extract; halved recipe which fit in my silicone 6in pan. Yet I feel like it needed more strawberry taste…Do I measure strawberries before pureed or puree then measure the puree. I measured strawberries first btw.
I was wondering if I can use regular yogurt…or does it have to be non dairy?
You sure can!
Best vegan strawberry cake recipe!
I made this recipe in combination with the strawberry buttercream frosting and it is SPECTACULAR. Some familial reviews were “this is bakery quality” and that it’s better than our favorite vegan restaurant’s dessert!! High praise!
Love it!!! xx
This cake was amazing, I made two batches bc I needed a big cake and a smash cake and everyone LOVED it. I highly recommend. Super easy to make and delicious!
Delicious and lovely texture! I made cupcakes with this and baked them 14-16 minutes. Changed the butter for shortening in the frosting which made it stiffer for piping.
I have a question. Do you want a cup full of strawberries that you then blend, or do you want me to blend as many strawberries as it takes to get to one cup of purée?
Mine came out great! One of the best vegan cakes I ever made. I subbed 1 Tb cornstarch for 1 Tb of the flour so cake would not be dense. For vegan yogurt, I put 1 TB ACV in a measuring cup & added Silk Original Soy Milk to equal 1/2 cup. For frosting I beat 8 oz Tofutti Cream Cheese (1/2 tub) with 2 Tb Earth Balance til creamy, then added 2 cups sifted powdered sugar. My frosting was soft & not overly sweet & I frosted the cake in the pan (8×12″). If I made a layer cake, I would have added another cup powdered sugar. 🙂
Hi Arman, Is it 1 Cup of strawberries (and then blended) or is it on cup of blended strawberries? Thanks and warm regards, Alex
1 cup blended 🙂
Can I use seedless strawberry preserves/jam to replace the strawberries? And how much?
Haven’t tried, feel free to experiment and see!
Arman,
What is the best way to measure the strawberries? Is the measurement a cup of strawberry puree?
Thanks,
Puree 🙂
Hey Arman,
You actually typed “shiow stopping dessert” near the beginning of this recipe, so I wanted to point that out. 🙂
This recipe was so easy and delicious! The recipe as stated above is only for one layer though. Double it for a normal two layer cake. I also used the suggested cream cheese frosting recipe which was perfect! Everyone loved it!
Can I replace the yogurt with coconut cream?
oooh… it looks like summer. Must try!
Penny,
For future reference, when baking gluten free, you need to use a cup for cup or all purpose blend (whether homemade or store bought) that either includes a binding agent like xanthan gum or guar gum (unless you add your own). Xanthan gum and the like takes the place of the gluten and is needed to give your cake structure. Using just almond flour isn’t going to be a good substitute for wheat flour and will not give you the texture you want out of a cake. You need a blend of flours to do that. King arthur, bob’s red mill, and even pillsbury make all purpose blends, and there are a variety of recipes online for homemade blends as well if you are so inclined.
I can’t speak to this particular recipe, because I haven’t tried it, but I have made many cakes using different 1-1/all purpose mixes and they’ve always come out well and nearly indistinguishable from gluten containing cakes. I hope this helps!
Hi. Can wheat flour be used as a substitute for all purpose flour?
Of course 🙂
This recipe is so great! I’m not vegan but I’m a cake baker and I often turn to vegan cakes for their ease and my often lack of eggs. Truly the easiest and most delicious strawberry cake I’ve ever had. I used strawberry yogurt instead of vanilla for more strawberry flavor. I also put strawberry jam in between the layers and then the cream cheese frosting on the outside. I brought it to a party and everyone loved it! Your recipes are great. Love the vegan chocolate as well.
Do you use sweetened yogurt or unsweetened?
Either works.
I’ve made this recipe 3 times and it came out flat and goopy all three times. I made two other vegan gluten free recipes today as well and non of them came out either. What can you tell me to get a fully risen cake? I used almond flour and all the other correct ingredients.
Penny, this recipe doesn’t include almond flour. They have only been tested as written. If you used almond flour, then I am not surprised they have not turned out for you.