• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About Me
  • All Recipes
  • Shop
  • Work With Me
  • Contact

Rainbow Nourishments logo

menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • All Recipes
  • About Me
  • Shop
  • Work With Me
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » All Desserts » Cakes

    Published: Feb 10, 2022 · Modified: Feb 4, 2023 by Anthea

    Vegan Strawberry Cake

    Pin
    Share
    Tweet
    548 Shares
    JUMP TO RECIPE
    4.95 from 40 votes

    Easy vegan strawberry cake packed with fresh strawberries and lots of flavor! This eggless cake uses just 7 key ingredients (plus the frosting) and can be prepared in 1 bowl.

    This cake is a perfect Valentine's Day dessert just like my vegan strawberry cupcakes! It has been adapted from my very tried and tested vegan mango cake.

    Vegan strawberry cake on plate with slice of cake lifted out revealing fluffy pink texture.

    Why you'll love this cake

    DIFFICULTY RATING: This from-scratch strawberry cake is easy to make! All you need to do is blend the strawberries, mix the dry and wet ingredients in one bowl then bake.

    FLAVOR: Incredible strawberry flavor using 4 cups of REAL strawberries! You don't have to use strawberry extract or flavoring!

    TEXTURE: Fluffy and not dense! Some strawberry cakes are stodgy due to too much liquid and structural factors. However, I added extra baking agents and minimized the amount of liquid so you get a light and fluffy cake. This cake stays moist for days!

    Simple ingredients to make this cake

    Even though this cake is eggless and dairy-free, you'll only need a few basic pantry ingredients to make this cake!

    Flat lay of 7 ingredients for strawberry cake.

    Ingredient notes

    Strawberries, either fresh or frozen. I tested both types of strawberries and the final cakes were similar. If possible, choose a sweet and bright-colored variety of strawberries as this improves the final cake. Interestingly, the strawberry puree acts similarly to applesauce and is a wonderful egg replacer!

    Dairy-free milk. This recipe uses less milk than other vegan cakes because we have so much moisture from the strawberry puree! That means we don't have to fuss around making a strawberry reduction.

    Oil helps the cake stay moist and fluffy, compared to butter which can make a cake feel dry if it's not at room temperature.

    Baking powder and soda. We're using double baking agents to counteract the high amount of fruit, which tends to weigh down a cake!

    Beetroot powder or pink/red food coloring (optional). Without the powder or food coloring, the cake is a dull and pale pink color.

    Brands of beetroot powder vary a lot. When baking with beetroot powder, your cake batter might be a lovely pink color and your baked cakes could be anywhere from vibrant pink to an orange/brown. Alternatively, pink/red food coloring provides more consistent results where the batter is almost the same color as the baked cakes.

    A complete list of ingredients, quantities and instructions are in the gray recipe card at the bottom of this post.

    Making the strawberry puree

    If you're using frozen strawberries, allow them to fully defrost.

    Then simply add all the strawberries to a food processor or blender and blend until it forms a puree and there aren't any more chunks!

    Two image collage of preparing the fresh strawberry puree in food processor.

    Preparing the strawberry cake batter

    First, I'd recommend making the cake batter in a large mixing bowl rather than using a stand mixer. This reduces the chance of over-mixing the batter!

    In a large mixing bowl, add all your dry ingredients and mix until combined. If you're using beetroot powder, mix it in as well.

    Then add all your wet ingredients (including food coloring, if you're using) to the flour mixture. Mix the batter until just combined! Some lumps in the batter are fine but make sure your mixture has no pockets of flour.

    The final mixture should be quite thick. This helps create a fluffier vegan strawberry cake without dense spots! A runnier batter results in a stodgy cake.

    Four image collage of strawberry cake batter showing final thick batter.

    Baking the cake

    This vegan strawberry cake bakes in around 30 minutes, give or take 5-10 minutes.

    The cake layers are ready when you insert a skewer in the middle and it completely comes out clean. The cakes are very moist so we need to make sure they are completely baked through!

    If you used beetroot powder, the cakes may darken after baking - this is normal! The surface of the cake is normally darker so don't stress. The middle of the cake is lighter in color!

    Two image collage of before and after strawberry cake is baked.

    Decoration tips

    This vegan strawberry cake is wonderful when topped with:

    • Vegan strawberry buttercream frosting or vanilla buttercream
    • Vegan strawberry cream cheese frosting or vanilla cream cheese frosting
    • Whipped dairy-free cream only if you're making one layer of the cake. Whipped cream will not hold between layers of cake.
    • Chocolate ganache
    • A dusting of powdered sugar

    Possible decorations for the strawberry cake include:

    • Strawberries, either fresh or freeze-dried. Or any complementary fruit!
    • Strawberry jam
    • Chocolate shavings or shards
    • Vegan strawberry cookies
    Two layer strawberry cake on plate decorated with pink frosting and fresh strawberries.

    Customizing the cake recipe

    Can I make this strawberry cake recipe gluten-free?

    I recommend checking out my vegan gluten-free strawberry cake which uses only 6 ingredients! It's easy to make and stays moist for days.

    I tried baking the below recipe with 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour and a combination of different gluten-free flours. However, I had to completely change the ingredient quantities to make it work. Even still, the gluten-free cake was often too dry or dense or could only be eaten on the day it was baked.

    Can I use coconut sugar in this cake?

    I haven't tried it myself so can't vouch for results. However, if you do, I strongly recommend using a scale to measure the ingredients to minimize the chance of the coconut sugar throwing off the recipe. Also, the cake will be very brown if made with coconut sugar!

    Can I use beetroot juice instead of powder? Or can I use another pink-colored powder?

    I don't recommend beetroot juice as it's much less intense than the powder. The amount of juice/liquid you'll need to add to color the cake is enough to completely change the cake's texture (it'll be dense and might not bake through).

    Whilst pink pitaya powder is a lovely color, I haven't had great success baking with it. For me, the color completely faded and it gave the cake a slightly rancid taste and smell.

    Individual slice of strawberry cake showing very fluffy and pink layers.

    Other vegan strawberry desserts

    • Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes
    • Vegan Strawberry Cake (gluten-free + 6 ingredients)
    • Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake
    • Vegan Strawberry and Cream Tart

    Follow Rainbow Nourishments on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, and subscribe via email to receive all of our latest recipes!

    Vegan strawberry cake on plate with slice of cake lifted out revealing fluffy pink texture.
    Print Recipe
    4.95 from 40 votes

    Vegan Strawberry Cake

    Easy vegan strawberry cake packed with flavor and fresh strawberries! This eggless cake uses just 7 key ingredients (plus the frosting) and can be prepared in 1 bowl. It's perfect for Valentine's Day.
    Prep Time35 mins
    Cook Time25 mins
    Total Time1 hr
    Cuisine: American, Vegan
    Servings: 16 people
    Author: Anthea

    Ingredients

    Strawberry Puree

    • ~4 cups (480g) fresh or frozen strawberries, weighed without stems

    Dry cake ingredients

    • 3 cups (375g) all-purpose plain flour, (note 1 for gluten free)
    • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
    • 1-2 tablespoons beetroot powder, and/or 1-3 drops of pink/red food coloring (add with wet ingredients), to color (note 2)
    • 1 tablespoon baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • Pinch of salt

    Wet cake ingredients

    • ⅓ cup (85g) dairy-free milk
    • ½ cup (125g) neutral flavored oil
    • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional

    To decorate (or as desired, note 2 for suggestions)

    • 1 - 1 ½ batches Vegan Strawberry Frosting, OR
    • 1 batch Vegan Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
    • 1 cup (120g) fresh strawberries, or other fresh berries

    Instructions

    • Note: I'd recommend using grams for this recipe, except for the smaller tablespoon/teaspoon measurements. Like all my recipes, this cake was tested using grams so I can't vouch for results using the cups measurement.

    Prepare the fresh strawberry puree:

    • Add the strawberries to a food processor or blender. Blend until there are no more chunks. Set aside.

    Make the strawberry cake:

    • Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line or grease 2 x 8 inch (20 cm) round cake pans.
    • Add all the dry cake ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix until there are no lumps. Add the strawberry puree and wet cake ingredients (with food coloring if using) to the bowl and fold until just combined. Be careful to not overmix the batter. Lumps in the cake batter are fine, as long as there aren't pockets of flour.
    • Divide and pour the cake batter between your 2 cake pans.
    • Bake the cakes for around 25-30 minutes. They're ready when you can insert a toothpick in the middle and it comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in their pans for around 10 minutes then remove them to cool on a wire rack.

    To assemble the cake:

    • When the cakes have completely cooled, slice off the dome of one cake. Place that cake on a serving plate.
    • If you chilled your frosting, stir it a few times to make sure it’s smooth and soft. Spread or pipe around 1 cup of frosting on the cake and place the remaining cake on top.
    • Spread or pipe the remaining frosting on top. Garnish with fresh strawberries or as desired.
    • Store the cake in an airtight container in the fridge until serving. Allow the cake to come to room temperature 30 minutes - 1 hour before serving. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 5 days or in the freezer (without fresh strawberries) for 1 month.

    Notes

    1. I haven't had much success substituting the all-purpose flour with 1:1 gluten free flour blends or a combination of gluten free flours without completely changing the recipe. Instead, I'd recommend my 6 ingredient gluten free strawberry cake which is super easy to make!
    2. For the most consistent and reliable results, I'd recommend pink/red food coloring. When using food dye, the color of your cake batter will be similar to the color of the baked cake. Alternatively, beetroot powder doesn't always bake well (this depends on the brand and how old is the powder). Cake batter that is colored with beetroot powder may be a lovely pink but the baked cake could be anywhere from vibrant pink to orange/brown in color.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1slice without frosting | Calories: 222kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Sodium: 155mg | Potassium: 72mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 4IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 1mg
    Did you Make this Recipe?Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @rainbownourishments on Instagram and hashtag #rainbownourishments!

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.

    Pin
    Share
    Tweet
    548 Shares

    Reader Interactions

      Leave a Comment and Rating! Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Sandy says

      March 06, 2023 at 1:26 am

      5 stars
      Made this yesterday for my daughter’s birthday cake in a family of non-vegans and everyone liked it - even the grandsons. I weighed the ingredients as suggested rather than using the cup measurements. Used Trader Joe’s Vegan Buttery Spread and TreeLine cashew cream cheese I had on hand from Purple Carrot. I used frozen strawberries and red gel
      Food coloring in the cake and strawberry extract and red gel food coloring in the frosting. The cake was delicious and pretty!

      Reply
    2. Carolyne says

      March 02, 2023 at 8:36 am

      I think strawberry jelly powder can be used to substitute beetroot powder.

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        March 03, 2023 at 8:20 am

        Hi Carolyne, yes maybe. However, jelly powder can make a cake more dense if the recipe isn't designed for it.

        Reply
    3. Seyrel says

      October 09, 2022 at 2:54 am

      5 stars
      Your recipes are solid and delicious. The Strawberry Cake is great. I also used this recipe with raspberries which I loved as well.

      One small but very important problem. I bake in metrics. If you use the slide bar to adjust the number of servings, the grams do not adjust. If you bake via metric weight, be careful.

      I hope you are able to fix this glitch.

      Thank you,
      Seyrel

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        October 09, 2022 at 8:38 am

        Hi Seyel, I'm so glad that you enjoyed this strawberry cake and you loved it with raspberries too!

        Yes, unfortunately the sliding bar only changes the cups measurement. At the moment, there isn't way for the grams to be adjusted. If I need to make a smaller or larger portion of the cake, I often do this manually with a calculator.

        Reply
    4. Courtney says

      September 29, 2022 at 3:53 pm

      Hi!! I am wanting to make a 10 inch, 4 layer, 1 tier cake. Obviously I would have to make probably 2 recipes of this cake. But I am curious if this would be a sturdy enough cake to layer this large of a cake, or would it get floppy and lopsided? Thank you so much in advance!

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        September 29, 2022 at 4:19 pm

        Hi Courtney! That would be an epic cake! Depending on how thick you want the layers to be, you may even have to make 3 quantities of this cake because the volume of an 10-inch cake pan is around 150% of an 8-inch pan. I'd say this cake is sturdy enough for a 4 layer, 1 tier cake if you use the strawberry buttercream rather than the cream cheese frosting. The strawberry puree kinda acts like a egg replacer so this cake isn't as crumbly as a vanilla or chocolate cake. It will also help if you chill or freeze the layers before you stack it :). Let me know how you go and I hope that helps!

        Reply
    5. Res1 says

      September 17, 2022 at 8:23 am

      4 stars
      I made the cake today and it turned out pretty well. Easy indeed. The only things I did not like it is that the beetroot powder and freeze-dried strawberry powder gave both the cake and frosting an aftertaste. The aftertaste was far less noticeable in the frosting than it was in the cake. The next time I make it I'm going to make it with just the strawberry puree and add up to half a cup of sugar more than the recipe calls for for the cake.

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        September 17, 2022 at 12:23 pm

        That's interesting about the powders. If they leave a strong aftertaste, maybe try another brand? Also, the cake recipe doesn't ask for strawberry powder and I don't know how it'd react when baked. Alternatively, I recommend using food coloring for the cake and fresh strawberries for the frosting which was mentioned in the recipe.

        Reply
        • Res1 says

          September 17, 2022 at 12:37 pm

          I used freeze-dried strawberries for the frosting.

          I will next time. I prefer a true strawberry taste. I think the beetroot powder changes the flavor. Well, it did in my experience. I used it because I was hellbent on getting the pretty color you got.

          I’m going to tag you on IG.

        • Anthea says

          September 17, 2022 at 4:55 pm

          From experience, different brands of beetroot powder vary so much in color and taste and it's worth finding one that doesn't have an aftertaste. For the pictured cake, I used a combination of beetroot powder and food coloring. Thanks for the tag on Instagram as well.

    6. Res1 says

      September 15, 2022 at 7:30 pm

      Can I use cake flour instead of plain white flour?

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        September 15, 2022 at 10:20 pm

        Yes!

        Reply
    7. Chris-Carlyle says

      September 10, 2022 at 6:07 pm

      6 inch 3-layer cake conversion? X everything by 57%?

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        September 10, 2022 at 7:36 pm

        Based on my pink champagne cake which is 3 x 6-inches, you don't need to scale up the recipe but just divide the batter in 3 cake pans.

        Reply
      • Chris-Carlyle says

        September 11, 2022 at 4:51 am

        Ok, thanks. I have two more questions. You said you wouldn’t use beet juice because it will water down the batter but is it possible to make a beet juice reduction with beet juice and a little cornstarch and add it to the batter? How about buying beets and cooking them down to a reduction?

        Reply
        • Anthea says

          September 11, 2022 at 10:32 am

          Any additional wet ingredients will affect this cake so I'd err with caution. However, beet powder doesn't provide consistent results with color, let alone a reduction or puree that is less concentrated and potent in color. Let me know how you go.

    8. Say Limpin says

      August 18, 2022 at 8:55 am

      how many grams did the strawberry puree turned out to?

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        August 18, 2022 at 3:57 pm

        Same as what's in the recipe card which is 480g. Blending the strawberries doesn't change their weight.

        Reply
    9. Eljay Miller says

      July 29, 2022 at 10:37 am

      5 stars
      This was the most delicious cake I have ever made! It tasted delicious 😋

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        August 25, 2022 at 10:37 am

        Aw what a compliment! Thanks for your feedback Eljay 🙂

        Reply
    10. cass says

      June 18, 2022 at 11:21 pm

      5 stars
      as a side note for a potential gluten free way...

      I didn't have quite enough plain flour, I ended up using 50/50 plain flour, and cornflour. (maybe called cornstarch in the USA?) It was delicious and I didn't notice any adverse effects from this.

      So, maybe a simple substitution of cornflour could work for a gluten free version? Just some food for thought.

      At any rate, it was delicious! The color of the cake itself didn't quite turn that nice pink color, but the icing did, so I just iced it all over and it looked fine. thanks for sharing this recipe!

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        June 25, 2022 at 10:36 am

        Glad that you enjoyed this cake!

        That's great that the cake worked with plain flour and corn flour/starch. I tried a combination of different flours to make gluten free strawberry cupcakes, including corn and potato starch but I had to increase the amount of flour by around 150% and add a few other flours! It's so interesting how differently gluten-free flours act!

        Reply
    « Older Comments

    Primary Sidebar

    About Anthea

    More about me →

    Popular Recipes

    • Vegan Cinnamon Babka
    • Vegan Banana Bread
    • Easy Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cake
    • Vegan Whole Wheat Pancakes
    • Buttery Vegan Brioche
    • Vegan Oatmeal Cookies

    Seasonal Recipes

    • Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes
    • Vegan Blueberry Muffins
    • Vegan Carrot Muffins
    • Vegan Gnocchi Bake with Bolognese Sauce
    • One-Pot Easy Vegan Ramen (with miso sesame soup)
    • Easy Thai Red Curry Potato Lentil Soup

    Get my cookbook

    Cover of Incredible Plant Based Desserts

    About Anthea

    More about me →

    Popular Recipes

    • Vegan Cinnamon Babka
    • Vegan Banana Bread
    • Easy Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cake
    • Vegan Whole Wheat Pancakes
    • Buttery Vegan Brioche
    • Vegan Oatmeal Cookies

    Seasonal Recipes

    • Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes
    • Vegan Blueberry Muffins
    • Vegan Carrot Muffins
    • Vegan Gnocchi Bake with Bolognese Sauce
    • One-Pot Easy Vegan Ramen (with miso sesame soup)
    • Easy Thai Red Curry Potato Lentil Soup

    Get my cookbook

    Cover of Incredible Plant Based Desserts

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Featured in

    Banner with 10 logos where Rainbow Nourishments has been featured.

    More

    About
    Work with Me
    Contact

    Shop

    Get my cookbook

    Follow Me

    • Instagram
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube

    COPYRIGHT © 2023 · RAINBOW NOURISHMENTS · PRIVACY POLICY ·  ACCESSIBILITY POLICY