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    Home » All Desserts » Cakes

    Published: Feb 10, 2022 · Modified: Apr 27, 2023 by Anthea

    Vegan Strawberry Cake

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    4.96 from 42 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 the 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 strawberries that are already sweet and vibrant as this will improve 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 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 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 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:

    • Fresh strawberries or freeze-dried strawberries. 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?

    Coconut sugar is darker than granulated sugar so will turn the cake brown! It also has more moisture than regular sugar so I recommend using a scale to weigh the ingredients so your cake doesn't have too much moisture.

    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 with pink base and pink vegan buttercream. Cupcakes are decorated with freeze dried raspberries and fresh strawberries
      Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes
    • Vegan Strawberry Cake (gluten-free + 6 ingredients)
    • Vegan strawberry cheesecake on plate decorated with strawberry compote and fresh strawberries. Slice is lifted out on a cake server
      Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake
    • Vegan Strawberry and Cream Tart

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    Vegan strawberry cake on plate with slice of cake lifted out revealing fluffy pink texture.
    Print Recipe
    4.96 from 42 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). Grease or line 2 x 8 inch (20 cm) round cake pans with parchment paper.
    • 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.

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Mari says

      June 07, 2022 at 8:33 pm

      Do you think I would be able to substitute the strawberries for blueberries? My son has asked for a blueberry cake for his birthday and I’m having difficulties finding a dairy free blueberry layer cake recipe.

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        June 08, 2022 at 12:01 pm

        I think that would work as strawberries have around the same amount of water as blueberries! However, I'm not sure what colour it will turn out. Maybe experiment with half of the recipe before your son's birthday.

        Reply
    2. TracyJ says

      May 28, 2022 at 5:45 am

      5 stars
      My daughter chose this recipe for her graduation cake. I enjoyed making the cake as I had never done frozen strawberries pureed and then mixed into the dry mixture before. The batter is thick but turns into a light cake that is not dry but perfectly moist. I was disappointed that my cake did not turn into the pink cake that your photos show. I used the exact beet powder that you recommended. The smells that came out of the oven were inviting and we all agreed that it is a great cake and one I will make again. Thank you for creating this delicious cake.

      Reply
    3. Joy says

      May 25, 2022 at 5:31 pm

      5 stars
      Yum! Tried making this one for my kids and they love it! Definitely recommended. Surprisingly perfect combination too for my hemp coffee.

      Reply
    4. Lila says

      May 16, 2022 at 1:38 am

      5 stars
      So DELICIOUS! I made it for a birthday cake and everyone loved it!!

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        May 23, 2022 at 11:05 am

        Aw, that's amazing Lila! I'm so glad you all enjoyed this cake!

        Reply
    5. Sujatha says

      April 24, 2022 at 9:23 pm

      5 stars
      Tried this recipe today!
      And my whole family loved it!!
      Thank you so much 🙂

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        May 23, 2022 at 11:04 am

        That's so wonderful to hear Sujatha! Thanks for your lovely feedback!

        Reply
    6. Vanessa says

      April 05, 2022 at 9:41 pm

      5 stars
      Hi there! I tried this as a cake and it turned out great, now i want to try this out as cupcakes. I know you have another recipe especially for cupcakes but if i made this batter in cupcake molds would it work? I noticed the biggest difference between this recipe and the cupcake recipe is that you use WAY more baking powder than baking soda compared to this recipe, how does that affect the consistency of the final cake?

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        April 06, 2022 at 11:54 am

        Hi Vanessa, I'm so glad you enjoyed this strawberry cake!

        This cake actually contains more raising agents than the cupcake recipe. This cake has 1 tablespoon baking powder (same as 3 teaspoons) and 1 teaspoon baking soda, whereas the cupcakes have only 3 teaspoons of baking powder. Baking soda is three times more powerful than powder. Generally, larger cakes need more raising agents as they have less surface area exposed to the oven compared to cupcakes. I'd say the strawberry cake and cupcakes are extremely similar if made correctly! I hope that helps.

        Reply
    7. Rosa says

      April 04, 2022 at 8:03 am

      Looks amazing! What brand cake Pan did you use and where do you get the liner as well? Thanks in advance!

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        April 05, 2022 at 9:26 am

        Thank you! My cake pans are by Masterpro or Tala (I'm not sure if they're accessible internationally). My parchment paper is from 'If You Care' and cut from their regular rolls. I hope that helps!

        Reply
    8. Barbra says

      March 22, 2022 at 6:01 am

      How many ml of milk and oil should I use?

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        March 22, 2022 at 11:06 am

        Hi Barbra, 85 grams of milk is 83 mL and 125 grams of oil is around 130 mL. However, if you're using a scale for the dry ingredients (which I'd recommend), it's easier to use grams for the liquid ingredients too. Hope that helps!

        Reply
    9. Aaruni says

      March 05, 2022 at 4:20 pm

      5 stars
      Best vegan strawberry cake ever!!! So soft and so flavourful! Loved it

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        March 17, 2022 at 12:42 pm

        Aw that's such a lovely compliment, thanks Aaruni!

        Reply
    10. Anna says

      February 24, 2022 at 4:14 am

      Hi, is there any alternative for sugar?

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        February 24, 2022 at 5:40 pm

        As mentioned in the blog post, coconut sugar may work for the cake but it will make the cake brown. I haven't tried the cake with granulated sugar replacements (such as stevia or monk fruit) so I can't vouch for results unfortunately. I don't recommend using liquid sweeteners as they'll make the cake too heavy. I hope that helps!

        Reply
    11. Victoria says

      February 22, 2022 at 9:51 pm

      5 stars
      The recipe was fabulous and fresh. Usually my family dislikes cakes and frosting but this recipe took the cake. They loved the natural sweetness of the strawberry flavor and the light fluffy whipped cream topping. Definitely a recipe I’m going to use more often in the future!

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        March 17, 2022 at 12:44 pm

        That's wonderful Victoria! It's so so good when we can challenge the expectations of family and friends, especially if it's cake! Thanks so much for your feedback 🙂

        Reply
    12. Sri Deo says

      February 18, 2022 at 2:19 am

      hi Anthea, do you have any tips for avoiding dry and dense peripheral of the cake? like it is so dry and dense on the outside..

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        February 18, 2022 at 9:16 am

        Hey, it sounds like your oven is too hot! Many ovens are hotter than what they say so try turning down the temperature next time (or use an oven thermometer to gauge the correct temperature). I baked my cake in a regular oven so if yours is fan-forced, you will need to turn down the temperature by 20°C (70°F). A more professional tip is to use 'baking strips' so the outside of the cake doesn't cook as quickly. I hope that helps!

        Reply
    13. Michelle says

      February 17, 2022 at 10:35 am

      5 stars
      Absolutely loved this recipe! The cake came out so moist and perfectly strawberry-y. Mine was less vibrantly pink but still pretty. Served at a party and it was a hit!

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        March 17, 2022 at 12:45 pm

        Aw I'm so so glad to hear that! Thanks for your feedback Michelle 🙂

        Reply
    14. Rocky says

      February 16, 2022 at 4:29 am

      5 stars
      It was my first time using strawberries (or any fruit) in a cake , but the recipe was easy to follow. For myself I made it more difficult because I forgot I only had one cake pan, so I had to bake each layer one at a time and “guesstimate” what half of the batter was. That part turned out okay. The cake itself was not as pink as I thought (even though the batter was). I used a heaping Tbsp of beetroot powder since I already had it on hand, plus some red food dye, but it was almost like most of the color had baked away into a light brown. First I thought this meant I had overbaked the cakes, but this wasn't the case. Oh, yeah, I also opted to add half a tsp of vanilla into the batter, so I wonder if this affected the color at all...

      Despite the color “issues,” the cake was baked so perfectly (proud of myself), is super moist and delicious, and probably one of the best cakes I’ve had. I will be making it again!

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        March 17, 2022 at 12:47 pm

        Thanks for your feedback Rocky and I'm glad you enjoyed the cake overall!

        Yes it can be tricky to know what colour the cake will bake into! I found that some brands of beetroot powder and food dye really fades away or browns. In this case, I opted for more powder/dye than I thought I'd need! And you should totally be proud of yourself for your cake! Thanks again for your comment!

        Reply
    15. Wendy says

      February 15, 2022 at 11:23 pm

      5 stars
      The cake was delicious and the recipe was very easy to follow. I look forward to making some more recipes from this page!

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        February 22, 2022 at 9:26 am

        Thanks so much Wendy!

        Reply
    16. Nicole says

      February 15, 2022 at 8:43 pm

      5 stars
      Very quick and easy to follow recipe. This vegan strawberry cake was moist and scrumptious highly rated by family members also 😋🥰🍓

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        February 22, 2022 at 9:26 am

        That's wonderful! And even better your family loved it too :). Thanks so much Nicole!

        Reply
    17. Andrea says

      February 15, 2022 at 8:38 am

      5 stars
      I made this with regular whole milk and olive oil. I didn't have beetroot powder, so my cake came out sort of a light golden pink. I am also at a high altitude, but that didn't seem to affect anything. The texture and flavor are superb, it's moist and fluffy, and the frosting is amaaaazing! The sign of a very, very good recipe that you can substitute things based on what you have and it still comes out perfectly. Thank you for a beautiful cake, Althea!

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        February 22, 2022 at 9:25 am

        Aw I'm so glad you loved this cake and that it worked at a high altitude! Thank you so so much for taking the time to leave a comment Andrea!

        Reply
    18. Brenda Busic says

      February 12, 2022 at 6:25 am

      5 stars
      Very easy recipe to make and it was so delicious. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        February 12, 2022 at 8:12 am

        So glad you enjoyed this cake! Thanks for your feedback!

        Reply
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