Small-batch Vegan Strawberry Cake
This cute small-batch vegan strawberry cake is perfect for smaller gatherings and serves 4 to 6 people. It's topped with a luscious strawberry frosting and filled with berry jam. This recipe has been adapted from my popular larger strawberry cake recipe!
Ingredients
Strawberry Puree
- ~2 cups (240g) fresh or frozen strawberries room temperature and measured without stems
Dry ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (190g) all-purpose plain flour spoon and leveled (note 1)
- ⅔ cup (135g) granulated sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Wet ingredients
- ¼ cup (65g) neutral flavored oil
- 2 tablespoons (30g) dairy-free milk room temperature
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ scant teaspoon pink gel food coloring or around 1/2 scant teaspoon of liquid food coloring
To decorate (or see note 2 for alternatives)
- 1 batch Vegan Strawberry Frosting
- ⅓ cup (110g) strawberry or raspberry preserves thick not runny (optional, see 3 for homemade quick jam)
- fresh strawberries or other fresh berries
Instructions
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 oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease or line 2 x 6 inch (15 cm) round cake pans with parchment paper.
- Add all the dry cake ingredients to a large mixing bowl and stir well. Add the strawberry puree and wet cake ingredients and stir 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 the batter between your 2 cake pans and smooth the surface.
- Bake the cakes for around 20-23 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 both cakes. Place on a serving plate.
- Spread or pipe around 3/4 cup of frosting on the cake. If you're filling your cake with fruit preserves, create a dam of frosting and spoon the preserves in the middle. Place the remaining cake on top.
- Spread or pipe the remaining frosting around the cake. Garnish with fresh strawberries or as desired.
- Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature until serving. Store leftovers in the fridge for 2-3 days. Make sure you let the cake come to room temperature for 1-2 hours before serving.
Notes
- Please measure your flour properly using the spoon and level method, otherwise your cake will be dry and dense. Fluff up the flour in its container, use a spoon to add it to a measuring cup and level it off with a knife. Do not use the measuring cup to scoop flour out of the container as this will add too much flour to the batter. For the best results, use the gram measurements and an electric kitchen scale.
- Alternatively, you can decorate the cake with my strawberry cream cheese frosting or lemon buttercream. You may have a little frosting left over.
- To make your own quick jam, add 3/4 cup (95g) fresh or frozen strawberries/raspberries, 1 1/2 tablespoons (25g) sugar, 1 tablespoon (8g) cornstarch and a dash of water to a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes while mashing the berries. Add more water for a thinner jam or cook longer for a thicker jam. Set aside where it'll thicken further. When it's cooled completely, use it in the cake.