This is the best Vegan Strawberry Cake ever! Made with plenty of fresh strawberries, it’s simply bursting with flavor. The pretty pink frosting is to die for!
This wonderful Vegan Strawberry Cake is adapted from my Vegan Vanilla Cake recipe. It’s incredibly moist, fluffy and made with plenty of fresh strawberries! I took a lot of tips from Sally’s Baking Addiction, and used reduced strawberry puree in the cake batter and freeze dried strawberries in the frosting.
If you’d rather use fresh strawberries in the frosting as well, you can easily make the frosting from these Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes instead. You can’t go wrong with either recipe!
Do you love strawberries as much as I do? If you do, make sure to check out my Vegan Strawberry Pie, Strawberry Rolls and Vegan Strawberry Shortcake.
How to make vegan strawberry cake
Find the complete recipe with measurements below in the recipe card.
First, prepare the reduced strawberry puree
The first step in making the cake is to prepare your reduced strawberry puree. You will need 1 pound of fresh, ripe red strawberries. Rinse and hull them, then add to a food processor or blender and blend. Transfer the puree to a small pot and simmer for 25-30 minutes. The mixture will thicken and reduce to just over 1/2 cup.
Why not just use strawberry puree that is not reduced? It’s too much liquid, and not enough flavor! By reducing, you get a very concentrated strawberry flavor without adding a ton of liquid to the cake batter. Perfection.
Mix the cake batter and bake
In a large bowl (I used my stand mixer), cream together the vegan butter, oil and sugar. Mix in the vanilla and food coloring, if using. In another medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding the dry ingredients and the vegan buttermilk (this is simply soy milk mixed with apple cider vinegar) until combined each time. Do NOT over mix. Finally, mix in the reduced strawberry puree until just combined.
Pour the cake batter evenly into the greased and parchment lined pans.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the edges are golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely before frosting.
Make vegan strawberry frosting and frost the cake
Why use freeze dried strawberries instead of fresh in the frosting? Fresh strawberries can cause the frosting to curdle, and freeze dried strawberries add a ton of concentrated flavor. You may also go make the frosting from my cupcakes recipe if desired.
Using a food processor or blender, blend freeze dried strawberries into a powder. Using a mixer, beat the vegan butter until creamy. Gradually add in the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, until it’s all incorporated. Now add in the strawberry powder, then the vanilla and milk as needed.
Once the cakes are completely cooled, frost as desired and decorate with fresh whole strawberries. Enjoy!
Tips for success
- To prepare your pans, please use a small circle of parchment paper and place it in the bottom. Then spray or grease the pans all over, including the sides. Trust me, I’ve had many cakes ruined by not properly preparing my pans!
- Use both the vegan butter AND oil. This makes the cake super moist and fluffy, while giving it the best possible buttery flavor.
- Make sure to cool the cakes COMPLETELY before frosting. If it’s warm at all, you will have a big melty mess on your hands. Trust me, I’ve been there… If I’m in a rush, I’ll put the cakes in the refrigerator to speed up the cooling process.
- Let your reduced strawberry puree cool a bit before adding to the cake batter. I stuck mine in the refrigerator while I prepared the cake batter, and it was just fine.
- Use deep red, sweet and delicious strawberries for the best results! Frozen strawberries will work in a pinch, but fresh seasonal strawberries are best.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I turn this into a sheet cake or bake as cupcakes? Yes, for cupcakes, fill liners halfway full and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. For a 9×13 inch cake, bake for 40-45 minutes. Or make it a true sheet cake with an 11×17 inch pan, and bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Can I add strawberry extract for more flavor? Sure! It already has a lot of flavor, but you could add 1-2 teaspoons strawberry extract in the batter when you add the vanilla.
- Is the food coloring essential? You don’t have to add any food coloring, but your cake will not be pink. Make sure to look for a vegan friendly pink or red color. Or make your own DIY pink food dye!
- Can I make a gluten free strawberry cake? Try substituting an all purpose gluten free mix for the cake/regular flour. It won’t be quite the same, but it works pretty well.
How to store leftover cake + freezing
Store the cake at room temperature for about 4 days. Make sure to cover the cut parts to prevent the cake from drying out.
You can also keep it in the refrigerator if you prefer, but when served straight from the fridge, it will be a bit crumbly and dry. So try to let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving if possible.
The whole cake or individual slices can be frozen. Or prepare the cakes ahead of time, wrap and freeze, then later make the frosting, frost and serve.
Want more incredible vegan cakes?
- The Best Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Vegan Tres Leches Cake
- Vegan German Chocolate Cake
- Vegan Red Velvet Cake
- Vegan Carrot Cake
- Vegan Lemon Cake
Vegan Strawberry Cake
Ingredients
Strawberry Cake
- 1 pound fresh strawberries (1/2 cup reduced, see instructions)
- 1 1/4 cups soy milk
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup vegan butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup canola oil or other neutral flavored oil
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon pink food coloring optional
- 3 cups cake flour or all purpose flour, but cake flour is best
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Strawberry Frosting
- 1 cup freeze dried strawberries*
- 1 cup vegan butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons soy milk, as needed
Instructions
Make the Strawberry Cake
- Prepare the reduced strawberry puree: Rinse and hull the strawberries. Using a food processor or blender, puree them. Pour the puree into a small pot and simmer for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it reduces to about 1/2 cup. You might have a little more than that; save for topping ice cream or waffles. Allow it to cool for several minutes before adding to cake batter.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and prepare 2 8-inch round cake pans by lining the bottom with a circle of parchment paper and spraying with oil.
- Make the vegan buttermilk:Â Combine the soy milk and apple cider vinegar. Stir a little, then set aside.
- In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, cream together the softened butter, oil and sugar until creamy. Mix in the vanilla and pink food coloring, if using.
- In a separate medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding the flour mixture and vegan buttermilk to the bowl with the butter/oil/sugar mixture, mixing until just combined each time.
- Now add in the reduced strawberry puree with the mixer on low and mix until combined, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Pour the cake batter evenly into the prepared pans, and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the edges are golden brown, the surface looks and feels set and a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean with no wet batter.
- Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then carefully invert them onto a cooling rack. Allow them to cool completely before frosting.
Prepare the Strawberry Frosting
- Using a food processor or blender, blend the freeze dried strawberries into a powder. Set aside.
- Using your hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the softened vegan butter until creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, until all the powdered sugar is mixed in.
- Now add in the strawberry powder and mix in. With the mixer on low speed, add in the vanilla and 2-3 tablespoons of soy milk as needed to thin the frosting to a desirable consistency. If it gets too thin, add more powdered sugar. If it's too thick, add more milk until it's just right.
- Once the cakes are completely cooled, frost, decorate with more strawberries and enjoy!
- The cake will keep at room temperature for up to 4 days. Make sure to cover the cut part to keep it from drying out. The whole cake or individual pieces also freeze well.
Video
Notes
- Flour – Cake flour is the best choice for a light and fluffy cake, but all purpose flour works pretty well. For gluten free, try substituting a gluten free all purpose flour.
- Milk – You can substitute any plant based milk for the soy milk.
- Different sized cakes/cupcakes – You can also make this cake as a 9 by 13 inch cake. It will need to bake more like 40-45 minutes though. Or to make cupcakes, fill liners 2/3 of the way full and bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Can’t find freeze dried strawberries? Go make the fresh strawberry frosting from my Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes recipe instead.
Nutrition
*This cake was originally published July 2019 and has been updated with new photos. The original version called for half vegetable shortening/half vegan butter in the frosting, but I have since found I like using all vegan butter and no shortening.
We’re not vegan here but my 6 year old has an egg allergy, and I make most of our birthday cakes, so I’ve made several of your cake recipes. They’ve all been good, but this year she asked for strawberry cake for her birthday and I made this one, and I’m not exaggerating when I say this is the best tasting cake I have ever made. Not just the best vegan cake, the best period. It was one of those cakes that has to be cut into shape so I have a bunch of cake scraps and I can’t stop eating them. The birthday girl was thrilled with it too.
A few more specific notes, for anyone like me who likes to read through recipe comments for tips: I knew I’d be cutting it and sticking pieces together before frosting, so I cooked it a little longer to make sure it was nice and firm, until it got a little golden on the edges, and those edges got a little caramelized and crispy and so good. I recommend giving it a little extra time if you’re into that but I’m sure it’s delicious as soon as it’s cooked through. I used defrosted frozen strawberries because produce prices are absurd here right now and they worked great, I’d do it again to save time prepping berries. It held up well to having the sides cut and didn’t fall apart when I did my crumb coat.
I’ve been happily eating this unfrosted but the strawberry buttercream is a great addition too. I made the one from the linked cupcake recipe since I had the puree anyway, and the strawberry flavor really comes through. My puree took longer than stated to reduce but I doubled the recipe and started with cold defrosted berries instead of fresh so I’m sure that contributed. Doing that the day before I made the cakes worked out well. If you’re planning to get fancy with decorations, the puree adds a little too much texture for very fine piping tips (as expected, it did not work with my grass tip) but did ok with a writing tip (I think I used a Wilton 3).
I could write more but I gotta go eat more cake scraps.
Lindsay, I can’t thank you enough for the kind words and shining review! And thank you for sharing your feedback and tips as well 🙂 I’m thrilled you and the birthday girl loved the cake!
Hello there,
I intend to make the cake on this Saturday without frosting. Can I add a few drops of beet juice in cake batter to get the dark pink color or will the strawberry puree do the trick?
Many thanks.
Hi Shuchi. The cake will be a slight pink color from the strawberry puree. Though I have not tried it, many bakers have indicated that adding beet juice did not really enhance the color. I hope this helps! Enjoy the cake!
I have to agree with Nora. I’m currently making the cake now and used beet juice. I actually doubled the amount and used 1tsp. It’s ok, but honestly the color from the strawberry puree is enough.
Hiii! this looks wonderful and im gonna make it for my birthday in a couple of days. But I can’t find freeze dried strawberries. Can I dry some in the oven and make those into powder? or perhaps reduce some more strawberry puree? what do you suggest? Thank you
I would go make my fresh strawberry frosting instead from this recipe: Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes. You may want to double the frosting recipe for decorating the cake. Hope that helps!
I was so excited to make this cake for my friend’s birthday tomorrow, because his favorite cake flavor is strawberry. The first issue I ran into was that the strawberries made over a cup of cooked puree. I simmered for at least 45 minutes too. No biggie, I thought, and just measured out 1/2 cup and let it cool all the way. The second thing that concerned my was that the recipe called for 1 Tablespoon of baking powder. That seemed like too much, but I decided to trust the recipe. The cakes looked so fluffy and beautiful while baking, but fell as soon as they came out of the oven. They deflated even more upon transfer to the cooling racks. It’s all over and I’m so sad. I’m just going to buy a cake mix and veganize it tomorrow before the party as I can’t risk another disaster. What do you think went wrong?
It’s normal to have a little too much puree to use for the cake; I use the leftovers on oatmeal or ice cream or anywhere else. The baking powder amount is correct; I often use more than you would in a recipe with eggs, to make up for the leavening effect eggs bring. It works well! If the cakes fell immediately, they most likely were not cooked enough. Did you check with a toothpick to make sure they were done? I’m guessing that was the issue. Also, make sure to measure everything accurately, as this can also result in a fallen cake.
We made this for my daughters first birthday, and it was AMAZING! She loved it and so did we- my husband requested that I make it for his birthday this year, too. Followed the recipe other than leaving out the food coloring. The cake itself still had a lightly pink color that I preferred and the frosting was so vibrant! Using the leftover strawberry puree as a filling was a hit, too.
Happy birthday to your daughter! 1st birthdays are so fun! I’m thrilled you guys loved the cake! Thanks for your fabulous review and feedback!
My granddaughter wanted a strawberry cake for her birthday. The cake was good, but the frosting was absolutely amazing! I used regular butter because she only needed the cake to be egg free. I’ll be making this again. Thanks for the recipe.
You are welcome, Apri1. I’m so glad the cake was loved! Happy birthday to your granddaughter! Thanks for taking time to share your awesome review and feedback!
Thank you so much for this delicious recipe. I’m curious about the measurements of the strawberry purée when doubling the recipe. Does the qty increase or does it remain 1/2 cup
Yes, you would need to double the strawberry puree as well. Thank you!
Hi Nora. As strawberry season is over here for this year could I use frozen strawberries,
reducing them down, for the cake also?
Hi Maraika. Yes, frozen strawberries work just as well! Happy cooking and enjoy the cake!
You never fail me! Everything I try of yours I love. Made the frosting today for some chocolate cupcakes and it’s fantastic. I need your input tho…. I’m going to make this cake with the strawberry icing from your cupcake recipe (with the purée) for my daughters first birthday. To cut the heaviness / sweetness I was thinking of using something other than the icing between the layers… do you think whipped cream would be good or would it be too much going on? Or any other suggestions ? Thank you
Hi Jill, thank you so much for loving my recipes! That makes me so happy. To make this particular cake less sweet and heavy, you could probably use some sort of vegan whipped topping in the middle layer. My only fear is that it will melt quite easily and make your cake slip so I’m not sure, I haven’t tried that before. Or you could make a 9×3 inch cake instead of top with vegan whipped cream instead of the frosting. Or just use a thin layer of frosting instead, and maybe layer in some fresh sliced strawberries or something like that. I hope it’s a hit whatever you decide!