Description
This Small-batch Vegan Strawberry Cake is a delightful and moist dessert featuring fresh strawberry puree, tender crumb, and vibrant vegan frosting. Perfect for intimate gatherings, this recipe uses simple plant-based ingredients to create a beautiful layered cake with a hint of natural strawberry sweetness.
Ingredients
Scale
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
- ⅔ cup (135g) granulated sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- ¼ cup (65g) neutral flavored oil
- 2 ½ 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 ½ scant teaspoon of liquid food coloring
To Decorate
- 1 batch Vegan Strawberry Frosting
- ⅓ cup (110g) strawberry or raspberry preserves, thick not runny (optional)
- Fresh strawberries or other fresh berries
Instructions
- Prepare the strawberry puree: Add the strawberries to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth with no chunks remaining. Set aside this fresh strawberry puree.
- Preheat and prepare pans: Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease or line two 6-inch (15 cm) round cake pans with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir them well to distribute the ingredients evenly.
- Add wet ingredients and puree: Pour the strawberry puree along with the oil, dairy-free milk, apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice), vanilla extract, and food coloring into the dry ingredients. Gently stir until just combined, careful not to overmix. A few lumps are fine, but avoid any dry pockets of flour.
- Divide batter and bake: Evenly divide the cake batter between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops with a spatula. Bake for approximately 20-23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool cakes: Let the cakes cool in their pans for about 10 minutes before transferring them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Assemble the cake: Once cooled, slice off the domed tops of both cakes to create flat surfaces. Place one cake layer on a serving plate and spread or pipe about ¾ cup of vegan strawberry frosting over it. If using fruit preserves, create a frosting dam and spoon the preserves in the center. Top with the second cake layer.
- Frost and decorate: Spread or pipe the remaining frosting evenly around the top and sides of the assembled cake. Garnish with fresh strawberries or your choice of fresh berries.
- Storage: Store the decorated cake in an airtight container at room temperature until serving. Leftovers should be refrigerated for 2-3 days. Allow the cake to come to room temperature for 1-2 hours before serving for optimal texture and flavor.
Notes
- Measure flour correctly using the spoon and level method for best results to avoid dense, dry cake. Use a kitchen scale and follow gram measurements when possible.
- You can substitute the Vegan Strawberry Frosting with strawberry cream cheese frosting or lemon buttercream if desired. The recipe may yield a little extra frosting.
- For homemade quick jam: Combine ¾ cup fresh or frozen strawberries/raspberries, 1 ½ tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and a dash of water in a small saucepan. Simmer and mash for 10 minutes, adjusting water or cooking time to control thickness. Cool completely before using in the cake.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/6 of cake)
- Calories: 230 kcal
- Sugar: 20g
- Sodium: 180mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
