Vegan Strawberry Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my Privacy Policy.

Homemade vegan strawberry cake with cream cheese frosting is pure magic. Made with a strawberry reduction that intensifies the strawberry flavor. This cake is a family favorite!

Sinful Kitchen has passed a significant milestone: 100 posts with this post! That is right, Sinful Kitchen has been on a roll, and I am so proud to make it 100 posts and counting. I have been saving my best vegan strawberry cake to celebrate. Every bite tastes like a burst of fresh strawberries!

Why You Will Love This Cake

• Flavor – The cake mix utilizes four cups of REAL strawberries, which gives it a fresh taste. Even for the frosting, you will not have to use artificial flavorings or strawberry extract if you do not want to.

• Soft Texture- Some strawberry cakes can become heavy because of more liquid or structural variables. However, this vegan strawberry cake is fluffy and not dense.

• Easy to make- Even if you are not much of a baker, this vegan cake is easy to make from scratch. Blend the strawberries, pour wet and dry ingredients into a large bowl, and mix. Put it in the oven to bake. See, it’s super easy!

Ingredients

Instructions

Step One: Prepare the Strawberry Reduction

Use either fresh or frozen strawberries. Rinse the strawberries and add them to a food processor. Pulse until the strawberries are a smooth liquid. Transfer the liquid to a small saucepan and simmer until it reduces by half, measuring 1/2 cup. This takes between 10 – 15 minutes.

Step Two: Prepare the Batter 

Start by preheating your oven to 350 (176 C) degrees and greasing two 9-inch cake pans. Next, mix the wet ingredients: non-dairy milk and apple cider vinegar. Set aside. Mix your dry ingredients, cake flour (or all-purpose flour), baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream together room-temperature butter, sugar, and oil using either a hand or stand mixer. You cannot overdo this step. It is critical to ensure the two are thoroughly combined and smooth.

Next, add the wet and dry ingredients. The ingredients are often over-mixed during this step, resulting in a dense cake. As a result, I recommend doing this step by hand. Mix in 1/3 of the dry ingredients, then 1/3 of the wet ingredients (vegan buttermilk). Repeat until the mixture is mostly smooth and there are no large flour pockets. Add the strawberry puree and the pink gel food coloring (optional).

Divide the batter into two greased pans. Place the cake pans in the center of the oven and bake for 28 to 32 minutes. Test if the cake is made by inserting a toothpick in the center. If the toothpick comes out clean, your cakes are done baking. If the toothpick has some cake, continue to cook until it comes out clean.

Step Three: Prepare the Frosting

To prepare the frosting, use a handheld mixer and a medium-sized bowl. Place room-temperature vegan cream cheese in a medium bowl and blend until smooth and fluffy. Add in vegan butter and beat until thoroughly combined, about 2 minutes. The goal is to create a smooth consistency with thoroughly blended cream cheese and butter.

Next, I like to add vanilla extract and powdered sugar. I find that adding powdered sugar in one-cup increments works the best. Remember, when mixing, always start at the lowest speed and slowly increase the speed. Starting at too high a speed will send the contents flying, sometimes outside the bowl. Use your spatula and scrape down the contents as necessary.

Add non-dairy milk in one tablespoon until the desired consistency is reached. For bright pink frosting, add food coloring at the very end.

Now, you might have noticed that I left out strawberries. That is because I love cream cheese frosting. Blend one cup of freeze-dried strawberries into a powder to amp up the strawberry flavor. Blend the strawberry powder when adding in the powdered sugar.

Expert Tips

• Always use room temperature butter and cream cheese – Room temperature is necessary for perfect blending. If the butter is too cold, there will be chunks; if the butter is melted, the batter will not hold together. I like to leave out my “dairy” products overnight for the best result.
• Mixing Ingredients – Always start at a low speed when using a handheld or stand mixer. As the ingredients become blended, you can increase the speed. Scrape down the bowl and paddle as needed to combine all ingredients.
• Cool the Puree – Before adding the puree to the batter, let it cool to room temperature. If you are in a rush, pop the puree into the fridge or freezer. 
• Cool the Cakes Before Frosting – If the cake is still warm, the frosting will melt right off!

Frequently Asked Questions