Valentines Day is almost here, and I have the perfect dessert for your special meal. Enter this incredible Vegan Strawberry Vanilla Cake with Strawberry Buttercream. Yum. 😀
I’ve been holding onto this recipe for over a year, waiting for the perfect time to share it. And now, not only is it perfect for Valentine’s Day, but Seasoned with Sunshine turns three this month!! (yay!)
I’ve loved working in this little corner of cyberspace, slowly (but surely) adding yumminess and sunshine post by post over the last three years. What started as a love for cooking and a super supportive friend who urged me to “just go for it” has turned into a hobby and a dream that I hope keeps growing. And I hope each of you stay with me for the journey! 🙂
So, the bottom line is that it’s time to celebrate. And if there’s a cake worth celebrating with, it’s THIS Vegan Strawberry Vanilla Cake with Strawberry Buttercream!
This cake was originally inspired by these yummy cupcakes from my sweet friend Amanda. If you haven’t seen her blog, do yourself a favor and go check it out right now. She creates beautiful content that I greatly appreciate, and I know you will too!
Now that you’ve done that, let’s talk cake!
This cake is light, moist, perfectly sweet, and filled with real strawberries. Add the fluffy strawberry buttercream frosting on top and you have a beautiful [pink!] cake that is perfect for any occasion. And trust me, no one will ever know it’s vegan. And when they do, they’ll finally realize that vegan food (made well) tastes amazing. 😉
This cake is what I consider fool-proof, but there are a couple tips that are helpful. First, like with any cake, be careful not to over mix the batter. Over mixing will make it more dense, and less fluffy. Second, make sure your strawberries are very finely chopped. If the pieces are too big, they will make certain parts of the cake doughy. Lastly, freeze dried strawberries are the key to the frosting. They help keep it from being too sweet, and give the desired strawberry flavor and natural pretty pink coloring without making it too runny or grainy.
And of course, make sure your cake is completely (100%) cool before trying to frost it. I was always that kid who tried to rush the process and ice a warm cake. It doesn’t work very well. 😉
You can make this into a two layer cake, or a three layer cake! Simply divide the batter evenly between two or three 9 inch cake pans. The bake times vary slightly (35-40 minutes for 2 pans, 30 minutes for 3 pans), but I found that the consistency and thickness of each layer is perfect either way. You will most likely need to double the frosting recipe if you make it a three layer cake, so keep that in mind.
Last piece of advice – make sure you have friends to share this with. Otherwise you may be tempted to eat it all. 😀
If you make this cake, make sure to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! And as always, tag us on social media so we can see your yummy creations!
Happy Valentine’s Day, friends. I hope you can spend special time with your special people. And let’s be sure to let them know we love them every day of the year, not just February 14. And remember: YOU are loved!
“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
1 Corinthians 13:13
- Cake:
- 2 cups soy milk + 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup applesauce
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1⅓ cup sugar
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup finely chopped strawberries
- Frosting:
- 1 cup vegan butter, softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup powdered freeze dried strawberries (I crushed mine with a rolling pin while still in the package)
- 5-5½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2-4 Tbsp soy milk
- Preheat oven to 350º. Prepare cake pans by lightly spraying with nonstick cooking spray, then coating with flour. Sprinkle about ¼ cup of all-purpose flour into the base of the first pan, then hold the pan at a tilt in one hand, while tapping the side of it with the other hand, rotating as you go (It is helpful to hold the first pan over the other cake pan to catch the excess flour). Continue until each cake pan's sides and bottom are evenly coated with flour.
- Combine soy milk and lemon juice in a large mixing bowl, and let sit for a couple of minutes until thickened.
- Add oil, applesauce, and vanilla and mix until frothy.
- Sift all dry ingredients together, and slowly add to the wet ingredients. Mix slowly until all the large lumps are gone.
- Fold in strawberries, and stir just enough to combine.
- Evenly divide batter between cake pans, and bake at 350º for 30-40 minutes (a 2 layer cake will need 35-40 minutes, a 3 layer cake will only require 30 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean.
- Remove cakes from the oven, and allow to cool for a few minutes before turning them out upside down onto cooling racks.
- While the cake is baking and cooling, prepare your frosting.
- Mix all ingredients together in a mixing bowl until creamy and fluffy. You may not need all the milk or powdered sugar, so add slowly. If it seems too dry, add a bit more milk. If it seems too wet, add a bit more sugar.
- Once your cake has completely cooled, frost it to your heart's content!
- Enjoy! 🙂
NOTE:
*Related Post: Double Dark Chocolate Granola
*You can easily make this cake into cupcakes! Simply reduce the baking time to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Makes about 24 cupcakes.
Oh, my! This looks absolutely HEAVENLY and delicious! I wish I had time in my schedule to try this recipe right now! But, alas, I will have to place this recipe in my “must try as soon as I have time” box.
hah – I know how that goes 😉 You won’t be disappointed – the cake is just as yummy as it looks! 😀