Vegan Strawberry Shortcake
This vegan strawberry shortcake features a fluffy, tender vanilla cake layered with fresh strawberries and coconut whippped cream.
This vegan strawberry shortcake has been my go-to cake for celebrations. My boyfriend requests it every year for his birthday! It’s super delicious and fancy-looking, but it’s actually pretty simple to make. For an easier option, you can make it a single layer cake and just add the whipped cream and strawberries on top. Either way I promise it will be delicious!!
Key Ingredients
- All Purpose Flour + Cornstarch ⟶ This is basically cake flour, so you can sub cake flour if you have it.
- Vegetable Oil ⟶ Use a neutral flavored oil such as avocado oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil blend.
- Oil-free option ⟶ Raw Cashew Butter* Make sure your cashew butter is thin and runny. If it’s too thick, the cake will turn out more dense. If your cashew butter is very thick, you can thin it out by mixing in a little neutral oil (such as avocado or sunflower oil).
- Note the oil-free option will be a little more dense, but still delicious with an extra buttery flavor from the cashews.
- Soy Milk ⟶ I recommend soy milk as it has a high amount of fat and protein compared to other non-dairy milks, producing a cake that is rich and tender. However, any milk of choice should work, except full-fat coconut milk.
- Apple Cider Vinegar* ⟶ mixes with soy milk to create a vegan “buttermilk”, which makes the cake more tender and helps it rise
- Coconut Cream* ⟶ Coconut milk works as well, but you’ll get more from coconut cream. If using coconut milk, you may need two cans.
How to Make
This vegan cake is simple to make and doesn’t require any fancy methods!
- Chill a large mixing bowl and beaters in the fridge. This is for the coconut whipped cream and helps keep the coconut cream cold so it whips up more easily.
- Make the “buttermilk” by combining vinegar and soy milk. Set aside while you prepare the rest of the cake. The soy milk should curdle during this time.
- Sift/whisk together dry ingredients.
- Mix wet ingredients together, including the soy milk/vinegar mixture, until smooth. If using cashew butter, it should be runny and easy to stir. If it’s too thick, heat it in the microwave for 15-30 seconds until runny.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients together. Stir until a smooth, slightly thick batter forms. If using cashew butter, the batter will be thicker than the oil version.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for about 30-35 minutes in an 8″ pan, or 25-30 minutes in a 9″ pan. Test for doneness by poking the center of the cake with a toothpick. If the toothpick comes out clean, or with a few cooked crumbs, the cake is done.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then gently remove from the pan and transfer to a cooling rack. I do this by turning the cake over onto a plate first (place the plate on top of the cake and turn the pan over), and then turning the cake over onto a cooling rack.
- While the cake is cooling, prepare the coconut whipped cream. Remove the chilled mixing bowl and beaters from the fridge.
- Scoop the top layer of thickened coconut cream out of the can and into the chilled bowl, leaving any liquid behind. Reserve the liquid for smoothies or another recipe.
- Beat the coconut cream with a mixer for a couple minutes, until creamy and light peaks form.
- Add sugar and vanilla and beat for another minute. Chill in the fridge until ready to use.
- Once the cake is cooled, use a serrated knife to cut the cake in half so you have two layers of cake.
- Frost the bottom layer with coconut whipped cream, layer on strawberry slices, and finish with another layer of coconut whipped cream.
- Frost the top of the cake with the remaining coconut whipped cream and strawberries.
Serve immediately or store covered in the fridge.
Helpful Baking Tools
- Flour Sifter or Whisk ⟶ mixing your flour this way helps keep the cake soft and fluffy
- Cooling Rack
- Hand Mixer ⟶ If you don’t have one and don’t want to buy one, you can make the coconut whipped cream in a mason jar. Scoop the coconut cream into a chilled mason jar, put the lid on tightly, and shake vigorously until fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla extract and shake for another 30-60 seconds.
- Cake Pan ⟶ I used an 8″ pan. If you are using a 9″ pan, check the cake around 25 minutes.
- Kitchen Scale ⟶ highly recommended whenever you are baking! A scale is much more accurate than cup and spoon measurements, and accuracy is essential in baking.
More Vegan Desserts!
- Healthy Caramel Ice Cream Bars (GF)
- Grain-Free Matcha Sugar Cookies (GF, Paleo)
- Japanese-Style Strawberry Chocolate Parfait
- Snickerdoodles
- Mochi Cake (GF)
- Chocolate Cake
- Coffee Cake
I hope I’ve inspired you to make this vegan strawberry shortcake! If you try it out, don’t forget to tag me in your photos on instagram @ellielikes.cooking, leave a comment/rating down below, and let me know how you liked it! I love seeing all of your tasty recreations 🙂 Happy baking ♡
Recipe updated July 8, 2023 with reduced amount of flour (2c cake flour to 1 3/4c), omitted baking powder and increased baking soda.
Vegan Strawberry Shortcake
Fluffy, moist, and tender, this vegan strawberry shortcake is rich and decadent, but doesn't contain any eggs, milk, or butter!
Print Recipe
Servings: 8
Ingredients
Cake
- 188 grams (1½ cups + 1 tbsp) all purpose flour**
- 24 grams (2½ tbsp) cornstarch**
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ½ cup + 2 tbsp (120g)
organic cane sugar * - 1 cup (250ml) soy milk**
- 1 tbsp (15ml)
apple cider vinegar * - ⅓ cup (72g) flavorless oil (canola oil, vegetable oil, avocado oil, safflower oil, etc.) OR ½ cup (128g)
raw cashew butter ** - 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 lb strawberries sliced
Coconut Whipped Cream
- 1 14oz can
coconut cream* chilled overnight in the fridge - 1 tbsp (8g) organic powdered sugar** or more to taste
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Chill a large mixing bowl and beaters in the fridge while you prepare the cake. (This is for the coconut whipped cream.)
- Combine vinegar with soy milk and set aside to curdle.
Bake Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a cake pan and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk sugar, milk, and vinegar. Let sit for a few minutes to dissolve the sugar.
- Mix in oil and vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, sift together flour, corn starch, salt, and baking soda.
- Add dry ingredients to wet and whisk until just combined and batter is smooth.
- Pour batter into cake pan and tap the pan on the counter a couple times to remove air bubbles.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes for an 8" pan, or 20-25 minutes for a 9" pan, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then gently remove the cake from the pan and place the cake on a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Coconut Whipped Cream
- While the cake is cooling, make the coconut whipped cream. Take the coconut cream, chilled bowl and beaters out of the fridge.
- Scoop the top layer of thickened coconut cream out of the can and into the chilled bowl, leaving any liquid behind. Reserve the liquid for smoothies or another recipe.
- Beat the coconut cream with a mixer for a couple minutes, until creamy and light peaks form. Add sugar and vanilla and beat for another minute. Chill in the fridge until ready to use.
Assemble Cake
- Once the cake is cooled, use a serrated knife to cut the cake in half so you have two layers of cake. Frost bottom layer with coconut whipped cream, layer on strawberry slices, and finish with another layer of coconut whipped cream.
- Frost the top of the cake with the remaining coconut whipped cream and strawberries. Enjoy!
- Store leftovers covered in the fridge.
Notes
Flour + Cornstarch: We are essentially making cake flour by combining all purpose flour and cornstarch, so you can use cake flour (212g) instead if you prefer.
Make it Gluten-Free: Light buckwheat flour produces very similar results to the all purpose flour cake. You can probably use a gluten-free all purpose flour blend as well.
Cashew Butter: If using cashew butter, it should be runny and easy to stir. If it’s too thick, the cake will turn out more dense. To thin out your cashew butter, mix it with some oil until it reaches a thin, runny consistency.
Powdered Sugar: I made my own by blending granulated sugar in my NutriBullet with the milling blade.
*Disclosure: This page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, but the price remains the same to you. Thank you for supporting Ellie Likes Cooking!
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