This strawberry cake is pure magic. One bite and it shot us straight back to childhood memories of eating hot pink cake at birthday parties. It’s not only fresh and vibrant with strawberry flavor, but also incredibly fluffy and sweet, and each bite is like a flavor explosion in the mouth. We’re talking rainbows and unicorns and happiness on a plate. Whoa.
Plus, top with our Vegan Strawberry Buttercream Frosting (infused with real, ripe strawberries), and you’ll be in pure bliss! The best part? It’s undetectably vegan and gluten-free, SO easy to make, and just 9 ingredients and 1 bowl required (we know, it’s borderline sorcery). Let us show you how it’s done!
How to Make Strawberry Cake
This gluten-free, vegan strawberry cake relies on fresh strawberries to celebrate the season’s harvest and infuse it with strawberry flavor, naturally.
They’re blended into a purée and mixed with avocado oil for richness, organic cane sugar for sweetness, and vanilla extract for a subtle vanilla flavor. Using another granulated sweetener such as coconut sugar might also work, but we find cane sugar helps the cake retain a pretty color.
For flours, we relied on our trusty gluten-free mix of almond flour, potato starch, and cornstarch. This combination is perfect for cakes and cupcakes because it yields a light and fluffy texture. Find it in our vanilla cake, coffee cake, and vanilla cupcakes.
The remaining dry ingredients include baking powder for leavening and sea salt for flavor enhancement. Once mixed, it’s ready for baking!
Using two round cake pans will give you the prettiest two-layer cake, perfect for lathering with a batch of our vegan strawberry frosting.
Decorate it with more fresh strawberries for the most stunning and vibrant pink cake.
We hope you LOVE this strawberry cake! It’s:
Sweet
Light
Nostalgic
Comforting
& Vibrant with strawberry flavor!
It’s the perfect cake to bring to all your spring and summer gatherings. Bookmark this one for upcoming birthday parties, baby showers, and beyond!
More Gluten-Free Vegan Cake Recipes
- 1-Bowl Vegan Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake
- 1-Bowl Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake
- Gluten-Free Birthday Cake (Vegan)
- 1-Bowl Vegan Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Vegan Strawberry Cake (GF)
Ingredients
CAKE
- 1 cup strawberry purée (~1 ½ cups or 200 g of halved, fresh strawberries as recipe is written // blend until smooth // organic when possible and as ripe as possible for best flavor)
- 1/4 cup avocado oil (or other neutral oil)
- 2/3 cup organic cane sugar (you could try subbing natural sweeteners, but we haven’t tested any yet)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups almond flour*
- 3/4 cup potato starch* (not potato flour)
- 1/3 cup cornstarch* (or sub arrowroot, but we haven’t tried it yet)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F (176 C) and line a baking dish with parchment paper. This recipe will make one 8×8-inch square, one 9-inch circle, or two 6-inch rounds (adjust if altering batch size).
- To a large mixing bowl, add strawberry purée, oil, sugar, and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine.
- Add almond flour, potato starch, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt to the wet ingredients and mix until fully incorporated with no lumps remaining. The texture should be thick, like cornbread batter.
- Pour the batter into your prepared baking dish, spread into an even layer, and bake on the center rack for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The center of the cake should be firm but springy when touched and the edges slightly golden brown.
- Let your cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before carefully turning it out onto a cooling rack.
- Once your cake is completely cool, you can top it with vegan strawberry frosting, vanilla frosting, or a chocolate ganache!
- Best enjoyed the first day but will last, covered, at room temperature up to 3 days. Freeze up to 1 month (then thaw at room temperature).
Video
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without frosting.
Victoria says
This is the prettiest coloured cake I’ve ever baked, and the strawberry purée gives it perfect flavour. Makes me wonder if I can purée other fruits for other variations? I would make this cake again!
We’re so glad you think so, Victoria! Other fruit purées could definitely work. We’d love to hear if you do some experimenting!
Yeni says
I made this cake for a baby shower, substituted cornstarch for the potato starch (like someone mentioned) and it still came out great! Fluffy and good flavor with the fresh strawberry puree . Will definitely do it again and will do with the potato starch next time when I find it. Thanks!
Great! Thanks for sharing, Yeni!
Paige says
I went with the square pan and my cake turned out quite dry. I don’t think I’ll make it again without experimentation, maybe adding 1/2 cup of applesauce? I did not find it to be fluffy either. The almond flour was probably why I’m not jiving as much with this cake.
On the other hand the companion frosting was delicious and easy to make.
Thanks for the review and for sharing your experience, Paige! Let us know if you try it again with any changes!
Kate says
Hi! Is there a substitute for the almond flour if you have a sensitivity? Would oat flour or coconut flour work?
Hi Kate! We haven’t tested this recipe without almond flour yet, but we think it could possibly work with a mix of gluten free flour blend, oat, and coconut flours. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try! xo
Laura Clout says
This has turned out stodgy, lumpy and uneven. The mixture seemed far too dry but I trusted the recipe and didn’t add extra liquid. It’s meant to be a birthday cake but currently looks like two mounds of innards. Don’t have high hopes for the taste but I’m going to have to cover it in the strawberry frosting and hope for the best as it’s too late to bake anything else!! What on Earth went wrong?!
Hi Laura! We’re so sorry this didn’t turn out how you wanted! Can you share more about what flours you used, or if you made any modifications? We’re here to help troubleshoot if it’s helpful!
Laura Clout says
Hi. I used an organic white all- purpose flour instead of the GF blend. I felt that something like vinegar to make the batter bubble, plus a plant milk to loosen it up might have helped? It was very dense and chewy and wouldn’t flatten in the cake tins – more like a giant pink cookie. The kids didn’t mind it though, drizzled with loads of the frosting and fresh strawberries.
Hi Laura, the flour swap is the issue. All-purpose flour is much more absorbent than the GF blend here. If you give it another try, we recommend only 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour in place of the almond flour, potato starch, and corn starch.
Paige says
Is it Ok to swap corn starch for the potato starch?
Hi Paige! We haven’t tried this with corn starch and we do think it might affect the texture slightly, but we aren’t sure. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try! xo
Trinity P says
Hello, I’m confused. You say you haven’t tried it with cornstarch yet it’s in the ingredients list. What am I missing please?
Thanks
Hi Trinity! We were replying to a comment that asked whether or not one could substitute corn starch for all the potato starch, which we have not tried and cannot guarantee results on. Hope this helps!
Annika says
My cousin and I just made this cake for my grandma’s birthday and it was a HUGE success!! The almond flour changes the game of this cake. We decorated with the strawberry frosting (which is just divine), and we used extra corn starch instead of potato starch and it turned out great. Fluffy, nutty, very strawberry-y, sweet but not too sweet, and keeps you wanting one more slice! Definitely will be making this again and I obviously highly recommend!
Aw, yay! We’re so glad to hear it, Annika. Thank you so much for sharing! xo
Jenny says
I have not made this yet, but plan to next week. Can you sub Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 GF flour for the cornstarch, potato starch and almond flour?
thank you!
Hi Jenny, we wouldn’t recommend that. The specific combination of flours used is what gives it a great texture.
Sushma says
Any idea how to turn this into a cupcake recipe?
Hi Sushma, We haven’t made this into cupcakes yet but it should work. We’d suggest starting the bake time at 20 minutes so the cupcakes don’t get overbaked. Let us know how it goes!
Hannah says
Loved this recipe! I used almond flour and made the strawberry icing to decorate. I used fresh strawberries to decorate. I bet this would also taste delicious with homemade strawberry jam. Maybe I will try that next time
Ooh, love the strawberry jam idea, Hannah! We’re so glad you enjoyed the cake and icing! Thank you for sharing! xoxo
Priscilla says
Just made this cake and it smells amazing! I used AP flour. Made the strawberry puree in my Ninja Bullet which took seconds and was really easy. I made this in a bundt pan as another reader did, but should have doubled the recipe. Will definitely be making this again!
Yay! Thank you for sharing, Priscilla! xo
Priscilla says
Update to this – everyone LOVED this cake. It reminds me a bit of the boxed cherry chip cake. My partner said he wants this every year for his birthday from now on. :) Luckily he has a summer birthday so we’ll be able to use the in season strawberries at the farmer’s markets. Thanks again.
Woohoo! How perfect! xoxo
Kailyn Fullerton says
Thank you again for a delicious summery cake. I made this tonight for my mom’s birthday. She can’t do potato starch so we replaced with 1/2 cup arrowroot and 1/4 cup tapioca. Came out moist and fluffy and tasted wonderful with the strawberry icing.
Yay! We love to hear this, and it’s so helpful to know that those substitutions work! Thanks for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Kailyn! We’re so glad everyone enjoyed! xo
Lauren says
Made this for my daughter’s first birthday and it was a big hit! Love it and want to try to make a blueberry or blackberry version! Have you tried any other fruits for this cake? Love it!
Ooo yay! We love to hear this. We haven’t tried this with other berries yet, but it could work! For blackberries we’d recommend straining them after blending as there will probably be a lot of seeds. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try! xo
Azza says
This was loved by my husband and I as well as my 2 and 5 year old kids! This seldom happens. Can’t thank you enough Dana.
I did sub coconut sugar for cane sugar and the sweetness was light and delightful.
I would like to do this cake as cupcakes for my daughter turning 2 next week. Would this amount be okay for 12 cupcakes?
warmly
Azza
Yay! We love to hear this. Other readers have mentioned that the batter yields between 10-12 regular sized cupcakes, but we haven’t tried it ourselves. Thanks so much for all the great reviews lately, Azza! xo
Lynsey says
I made this for a birthday party and it was to die for! Everyone loved it and was shocked that it was GF and Vegan. It had kind of a cornbread texture but the strawberry flavor really popped. I substituted the potato starch for cornstarch, used my own frosting receipe, and made it in a bundt pan. I’m planning on making this again with cherry pie filling.
Ooo – amazing! Thanks for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications. Can’t wait to hear how it goes with the filling! xo
Chantal J says
Hi, I love your recipes and tried this one over the weekend. I made a 8 inch round. I took it out of the oven after 30 minutes because I was afraid of over cooking it. It came out gummy. It wasn’t light or fluffy at all.
I used bobs red mill superfine almond flour. Would you know if it was because of under baking or too much liquid?
Chantal J says
Hi, one last question, the fluffy cake pictured in the recipe, was that with AP flour or with almond flour?
The cake in the photos is the gluten free version with almond flour!
Hi Chantal! It’s possible that the almond flour made a difference (this one is our favorite), but it seems more likely that it needed to be baked for longer, maybe 35-37 mins. It’s okay if the top of the cake starts to get very lightly golden, and we always check with a skewer or a toothpick in the very center of the cake to make sure the inside is dry. Also, let it cool completely before cutting. Let us know how it goes if you give it another try!
Monika says
I made this for my sister’s birthday along with the strawberry buttercream. Everyone agreed (vegans and non-vegans alike) that this was delish! I followed the all-purpose flour substitution and it worked beautifully. To make eating and serving easier, I made them in standard size cupcake tins using silicone liners. I got 10 perfectly domed cupcakes from the single recipe. One recipe of frosting was barely too much if you aren’t a pile-of-frosting type.
Garnished with a drizzle of chocolate ganache and a fresh strawberry half, these were a phenomenal addition to a summer birthday! Thanks for another wonderful recipe, Dana!
Ooo – delish! Ganache + fresh strawberries sounds amazing. Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Monika. We’re so glad everyone enjoyed! xo
Sushma says
Hi! I’d love to turn the recipe into cupcakes too – what temp did you use and time for baking? Thank you!
Monika says
I used the same temp as the recipe (non-stick muffin tin with silicone liners). I baked them for 22 minutes!
Melanie Cameron says
This was the PERFECT first birthday cake for our wee gal. I doubled the recipe (and frosting) and used APF for a two tier cake for our family and made a third batch, also with APF but sweetened entirely with applesauce, and topped with strawberries and whipped cream for a baby friendly smash cake. It worked beautifully and our birthday girl gobbled it up!
This will be its first of many appearances at our many strawberry season birthdays in our family. It is also of note that the house smells DIVINE as this cake cooks and cools.
Ooo, sweetened with applesauce is so creative! Thanks for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Melanie, we’re so glad everyone enjoyed! xo
Lauren says
Did you substitute the same amount of applesauce as the amount of sugar the recipe called for? I really want to try this!
Melanie says
I did. For some reason, the apple sauce version was even fluffier than the cane sugar version. (Perhaps because I whisked the applesauce version and my 4 year old stirred the other!) it worked beautifully.
Melanie says
I did! It was the same amount. It worked really well.
Michelle says
Would frozen (thawed) strawberries work for this?
Hi Michelle! You can definitely use frozen strawberries, we would suggest thawing them fully and draining off any excess liquid before pureeing them. Let us know what you think if you give it a go! xo
Natalie says
This cake was a hit!! My entire family loved it!
I made it twice and used arrowroot powder instead of cornstarch! I really want to make this into a bigger cake, how many times would I have to double it?? If I use a 9×9?
Hi Natalie! This recipe makes enough batter for one 8-9 inch square or round pan. xo
Shane says
Hi Support! If i wanted to make this recipe into a layer cake using 2 9 inch pans, would I simply double it? And how much should the bake time be adjusted?
Hi Shane! You’re correct, for two 9 inch pans you’ll want to double this recipe, and the bake time shouldn’t need to be adjusted much.. maybe 5 extra minutes? Test for doneness with a toothpick and you should be good. Let us know how it goes!
Jessie says
My cake turned out a bit dry. Anyone else have this problem? Any tips for next time? (I followed the recipe as is!)
Hi Jessie! So sorry your cake didn’t turn out moist… is it possible that it baked too long or that the batter wasn’t quite wet enough? It could also help to make it in an 8 or 9 inch pan (versus 6 inch or muffin tins), if you didn’t already! The recipe video shows the ideal batter texture, for reference. We’re always here to troubleshoot! xo
Margie says
This looks amazing! Do you think there could be a substitute for the potato starch? We have a gluten and potato allergy (crazy, right?). Thanks!!
Hi Margie, it’s a pretty key ingredient for a fluffy texture, but the closest alternative would be cornstarch, or perhaps a GF blend (though we think most contain potato starch).
Caitlin says
This cake is amazing! It smelled heavenly while baking and has a light strawberry flavour. I made 24 cupcakes and baked for 27 min. The texture was so soft and light and they rose in the oven and didn’t collapse when cooled, something I’ve been searching for in a vegan GF cake recipe. Can’t wait to make them for a party!
Yay! We’re so glad to hear it, Caitlin! Thank you so much for sharing! xo
Azza says
Hello Dana and/or Caitlin,
If I were to make this into cupcakes would it be 24 small cupcakes or regular sized cupcakes?
Many thanks
Hi Azza! We haven’t tried making this into cupcakes ourselves but we would guess that one batch it would make ~12-15 regular sized cupcakes. Perhaps if you don’t fill them up as much it can make 24! xo
Amy says
The cake is absolutely delicious! The frosting didn’t turn out as well, but I’ll keep trying! Doubled the recipe and made 2 round 9 inch cakes! Happy Birthday to me!
Happy birthday, Amy! We’re so glad you enjoyed the cake! We’d love to help troubleshoot on the frosting, if possible. What issues did you run into?
Britt says
If I use 2 8 inch cake pans how long should I bake it for?
Thanks!
Hi Britt! We wouldn’t recommend baking this in two 8 inch cake pans as it might dry out quite a bit, but it might work if you reduce the baking time to 15 minutes and then add more time if needed. Our preferred suggestion would be to bake it in one 8 inch round for at least 30 minutes and then cut the finished cake in half. Let us know how it goes! xo
Megha says
Could you please suggest a replacement for potato starch.
Hi Megha, if not gluten-free, you can omit the potato starch and see the notes for using all-purpose flour. Otherwise, it’s key for a light, fluffy texture.
elizabeth britt says
I made this yesterday and brought to a get together – it came out fantastic – my vegan friends loved it – made exactly as written only doubled recipe and used two 9 inch round pans for a double layer cake. I frosted with your vegan strawberry frosting. Thanks for awesome recipe – what do you think of adding cocoa powder for a strawberry/chocolate cake??
Woohoo! We’re so glad to hear it, Elizabeth. Thank you for sharing! That could work – we’d suggest reducing the flours slightly to compensate.
Sandy says
Just made these this morning as cupcakes and they are fabulous and so pretty! Beautiful color and great flavor. I only used 2c of confectioner’s sugar for the frosting as we’re really sensitive to sugar, and added a little corn starch to make it a bit stiffer. I used 1.75c APF for the cupcakes and it came out so tender and perfectly textured, I’ll be certain to use it often and experiment with different fruits. Thanks for another winner Dana!!
Yay! We’re so glad to hear it, Sandy. Thank you for sharing your experience and modifications! xoxo
Ariana Saavedra says
I made this cake for a bridal shower today, but the shower got postponed 😩Any tips on how best to freeze this? I made the strawberry frosting as well but have not frosted the cake yet. Do you recommend freezing with or without frosting? I have not tried it but it looks delicious. PS, I used 1.5 cups “Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1” gluten free baking flour in place of almond flour/potato starch/corn starch. The texture seems great but haven’t yet tried the finished product. Thank you!
Oh no! Sorry to hear that, Ariana. We’d suggest freezing unfrosted. Hope it turns out okay!
Nadine says
I’m looking to make it a week in advance and freeze it unfrosted, as you recommend above. Have you tested freezing and defrosting it? Would love to hear more.
Hi Nadine, we haven’t tried it with this recipe specifically, but in our experience, it works great with cakes!
Sara says
I have sensitive tastebuds and to me the cake tasted strongly of the corn- and potato starch. My husband just found the taste weird. The cake also turned soggy after a while (in spite of following instructions and checking carefully with a stick that it was done). Sad to say that for me, this was not a good baking experience 😅 The cake went in the trash.
Oh no! So sorry this didn’t work out for you, Sara. Is is possible that your almond flour was old? Sometimes we find that ours can go slightly rancid and give off an unpleasant flavor, it’s also possible that the baking powder was contributing to the taste and sogginess if it was out of date, or if you don’t use aluminum free baking powder. We’d love to help you troubleshoot more if you decide to give it another try! xo
Tammy says
Yes! Two of my favorites, cake and strawberries 😋! Made these as cupcakes and they looked so good after baking that I ate one before frosting. So delicious! Enough sugar to have a sweet taste but not overly sweet. I didn’t have any avocado oil and substituted canola oil. Will try applesauce next time. Thank you for all of your recipes!
Woohoo! We’re so glad you enjoyed the cupcakes, Tammy! Thank you so much for your kind words and lovely review! xo
Jamie Buford says
Can I make this into cupcakes? Also if I wanted to make it not gf would I still need to add the cornstarch?
Yes! We’d suggest cooking for slightly less time so they don’t dry out. You can use all purpose flour in place of the almond flour, potato starch, and cornstarch (see the notes section for details). Let us know how it goes!
Jamie Buford says
I made it the gf version and it came out great! Thank you so much this weekend I’ll try non gf
Woohoo!! Can’t wait to hear how the non-gf version goes! xo
Celia says
I just made this as a test run for my niece’s 1st birthday smash cake. I used AP flour and subbed unsweetened apple sauce for the sugar. The summer strawberry flavor is lovely! The texture is more like banana bread than a light cake, but for a baby’s 1st (healthy) cake, that’s totally fine. If I make it again I’ll probably use a hand mixer to whip air into the batter. For “icing” I strained greek yogurt and combined it with some strawberry puree and 2 Tbs of maple syrup – fresh, creamy, and yummy!
Thank you for sharing, Celia! Glad to hear you enjoy it overall =)
Viola says
This looks amazing! Can I omit or substitute potato starch (as it’s not something I usually have on hand)? Thanks!
Hi Viola, if not gluten-free, you can omit the potato starch and see the notes for using all-purpose flour. Otherwise, it’s key for a light, fluffy texture.
Maggie Jones says
Do you think this would work with raspberries? My husband’s birthday is coming up and it looks perfect.
Hi Maggie, it looks like another reader tried that and it seemed to cause the cake to be too dry because of the lower moisture content of raspberries compared to strawberries. If you try it, you may need to increase other liquids to compensate. Hope that helps!
Natalya says
Oops, forgot to leave a rating – here you go!
Natalya says
I usually never comment but I had to for this one. My birthday was yesterday and I decided to branch out and try this cake. Only substitution was tapioca starch instead of cornstarch (which I always do) and it turned out INCREDIBLE!! Perfect flavor – almost exactly like those strawberry shortcake ice cream bars I got from the ice cream truck when I was little :) I made a strawberry ermine frosting instead of buttercream for less sweetness and I can say I 100% recommend that as well!!
Aw, how lovely! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Natalya. Happy belated birthday! xoxo
Kate Lord says
Alas I think it was my error but the cake didn’t turn out to be pillows of fluffy pink magic. I tried to make 2 7.5″ cakes. They only needed 15 minutes but were quite dry. So I’m going to make it again.
The icing on the other hand was delicious and I substituted 1/2 a cup of cornflour for the icing sugar to cut the sweetness and it worked perfectly.
Oh and I also used frozen raspberries, but I’m determined to try again!
Oh no! So sorry to hear this didn’t work out for you, Kate. It’s possible that using raspberries affected the texture, since strawberries do have a slightly higher water content and might be adding moisture that the raspberries couldn’t? Another possibility is if you divided one batch between two 7.5″ pans it might’ve been too little batter and dried out while baking. Hope this helps! Let us know how it goes if you give it another go! xo
Shannon says
Hi Dana! I love this recipe so much. I made it back in June with strawberries and fell in love with the cake (I used AP flour). I was discouraged when I first read this comment as I was also hoping to make the recipe work with raspberries (and blueberries, for that matter). However, after consulting with a couple other recipes and a friend who’s a great baker, here’s what I did: thawed frozen raspberries and blueberries (I wanted to make one cake with each), pureed, strained, reduced over medium heat with a little water and a little sugar added (don’t ask me for proportions, I just winged it). Cooled the reduced berry mixtures before using in the strawberry cake recipe. I added a little more oil than the recipe called for and a little applesauce too for extra moisture. They turned out PERFECT. I ended up layering them (I made one 6″ cake each flavor) and used my leftover strawberry frosting from earlier this summer. In the future I’d like to attempt this with blackberries (I anticipate having similarly delicious results), and I’d like to make the strawberry frosting with each respective other berry as well. I’ll also probably make one with some whole blueberries mixed into the batter. Overall the blueberry cake was mildly flavored so I feel like it might not be worth the work for that particular berry, but raspberry was AWESOME. Oh, and I’ll probably try a lemon frosting somewhere along the way. I’d also like to try making the cake in the future without the added step of reducing the pureed berry mixture. Thanks for the great recipe and constant inspiration! Hopefully this helps another reader!
Thank you SO much for sharing your creativity and experience, Shannon! We’re so glad you enjoy the recipe and have come up with such lovely versions! xoxo
Rachana says
The flavour and texture turned out right but the cake did not have the pink colour, it turned brown (baked for 20 minutes at 350*)
Sorry to hear that, Rachana! Is it possible you were using almond meal instead of almond flour? Or coconut sugar instead of cane sugar? Or did you make any modifications?
Amicia says
It didn’t turn out right.
Sorry to hear that, Amicia! Other readers have loved this one, so we wonder if something may have gone wrong. Did you make any modifications? Would you mind sharing what didn’t work out about it? We’d love to help troubleshoot, if possible!
Brenda says
I made this cake using farmers market strawberries and AP flour for Father’s Day and it was such a hit! I baked the batter in a 9×9 pan, cut the cake in half, and made a layer cake using the strawberry frosting. It was so moist and flavorful–it tasted better or just as good as a non-vegan cake. I will definitely be making this again!!
Yay! We’re so glad to hear it, Brenda. Thank you so much for the lovely review! xo
Katie says
I made the non GF version with strawberry frosting. Overall it came out very good- the cake was a little dense but I also didn’t sift my flour. The frosting was delicious- I added some lemon zest as well for extra pop!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Katie! Thank you for sharing! xo
Nevenka says
I was wondering if we’re not making it GF, shall we use only 1 1/2 cups AP flour, that’s it? Because the recipe calls for 2 1/2 cups almond flour plus potato starch so I was thinking if the AP flour quantity is right measurement, or shall I add more than that?
Hi Nevenka, that’s correct! It does seem like such a small amount but we tested it and it worked beautifully. Another reader mentioned using 2 cups all purpose with success. Let us know if you give it a try!
Melinda says
I am neither g-free or vegan but made this yesterday out of curiosity. Followed recipe to the letter and baked in 9” round pan, as instructed. I only baked for 25 minutes as it appeared done. Result? Yummy but denser then I expected. Crumb didn’t resemble the shaggy one in the photo. Wonder if I should have baked longer? Once I accepted density o the cake, I could concentrate of the flavor which is yummy. I had my own leftover strawberry frosting and did not use the vegan recipe, by the way. Would make again but wish I had the 6” round pans. Maybe those make a better crumb.
Hi Melinda, Thank you for sharing and glad to hear you enjoyed it overall! GF baked goods will be slightly more dense, so it’s possible you’re not used to that? Or did you make sure to use potato starch (not potato flour)? You can also make this recipe with all purpose flour (see recipe notes for amount suggestion). Hope that helps!
Emma says
Thanks for this recipe! It was delicious! Made it because I have a child with food allergies but my non-allergic child and husband also really enjoyed! The fresh strawberry taste was amazing. It’s not often that we find a gf vegan dessert that we all agree on!
Woohoo! We’re so glad everyone enjoyed it. Thank you for the lovely review, Emma! xo
Jill Brazao says
It says can be stored at room temperature, but can it be stored in the fridge too? Or will that make it dry and hard?
Hi Jill, it will dry out in the fridge and is best at room temperature, especially for an event. But leftovers can be stored in the fridge for a couple days and will still be tasty.
Ashley says
Must make!! It was amazing and so simple!! I made it with all purpose flour and apples sauce in place of the oil and it was amazing. My 5yo said it was the best cake ever!! Will be making again.
Woohoo! We’re so glad to hear it, Ashley. Thank you so much for sharing! xo
Cindy says
Can I replace the oil with applesauce?
Hi Cindy, it will be a little more dense, but should work. Let us know how you like it!
Gwen Gerety Hays says
I have never heard of six inch round layer cake pans. Ours are 8 1/2 inches in diameter which I think is standard. Do I double the recipe for my size pans?
Hi Gwen, an 8 1/2 inch pan should work great without doubling it. For 6-inch cake pans, we recommend using two of them.
Tessa says
Could I use 6inch spring form pans?
That should work if lining them with parchment paper and if they are tall enough to hold the batter.
Claudine says
Delicious! Simple! Beautiful! I have used 2 cups of all-purpose flour and the cake came out perrrrfect! Thank you so much!
Amazing! Thank you so much for sharing, Claudine! xo
Abby says
This cake is SUPER YUMMY!! It was my first time baking a cake; it was for my grandma’s birthday and it did not disappoint (like many of the other recipes here) While the cake itself was just the right amount of sweet for me, the frosting (Strawberry frosting) was way too sweet for me. Just wondering, is there any way to make the frosting less sweet while not taking anything away from the frosting’s body?
Thank you for the recipes – this one’s a keeper:)
Hi Abby, so glad you love the cake! While we haven’t tried it with this frosting recipe, a typical way to help reduce the sweetness in frosting is to dilute the sugar by mixing it with flour (if you’re not gluten free) or cornstarch. We’d suggest adding 1/4 cup of cornstarch for every 1/2 cup of sugar. Sifting them together should help it mix well! Let us know how it goes if you try it! xo
Stephanie says
Hi there! would love to make this for my son’s 2nd birthday. what would u recommend i use instead of the cane sugar in order to reduce the processed sugar content? Thank you in advance!
Hi Stephanie, the next best alternative would be coconut sugar, but just know it will be a darker color and slightly different texture. Hope that helps! Let us know how it goes!
Dianne Murray says
What size cake pans? 9 inch or 8 inch? Or what size please?
Hi Dianne, you can find our pan size recommendations in instruction 1. Hope that helps!
Lucia says
Hi,
I made that beautiful cake yesterday still have to make the strawberry frosting.
I used a Fat daddio 6 X 3 inch cake pan
To make one tall cake to split in half after.
But when the cake was cooling the middle collapse !! :(
I will fix it with the icing but is it because I used just one tall cake pan ?
Well it’s smell and look delicious. I wish to make it again and would like to know what happened
Thank you for your beautiful recipes
Hi Lucia, yes, that’s likely the issue. We recommend using two 6-inch pans if making a full batch.
Leia says
I made this cake for my son’s birthday, including the strawberry icing, exactly as written. The flavour was good. The cake was dry though. Maybe I baked it a few minutes too long for my oven? I had it in for about 28 minutes. The batter was the texture as described, like cornbread batter, so I believe I did everything as stated. I think next time I will add more strawberry purée, or use only 2 cups of almond flour, and 1/2 cup of gluten free flour. It may have been dry, but it was tasty enough to try again.
Hi Leia, sorry to hear that happened, but we’re glad you still enjoyed the flavor! It does sound like perhaps it was over-baked or there was too much flour. What size pan were you using?
Leia says
I used a square 8X8 pan, with parchment paper.
Hm, that shouldn’t be the issue then since we tested it with that size pan. One other idea would be if your oven runs hot? Or if you’re not gluten-free, you can use all-purpose flour (which will yield a slightly more moist result) – see the note below the recipe for details.
Anthony says
This recipe looks amazing and I want to try it tomorrow but I’m REALLY craving strawberries and have many to work with so I was wondering if you had any recommendations for adjustments that would need to be made to incorporate more strawberries into the batter.
Hm, the only thing we can think of would be to try cooking down the strawberry purée to concentrate the flavor without adding too much liquid. Let us know if you do some experimenting, Anthony!
Naani says
I baked this cake and it is delicious! I cannot consume cornstarch so I modified it for 40g rice flour, 15g tapioca starch and 9g potato starch. I stay with the same texture that is seen in the video. I’m very happy!
Inspired by your recipes, I am baking with a homemade mix of flours that consists of 580g of almond flour, 295g of potato starch, 90g of rice flour, and 35g of tapioca starch, obtaining excellent results.
Thank you!
Woohoo! We’re so glad to hear it, Naani! Thank you so much for sharing! xo
LiliRose says
Hi
Just made the recipe in one Fat Daddio 6 x 3 inches. Look and smell amazing. Didn’t taste it yet because it’s for a birthday tomorrow but as it cool down the center of the cake collapse a little :(
Is it because I used only one small cake pan and the cake was too think ?!? I will try to fix it with the icing and strawberries.
Can’t wait to try it :)
Hi, sorry to hear that! If you made a full batch in just one 6-inch pan, that could be the issue. Or is it possible you opened the oven too soon to check on it? Or could your baking powder be expired? Hope you enjoy it!
Kate says
Love this recipe! Second time im making it, but this time I added only 3/4 cup of purée and 1/4 cup of small strawberry pieces. I also make them into cupcakes and they were a picnic hit! 10/10
Woohoo! We’re so glad you you enjoy it, Kate! Thank you so much for sharing!
Jess says
I made the recipe as written, except I baked as cupcakes. The recipe made 12 standard size cupcakes. I baked for around 20 mins in paper lined tins and topped with the vegan strawberry icing and some pink vegan sprinkles for fun. Yum!
Amazing!! Love the modifications, Jess. Thank you so much for sharing! xo
Courtney says
Has anyone made the strawberry purée ahead of time? I have perfect strawberries now but want to make this cake next week for my daughter’s birthday! Wondering if I should refrigerate the purée or freeze it until I’m ready to use and if that would change the flavor much.
Hi Courtney, that should work well! We would suggest refrigerating it up to a few days.
Haley says
This was great! I subbed the potato starch for semolina flour. Also made them as cupcakes. Delicious and a big hit – can’t wait to make them again.
Amazing! Thank you so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Haley! xo
Judy says
Could I sub for gf all purpose flour?
Hi Judy, We haven’t tried this with all gluten free all purpose flour and we think it might make the cake too heavy, but possibly mixing gluten free flour blend with coconut flour or cashew flour could work here. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
Hey there! We tested this recipe with all purpose flour and it worked wonderfully! We used 1 1/2 cups total all purpose in place of the the almond flour, potato starch, and corn starch. Let us know what you think if you try it out! xo
Julie says
I made this lovely cake a few days ago and I’m still enjoying it! Super delicious! I didn’t have enough icing sugar for the frosting (came short about 3/4 cup), so the strawberry frosting was runny, but I did not mind one bit! I may try making the cake again, but use some whipped coconut cream and strawberries to serve with it. Thank you!
We’re so glad you’re enjoying it, Julie! Thank you for sharing! Whipped cream and strawberries will be so lovely =)
Cecilia says
Hi, wondering if its possible to make this cake with frozen strawberries/ frozen strawberries puree instead of the fresh ones? Its really hard to come by good tasting fresh strawberries from where i live. This cake looks amazing and i really want to make it. Thank you!
Hi Cecilia! You can definitely use frozen strawberries, we would just suggest thawing them fully and draining off any excess liquid before pureeing them. Let us know what you think if you give it a go! xo
Mari says
I made this cake shortly after I saw the recipe since I had a bunch of organic strawberries to use. I was worried that it was too thick because of the cornbread like consistency, but it turned out perfect! I made a strawberry filling and a non-vegan lemon Swiss meringue buttercream. It was delicious!
Wonderful! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Mari. Thank you for sharing! xo
Constance says
What brand are your 6” cake pans?
Thx :)
Hi Constance, they are Fat Daddio’s brand. Hope that helps!
Katie says
What could be substituted in place of the almond flour? We have nut allergies over here, but must also be gluten-free and vegan. Any suggestions? This cake sounds delicious!
Hi Katie! We haven’t tested this recipe yet without almond flour yet, but we think it could possibly work with a mix of gluten free flour blend, oat, and coconut flours. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try! xo
Iva says
Hey!
The cake lools amazing! I was wondering if I could substitute the strawberries with frozen blueberries? As we have no strawberry season now, I thought frozen blueberries might taste better than frozen strawberries..
Thanks!
Hmm, perhaps! We haven’t tried it so we’re not certain how it would taste. Let us know if you try it!
Taryn Fiorente says
I’m allergic to almonds. Please let me know what flour I can substitute almond flour with?
Hi Taryn! We haven’t tested this recipe yet without almond flour, but we think it could possibly work with a mix of gluten free flour blend, oat, and coconut flours. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try! xo
Tiffany says
Hi!! Beautiful cake! Is there another alternative to the almond flour, we have nut allergies in our home. ☹️ Thank you!
Hi Tiffany! We haven’t tested this recipe yet without almond flour, but we think it could possibly work with a mix of gluten free flour blend, oat, and coconut flours. Or if you’re not gluten free, all purpose might work! Let us know how it goes if you give it a try! xo
Carolina says
Hi, how can I make this cake with gluten? using wholemeal flour please?
what’s the ratio or quantity of flour should I use?
Thank you
Hi Carolina! We haven’t tested this with all purpose yet, but we’d suggest starting with 2 cups all purpose and adding 1/4 cup at a time until you reach the consistency of the batter in the recipe video. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try! xo
Hey there! We ended up testing this recipe with all purpose flour and it worked! We used 1 1/2 cups total all purpose in place of the almond flour, potato starch, and corn starch. Let us know what you think if you try it out! xo
Brie says
I made this cake immediately after Dana posted it, because organic strawberries have been on sale and they are SO sweet. This cake is delicious. Last night, after it cooled, we ate a couple pieces without frosting. If it’s good without frosting you know it’s just good! It really is fluffy, moist, (doesn’t deflate and isn’t super dry like many GF baked goods) and just the right amount of sweet.
I used coconut sugar at a 1:1 ratio for cane sugar and baked it in an 8.5” square dish. I think it ended up taking about 35 minutes at that size. Today, I will glaze individual slices with a powdered sugar/strawberry purée/lemon juice mixture, and adorn each which a strawberry slice.
Amaaazing! Thanks so much for such a lovely review, Brie, and for sharing your modifications! So glad you enjoyed! xo
Melanie says
Would it be possible to sub wheat flour for the gf flours?
Hi Melanie! We haven’t tested this with all purpose or wheat flour yet, but we’d suggest starting with 2 cups all purpose and adding 1/4 cup at a time until you reach the consistency of the batter in the recipe video. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try! xo
Hey there! We tested this recipe with all purpose flour and it worked! We used 1 1/2 cups total all purpose in place of the almond flour, potato starch, and corn starch. Let us know what you think if you try it out with whole wheat! xo
Becky says
I made this cake yesterday with some modifications. I did not have potato starch so substituted white rice flour, and I used arrowroot in place of corn starch. I also used refined coconut oil instead of avocado oil. I baked the cake in an 8-inch round. The flavor is amazing! My cake was dense and very moist–maybe it needed to be cooked a few more minutes–but I suspect the substitutions and smaller pan size are the culprits. The white rice flour might not be as starchy as the potato starch and didn’t absorb the liquid as well. I topped the warm cake with a simple strawberry glaze I made from whisking leftover strawberry puree and powdered sugar. It was divine! I can’t wait to try it using the correct ingredients and pan! My husband requested I make it again tomorrow to serve to our family for his birthday. And it was so easy!
Amazing! Thanks so much for such a lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Becky! xo
Natalie says
Can this be adapted into cupcakes? What temp, time would you bake at? Also does the picture above follow the recipe or have you made two cakes and stacked them?
Hi Natalie! We haven’t made this into cupcakes yet but it should work, perhaps start the bake time at 20 minutes so they cupcakes don’t get overbaked. The recipe as written can make two 6 inch rounds, as seen in the pictures!
Dana Phelan says
Would you recommend this recipe for cupcakes? Thanks!
Hi Dana! We haven’t tried it but we think it would work. All we’d suggest is starting the bake time at 20 minutes and checking for doneness with a toothpick. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try! xo
Emma says
Made these today with the strawberry icing and they were SO flavourful!! Perfect texture as well, light and fluffy but not too sweet. Substituted corn starch for potato starch and they turned out great! Thank you for the perfect summer recipe!
Amazing! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Emma! xo
Winnie says
Hello! Can i use regular flour? If so, what mix/kind would you recommend?
Hi Winnie! We haven’t tested this with all purpose yet, but we’d suggest starting with 2 cups all purpose and adding 1/4 cup at a time until you reach the consistency of the batter in the recipe video. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try! xo
Hey there! We tested this recipe with all purpose flour and it worked! We used 1 1/2 cups total all purpose in place of the almond flour, potato starch, and corn starch. Let us know what you think if you try it out! xo
Amy says
I’m allergic to all things potato and am not gluten free. Can I make this cake with regular flour and what would be the measurements? Thanks so much!
Hi Amy! We haven’t tested this with all purpose yet, but we’d suggest starting with 2 cups all purpose and adding 1/4 cup at a time until you reach the consistency of the batter in the recipe video. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try! xo
Hey there! We tested this recipe with all purpose flour and it worked! We used 1 1/2 cups total all purpose in place of the almond flour, potato starch, and corn starch. Let us know what you think if you try it out! xo
Linzy says
If I want to use an all purpose flour would it be a 1:1 ratio? Thanks.
Hi Linzy! We haven’t tested this with all purpose yet, but we’d suggest starting with 2 cups all purpose and adding 1/4 cup at a time until you reach the consistency of the batter in the recipe video. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try! xo
Hey there! We tested this recipe with all purpose flour and it worked! We used 1 1/2 cups total all purpose in place of the almond flour, potato starch, and corn starch. Let us know what you think if you try it out! xo
Trista Bailey says
This sounds amazing!! Do you think I could sub the almond flour with oat flour?
Thanks :)
Hi Trista! We haven’t tested this recipe yet without almond flour, but we think it could possibly work with a mix of gluten free flour blend, oat, and coconut flours. Oat on its own would probably be too dense. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
wendy says
hi! this looks delicious..could i use AP flour instead of the gluten free blend? and if so, would i use the same amount or need to adjust? thanks!
Hi Wendy! We haven’t tested this with all purpose yet, but we’d suggest starting with 2 cups all purpose and adding 1/4 cup at a time until you reach the consistency of the batter in the recipe video. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try! xo
Hey there! We tested this recipe with all purpose flour and it worked! We used 1 1/2 cups total all purpose in place of the almond flour, potato starch, and corn starch. Let us know what you think if you try it out! xo
Avery says
If I wanted to use regular AP flour, how much would I use?
Hi Avery! We haven’t tested this with all purpose yet, but we’d suggest starting with 2 cups all purpose and adding 1/4 cup at a time until you reach the consistency of the batter in the recipe video. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try! xo
Kaitlan says
Dana! You’re a wizard! I just made this because we had an abundance of strawberries, and O.M.G. It is so good. Even my non-vegan, gluten-loving husband loved it. Another home run, thank you so much for all you do.
Thanks, Kaitlan! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! xo
Lin says
2/3 cup of cane sugar. 1/3 cup of cornstarch. 3/4 cup of potato starch. 1/4 cup of olive oil. These ingredients in large quantify are harmful to health. I like many of your recipes, but hope you can help promote truly wholesome eating.
Hi Lin! We always aim to encourage wholesome eating, which also means we believe in balance. We would never suggest that people eat cake for every meal, but cake is meant to be an occasional sweet treat that nourishes the soul as well as the body! We hope you enjoy it if you ever give it a try.
Marcella says
This strawberry cake looks awesome. I usually go for chocolate or carrot cake, but I really plan on making this cake.
Is it a more dense cake or lighter? And have you added nuts, like chopped walnuts?
Hi Marcella! We’d say this cake is moist in texture but light in taste, not too rich! We haven’t tried it with nuts added but it should work. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try! xo
Yvonne M says
Hi there, we are vegan but not gluten-free. If making it with regular flour, which type would you use (all-purpose, cake flour?) and in what proportions? Would it be 3 1/2 cups all purpose? Thank you! I love your recipes and encouraging us to try more plant based options.
Hi Yvonne! We haven’t tested it this way yet but we’d suggest using all purpose flour, and starting with 2 cups. Increase by 1/4 cup until you reach the consistency of the batter in the recipe video. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try! xo
Mandy Gann says
Love your recipes! Could you substitute anything for the potato starch? Thank you!
Hi Mandy! We haven’t tested this recipe without potato starch yet, and starch of some kind is important for creating structure and browning in the cake. It’s possible it could work with 50/50 tapioca starch and cornstarch in place of the potato starch but we aren’t sure. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try! xo
Alison Schneider says
I can’t wait to make this!!! How would you sun all-purpose flour?
Hi Alison! We haven’t tested this with all purpose yet, but we’d suggest starting with 2 cups all purpose and adding 1/4 cup at a time until you reach the consistency of the batter in the recipe video. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try! xo
Shirley Tucker says
This looks delicious and I’d like to make it. Can I substitute regular wheat flour for the almond flour? We have nut allergiesc in the family.
Hi Shirley! We haven’t tested this with wheat flour yet but we think it might work. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try! xo
Rachelle says
This cake is something I definitely am up for trying. I don’t have potato starch or corn starch. I do have arrowroot starch. Would it sub in ok for both? Or is it better to sub in only for corn starch and purchase the potato starch?
Hi Rachelle! The potato starch is pretty important here, and we aren’t sure if arrowroot would work in place of both. Could be worth a try, though. Let us know how it goes if you give it a go! xo
Judith Lainer says
I’m going to make this!!! Any chance I can use different gf flour? I’m trying to stay away from nuts.
Thanks.
Hi Judith! We haven’t tested this without almond flour yet, but it’s possible that you could mix gluten free flour blend with coconut flour for a similar result. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
Jen Beam says
I cannot WAIT to try this recipe!!!
Everything you do is *fabulous*. For real.
Thank you for existing.
DO YOU HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BAKING THIS CAKE AS CUPCAKES INSTEAD?
If yes, please advise.
Thanks again! :)
Hi Jen! Thanks for the lovely compliments! We haven’t tried it, but for cupcakes we’d suggest starting the bake time at 20 minutes and checking for doneness with a toothpick. Let us know how it goes! xo
Shane says
This looks AMAZING!!! Your chocolate cake made with your chocolate ganache frosting is our favorite, and we can’t wait to try this! If we’re not GF, do you think we could use all purpose flour in lieu of the almond flour/ potato starch/ cornstarch?
And, while I’m here, thanks SO MUCH for your awesome and inspiring recipes!!! :)
Hi Shane! Thanks for the lovely compliments. We haven’t tested this with all purpose yet, but we think it would work. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try! xo
Marina says
Looks wonderful! Do you have an alternative to almond flour? My boyfriend is allergic to nuts…
Hi Marina! We haven’t tried it but it’s possible that mixing gluten free flour blend with coconut flour or oat flour (50/50 gf blend and coconut/oat) could work here. Or if you’re not gluten free, you could try all purpose. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
Marika says
This looks incredible! Can this batter be used to make cupcakes? And if so, how long would you bake for? Thanks!
Hi Marika! This should work well for cupcakes. We’d suggest starting the bake time at 20 minutes and checking for doneness with a toothpick. Let us know how it goes! xo
Jess Drost says
If I wanted to make this with regular flour, and without cornstarch or potato starch, how much flour would I use?
Hi Jess! We’d suggest starting with two cups and increasing by 1/4 cup until you reach the texture of the batter in the recipe video. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try! xo
Meredith says
Hi! Any chance I could sub out the almond flour with a 1-to-1 GF flour? Thanks!
Hi Meredith! We haven’t tried this with gluten free blend and we think it might make the cake too heavy, but possibly mixing gluten free flour blend with coconut flour or cashew flour could work here. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
Jenn says
Looks amazing! Is there a sub I could use instead of potato starch?
Thank you!
Hi Jenn! We think possibly increasing the corn starch and subbing some tapioca starch would work here. Unfortunately some type of starch is needed in this recipe for giving lift and structure to the cake. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try! xo
Dee says
Hi! We aren’t gluten-free, so wondering if I can sub all-purpose flour for the almond flour, potato starch, and corn starch? Thanks!
Hi Dee! We haven’t tried this yet but we think it would work. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try! xo
Cecile says
Can the same recipe be used to make cupcakes? Any changes needed?
Should work fine! Maybe start the baking time at 20 minutes to ensure the cupcakes don’t get too dark, and insert a toothpick to check for doneness. xo
Vanessa says
This cake looks AMAZING!!! Is there a substitution for potato starch? I’m not in the US, thanks!
Hi Vanessa! We haven’t tried it, but if possible, more corn starch could work. Arrowroot and tapioca starch might also be worth a try, if you can find either of those!
Esther says
oh my! I was just searching all over the internet for a strawberry cake recipe, and this was posted! can’t wait to try this out!!
Woohoo! We love to hear this. Let us know what you think if you give it a try! xo
Francesca says
Is gluten-free flour an option? Or another type? I unfortunately cannot use almond, but this looks amazing! Would love to try it.
Hi Francesca! We think using only gluten free flour might make the cake too heavy, but possibly mixing gluten free flour blend with coconut flour or cashew flour could work here. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try! xo
Abigail says
This looks amazing and would love to try making it for my son! However, he has a nut allergy so the almond flour won’t work. Would AP flour (or other nut-free flour) work instead?
Hi Abigail! We haven’t tested this with all purpose yet, but we think it would work. Alternatively you could try 50/50 coconut flour and oat flour in place of almond – though we haven’t tried that either. Let us know how it goes! xo
Gerry says
Hello :)! I’m excited to try this recipe out. I have a question. Is it possible to substitute the avocado oil for canola or olive oil?
Yes!
Kiki says
If i’m using only all purpose flour do i use just 1 1/2 cup? mm this recipe sounds delicious
Yes! We tested it this week with success =) Let us know how it turns out for you!