Nothing says summer better than this delicious vegan strawberry shortcake. It's an easy twist to the classic dessert, with layers of vanilla cake, juicy strawberries, and fluffy whipped cream. It's the perfect dessert for summer, and one of the best ways to use fresh strawberries. If you're looking for a light dessert to make for your next summer party, this is the one for you!
One of the best things about summer is that the berries are all in season, and strawberries are my favorite! I mean, you can't go wrong with fresh strawberries and cream, they're the perfect combination when paired with a cake or even a biscuit. I love cake, hence why I made this recipe.
The inspiration from this recipe goes way back - childhood to be exact. For every birthday, my mom would always get me a strawberry shortcake, the Japanese version. What's the Japanese version you may ask? It's a chiffon cake, filled with whipped heavy cream, and decorated with fresh strawberries. Unlike the American classic, where they use a biscuit as the base. Anyway, whenever my birthday comes up, I always associate it with a strawberry shortcake. In my opinion, it's the perfect cake. Fluffy, airy, lightly sweetened, and even refreshing.
I knew I had to recreate it one day. But there was a reason why it took me so long to make it, I just couldn't find a non-dairy heavy whipping cream...Until now. I finally found a non-dairy heavy whipping cream, and it's THE BEST. Yes, I've used coconut cream in the past, but the coconut flavor just overpowered everything. I think for certain desserts it's okay to use, but for something like this, I didn't want it to taste like coconut. Thanks to that product, I finally made my favorite cake, which will now be my go-to cake for every occasion.
Top tips for making vegan strawberry shortcake:
- Use a food scale. For best consistent results and fewer dishes to wash, I highly recommend a food scale. Cup measurements won't cut it, and won't get you the same results. Sorry, but that's the truth!
- Get yourself an electric hand mixer. To whip the frosting, you will need a high-speed mixer, either an electric hand mixer or stand mixer will do. Trust me, you don't want to use your hands for this unless you want an arm workout.
- Use a whipping cream stabilizer. This will help the cream keep its shape and won't make it melt. It's what I use all the time for cream-based frosting or fillings.
- Fresh strawberries! Please use fresh, it tastes better in this cake. Better yet, if it's in season, go out to a farm and do some strawberry picking! Do not use frozen strawberries, since it’s frozen it will release a lot of extra liquid and it will just make the cakes too wet and it won’t hold up properly. Fresh is better!
- Simple syrup is key. Why? When it comes to cake making, simple syrup is your best friend. It keeps the cakes moist and adds a little bit of sweetness to your cakes. Don't worry, it doesn't make it overbearingly sweet, just a touch.
If you’d tried this recipe out let me know in the comments! Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @flouredframe and don’t forget to tag me when you create my recipes! Happy baking!
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Strawberry Shortcake
Equipment
- Food scale highly recommended
- 2 6-inch cake pans
- Small saucepan
- Measuring spoons
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Wire cooling rack
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- Offset spatula
- Chopping Board
- Sharp kinfe
- Serving plate or cake stand
Ingredients
Simple Syrup:
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 50 g water
Cake:
Filling:
- 473 g Dairy-free whipping cream
- 25 g powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup fresh strawberries (plus more for topping)
Instructions
Sugar Syrup:
- Bring water and sugar to a boil and boil until sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool at room temperature. Set aside until ready to use.
Cake:
- Before you start, preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease the cake pans with a little bit of oil and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Next, in a medium-sized bowl, add in the soy milk, vinegar, and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine. Set aside for 5 minutes to curdle (this is vegan buttermilk). Then add in the oil, and whisk together to emulsify.
- Meanwhile, in another medium-sized bowl, add in the all-purpose flour, potato starch, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Mix until well combined, and set aside until ready to use.
- In the bowl with the dry ingredients, pour in half of the wet ingredients. Gently whisk until combined. Then, add in the remaining half and mix until the batter is very smooth and runny. Evenly distribute the batter to the prepared cake pans. Tap the bottom of the cake pans to release any bubbles from the batter.
- Bake the cakes at 350°F for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and dry.
- Remove the cakes from the oven, and carefully place them on a wire cooling rack. Allow the cakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully flip the cake pans over the cooling rack to release the cakes. Then, leaving them upside down, allow the cakes to completely cool.
Frosting:
- In a bowl of a stand mixer, whip the dairy-free heavy whipping cream on high for about 2-3 minutes until you reach stiff peaks. Then, add in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. At low speed, mix all the ingredients. Once combined, whip the cream again on high for another 30 seconds. Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge until ready to use.
Prepping the strawberries:
- Wash and hull 1 cup of strawberries into small cubes. This will be your filling. Grab another ½ cup or more of strawberries and cut them in half only. This will be your topping. Set aside until ready to use.
Assembly:
- When the cakes are completely cooled, it’s time to level them. Take a sharp knife to cut the dome from the top of the cake. I like getting down at eye level to see if it is even and leveled. Repeat for the second cake.
- After, place your desired serving plate and add a small dollop of the frosting on the plate. Place your first cake layer over top. Then take your sugar syrup, and with a pastry brush, dab the sugar syrup over the surface of the cake.
- Next, spread about half of the whipped frosting over the cake. Then add the cubed strawberries on top. Drizzle a bit of the simple syrup over the top of the strawberries.
- With the second layer, flip it over so that the bottom is facing the top. Place it over the strawberries. Then dab some syrup over the top. Spread the whipped frosting, and this time add the halved strawberries on top. Decorate the top however you like! Drizzle a bit more simple syrup on top.
- Place the cake in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour for the frosting to set before serving! Enjoy!
Notes
- Measure your flour correctly. I test my recipes, 100% in grams. A common reason baked goods fail is incorrectly measured flour. I always recommend using a scale for accuracy when baking. This greatly improves your chance for success and lessens room for error.
- Simple syrup. Cake’s best friend. It simply keeps the cake moist throughout the assembly and decorating stages. Not only that, but it also adds a bit more sweetness to the cake! Don’t worry, it won’t make it overly sweet.
- Potato starch? I know what you’re thinking, potato starch in a cake? Yes, you read that right. Potato starch simply just provides structure and keeps the cake tender and soft. You can substitute it for cornstarch, however, potato starch is slightly smoother and holds moisture a little better than cornstarch.
- Subbing for coconut cream. Chill your coconut cream or coconut milk in the refrigerator overnight making sure not to shake or tip the can to encourage the separation of the cream and water. Remove the coconut cream from the fridge and gently flip it over, so that the bottom is now at the top. Drain out the excess liquid, and you should have the thickened cream at the bottom. Scrape it out and whip it for 1 minute, add in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and cream stabilizer.
- Fresh strawberries. Please use fresh, it tastes better in this cake. Better yet, if it's in season, go out to a farm and do some strawberry picking! Do not use frozen strawberries, since it’s frozen it will release a lot of extra liquid and it will just make the cakes too wet and it won’t hold up properly. Fresh is better.
- Cool your cakes before decorating! First, it makes it easier to assemble. Second, it won’t make your frosting melt.
- The small dollop of the filling underneath the cake helps it from sliding around as you decorate it.
Floured Frame says
So sorry that happened to you! But it sounds like there could be an issue with your oven, that perhaps you should check!
Not all ovens are not built the same, and it could have an issue with hot spots or the heating element.
Floured Frame says
That's so odd! I've never run into that issue. I'm sorry that happened to you, but you can always switch it with another brand of non-dairy heavy whipping cream (if you know of any) or you can use coconut cream! It'll obviously taste more coconutty, but that should also work.
Just keep in mind, that if you are comparing this to regular dairy whipping creams, they will be a big difference. H
Hannah Providenti says
Hi! I absolutely love this recipe. It has been a hit each time I’ve made it! I’m now making it for a birthday for a friend who is gluten free. What would you recommend as a flour substitute? Thank you in advance for any suggestions you can provide!
Floured Frame says
Thank you! I'm so glad you loved it! As for gluten-free flour, I'm gonna be honest I don't have a lot of experience with it, but you can try the Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour and see how that works for you!
Amy says
I’ve made these before and now I’m making them again because they were really good! I love all of your recipes!
bria says
im not seeing where you put instructions to add sugar to the batter? messed up a cake 🙁
Floured Frame says
Sorry about that, I added it in the recipe card! It should have been added with the dry ingredients.
Hailey says
Does this store overnight well?
Trying to make it in advance
Floured Frame says
Hi, yes it does! Just keep it chilled right up until serving.