This easy vegan strawberry shortcake cake combines fluffy vanilla cake (not biscuits) with a lightly sweetened, syrupy strawberry filling and plenty of whipped coconut cream for a crowd-pleasing vegan summer dessert!
1poundof sliced fresh strawberries,washed and stems removed
1 to 2tablespoons sugar or maple syrup
Splash of water
5whole fresh strawberries
One container of store bought Cocowhip
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease two nonstick 9 inch round cake pans.
In a large bowl, whisk together the plant-based milk, sugar, oil, applesauce, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well, but do not overmix.
Divide batter in half and pour into your lightly-oiled round cake pans and with a spoon even it out. Bake both cakes for 20 to 25 minutes. Test if the cake is fully baked by inserting a toothpick in it. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is ready. Allow the cake to cool completely before trying to remove it for the pan. Place the cake on a cooling rack to allow it to fully cool down before adding the toppings.
While the cakes are baking, in a saucepan over medium-high heat, add the sliced strawberries, sugar or maple syrup, and a splash of water. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, gently stirring, until the sugar has fully dissolved. Bring to boil and then remove from heat. Do not let the strawberries break apart. Let the strawberries fully cool.
Once the cakes and strawberries have cooled, top the first cake with a thick layer of storebought cocowhip, then dollop on a layer of carmelized strawberries, and add the second cake. Add another layer of cocowhip and garnish the center with whole fresh strawberries.
Notes
Don’t overmix the batter: If you overwork the gluten in the flour, it can lead to dense, gummy cakes.
Leave the cakes to cool: They will firm up and become less crumbly as they do, so they shouldn’t be removed from the cake pans before then.
Use fresh, ripe strawberries: They are the recipe’s star, so make sure they’re juicy, sweet, and delicious for the best-tasting vegan strawberry dessert.