This Vegan Gluten-free Strawberry Cake is a classic turned into vegan and gluten-free. It can’t be moister and fluffier and it’s not at all overly sweet. Both the cake and the buttercream are made with fresh strawberries. It’s the perfect spring and summer dessert!

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WHY MAKE THIS RECIPE
It’s made with fresh strawberries, no artificial flavour added. Both the cake and the buttercream use just fresh strawberry puree. Looking for a healthy cake with real fruit that can be made all year? Look no more, this is it!
It’s moist, fluffy and healthy at the same time. This Vegan Gluten Free Strawberry Cake has a very tender crumb thanks to the addition of the strawberry puree. Also, it’s not overly sweet and just perfect to pair with this addictive Vegan Strawberry Buttercream frosting.
Oh, if you’re a fan of fluffy and healthy desserts, check out those: Vegan Chocolate Cake, Vegan Gluten-Free Carrot Cake, Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes and Vegan Funfetti Cupcakes.
It’s a show stopper in any party, with its beautiful pink frosting and its fresh and natural toppings. There is a perfect balance of sweetness and texture between the vegan strawberry cake and the buttercream, so there is no need for adding complicated toppings to this cake.
It’s as easy as it looks in the step-by-step images below. It truly is! No fancy or difficult-to-find ingredients, minimal equipment needed and easy-to-follow instructions. I never want to make a recipe more difficult than it needs to be.
Oh, and it ticks all the boxes, it’s vegan, gluten-free, egg-free and dairy-free.
RECIPE INGREDIENTS


INGREDIENT NOTES AND SUBSTITUTIONS
Strawberries. Fresh strawberries are the best option here for the strawberry puree. I haven’t tried with frozen, but if you do, keep in mind that frozen strawberries are more watery so add an extra ¼ cup of flour to balance the extra juice.
Flour. Gluten-free all-purpose flour is what I use. If you’re not gluten-free, substitute for all-purpose flour at a ratio of 1:1.
Butter. I use vegan unsalted butter sticks.
Vegetable milk. Almond milk, oat milk or soy milk are the best choices for baking.
Sugar. I use organic cane sugar. You can also use brown sugar or granulated (white) sugar.
HOW TO MAKE THE CAKE
Full instructions and measurements can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

- To make the cake: Preheat the oven and line three 6-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
- Puree the fresh strawberries.
- In a small bowl, mix the vegan milk with the lemon juice. Stir and let curdle.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter for 3-5 minutes.

- Sift in the flour, sugar, baking soda and baking powder.
- Whisk gently to combine. The mixture will look crumbly.
- Add the buttermilk, strawberry puree and vanilla.
- Mix on high speed for 30 seconds.

- Divide the batter between the three lined pans and bake.
- You can frost the cakes as they are, or level them to create an even surface.
HOW TO MAKE THE FROSTING

To make the Buttercream: First, prepare the strawberry reduction. Puree the strawberries and cook until it thickens. Set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy.
- Add the powdered sugar, strawberry reduction and vanilla. Mix until buttercream is smooth.
- Frost the top of each cake and stack them.
- Apply a thin layer of frosting. Freeze for 15 minutes. Remove from freezer and frost the sides and top of the cake.

RECIPE FAQs
You could substitute the strawberry puree for one cup of jam, and adjust the sugar in the recipe by removing ¼ cup of sugar.
Cake layers can be wrapped and stored at room temperature overnight. Make sure they have completely cooled before wrapping them. If you make them more than 24 hours in advance, freeze them as soon as they are completely cool.
This Vegan Strawberry Buttercream can be prepared several days ahead and stored in the fridge, in an airtight container. It thickens when it cools down, you may need to bring it to room temperature before using it.
Sure! This recipe will also make a 2-layer 8-inch cake or a 2-layer 9-inch cake.

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RECIPE

Vegan Gluten Free Strawberry Cake
Equipment
- Three 6-inch round cake pans
- Immersion blender, stand blender or food processor
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- Big mixing bowl
- Silicone spatula
Ingredients
For the Vegan Gluten Free Strawberry Cake
- 2½ cups all-purpose gluten-free flour (340 gr)
- 1 cup cane sugar (200 gr) (or granulated sugar)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ⅔ cup vegan butter (145 gr) , at room temperature
- ½ cup plant-based milk (100 ml) (almond, oat, soy or rice milk)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1¼ cups strawberry puree (2 cups fresh strawberries – 300 gr)
- ¼ teaspoon pink food coloring , optional
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Additional strawberries, for garnishing , optional
For the Vegan Strawberry Buttercream
- 1 cup vegan butter , at room temperature
- 3½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup strawberry puree (2 cups fresh strawberries – 225 gr weighed without the stems)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract , optional
Instructions
For the Vegan Gluten Free Strawberry Cake:
- To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350ºF / 180ºC and line three 6-inch cake pans with parchment paper. I use round parchment paper to line the bottom of my pans. Lightly spray with cooking spray so that the cakes don’t stick.
- Puree the fresh strawberries, using an immersion blender, stand blender or a food processor. Set aside. I don’t normally strain the puree, but you may do it if the seeds bother you.
- In a small bowl, mix the vegan milk with the lemon juice to make the vegan buttermilk. Gently stir and let sit for two minutes. The milk curdles and reaches a buttermilk-like texture and taste.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the butter for 3-5 minutes, until pale and fluffy.
- Sift in the flour, sugar, baking soda and baking powder. Whisk gently for one minute to combine. The mixture will look crumbly.
- Add the buttermilk, strawberry puree and vanilla. Mix on high speed for 30 secons, until fully combined.
- Divide the batter evenly between the three lined pans.
- Bake at 350ºF/ 180ºC for 25-30 minutes. Insert a tooth pick in the centre of your cake, if it comes out clean the cakes are done.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before unmolding. Let cool completely before frosting. If you need to speed the cooling process, place the cakes in the refrigerator or freezer.
For the Vegan Strawberry Buttercream
- To make the Buttercream: While the cakes are in the oven, prepare the strawberry reduction. Puree the strawberries. Place the puree in a saucepan on medium heat for about 20 minutes or until it reduces by one third. Set aside to cool. You'll get ¼ cup of strawberry reduction.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy and pale (3-5 minutes), using an electric or stand mixer.
- Sift in the powdered sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after it.
- Add the vanilla and the strawberry reduction. Mix until everything is well combined and your buttercream is smooth.
For Frosting and Assembling the Cake
- You can frost the cakes as they are, although I like to level my cakes with a cake leveler. A serrated knife will do the job too. Leveling your cakes is a matter of minutes and it looks beautiful when you slice the cake to serve it.
- Once your cakes are cooled and levelled, line the edges of a cake plate with pieces of parchment paper that can be easily removed when the cake is finished.
- Start spreading the buttercream on each cake and stack them on the prepared plate. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Remove from freezer and apply a crumb coat (thin layer) of frosting to seal the crumbs. Freeze for 30 minutes to help set the crumb coat.
- Remove from the freezer and frost the sides and top of the cake with a pallet knife or a spatula. Decorate with fresh strawberries. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Additional Info

Made this cake for my daughters birthday and it was a hit!
Hi, Chantry, I’m so glad! Thanks so much for coming back to comment! ❤️
This Gluten-Free strawberry cake is beautiful and delicious! I can’t wait to make this for my sister who is celiac.
Hope she likes it, Kayla! Let me know how it turned out for you. Thanks for commenting. XO
This is a beautiful showstopper of a cake! I can’t wait to try this, I love that it’s vegan and gluten-free!
Thank you for sharing your review, Emily! I’m happy you like this vegan strawberry cake!
What a stunning cake. Love the way you’ve got the colours swirling and paler as it goes up. So pleased you used real strawberries too. This would make a most fabulous summer celebration cake.
Hi, Choclette! Thank you so much for your sweet comment. ❤️
It’s so hard to find a gluten free and vegan cake which doesn’t compromise on texture. This strawberry cake is so light and fluffy. It’s such a delicious indulgent snack or dessert. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks to you Lucy for your nice comment. It’s really a delicious and moist cake, hope you will have the chance to make it. Enjoy! XO
That cake looks beautiful. Fruity, colorful, summery. I can’t wait to bake it for my family this weekend. Thanks!
Thank you for sharing your comment! I’m glad you love the cake, Natalie!
Wow, it looks so decadent and delicious! I love strawberries. I am not the best at making cakes but your well-explained instructions, make it seem like there is no way I will fail!
Hi Tavo. I’m so glad you are loving my cake! Thanks for sharing your review and comment! ❤️
I love how this cake looks so tasty and happens to be both GF and vegan at the same time! Always looking for more recipes like these. Adding it to my “must make” list! Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so happy you love it, this cake is very popular among my family and friends. Cake and berries is always a winer! Thank you!
This looks and sounds delicious. I will definitely be making it this weekend. I always struggle to find good gluten free cake recipes so this will be a treat!
I totally agree Melanie! I started creating my own gluten free recipes for the same reason. I’m so glad you enjoy it! Thanks for your comment.
This cake looks so beautiful and I can’t believe it’s actually vegan and gluten-free. Can’t wait to try this one!
Hi Linda! Yes, it’s vegan, gluten-free and also dairy-free, it ticks all the boxes. Hope you like it! Thank you!
You had me at buttercream icing. I love this recipe, and I can completely agree why this cake would be a showstopper. My family loves strawberry cakes, so I will definitely be trying this. Thank you!
I’m glad you love it! You have to try it, it’s as delicious as it looks. Thanks!
I’m always on the lookout for vegan recipes. While we don’t have allergies, I love to try new things and I have friends who are allergic and miss some dishes. This will certainly make its rounds!
Thanks!
You’re welcome, Marta! Let me know how it went when you make it! It’s one of my mum’s favorite cake and she’s not vegan, I’m sure you all will love it. Thanks for the sweet comment!
I was looking for inspiration on something to bake for a dear friend of mine’s who is gluten intolerant. Bonus point: she’s vegetarian, but although she eats eggs she will definitely like the cake being vegan, too! Jackpot!
Hi Eva, I’m happy you love the recipe. You have to try it, your friend won’t notice it’s vegan, she won’t surely miss the eggs. I’ve made this cake several times and even my non vegan friends loves it. Thanks for taking the time to write a comment!
I can imagine myself enjoying a slice of this Vegan Gluten Free Strawberry Cake while talking sweet nothings with my wife! This looks absolutely delicious!
Thank you Chef Dennis, it really is! It’s really good and as easy to make as it looks! I’m glad you love it!
This cake is absolutely adorable. I love how fresh and healthy it is too. I’m always looking for great vegan cakes to bake for my daughter, so I’m going to save it for later.
Thanks for saving the recipe Bernice, your daughter will love it, it’s the perfect cake for any celebration!