Vegan Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcake Cake (refined sugar-free)

This strawberry shortcake cake is vegan, gluten-free and refined sugar-free yet it’s every bit as delicious as the original! A loaf pan two-tier light and fluffy vanilla cake is layered with naturally sweetened strawberries and an easy homemade coconut whipped cream. This is a stunning and special dessert that everyone will love and yet it is so simple and quick to make.

Vegan Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcake Cake

Strawberry Shortcake is such a classic summertime dessert where in-season strawberries can really shine. Strawberries and cream make the most perfect combination. I wanted to create an easy version of strawberry shortcake with a light and fluffy vanilla cake in place of the usual biscuits. This soft and fluffy vanilla cake with layers of fluffy coconut whipped cream and juicy sweet glistening strawberries is most definitely a winning dessert! It is fresh, light, beautiful and seriously delicious!

Why I’m loving this Vegan Strawberry Shortcake

It has all the classic flavors of strawberry shortcake but in a more rustic (yet totally elegant) two-tier layer cake. I just love the casual look of this dessert with the sides exposed. It is somehow elegant yet casual and rustic at the same time making it perfect for special occasions, low-key small gatherings or even family summer cookouts.

How to Select and Store Strawberries

To find the best strawberries, smell your package of strawberries before buying. If they smell sweet they will taste sweet. If they don’t then find a new package. Sweet strawberries make a huge difference in the final result. You also want to look for shiny strawberries that are firm (not mushy) with a bright red color (not yellow or white). The caps should be fresh looking, green (not brown) and intact. You want to avoid shriveled or leaky berries. Once you have found your perfect package, store them unwashed in the refrigerator for 1-3 days. I like to store an unbleached paper towel in the container to absorb any excess moisture. This helps keep them fresher longer. I also always store them in my crisper drawer of the refrigerator. Once you are ready to eat or use you can wash them.

Instead of making a standard two-tier cake, I made one batch of vanilla cake and divided it between two small loaf pans. This way, you can layer the loaves on top of one another to create the two-layer effect without having to create a gigantic cake. These days, with smaller more intimate social distance-friendly gatherings, I thought this made more sense. It’s definitely a nice manageable size for smaller celebrations.

The nice thing about a strawberry shortcake cake as opposed to strawberry shortcake is that you don’t have to worry about making individual biscuits. You simply bake the two cake layers in your loaf pans and then layer with fresh strawberries and cream! It will look like a masterpiece but it really couldn’t be easier.

Here are the Three Easy Elements of this Strawberry Shortcake Cake:

Vegan Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake: This light and fluffy cake is full of vanilla flavor which pairs perfectly with the strawberries and cream. It uses pantry ingredients you likely have on hand. I like to start with the cake first so it has to bake and fully cool before topping with the coconut whipped cream and strawberries.
Homemade Dairy-Free Coconut Whipped Cream: My easy homemade coconut whipped cream is much healthier and creamier than store-bought. It only requires two pantry ingredients (canned full fat coconut milk and pure maple syrup). I like to add a pinch of salt to bring out the flavors and sometimes a touch of vanilla. I beat everything with a hand mixer in a mixing bowl until peaks form.
Juicy Strawberries: I simply slice up strawberries and mix with a little maple syrup. As they soak in the maple syrup they will start to release their natural juices. Once added to the cake the sweet strawberry juices will seep down into the coconut whipped cream and vanilla cake beneath. So good and so simple!

More Simple Summer Desserts

No-Bake Brown Rice Crispy Treats

More Strawberry Recipes

If you love strawberries as much as I do and have more on hand, try my Strawberry Vinaigrette and my Strawberry Avocado Salsa. You can also freeze your fresh strawberries to make Easy Strawberry Sorbet.

Now, Let’s Make Vegan Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcake Cake!

This easy two-tier Vegan Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcake Cake recipe will be your new go-to dessert for special occasions. It is naturally vegan, gluten-free, peanut-free, legume-free and refined sugar-free so it works well for many types of diets.

I cannot wait for you to give this simple recipe a try! Let’s get baking!

Vegan Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcake Cake (refined sugar-free)

Author: Elaine Gordon
Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: 30
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 8 1x
Diet: Vegan

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Description

This strawberry shortcake cake is vegan, gluten-free and refined sugar-free yet it’s every bit as delicious as the original! A loaf pan two-tier light and fluffy vanilla cake is layered with naturally sweetened strawberries and an easy homemade coconut whipped cream. This is a stunning and special dessert that everyone will love and yet it is so simple and quick to make.

Ingredients

Scale

For the cake

1 cup almond flour
2 cups certified gluten-free old fashioned oats
3 tablespoons arrowroot powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 cup plain, unsweetened plant-based milk
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup melted unrefined coconut oil
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

For the strawberry filling

2 cups sliced strawberries
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

For the whipped cream

1 batch of vegan coconut whipped cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease two 8 x 4 loaf pans with avocado oil or coconut oil and set aside.
In a high speed blender, add the oats and blend on the highest speed until a super fine oat flour forms. There should be no oat chunks remaining. Place the homemade oat flour into a mixing bowl.
Add almond flour, arrowroot powder, baking powder and salt and stir well to combine. Add milk, maple syrup, coconut oil and vanilla and stir again until well combined.
Pour the cake batter into the greased baking pan and bake for 30 minutes.
While the cake bakes, stir together the strawberries and maple syrup in a bowl and set aside. You can also make the homemade coconut whipped cream while the cake bakes.
When the cake is finished baking allow it to fully cool before adding the coconut whipped cream to it or it will melt. I like to stick the two loaf pans in the freezer to speed up the process. Once fully cooled, gently spread the coconut whipped cream on the first layer and then top with one layer of strawberry slices. Top with the second layer of cake and then repeat layering the coconut whipped cream and strawberry slices again. Top with additional whole strawberries for garnish if desired.
Slice into 8 slices and enjoy. I like to slice in a zig zag (triangle) pattern so the slices look like they came from a circular two tier cake.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in your refrigerator. Allow the cake to come back to room temperature before enjoying.

Notes

Do not over mix the cake batter. It can leave you with a dense, tough cake.

Add extra strawberries to garnish the cake slices when serving if desired.

This is a cake that’s best when made fresh. If you do want to make it ahead I would recommend making the three elements and storing separately. Then, layer everything together the day you’ll be serving it.