Oh my goodness the amount of strawberries I’ve eaten this season is border line getting out of hand. I knew I couldn’t keep procrastinating on a strawberry shortcake- so here’s my newest version of it! I decided to make this cake egg free so I could fully induldge in it! What I love about the vegan cake recipe is it only requires 1 bowl, and you don’t have to use non-dairy milk if you don’t want to- it will turn out just as beautifully.
Note: If you are going to use a regular white cake recipe, take into account the amount liquid and leavening agents that are in the recipe. Strawberries are high in acid and natural sugars (which creates more liquid) so it could mess up your recipe if you just add them in. That’s why I’m here for you guys! Leave a comment if you have a question about anything!
Vegan Vanilla Cake Recipe: yields 1-6″ cake round
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 cup non-dairy milk (or regular milk if you prefer)
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tsp. white or apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 container of ripe strawberries, cut into small pieces.
- 1 tbsp. strawberry preserves or jam (optional but adds nice color & flavor)
Directions:
- Set your oven to 375 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.
- In a liquid measuring cup, measure out the milk, vanilla, vegetable oil, vinegar, and strawberry jam.
- Slice the strawberries into chunks, add to the bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients to the mixing bowl and whisk together until batter comes together, mashing the strawberries as you mix.
- Spray and parchment line your cake pan and pour the batter in, smoothing out the top.
- Bake for approximately 28 minutes, cover with foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting and decorating.
Maple Mascarpone Frosting
- 12 oz. mascarpone cheese (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/3-1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. almond extract
Directions:
- In a kitchenaid with the paddle attachment, paddle the mascarpone on medium speed.
- In a slow steady stream, add in the maple syrup. Mix for 1 minute.
- Scrape the bowl down and turn mixer back on medium, slowly drizzle in the heavy cream, vanilla and almond extract.
- Mix until frosting is fluffy and spreadable.
Decorating the cake:
- Place cake on desired serving platter. Cut the uneven edge off of the top of the cake, wipe crumbs off of the plate.
- Spread about 3/4 cup of the frosting on the top of the cake. Evenly spread a thin layer of frosting on the top and sides of the cake, creating a crumb coat. (A crumb coat is a layer of frosting that catches any lose crumbs that fall off of the cake during the first frosting).
- After the crumb coat is evenly applied, let the cake sit in the fridge for 5 minutes.
- After the cake has chilled, use an offset spatula to spread the frosting on the sides of the cake in a ‘swooping’ motion.
- Continue this on the top of the cake, the frosting will look like “waves”.
- Garnish with cut ripe strawberries, take pictures, slice & enjoy!
I wanted to make this cake easy and approachable while still being amazingly delicious. I aboslutely LOVE the maple mascarpone frosting- it’s definitely a new favorite. The past week has been aboslutely crazy and I am glad to finally be getting around to posting a great spring cake for you guys.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this recipe! Let me know what you think in the comments below, and don’t forget to share this recipe with a friend! Cheers & happy baking!
A Taste Of Grace 