Summer cakes are always my favorites because of the fresh fruits that are used in them and this delicious vegan strawberry lemon cake is another mashup that you will love, as the cake is filled with strawberry jam and lemon buttercream.
This cake takes less than 30 minutes to make (minus the optional strawberry compote) and then you'll have yourself a luscious layer cake to enjoy either by yourself or to share.
As this is a dessert for the warmer months, I love to serve this cake with vegan cream as I think it really compliments the strawberries. The jam is perfectly sweet in the center, along with the buttercream which is tangy and creamy. I know you're going to love this!
If you love a good strawberry recipe, you should definitely consider trying out some of these other treats like my vegan strawberry chocolate chip cake, vegan strawberry cheesecake bars, vegan strawberry shortcake cake and vegan frozen yogurt peanut butter strawberry bites which are all incredibly delectable.
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Why You Will Love This Cake
- Easy to Make - For this recipe all you need to do is make the cake batter, bake the cakes and decorate. It will be ready in no time at all.
- Delicious Fillings - This cake is filled with both strawberry jam and lemon buttercream which both infuse perfectly. The buttercream is inspired by the one I used in my vegan brownie cake but this time I added lemon juice and zest.
- A Great Flavour Combination - Eating strawberry and lemon flavours together is underrated. More people need to try it and the infusion reminds me a little of my vegan lemon raspberry cake.
- Fantastic Texture - The cake is very light and fluffy and the buttercream frosting adds and extra creaminess to it.
- Allergy Friendly & Plant Based - This cake is fully vegan and dairy free.
Ingredient Notes
- Apple Cider Vinegar - this is a very important ingredient as it reacts with some of the other ingredients to give the cake a light and fluffy texture.
- Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice - avoid using artificial lemon juice. If you want a strong lemon flavor, using real lemons is what you want to do. I chose to use fresh lemon juice in both my vegan almond lemon cake and my vegan lemon poke cake and it worked so well each time.
- Lemon Zest - adds an extra 'lemony' kick to the cake and the frosting.
- Strawberries - use fresh strawberries if you can for this recipe. Make sure that you remove the stalks before adding them to the batter.
- Vegan Block Butter - block butters are much better for the buttercream frosting than a vegan margarine and you will therefore, have a thicker consistency.
See recipe card for full information on individual ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- If strawberries aren't your favorite summer fruit, you can use a different fruit. Some people may prefer to use blueberries, raspberries or even blackberries like in my vegan blackberry lemon cake. There's no right answer but I personally just love the strawberries with the lemon. You can also use a different flavor of jelly.
- If you'd prefer your cake to be a little less sweet, you can maybe just spread the buttercream frosting on top of the cake. This will mean that you only need to make, perhaps 30% (one third) of a batch.
How To Make Strawberry Lemon Layer Cake
For the full method, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1: Grease three round baking tins with vegan butter.
2: Combine the dry cake ingredients inside a large bowl.
3: Add the wet ingredients and fold the dry into them.
4: Next, fold in the strawberries.
5: Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake tins. Bake in the oven.
6: Let the cakes cool fully.
7: Beat the buttercream together inside a stand mixer.
8: Pipe the buttercream around the edge of one of the cakes. Spread strawberry jelly (jam) in the center.
9: Repeat the previous step for the second layer, then place the third cake on top. Spread the buttercream around the outside of the whole layer cake.
10: Make the strawberry compote in a small saucepan.
11: Spread the compote over the cake so that it is covered.
Expert Tips
Use bright red & in season strawberries - when your strawberries are fresh and delicious they will have a sweetness that enhances your cake hugely. Off-colour strawberries can alter the taste to make the cake unappetizing. I also don't recommend using frozen strawberries for this recipe.
Avoid artificial lemon juice - if you want a cake that tastes like actual lemon and is strong in flavor, you need to be using fresh lemons which you will squeeze and zest by hand.
Recipe FAQs
You can try substituting the all-purpose flour out a 1:1 gluten free flour mix. You may want to add a little arrowroot powder too for the texture. It won't be quite the same as the original recipe but I'd imagine that it is okay.
Yes, you can! This cake already has lots of flavour but you can certainly add a teaspoon or two of strawberry extract if you wish.
You can store this cake inside an airtight container, either inside the fridge or at room temperature for up to 4 days.
More Delicious Vegan Cake Recipes
If you tried this Vegan Strawberry Lemon Cake Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
Vegan Strawberry Lemon Layer Cake
Ingredients
For the lemon cake batter:
- 300 g all-purpose flour sifted
- 180 g granulated sugar
- 1.5 teaspoons baking soda
- 1.5 teaspoons salt
- 340 ml soy milk
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 90 ml vegetable oil
- 50 ml lemon juice freshly squeezed
- Zest of 2 regular lemons
- 100 g fresh strawberries stalks removed and chopped
For the buttercream:
- 260 g vegan butter block room temperature
- 500 g powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
For the filling:
- 250 g strawberry jam/jelly store bought
For the strawberry compote: (Optional)
- 180 g fresh strawberries tops removed and chopped
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 40 ml water
Instructions
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 177 Celsius (350F). Also grease and/or line three round, 6-inch cake tins with vegan butter. Set aside.
Make the cake batter:
- Inside a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda and salt.
- Now, add in the soy milk, apple cider vinegar, vegetable oil, fresh lemon juice and lemon zest, folding the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until no lumps of flour are left. Be careful not to over-mix. Finally, fold the strawberries into the batter.
Bake the lemon cakes:
- Pour the lemon cake batter, equally into the greased cake tins. Bake for 20 minutes in the center of your oven or until a skewer comes out clean of each cake.
- Let your baked cakes cool inside their tins for at least 10 minutes, then transfer over to a cooling rack.
Make the buttercream:
- While the cakes are cooling, add the whisk attachment to a stand mixer and cream the vegan butter until creamy and smooth.
- Next, begin to add in the powdered sugar in small increments until it is completely combined. The consistency should be thick and quite firm.
- Add the lemon juice and lemon zest and beat in the stand mixer one more time for a further minute or so.
Assemble the cake:
- Use a piping back to pipe a ring of the buttercream around the circumference of one of the cakes. In the centre of the ring, add half of the strawberry jam. Spread it so that the whole circle is filled.
- Place another of the cakes on top of the decorated cake and repeat this process again.
- Place the third cake on top of the second cake. Spread the remainder of the buttercream onto the top of the cake and around the outsides in a thin layer with a palette knife.
- Place the cake in fridge so that the frosting can solidify a little.
Make the strawberry compote: (Optional)
- To a small saucepan, add all the compote ingredients. Combine.
- Place the saucepan over a medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a simmer. Stir regularly.
- Once it’s simmering, reduce to a low heat and cover the saucepan for 12 minutes or until the strawberry compote thickens. Remove from the heat and let it cool fully.
- Take the cake out from the fridge.
- Spoon the cooled compote onto the top of the cake and allow it to drip down the sides. Use the palette knife to rub the compote into the outsides of the cake. Slice and serve.
Video
Notes
- When your strawberries are fresh and delicious they will have a sweetness that enhances your cake hugely. Off-colour strawberries can alter the taste to make the cake unappetizing. I also don't recommend using frozen strawberries for this recipe.
- If you want a cake that tastes like actual lemon and is strong in flavor, you need to be using fresh lemons which you will squeeze and zest by hand.
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