Vegan Strawberry Oatmeal Cake

This Vegan Strawberry Oatmeal Cake is the perfect sweet treat for special occasions, Valentine's Day, or just because! Not only is it completely moist + fluffy, but it’s also loaded with bold strawberry + oatmeal flavors and a hint of cinnamon, that when paired with this velvety strawberry buttercream, works amazingly together and just melts in your mouth with goodness. Super easy to make in a few steps and comes completely dairy-free + vegan. Gluten-free option.

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Valentine's Day might be right around the corner, but if you ask me, you don't need an excuse to make this Vegan Strawberry Oatmeal Cake. Though it's completely dairy and egg-free, this cake has an incredibly soft, pillowy texture and warm, subtly oat-y flavor. And the best part of all? The easy vegan strawberry buttercream frosting, which is perfectly pink, fluffy, and creamy without any dairy. Ultimately, it's hard to believe, but even non-vegans will be asking for a second slice of this strawberry oatmeal cake.

This cake is literally the epitome of eating dessert for the ultimate indulge without the guilt and it's sure to be a crowd-pleaser. If you're a lover of oatmeal over the stovetop or overnight oats, then you'll love this oatmeal cake because it's bursting with great oat-y flavor and texture.

And once you love baking and decorating cake, then you’ll enjoy this Vegan Chocolate Cake which is one of my faves to create! It's definitely the most moist, chocolate-y, decadent cake that you'll enjoy----with a secret ingredient: sweet potato. Absolutely recommended for the entire family!

Strawberries are just the right thing to couple with a good slice of cake and when it's strawberry season, I just recommend using them up in this great little vegan cake This cake is just the right amount of sweetness, fluffiness, softness and includes a pinch of cinnamon, and is altogether easy to make—using simple ingredients. It’s a win, win situation—believe me!

How to Make Vegan Strawberry Oatmeal Cake

This Vegan Strawberry Oatmeal Cake as I’ve mentioned before is super easy to whip together and doesn’t require anything special when it comes to ingredients. To start, you simply create the buttermilk by adding the milk + apple cider vinegar or lemon juice together and letting it sit for a few minutes as well as the flax 'eggs', which is created by mixing together the flaxseed meal + WARM water. Then add together the wet ingredients, followed by the dry ingredients and mix until smooth---using a wooden spoon (and a bit of arm strength) or a hand-mixer for ease.

Divide the batter into prepared cake pans, bake, and let cool completely. Make the frosting, assemble by frosting, decorate as you feel, and wallah. Slice and enjoy!

Ingredients for Vegan Strawberry Cake.

While this cake is fully plant-based, you don't need any fancy or special ingredients. All you need to whip up this simple oatmeal cake batter is:

• All-purpose flour. Choose organic to ensure your flour is vegan. I love using Bob's Red Mill.
• Rolled oats. I recommend organic. These are sometimes labeled "old fashioned oats". They add a bold flavor and texture to the cake, so be sure you don't get quick or instant oats.
• Cane or coconut sugar. Opt for organic sugar to ensure it's vegan. Coconut sugar is a great option if you're looking to reduced your refined sugar intake. It won't change the flavor of the cake.
• Baking powder and baking soda. These lift and lighten the cake as it bakes.
• Ground cinnamon. Add the perfect subtly spicy, warming flavor to compliment the oats.
• Vegan butter or coconut oil. Plant-based butter is usually made with coconut oil, so either one works well in this recipe. The butter might add a slightly more buttery flavor, but it's not very noticeable.
• Dairy-Free Buttermilk. This is the secret to achieving the rich, moist tang of buttermilk without any dairy. Almond milk is naturally neutral (when using unsweetened) and perfect for vegan baking. And apple cider vinegar adds a punch of acid to bring the other flavors to life. It's also necessary to activate the baking powder. Feel free to use a different plant-based milk if you like. I recommend making easy homemade almond milk (my recipe doesn’t require soaking!)
• Flax eggs. Make these by whisking 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed (not whole!) with 6 tablespoons of water. Let them sit for about 5 minutes until they 'gel'. This acts just like an egg would to bind the cake together and enrich the batter with healthy fats.
• Vanilla extract. This complements the flavors.
• Strawberry preserves. The use of organic strawberry preserves or jam is a great way to add strawberry flavor without adding too much additional moisture to the cake. You can also make your own strawberry puree/jam instead.

What You'll Love Most About this Cake?

• It's super fluffy, soft and moist.
• Very easy to whip together and uses minimal main ingredients.
• Sweet and comforting in every bite.
• Loaded with delicious strawberry and oatmeal flavors.
• Can be made as a traditional 2-layer or 3-layer cake or cupcakes!
• Not too sweet, but perfectly sweet at the same time.
• Topped with an airy, light buttercream thats completely dairy-free + vegan.
• Absolutely delicious!

TIPS FOR MAKING THE PERFECT CAKE?

When it comes to making this Vegan Strawberry Oatmeal Cake or any cake rather, I'm sharing a few quick tips that I've learned along the way to ensure that my cakes come out just the way I like them---soft, fluffy, and moist. Here's what I've learned:

TIP #1:

The main thing that I’ve learned about baking a cake is having the right tools. As a basic—-you should have a cake stand (preferably one that has a turnstile table), spatulas (big + small), piping bags + tips, correct baking pans and parchment paper, and if you need to get a bit more fancy—Bake Even Cake Strips, which are such a genius invention.

Have no clue what these are? Whelp, you basically soak them in water before wrapping them around your cake pan while baking. These stripes ensures that your cakes don’t bake with a funny “dome” or anything. Just flat and even. Of course, if you don't have these strips, you can simply butter your pan and use liners along with an old trick that I've always done when baking-----add a small pot of water to the oven to keep things moist. Yup. It works EVERY. TIME.

TIP #2:

One of the essential ingredient combos for a light, silky cake texture is baking powder + baking soda and an acid ingredient (usually vinegar or buttermilk). When acid and baking powder/soda reacts, it creates bubbles and helps to create a nice rise for your baked goods, leaving an airy texture.

In the case of vegan cakes, this is usually done by adding apple cider vinegar to your milk and letting it sit for a few minutes and then later combining it with the dry ingredients (which includes baking powder + baking soda). Wallah!

TIP #3:

One of my latest tricks to a perfect cake has been to ensure that ALL of my dry ingredients are sifted. Trust me, ya’ll—-this works! Making all the dry ingredients fully sifted makes things airy, as you’ve guessed it and allows everything to combine faster.

TIP #4:

Never Over-mix! When creating a cake, it’s so important to add the dry ingredients and wet ingredients alternately and as soon as everything is combined very well, THAT’S IT! Over-mixing creates a more dense cake.

Cake Flour vs. All-Purpose Flour

When it comes to the main ingredient of this entire strawberry oatmeal cake recipe—-the flour, I enjoy using Bob’s Red Mill Unbleached White All-Purpose Flour, which is ideal for all kinds of baking, including this one.

However, I do occasionally use Super-Fine Cake Flour which adds a nice airiness and fluffiness to your cakes as well.

Making Vegan Strawberry Buttercream Frosting.

Speaking of vegan frosting, while the strawberry cakes cool, it's time to make a simple, creamy vegan buttercream. This frosting gets its beautiful pink hue and natural sweetness from real strawberry purée, not food coloring.

Making frosting with fruit purée is a great technique that works with any of your favorite juicy fruits. Other berries, including raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries work. In addition, stone fruits like peaches, apricots, and cherries will work. Feel free to experiment by mixing fruits in your pureé too to make it your own. The flavoring possibilities are pretty endless!

Strawberry Puree/Jam

To make the purée or jam for your vegan strawberry cake frosting, you'll need just four ingredients, plus water:

• Strawberries. Fresh or frozen berries both work!
• Cane or coconut sugar. Either work well to make your fruit puree.
• Lemon juice. This bit of acid helps bring out the natural sweetness in the fruit.
• Vanilla extract. Adds a warming under-note to the bright, fresh berry flavor.
• Arrowroot starch. This is an excellent gluten-free thickener. It doesn't add any flavor but thickens up your purée to the perfect pourable consistency without turning it into jelly.

Make the puree by first combining all of the ingredients in a medium pot on the stove. Then simmer the berries until they break down, about 10 to 12 minutes. Next, add the arrowroot starch, whisk well, and watch as your puree thickens up beautifully. Finally, reduce the mixture for a few more minutes, then let it cool fully.

You can speed up the cooling by placing the puree in a bowl in the fridge. Stir it every few minutes to help it cool evenly.

Vegan Buttercream Frosting

While the fruit puree cools, whip up the quick vegan buttercream frosting. You'll need:

• Vegan butter. Be sure it's softened to room temperature, otherwise, it won't blend into a fluffy texture easily.
• Powdered sugar. Also known as confectioner's sugar. This ensures your puree is totally smooth, with no grains of granulated sugar to ruin the texture.
• Strawberry puree, preserves, or jam. Fully cooled, of course if making it from scratch. Otherwise, I love using an organic brand like Bonne Maman.
• Vanilla extract. To add another note of vanilla to your vegan strawberry cake.

The easiest way to make vegan buttercream is with an electric mixer with a paddle attachment. First, beat the vegan butter until it's smooth and creamy. Then add the powdered sugar, strawberry puree, and vanilla, and keep mixing until the mixture is fluffy and uniformly pink.

Tip: Your frosting should be a spreadable consistency. If it's too thick, add plant-based milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until you reach that texture. If it's too thin, add powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you get there. 

Another note is to store the frosting in the fridge if you're not using it right away. If you do this, then you may need to let it thaw a bit on the counter to make it spreadable before frosting the vegan strawberry cake.

Assembling Vegan Strawberry Cake with Buttercream

Now that you have all of your components: two fully cooled round oatmeal cakes and a creamy vegan strawberry buttercream, it's assembly time.

I like to build the cake directly on the cake stand I plan to serve it on. Otherwise, moving the fully assembled cake can be messy (and dangerous!).

First, place one vegan cake layer on the stand. Smear it with a generous layer of buttercream and use an offset spatula to smooth it flat. Add your second cake layer and finally, cover your cake with the remaining buttercream.

That's it! The fluffy pink frosting and delicate cake texture speak for themselves. There's no need for extra decorations on this masterpiece, it's ready for slicing!

How To Store Leftover Vegan Strawberry Oatmeal Cake

If you don't finish all of your Vegan Strawberry Oatmeal Cake, you can store leftovers for up to 4-5 days in the fridge. Keep it in an airtight container to keep the cake from drying out. You can also freeze the cake tightly wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 3 months. Before serving, defrost the cake on the counter.

Can I Make this Strawberry Oatmeal Cake Gluten-Free?

Yes! If you would love to make this Vegan Strawberry Oatmeal Cake gluten-free, then substituting all-purpose flour with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour is the easiest option. It’s a special blend of gluten-free flours, starches, and xanthan gum, which makes this cake just as soft, fluffy, and airy as the original! They also have a great All-purpose GF flour that works great as well. Lastly, ensure that the rolled oats are gluten-free friendly.

Can I Make Strawberry Oatmeal Cake Cupcakes?

Absolutely! To turn this strawberry oatmeal cake recipe into individual cupcakes, simply divide the batter between about 30 cupcake wells. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the centers are set.

More Vegan Desserts for Valentine's Day!

If you love this vegan strawberry oatmeal cake, try these other plant-based treats next:

• Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Dutch Apple Pie
• Baked Vegan Apple Cider Donuts
• Easy Extra Fudgy Vegan Brownies
• Vegan Vanilla Oreo Cake
• Lemon Blueberry Olive Oil Cake
• Chocolate Oreo Skillet Brownie
• Homemade Classic Cinnamon Rolls

MADE OUR RECIPE(S)?

If you make this Vegan Strawberry Oatmeal Cake, tag @orchidsnsweettea_ on Instagram and hashtag it #orchidsandsweettea!

Vegan Strawberry Oatmeal Cake

February 6, 2023 •

By Shanika

5 from 1 vote

This Vegan Strawberry Oatmeal Cake is the perfect layered cake for any season that comes infused with hints of warm, cozy cinnamon and beautiful bold layer of strawberries + oat flavors!

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 35 minutes mins

Total Time: 50 minutes mins

Serves: 8 servings

Units:

US Customary|Metric

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Ingredients

CAKE:

• 2 ½ cups organic all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups organic rolled oats (You can use thick cut or regular)
• 1 ½ cups organic cane sugar
• 2 ½ tsps baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups dairy-free "Buttermilk" (That's Almond milk + 1 ½ Tbsps Apple Cider Vinegar; You can use your fave plant-based milk)
• ¼ cup vegan butter, melted (See Notes)
• 2 flax 'eggs' (That's 2 Tbsps ground flaxseed + 6 Tbsps WARM water)
• 3 Tbsps strawberry preserves or jam, at room temp. (I like to use organic-----like Bonne Maman)

STRAWBERRY BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:

• 5 cups organic powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 cup vegan butter, softened at room temp. (I like to use buttery sticks from Earth Balance)
• 3 Tbsps strawberry preserves or jam, at room temp.
• 3-4 Tbsps Almond milk (You can use your fave plant-based milk)

TOPPINGS: (OPTIONAL):

• Sliced strawberries, stems removed
• Fresh rosemary sprigs

Instructions

TO MAKE THE CAKE:

• Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease (with butter) AND line with parchment paper the bottoms of TWO 8-inch cake pans (for thicker layers) or THREE 6-inch cake pans.
• In a bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the milk and apple cider vinegar and set aside for 5-10 minutes until everything "activates" to create the dairy-free "buttermilk". Also, add together the flaxseed meal + WARM water, stirring them together and letting them sit for 5-10 minutes or until "paste-like" and thick in consistency.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt until combined.
• In a separate bowl, add the dairy-free 'buttermilk', strawberry preserves, flax eggs, vanilla, and melted butter together and whisk until combined and smooth. Add in dry ingredients and using a wooden spoon (or electric hand-mixer for ease), mix until combined and smooth. NOTE: The batter should be thick, but slowly fall off of the spoon or whisk once lifted.
• Divide the batter evenly into each of the cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick or butter knife comes out clean when tested in the centers.
• Remove cakes from the oven and let them rest in the pan for 10 minutes or so before removing the cakes and placing them onto a cooling rack to fully cool. NOTE: Let them cool for at least 1-2 hours in a cool place.
• In the meantime, make the strawberry puree.

MAKE THE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:

• Simply beat the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer (or using a hand-mixer) on medium-high speed, until smooth and pale. Add in the powdered sugar, strawberry preserves/jam, and milk, continuing to mix on medium-speed until you reach the desired consistency----smooth and fluffy. NOTE: Add more milk (1 tablespoon at a time if too thick) or powdered sugar (for more thickness).

ASSEMBLY:

• Place the first cake layer on your cake stand and evenly cover the top with buttercream. Now, top with 2nd layer and add more buttercream atop that layer, spreading it over the tops and sides of cake, evenly and thinly. NOTE: If making a 3-layer, be sure to repeat step 1 of assembly once again before getting to the final layer.
• Once fully frosted, add small little designs of the buttercream using a piping bag + tip around the sides and top of cake. Chill for 5 minutes to ensure that buttercream sets. Top with strawberry slices and/or rosemary sprigs, if desired. NOTE: For a fancy moment or occasion, add florals or greenery atop cake for a Fall/Winter/Holiday vibe!
• When ready to serve, remove from the refrigerator. Slice and enjoy!
• Bon Appetit!

Tips & Tricks

• STORAGE: Keep cake leftovers stored for up to 4-5 days in the fridge. Keep it in an airtight container to keep the cake from drying out. You can also freeze the cake tightly wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 3 months. Before serving, defrost the cake on the counter.
• FLOUR: You can also use cake flour in place of all-purpose flour for a fluffier texture. 
• STRAWBERRY OATMEAL CUPCAKES: This recipe yields about 30 cupcakes. Simply bake for 18-20 minutes instead, until centers come out clean.
• BUTTERMILK: For a dairy-free 'buttermilk', use 3 cups Almond milk + 1 ½ Tablespoons apple cider vinegar or lemon juice.
• MELTED BUTTER: Instead of using melted butter, you can always substitute with vegetable oil, melted coconut oil, or another neutral oil of your choosing.
• GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: If you would love to make this Vegan Strawberry Oatmeal Cake gluten-free, then substituting all-purpose flour with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour is the easiest option. It’s a special blend of gluten-free flours, starches, and xanthan gum, which makes this cake just as soft, fluffy, and airy as the original! They also have a great All-purpose GF flour that works great as well. Lastly, ensure that the rolled oats are gluten-free friendly. 
• EQUIPMENT: Here, I’ve curated a list of cooking + baking essentials that I use to achieve my favorite baked goods or cooked meals, especially with this Vegan Strawberry Oatmeal Cake. Everything from my fave cupcake pans, mixing bowls, hand-mixers, wooden spoons, and more.

Nutrition

Calories: 634kcal | Carbohydrates: 162g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 667mg | Potassium: 258mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 42g | Vitamin A: 150IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 206mg | Iron: 3mg

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Vegan Strawberry Oatmeal Cake.

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