A guilt-free sweet treat
Having diet restrictions — due to health reasons or certain food sensitivies — doesn’t mean you have to give up on the classic comfort foods you love. You still can enjoy cake and pastries, only the ingredients are gluten-free and dairy-free to suit your diet.
This strawberry dream cake looks beautiful! It’s not just beautiful, but it’s also a slice of heaven without sending you to a guilt trip. It has layers of moist, delectable cake, sweet strawberry filling, and fluffy homemade strawberry-flavored whipped cream.
Light, sweet, comforting, nostalgic, and vibrant with the fresh strawberry flavor – everything that you’re looking for in a classic strawberry cake.
It’s easy to make. You can bake this cake for parties, potlucks, or just an ordinary weekend treat with a cup of hot coffee or tea.
Without further ado, here’s the recipe for gluten-free and dairy-free strawberry dream cake.
Ingredients
Important note: Apart from the flour, make sure that other ingredients — things like baking powder and vanilla extract — are dairy- and gluten-free. Read the packaging first to ensure that they’re dairy- and gluten-free, depending on the brand.
For the cake
- 2 1/2 cups almond flour
- 3/4 cup potato starch (not from potato flour)
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2/3 organic cane sugar (or natural sweetener)
- 1/4 avocado oil (or any other neutral cooking oil: sunflower, canola, grapeseed, or corn)
- Strawberry puree
- 1 1/2 cups or 200 g of halved fresh strawberries, blended until smooth.
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond essence
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
For the dairy-free frosting
- 1/3 vegan butter, softened at room temperature
- 1/4 strawberry puree:
- 1/2 heaping cup or 80 g of halved fresh strawberries, blended until smooth
- 3 1/4 to 4 cups organic powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (176 degrees Celsisus).
- Line your baking pan (9 x 9) or dish (one 9-inch or two 6-inch rounds) with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the strawberry puree, oil, sugar, vanilla extract, and almond essence. Mix them together until well combined.
- Add the almond flour, cornstarch, potato starch, baking powder, and sea salt to the wet ingredients. Mix them together until all ingredients are well incorporated (do not overmix). The texture should be thick, similar to a cornbread batter.
- Pour the batter into your baking pan or dish and spread it evenly.
- Bake on your oven’s center rack for 25 to 30 minutes.
- Do a toothpick test: Insert a toothpick into the center of your cake as it bakes. If the toothpick comes out clean, it’s done. The cake should be firm but springy and the sides should be golden brown.
- Allow your cake to cool for at least 10 minutes.
- After cooling your cake, turn it out onto a cooling rack.
- Once the cake has cooled completely, spread it with your homemade dairy-free frosting.
- Optional: you may also want to top your cake with fresh strawberries.
- Serve and enjoy!
The cake is best enjoyed on the first day, but it will still be good for up to three days when covered at room temperature. You can also store the cake in the freezer for up to one month, thaw at room temperature, and enjoy!