Description
A delicious and easy-to-make Vegan Strawberry Crumb Cake that features a moist vanilla base layered with sweet, cooked strawberries and a crunchy cinnamon crumb topping. Perfect for a vegan dessert or snack, this cake is dairy-free and made with simple ingredients for a fresh, fruity treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Strawberry Layer
- 3 ¾ cups (450g) fresh strawberries, chopped (weighed after stems removed)
- 2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15g) lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon (8g) all-purpose plain flour
Crumb Topping
- ¾ cup (95g) all-purpose plain flour (can use gluten-free flour blend as alternative)
- 6 tablespoons (75g) granulated sugar
- 4 ½ tablespoons (65g) melted vegan butter
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Vanilla Cake
- 1 ½ cups (190g) all-purpose plain flour, spoon and leveled
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- ½ cup (115g) dairy-free yogurt or unsweetened applesauce, room temperature
- ⅓ cup (75g) dairy-free milk, room temperature
- ⅓ cup (75g) neutral flavored oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare the strawberries: Combine the chopped fresh strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a large saucepan over medium heat. Let the mixture bubble gently for 2-3 minutes. Meanwhile, make a slurry by mixing the flour with 1 tablespoon of water. Stir the slurry into the saucepan quickly and continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes until the mixture thickens and most of the liquid evaporates. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely, placing the mixture in the fridge or freezer if desired for faster cooling.
- Make the crumb topping: In a small bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, melted vegan butter, and ground cinnamon until combined. Set this crumb mixture aside in the fridge until ready to use, allowing it to firm up for a crumbly texture.
- Make the vanilla cake batter: Once the strawberries have cooled to room temperature or are slightly warm, preheat your oven to 180°C (355°F) and line an 8-inch (20 cm) square baking tin with parchment paper, leaving paper overhang for easy removal. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the wet ingredients—dairy-free yogurt (or applesauce), dairy-free milk, oil, vinegar or lemon juice, and vanilla extract—and whisk just until combined. Some lumps are fine, do not overmix.
- Assemble and bake the cake: Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface evenly. Spoon the cooled strawberry layer gently over the batter. Sprinkle the chilled crumb topping evenly over the strawberries. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour to 1 hour and 5 minutes. If the top browns too quickly, tent with aluminum foil to prevent burning. Test doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center; it should come out clean or with a few cooked strawberry bits but no wet batter. The cake should feel slightly firm and bounce back when pressed in the center.
- Cool and serve: Let the cake cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then carefully lift it out using the parchment paper and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Use a serrated knife to cut into 16 slices. Serve as is or with vegan yogurt or ice cream. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days, refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze for 1 month. Note that the crumb topping will soften over time.
Notes
- Use ripe or slightly overripe fresh strawberries for best flavor. Frozen strawberries can be used if thawed first, adding their juices to the cooking mixture, but you will need to cook them longer.
- For a gluten-free option, substitute all-purpose flour with a measure-for-measure gluten-free flour blend such as King Arthur’s. Results may vary with other blends.
- For extra flavor in the cake, replace half of the oil with melted vegan butter (3 tablespoons oil and 3 tablespoons melted vegan butter). You can also add 2 teaspoons lemon zest to the batter.
- Ensure yogurt and dairy-free milk are at room temperature for better batter emulsification and texture.
- If the melted butter in the crumb topping is too hot, the mixture may form a paste instead of crumbs; chilling will firm it up and create a crumbly texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/16 of cake)
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 130 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
