Vegan Strawberry Shortcake

This easy Vegan Strawberry Shortcake features layers of vanilla cake, juicy strawberries, and whipped cream. Perfumed with orange and cinnamon, it’s perfect for celebrating summer.

This is not your ordinary Vegan Strawberry Shortcake recipe! Homemade biscuits are swapped for a single-layer vanilla cake and topped with fresh strawberries and vegan whipped cream. It’s an extra sweet and fruity dessert that’s a must for summer.

No day of gardening, swimming, or fun in the sun is complete without a slice of strawberry shortcake. Most recipes are made with layers upon layers of fluffy biscuits, whipped cream, and seasonal summer strawberries. My version is much more simple. Cut a slice of vegan vanilla cake, top it with cream and berries, and dig in!

Anyone can make vegan shortcake! You won’t find any complicated techniques or ingredients here. Just simple, vanilla and strawberry-flavored goodness.

Looking for even more berrylicious vegan treats for summer? Then you’ll love my Strawberry Rhubarb Upside Down Cake and Vegan Blueberry Muffins.

Jump to:

• Ingredient notes
• How to make vegan strawberry shortcake
• Tips for success
• Storing
• Hungry for more vegan desserts for summer?
• Vegan Strawberry Shortcake

Ingredient notes

You’ll find a handful of classic baking staples, flavor enhancers, and fresh summer ingredients here, all of which turn this classic dessert into a refreshing and creamy treat. Here’s what you need:

• Non dairy milk - Any kind of unsweetened plant milk will work well.
• Oil - A neutral vegetable oil is best.
• Applesauce - If you don’t have applesauce, replace it with more oil.
• Apple cider vinegar - Vinegar reacts with the baking powder, giving the vanilla cake a beautiful rise. Feel free to use white vinegar if that’s what you have at home.
• All purpose flour - I haven’t tested this recipe with any other type of flour but a 1:1 gluten free baking mix should work instead.
• Orange zest and cinnamon - The vegan vanilla cake is perfumed with fresh orange zest and cinnamon, giving each bite a beautiful balance of warm and bright flavors.
• Strawberries and strawberry jam - Strawberries are in season throughout summer here in North America. If you can, use fresh, in-season strawberries! They’ll be extra juicy, vibrant, and flavorful, and ensure all of your guests go back for a second slice of shortcake.
• Vegan whipped cream - Add a dollop of storebought or homemade vegan whipped cream on top of each slice of shortcake and dig in.

How to make vegan strawberry shortcake

This vegan shortcake recipe is a layered dessert that’s ready after 3 simple steps:

1. Make the cake: Whisk the wet cake ingredients together in a bowl and sprinkle the dry ingredients over top. Mix until just combined. Transfer the batter to a greased cake pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the cake cool while you prepare the rest.
2. Prepare the strawberry topping: Slice up the berries and toss them in a bowl with sugar and jam. Let them sit for 15 to 30 minutes.
3. Serve and enjoy: Top a cooled slice of cake with a dollop of whipped cream and a scoop of strawberries. Enjoy! For full ingredients and instructions see printable recipe card below.

Tips for success

• Cake pan sizes - I used an 11x7 sheet pan to bake the cake but a 9x2 square pan will also work (although the cake will be thicker).
• Layers or no layers? Traditionally, strawberry shortcake is served ”sandwich-style”, with strawberries and whipped cream in between a biscuit or cake. Feel free to do this or keep it simple by topping the strawberries and cream over a slice of cake.
• Storebought or homemade whipped cream? My go-to is the Gay Lee brand vegan whipped cream but feel free to make homemade aquafaba whipped cream instead.
• Instead of fresh strawberries and jam - Replace them with sweet and syrupy macerated strawberries.
• No strawberries at home? Make this shortcake recipe with raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, or cherries instead.
• Instead of whipped cream - Replace it with vegan vanilla ice cream for an extra refreshing dessert!

Storing

The cake can be made ahead of time, wrapped in plastic, and kept on the kitchen counter for up to 3 days or in the fridge for 5 days. Store the strawberries in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Hungry for more vegan desserts for summer?

• Lemon Tarts
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls
• Chocolate Malted Vegan Ice Cream
• Orange Creamsicles

Enjoy everyone! Happy Day! Please feel free to comment below and give this recipe a rating. Your feedback is greatly appreciated!

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