Fresh Strawberry Reduction Cake
by Marly McMillen
This Fresh Strawberry Reduction Cake is bursting with real strawberries! It’s a homemade cake with rich flavor and a luscious texture.
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If you ask me, there’s nothing quite as cheerful as a slice of homemade strawberry cake from scratch. Bright, juicy strawberries transform this cake into something truly special! After a few tests in my kitchen, this Fresh Strawberry Reduction Cake became a new indulgent favorite.
By simmering down fresh strawberries, we capture every drop of their natural sweetness, creating a roasted strawberry cake that’s both rich and vibrant.
If you want a super simple “traditional” version, check out this easy vegan strawberry cake!
Ingredients & Substitutions
You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.
- Fresh Strawberries: Fresh is best! Look for ripe berries that are fragrant and a deep, rich red. You’ll reduce them into a thick, syrupy concentrate.
- All-Purpose Flour: Standard white flour gives the cake structure. If needed, you could sub with a gluten-free all-purpose blend.
- Granulated Sugar: White sugar keeps the crumb tender and sweet without overpowering the strawberry flavor.
- Baking Soda: Acts as the leavening agent, reacting with vinegar for lift.
- Salt: Just a pinch enhances all the other flavors.
- Water: Helps hydrate the batter and keep it moist.
- Vegetable Oil: Neutral in flavor, oil creates a tender, rich texture. Canola oil or avocado oil works great, too.
- Strawberry Extract: Boosts that berry flavor! You can find it near the vanilla extract at most grocery stores.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Reacts with baking soda to give the cake a gentle lift and soft crumb.
- Natural Food Coloring (Optional): For a brighter pink hue, a drop or two of natural food coloring is all you need.
- Vegan Butter: Softened vegan butter creates a smooth, creamy frosting base.
- Powdered Sugar: Essential for that classic, fluffy frosting texture.
How to Make Fresh Strawberry Reduction Cake
I love making a cake from scratch…especially for birthdays or parties. There’s just something special about a homemade dessert, and this one always steals the show.
It’s bright, beautiful, and bursting with real roasted strawberry flavor.
For the full, detailed (and printable) instructions, see the recipe card below.
Step One: Make the Strawberry Reduction
Start by washing and hulling your strawberries, then pulse them in a food processor until they are thick and slightly chunky (we’re aiming for a rustic puree here).
Pour the puree into a saucepan and simmer over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it reduces to about ½ cup.
This concentrated strawberry goodness is the flavor bomb for your cake! Be sure to let it cool a little while you make the rest of the cake.
Step Two: Make the Batter
I always start by mixing the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. It’s a simple step, but it ensures everything is evenly combined and ready to go.
Next, it’s time to mix the wet ingredients. That gorgeous strawberry reduction is the star of the show here. To it, you’ll add water, vegetable oil, vanilla (or strawberry) extract, and a splash of vinegar.
Want a more vibrant pink color? Feel free to stir in a few drops of natural food coloring.
Now, pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir them together until you have a smooth, creamy batter.
Step Three: Mix and Bake
Pour the batter into your prepared cake pans and pop them in the oven.
You’ll know they’re ready when the edges begin to pull away from the pan and a toothpick comes out clean.
For more detailed baking time tips, check the baking guide below.
Step Four: Frost and Decorate
Once the cakes are completely cool (and I mean completely—don’t rush this step!), it’s time for the fun part: frosting.
If you made a layer cake, spread a generous amount of frosting between the layers, then cover the top—and the sides too. I like to keep it casual, but a swoopy frosting finish always looks beautiful.
For a fresh finishing touch, I love garnishing each slice with a few fresh strawberries. It adds a pop of color and a hint at the juicy flavor inside. Your guests will be wowed before they even take a bite!
Marly’s Tips
To measure flour, use a whisk to stir the flour in the canister before measuring it because it often packs down as it sits. Then spoon the flour into a measuring cup. Use the flat edge of a butter knife to level off the cup.
New to Vegan Baking?
The idea of making cookies, cakes, or muffins without eggs or dairy can seem like a hill too tall to climb. But with the simple tips in my Guide to Vegan Baking, you’ll be baking like a vegan pro in no time!
Baking Options
Here are four baking options for this easy vegan strawberry cake:
- Sheet Cake: Pour the batter into a 9×13 cake pan — bake for 35–40 minutes
- Strawberry Layer Cake — pour the batter into 9″ round cake pans and bake for 30–35 minutes
- Strawberry Cupcakes — pour the batter into muffin pan compartments lined with papers and bake for 18–24 minutes.
- Vegan Strawberry Cake Pops — Use this cake recipe and follow my Vegan Cake Pops recipe as a guide. It’s perfect for birthday parties!
Vegan Strawberry Frosting
You want the best, creamy strawberry icing for your cake! Here’s how to make it:
- Whip the butter — place the vegan butter in a mixing bowl and beat on medium speed until it’s fluffy.
- Add Sugar — Then add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and mix on medium speed until it’s all combined. This mix will be crumbly.
- Make it Spreadable — Add a freshly mashed strawberry to the frosting. Mix it on medium speed, and the juice from the berries should thin the frosting. You should have a delightful frosting to spread across your cake! If it’s not spreadable, simply mash another strawberry and mix on medium speed until it’s combined.
I love adding some chopped dried strawberries to my frosting. It adds even more strawberry flavor to the frosting, which I love.
Can I use frozen strawberries?
You can, but fresh strawberries can yield a brighter, fresher flavor, depending on how ripe they are. If using frozen, thaw and drain them well first.
Can You Make a Vegan Gluten-free Strawberry Cake?
You can make this into a gluten-free vegan strawberry cake by using gluten-free baking flour in place of the all-purpose flour in this recipe.
Storage Tips
Store your cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days. For longer storage, freeze individual slices tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and foil for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
And if you’re into moist vegan cake recipes, everyone loves my Vegan Banana Cake.
The strawberry reduction in this recipe was inspired by the strawberry cake from Sally’s Baking Addiction.
Fresh Strawberry Reduction Cake
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh strawberries
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups water
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons strawberry extract (substitute vanilla)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 drops natural food coloring (pink or red) (optional)
Strawberry Frosting:
- ½ cup vegan butter , softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 to 3 strawberries , stems removed, chopped and mashed
- 1 tablespoon plant-based milk (optional)
Instructions
For the Strawberry Cake:
- Prepartion: Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C. If using a 9×13 baking pan, grease and flour the bottom and sides of the pan. If using two 9-inch cake pans, grease bottoms and sides of the pan and cut rounds out of parchment paper to place in the bottom of the pans. Then grease the parchment too.
- Prepare Strawberry Reduction: Wash strawberries and cut off the stems. Place them in a food processor and pulse in short bursts until the strawberries are broken down in a thick slurry, with some strawberry chunks. Pour this into a saucepan over medium heat until it simmers. Turn heat down to low and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, until this mixture reduces to approximately ½ cup. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate while you prepare the rest of the cake.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Stir to combine.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl combine the water, vegetable oil, extract, apple cider vinegar, cooled strawberry mixture, and natural food coloring (if using). Stir to combine. You might need to mash the strawberry reduction to get it to separate a bit.
- Make the Batter: Combine wet and dry ingredients and stir until combined (no large lumps of flour).
- Bake the Caker: Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan(s). For the 9×13 pan, bake for 35 to 40 minutes. For the two round cake pans, bake for 30 to 35 minutes. A tester inserted in the middle of the cake should come out mostly clean and the edges of the cake should pull away slightly from the pan.
For the Strawberry Frosting
- User a mixer to whip the vegan butter until light. Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and beat until combined. The mixture will be crumbly. Add the mashed strawberry. Mix again to get a spreadable consistency. For a spreadable consistnecy, beat in a tablespoon of plant-based milk.
- If using a 9×13" pan: Allow the cake to cool completely before applying a generous layer of frosting over the top.
- If using round cake pans: Allow the cakes to cool for about 10 minutes. Use a butter knife to score around the edge of the pan, then invert cakes onto separate plates. Set aside to cool completely. Place a layer of frosting on top of one of the cakes, top with the second cake, and then do one of the following 1) add more frosting on the top (creaking a "naked" cake with frosting between the layers and on the top), or 2) frost the top and sides of the cake.
- Topping: Add freshly-sliced strawberries to each serving for that special touch.
Storage Instructions
- Store your cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days. For longer storage, freeze individual slices tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and foil for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Recommended Equipment
(The products above contain sponsored links to products we use and recommend)
Notes
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Vegan Strawberry Recipes
If you’ve made it this far, it’s proof you’re a fan of the vegan strawberry cake! If so, be sure to check out these amazing strawberry vegan desserts:
Check out my tasty Vegan Strawberry Recipes guide to satisfy every strawberry craving!
About the Author
Hi! I’m Marly McMillen. I’m the founding editor, author, recipe developer, vegan home chef, and food stylist behind Namely Marly. I’m so grateful to you and every member of my audience for your support and dedication. More about Namely Marly ›
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