Vegan Strawberry Chocolate Cake
This strawberry chocolate cake combines two great flavours within the sponge and buttercream, with vanilla making up one sponge. The second sponge is full of chocolate and the strawberry flavour comes from the buttercream, which coats the cake. Not to forget the fresh strawberries on top! Neither the cake or buttercream is too sweet and with the fresh strawberries cutting through and adding flavour to the cake, this is a cake you want to try.
This cake is light and fluffy, not too sweet and has a recognisable strawberry and chocolate flavour throughout. The buttercream adds a slight sweetness, but not too much, whilst the fresh strawberries are juicy and add a freshness to the cake. With only two bowls, a mixer and two cake tins needed, this cake requires no fancy equipment. This is simple and easy... and once it's baked and the buttercream is made, can be put together and decorated in just a few minutes.
Can I flavour the cake?
There are two sponges in this cake - chocolate (flavoured with cacao powder) and vanilla (flavoured with vanilla extract). That being said, if you would like a stronger strawberry flavour consistently in every bite, then you could replace the vanilla extract with a strawberry extract... 1 tsp should be plenty.
Can I change the buttercream?
Of course, if you'd like! You could always use a mix of strawberry and chocolate buttercream. If you'd like a mixture, then divide the buttercream before it's flavoured and you've added the food colouring, into two bowls. Pop around 20g cacao powder into half and the strawberry essence to the other half. Once they're ready, transfer the buttercream to the cake, randomly placing the two flavours. Then just smoothen it all out and mix them together, as much as you'd like to achieve the look you'd like!
What's the milk and apple cider vinegar mix?
This mix is essentially a vegan buttermilk; the apple cider vinegar is added to the milk and whisked together. It's then set aside for at least 5 minutes to allow the milk to curdle, as unpleasant as that sounds! This helps with the egg-like texture in the cake. The plant milks that work best are almond and soya - but I use oat milk and even though it doesn't curdle quite as much, it still works well in this cake.
What if I only have one cake tin?
Don't worry you don't need to have two cake tins, you can make it with one, it will just take an extra hour as you will need to use it twice. When it comes to dividing the mixture evenly, you can measure the weight of the mixture and divide it by two to make sure they're the same, or you can just eyeball it, which will work just as well... it doesn't need to be perfect!
Do I need any fancy equipment?
Nope, not at all! All you need is two bowls and two 6.5 inch x 6.5 inch cake tins (but down worry if you only have one). You can make these by hand, but I prefer to use a mixer, so that is the only 'fancy' equipment that you'll need if you don't want to cream the butter and sugar by hand. I also like to use a large ice cream scoop to transfer the cake batter to the tins and to pop the buttercream on the cake.
How do I store this cake?
This cake can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week. It would be best to store this in the fridge in their container, as it has fresh strawberries on the top which should be refrigerated. But as long as the container is airtight, it shouldn't affect the texture of the sponge at all.
What goes into these strawberry chocolate cake?
Dairy-Free Milk - when mixed with the apple cider vinegar, this forms a vegan buttermilk, which creates a softer sponge with a lovely texture.
Apple Cider Vinegar - this is mixed with the dairy-free milk to create the vegan buttermilk mixture.
Caster Sugar - the sugar provides the sweetness to the cake.
Dairy-Free Butter - baking block butter works best, for taste and texture in baking, so I'd stick with that.
Plain Flour - this makes up the base of the cake and gives it the texture.
Cacao Powder - this is what gives the sponge the chocolate flavour.
Bicarbonate Soda - a small amount of bicarbonate of soda will help the cupcakes to rise as they're baking.
Vanilla Extract - this boosts the other flavour in the vanilla sponge layer.
Icing Sugar - this makes up the majority of the buttercream, along with the dairy-free butter, as well as giving the sweetness to the buttercream.
Strawberry Extract - this gives the buttercream the strawberry flavour.
Strawberries - some fresh strawberries on the top add a boost of flavour and freshness!
This strawberry chocolate cake combines two great flavours within the sponge and buttercream, with vanilla making up one sponge. The second sponge is full of chocolate and the strawberry flavour comes from the buttercream, which coats the cake. Not to forget the fresh strawberries on top! Neither the cake or buttercream is too sweet and with the fresh strawberries cutting through and adding flavour to the cake, this is a cake you want to try.
This cake is light and fluffy, not too sweet and has a recognisable strawberry and chocolate flavour throughout. The buttercream adds a slight sweetness, but not too much, whilst the fresh strawberries are juicy and add a freshness to the cake. With only two bowls, a mixer and two cake tins needed, this cake requires no fancy equipment. This is simple and easy... and once it's baked and the buttercream is made, can be put together and decorated in just a few minutes.
Strawberry Chocolate Cake
Total Time : 1 hour 20 mins - 25 minutes
Preparation Time : 15 minutes
Baking Time : 50 - 55 minutes
Decorating Time : 15 minutes
Makes : 1, two-tiered cake
Ingredients
– For the Cake –
300g Dairy-Free Milk (I used Oat)
1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
330g Caster Sugar
100g Dairy-Free Butter
375g Plain Flour
1 tsp Bicarbonate Soda
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
30g Cacao Powder
– For the Buttercream –
120g Dairy-Free Butter
600g Icing Sugar
1 tsp Strawberry Extract
4 - 6 tbsp Dairy-Free Milk (I used Oat)
A few drops of Red or Pink Food Colouring
Fresh Strawberries for decoration
Method
– For the Cake –
Preheat the oven to 160C fan and line your 6.5 inch x 6.5 inch cake tin with parchment paper.
In a bowl or jug, whisk together the milk, apple cider vinegar and instant coffee. Leave it untouched whilst you make the rest of the cake batter (the aim is for the milk and vinegar to curdle, as unpleasant as that sounds! Don't worry if it doesn't curdle too much though, it will still work.)
Cream the butter and sugar together, then add the flour and bicarbonate soda, mixing until they are combined.
Slowly add in the milk mixture, making sure to mix it until it’s all combined into the cake batter. Be careful not to over-beat the batter, as too much air in the mix can cause the cakes to sink in the centre when they come out of the oven (something that I’ve done too many times!)
Divide the mixture into two bowls, leaving half as vanilla and adding the cacao powder to the other half.
Spoon the batter into the cake tins, dividing it in half between the two tins and place them in the oven for 50 - 55 minutes.
After 50 minutes test that they are cooked by popping a skewer or small knife gently into the centre of the cakes... it should come out clean, but if not it needs a little longer in the oven.
Once baked, take the cakes out of the oven and remove them from their tin. Whilst they're still hot, gently remove the parchment paper and place them on a rack to cool completely before decorating.
Once the cakes are cool, choose which will be the top and which will be the bottom layer. Cut the top of the cakes off to get a flat and even top, that will help make the cake even and easy to decorate.
– For the Buttercream –
Cream the butter to soften it, then add the icing sugar, whisking until combined (I use a standing mixer on a high speed with a whisk attachment).
Once combined, add the dairy-free milk (half a tablespoon at a time), strawberry essence, food colouring and continue to whisk.
Pop the buttercream onto the top of the bottom sponge and gently spread it around as evenly as possible. Then place the top sponge onto the buttercream, then pop some more buttercream on the top. Add the remaining buttercream around the sides of the cake, then again gently spread it about to cover the top and sides.
Finish with fresh strawberries... and enjoy!
• If you make this, please tag me on Instagram @thecharlotteemilyy or use the hashtag #cebakes •
