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This homemade vegan strawberry crunch cake has three layers of strawberry-flavored sponge with vanilla cream in between. The cake is topped with a creamy layer of vegan strawberry buttercream. It has lots of crunchy strawberry shortcake crumbles made with Golden Oreos on top!
This post was originally published on May 29, 2021 and has been updated on March 11, 2025.
why you’ll love this Vegan Strawberry Crunch Cake
Emily’s Recipe Notes:
- Flavor: This cake has an intense strawberry flavor! Fresh strawberries are in the batter and freeze-dried strawberries are in the crumble and frosting.
- Texture: This cake is moist, soft and tender. To make it eggless, dairy-free yogurt replaces eggs in the batter. Plus the vegan yogurt helps keep everything super moist!
- Difficulty: Simple and easy. Plus, it’s made with pantry-friendly ingredients.
Why We Love This Recipe: Thank goodness it’s strawberry season! I’m making good use of these in-season strawberries today with this vegan strawberry crunch cake recipe. Just like my strawberry crunch cookies, this recipe is dairy-free, eggless and vegan. BUT I promise you won’t be able to tell and it doesn’t use any weird or foreign ingredients. This cake has been loved by coworkers, friends, and family. It’s just too good!
Watch How to Make It
the cake ingredients
Ingredient Highlights:
- Cake flour or all-purpose flour: I’ve tested this recipe with both. Cake flour yields a slightly softer crumb but all-purpose can be used as well.
- Vegetable oil: This keeps the cake super moist. Melted butter (dairy-free to keep it vegan!) can be used instead.
- Plain unsweetened dairy-free yogurt: The best egg substitute for cakes…in my opinion! This helps bind the cake crumb. I used Silk’s Almond Yogurt but I’ve also had success with Forager’s Unsweetened Vanilla Bean Yogurt (which I use in my vegan pound cake.)
- Strawberries: Of course we need fresh berries for the cake! You can also use frozen berries. These will be blended into a fine puree and reduced on the stove to help remove moisture and intensify that strawberry flavor.
the main components
This tiered layer cake has a few main components. When thinking of making this cake, I first thought of all the flavors that are in these nostalgic strawberry shortcake ice cream bars.
These cake bars have a strawberry inner, vanilla exterior and shortcake crumbles on the exterior. To capture these flavors in this layer cake, we’ll need to make the following components:
- Strawberry Layer Cake
- Vanilla Whipped Cream
- Strawberry Buttercream
- Strawberry Shortcake Crumbles
helpful tools
- Food Processor: to blend the Golden Oreos and freeze dried strawberries into a coarse crumb for the crunchy topping
- Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer: to beat the whipped cream to stiff peaks for the filling
- Large Mixing Bowl: to make the batter
- Round Cake Pans: to bake the cake!
Step By Step Guide
how to make the cake batter
This easy strawberry crunch cake recipe is great because you can make the cake batter in one bowl! (Fewer dishes, hooray!) The cake batter is made with fresh strawberries that are pureed and reduced down into a concentrated mixture.
This recipe makes 3 six-inch cakes that you can stack on top of one another. This is the perfect sized cake because it still makes 8 large slices, but its small size makes it easy to assemble and store!
Prepare the round cake pans by spraying them with non-stick cooking spray and lining the bottoms with parchment paper. This will help the cakes remove very easily once baked.
Next, you’ll cream the oil or melted (vegan) butter in a large mixing bowl, and add in the sugar. Once it’s lighter in color and fluffy, you can add the dairy-free yogurt, vanilla, and the strawberry puree.
Add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt on top of the wet mixture. With a fork, sift the dry ingredients together, then mix the wet with the dry until just combined.
After everything is mixed, you can pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake on the center rack for 22-25 minutes. The tops should be golden brown and a toothpick should remove cleanly when inserted into the center of the cake.
the vanilla whipped cream filling
To get that cold, vanilla, ‘ice cream’ flavor, I chose to put a vanilla whipped cream in between the cake layers. See how to make it below:
After 1-2 minutes, remove the cakes from the pans by flipping them gently upside down. If the cakes don’t remove, gently run a knife around the outside of the pan to help loosen them.
Combine the coconut milk and half of the powdered sugar into a bowl. Mix them on low speed until combined and then add the remaining powdered sugar, vanilla, and cornstarch. Mix them together until they form stiff peaks.
the strawberry buttercream
I’ve opted for a strawberry buttercream frosting in this homemade cake recipe to help highlight the strawberry flavor. If you’d prefer, you can make vanilla buttercream instead.
Follow the same instructions in this frosting recipe but omit the freeze-dried strawberries to make it vanilla flavored.
Make the vegan strawberry buttercream frosting.
Pulse the freeze dried strawberries and golden Oreos in a food processor to make the strawberry shortcake crumble.
Assembling the Cake
Once your cakes have cooled, it’s time to assemble all the components! Start by flipping the first layer upside down (so the flat side is facing up).
Spread an even layer of the whipped cream on top of the cake and then sprinkle a few tablespoons of the crunch coating on top.
Stack the next layer of cake on the whipped cream with the flat side facing up. Spread more whipped cream and crunch coating on this layer. Top it off with the 3rd cake layer with the flat side facing up.
Next, apply a crumb coat to the cake layers. I chose to leave the cake partially naked, but if you’d like to add more frosting feel free to apply more after the crumb coat.
The more frosting you add, the better the shortcake crumbles will stick to the cake. Once frosted, sprinkle the crunch coating on the top (and the sides if you’d like) and decorate with fresh strawberries!
Flavor Variations & Substitutions
- Boxed Cake Mix: Feel free to use your favorite boxed cake mix to make this recipe even easier.
- Strawberry Cake: You could sub. in a layer of vanilla cake or white cake to create flavor variation instead of just layers of strawberry cake!
- Strawberry Crumble: You could sub. in another vanilla-flavored cookie (like vanilla wafers) instead of the Golden Oreos.
- Coconut Whipped Cream: Sub. in your favorite whipped topping from the grocery store (like this Coco Whip by So Delicious)
Helpful Tips For The BEST Strawberry Crunch Cake
- Freeze the cake layers: wrap the cakes in plastic wrap and freeze the cake layers prior to frosting and assembling makes the whole process a lot easier.
- Chill the buttercream and whipped cream: Working with very cold whipped cream and buttercream also helps make the assembly easier.
- Prep the frosting and whipped cream while the cakes cool: this will save lots of time!
these create the best flavor & texture!
FAQ
To make this recipe super easy, this crunch topping is only made with two ingredients: Golden Oreos and freeze-dried strawberries.
Strawberry crunch cake is inspired by these nostalgic strawberry shortcake ice cream bars. This cake is strawberry flavored, with a vanilla whipped cream filling, strawberry buttercream, and a sweet strawberry shortcake crunch coating.
Yes, the freeze dried strawberries have the texture that make the crunch coating crunchy. Fresh strawberries will not work for this.
I find that freeze the cake layers before applying the buttercream and whipped cream filling makes assembly SO much easier. The frozen cake helps keep the fillings from sliding around as much. It also helps prevent a bunch of cake crumbs from getting into the buttercream when you’re frosting the cake.
More Vegan Desserts Perfect for Summer
- Vegan Brown Sugar Strawberry Shortcake
- Vegan Lemon Loaf
- Baked Vegan Cheesecake with Strawberry Sauce
- Banana Split Dessert
- Vegan Pound Cake
Vegan Strawberry Crunch Cake with Golden Oreos
Rate this RecipeIngredients
Cake (Or Sub Boxed Strawberry Cake Mix)
- 2 ½ cups whole strawberries, (315g)
- ½ cup vegetable oil, (120g) or ½ cup salted melted vegan butter
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar, (300g)
- 1 cup plain unsweetened dairy-free yogurt, (230g)- like Silk Almond Milk Yogurt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups cake flour, (320g) or all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2-3 drops of vegan pink food coloring, optional
Filling (Or Sub More Strawberry Frosting)
- 13 oz coconut milk, chilled in the fridge overnight
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup cornstarch
The Frosting & Crunch Topping
- 1 recipe Vegan Strawberry Frosting
- 10 Golden Oreos
- ⅓ heaping cup freeze-dried strawberries
Instructions
Make the Strawberry Puree:
- Blend the whole strawberries into a puree in your food processor. This should make about 1 ½ cups of puree. Pour into a small saucepan and simmer over medium low heat for about 25 minutes until it is reduced to about 1 cup of puree.2 ½ cups whole strawberries
To Make the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare 3 6” cake pans by spraying them with non-stick cooking spray and lining the bottoms with parchment paper. See notes for other pan sizes.
- Cream the oil and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat until lighter in color and fluffy. Add the dairy-free yogurt, vanilla and 1 cup of the reduced strawberry puree. Mix to combine.½ cup vegetable oil, 1 ½ cups granulated sugar, 1 cup plain unsweetened dairy-free yogurt, 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Add the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt on top of the wet mixture. With a fork, sift the dry ingredients together, then mix the wet with the dry until just combined. If using, add in the food coloring.2 ½ cups cake flour, 2 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt, 2-3 drops of vegan pink food coloring
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans and bake on the center rack for 22-25 minutes. The tops should be golden brown and a toothpick should remove cleanly when inserted into the center of the cake.
- After 1-2 minutes, remove the cakes from the pans by flipping them gently upside down. If the cakes don’t remove, gently run a knife around the outside of the pan to help loosen them. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting (see notes).
To Make the Filling:
- In a medium sized bowl, scoop out only the solid part of the coconut milk. Try to get as little coconut water as possible into the bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat the coconut until it’s slightly fluffy (about 1 minute). Add in the powdered sugar and whip the mixture for 1-2 more minutes until all the sugar is incorporated. Mix in the vanilla.13 oz coconut milk, ½ cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- To thicken up the whip cream, mix in the cornstarch 1 tbsp at a time. Mix until any lumps are removed. Chill covered in the fridge while you prep the other components.¼ cup cornstarch
To Make the Frosting & Crunch Coating:
- Make the vegan strawberry frosting according to this recipe.1 recipe Vegan Strawberry Frosting
- Place your freeze-dried strawberries into the food processor. Pulse until they are a coarse texture.10 Golden Oreos, ⅓ heaping cup freeze-dried strawberries
- You’ll want to remove the cream center from the Oreos. Then, add in the Golden Oreos, and pulse until the mixture is a medium-fine texture but not a powder. Set aside while you prep the other ingredients.
To Assemble the Cake:
- Flip the first layer upside down (so the flat side is facing up). Spread an even layer of the whipped cream on top of the cake and then sprinkle a few tablespoons of the crunch coating on top.
- Stack the next layer of cake on the whipped cream with the flat side facing up. Spread more whipped cream and crunch coating on this layer. Top it off with the 3rd cake layer with the flat side facing up.
- Apply a crumb coat of frosting to the cake layers. I chose to leave the cake partially naked, but if you’d like to add more frosting feel free to apply more after the crumb coat. The more frosting you add, the better the shortcake crumbles will stick to the cake. Once frosted, sprinkle the crunch coating on the top (and the sides if you’d like) and decorate with fresh strawberries!
Video
Recipe notes
- This cake makes a 3 tiered 6″ cake.
- The recipe will also make a 2 tiered 8 or 9″ cake. The baking time will need to be increased by a few minutes if making a 9″ cake. Bake the cake for 30-35 minutes if using 9″ cake pans.
- To make a 3 tiered 9″ cake, you’ll need to 1.5x the ingredients.
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