Strawberry Lemonade Layer Cake

Two airy lemon cake layers, tangy and bright, stacked with strawberry-coconut cream made from real pureed berries. The frosting is soft-set and jammy, the cake tender and springy, the whole thing light and summery. No dairy, no eggs, just pure fruit and citrus flavor. Chill it before slicing so the layers stand tall.

By TasteBuds

Recipe details

Yield
10 people
Prep time
40 minutes
Cook time
30 minutes
Total time
1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1¼ cups granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or any non-dairy milk)
  • ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
  • 2 tbsp lemon zest, finely grated (from about 2 lemons)
  • ⅓ cup neutral oil (vegetable, canola, or light olive oil)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 (13.5 oz) cans full-fat coconut cream (chilled overnight)
  • 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled
  • 1½ cups powdered sugar (for frosting)
  • ½ cup fresh strawberries, sliced (for topping, optional)
  • 3 to 4 lemon slices, thin rounds (for topping, optional)

Instructions

  1. Place 2 (13.5 oz / 400 ml) cans full-fat coconut cream in the fridge and chill overnight. This lets the thick cream separate from the watery liquid, which you'll need for smooth frosting later.
  2. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line the bottoms of two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper, then lightly grease the sides with a bit of oil or cooking spray.
  3. Finely grate 2 tbsp lemon zest from about 2 lemons. Set aside.
  4. Juice those same lemons to get ⅓ cup (80 ml) fresh lemon juice. Set aside.
  5. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour, 1¼ cups (250 g) granulated sugar, 2 tsp (10 g) baking powder, ½ tsp (2.5 g) baking soda, and ½ tsp (2.5 g) salt until combined.
  6. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup (240 ml) unsweetened almond milk, ⅓ cup (80 ml) fresh lemon juice, ⅓ cup (80 ml) neutral oil, 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract, and 2 tbsp finely grated lemon zest. The milk will curdle a bit from the lemon juice. That's what you want.
  7. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk gently until just smooth. A few small lumps are fine. Don't overmix or the cake will be dense.
  8. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Tap each pan on the counter a couple times to release air bubbles.
  9. Bake for 26 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the tops spring back when lightly pressed. The edges should just start pulling away from the sides of the pan.
  10. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack, peel off the parchment, and let them cool completely. If you frost warm cake, the frosting will melt and slide right off.
  11. While the cakes cool, hull 2 cups (300 g) fresh strawberries. Drop them into a blender or food processor and puree until completely smooth. You should have about 1 cup of puree.
  12. Set a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl and pour the puree through, pressing with a spatula to extract all the juice and leave the seeds behind. You'll end up with a smooth, seedless strawberry puree. This step takes a few minutes but makes the frosting silky.
  13. Open the 2 chilled cans of coconut cream. Scoop out only the thick white cream from the top of each can, leaving the watery liquid behind. You want about 1½ cups of solid cream. Put it in a large bowl.
  14. Using an electric mixer or a hand whisk, beat the coconut cream on medium-high speed until it's fluffy and holds soft peaks, about 2 to 3 minutes.
  15. Add 1½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar and ½ cup of the strained strawberry puree to the whipped coconut cream. Beat again until smooth and combined. The frosting will be pale pink and spreadable. Taste it. If you want more berry flavor, fold in a bit more puree. If it seems too soft, chill it for 15 minutes to firm up.
  16. Place one cooled cake layer on a cake stand or serving plate. Spread about one-third of the strawberry frosting evenly over the top, leaving a small border around the edge.
  17. Set the second cake layer on top, pressing down gently so it sits flat. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides, using an offset spatula or butter knife to smooth it out. Don't stress if it looks a bit rustic. That's part of the charm.
  18. If you're using them, arrange ½ cup (75 g) sliced fresh strawberries and 3 to 4 thin lemon rounds on top of the cake. A few lemon zest curls scattered over the berries look nice too.
  19. Chill the assembled cake in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before slicing. This helps the frosting set and makes clean slices much easier. The cake will keep, covered, in the fridge for up to 3 days.