Step 1 - Make the Strawberry Purée
Add the 4 cups of strawberries (stems removed) to a food processor or blender. Blend until completely smooth no visible chunks. Set the purée aside.
If using frozen strawberries, allow them to thaw before blending frozen strawberries produce a purée with the right consistency but significantly more liquid once thawed. For frozen strawberries, consider reducing the dairy-free milk slightly (by 1–2 tablespoons) to compensate for the additional moisture.
Step 2 - Preheat and Prepare Pans
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease and line your two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper circles.
Step 3 - Combine Dry Ingredients
Add all the dry cake ingredients flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Whisk together until no lumps remain and all ingredients are evenly distributed. If using beetroot powder, add it here with the dry ingredients.
Step 4 - Add Wet Ingredients and Purée
Add the strawberry purée, dairy-free milk, neutral oil, apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice), liquid food coloring, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients.
Fold until just combined this is the instruction that determines the cake's final texture. Over-mixing develops gluten and produces a tough, dense cake. Fold with a spatula using a cut-and-fold technique rather than stirring in circles.
Some lumps in the batter are completely fine and expected. What you want to eliminate are pockets of dry flour visible clumps of unmixed flour that would create dense, raw spots in the finished cake.
Step 5 - Divide and Bake
Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans. For the most precise equal division, weigh the total batter and divide by two; each pan gets exactly half.
Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 25–30 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Both pans should bake simultaneously on the same oven rack if your oven is large enough. If not, place them on different racks and rotate halfway through.
Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Step 6 - Level, Fill, and Frost
Once the cakes are completely cool:
Slice the dome off one cake layer to create a flat top. This leveled layer becomes the bottom of the assembled cake; a flat surface allows the frosting layer between the cakes to be even and prevents the finished cake from tilting.
Place the leveled cake on your serving plate. Spread or pipe approximately 1 cup of vegan strawberry frosting evenly across the surface. Place the second cake layer on top (this one keeps its dome as the top of the finished cake).
Cover the exterior with the remaining frosting, smoothing with your offset spatula. Garnish with fresh strawberries arrange them however feels right for your occasion, from a casual scattered approach to a formally arranged border around the top edge.
