The Ultimate Vegan Strawberry Crumb Cake: Moist, Fruity, and Irresistibly Easy
Prepare to fall in love with this incredible vegan strawberry crumb cake – a true masterpiece of texture and flavor! Imagine a perfectly moist and tender vanilla cake base, generously topped with a vibrant layer of juicy, sweet fresh strawberries, all crowned with a crisp, buttery, and subtly spiced crumble. This delightful creation isn’t just easy to make with everyday pantry staples; it’s also incredibly moreish, making it an instant favorite for any occasion. Whether you’re a seasoned vegan baker or just starting, this recipe promises delicious results that will impress everyone.
This delightful vegan strawberry crumb cake draws its inspiration from my tried-and-true vegan American coffee cake recipe, providing a familiar and reliable foundation. However, we’ve given it a glorious summery twist by replacing the traditional cinnamon sugar layer with an abundance of luscious, fresh strawberries. The result is a vibrant, fruit-forward cake that perfectly captures the essence of strawberry season.
With its harmonious layers – a soft, tender vanilla cake base, a beautifully jammy and slightly tart strawberry center, and a rich, buttery cinnamon crumble topping – this cake is an absolute dream for anyone who adores strawberries. It’s an ideal treat for breakfast, brunch, dessert, or a cozy afternoon fika. If you enjoy fruit-forward crumb cakes, you might also love my equally delicious vegan blueberry crumb cake.
Why This Vegan Strawberry Crumb Cake is a Must-Try
There are countless reasons to adore this plant-based strawberry crumb cake. Firstly, its vegan nature makes it accessible to a wider audience, catering to those with dietary restrictions or ethical preferences without compromising on taste or texture. The combination of a fluffy vanilla cake, burst-in-your-mouth strawberries, and a crunchy streusel creates a truly sensational experience with every bite. It’s also incredibly versatile – perfect for spring and summer gatherings, holiday brunches, or simply as a comforting treat during the week. Plus, the simple, wholesome ingredients ensure a homemade taste that store-bought cakes simply can’t match.
Ingredient Spotlight: What You’ll Need
Creating this magnificent vegan strawberry crumb cake requires a few key ingredients, each playing a crucial role in achieving its perfect texture and flavor. Understanding why certain ingredients are chosen and how they contribute can make all the difference in your baking success.
Fresh Strawberries: The Star of the Show
For this recipe, using **fresh strawberries** is absolutely paramount. While frozen berries might seem convenient, they contain significantly more moisture, which would leak into the cake during baking, resulting in a soggy bottom and an unpleasantly dense texture. Fresh strawberries, when properly hulled and sliced, provide the ideal juiciness and vibrant flavor without compromising the cake’s structure. Aim for ripe, firm berries for the best taste and texture.
Oil: For Ultimate Moistness
I personally prefer to use **olive oil** in my vegan cakes. Its mild flavor doesn’t overpower the other ingredients, and it contributes wonderfully to the cake’s moist and tender crumb. If you don’t have olive oil or prefer a different option, any other neutral-flavored oil such as canola, sunflower, or grapeseed oil will work perfectly. However, it’s very important to avoid using coconut oil. While great in some recipes, coconut oil tends to solidify at room temperature, which would make the cake too dense and heavy.
Sugars: Sweetness and Texture
You’ll need two types of sugar for distinct purposes. **Caster or granulated sugar** is best for the cake batter. Its fine crystals dissolve easily, ensuring a smooth batter and a tender crumb. For the delectable crumb topping, **light brown soft sugar** is the ideal choice. The molasses content in brown sugar adds a rich, caramel-like depth of flavor and helps create that irresistible soft, chewy texture in the streusel.
Non-Dairy Yogurt: The Secret to Vegan Moistness
Plant-based yogurt is a true game-changer in vegan baking. It acts as an excellent egg replacer, providing essential moisture and richness, while also adding a subtle tang that enhances the overall flavor profile of the cake. I highly recommend using a thick, **Greek-style non-dairy yogurt**, as its higher fat content contributes to a supremely moist cake. Both soy and coconut yogurts work wonderfully. Unfortunately, I haven’t tested any direct substitutes for the yogurt in this particular recipe, so sticking to a thick plant-based yogurt is advised for consistent results.
Baking Powder and Bicarbonate of Soda (Baking Soda): The Leavening Dream Team
You absolutely need both **baking powder and bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)** for this cake to achieve its perfect light and fluffy texture. They are not interchangeable. Baking soda reacts with acidic ingredients (like the vinegar and yogurt) to produce carbon dioxide, creating lift. Baking powder is a complete leavening agent that contains both an acid and a base, providing a second boost of rise. Together, they ensure a beautifully airy and tender cake.
Non-Dairy Milk: The Liquid Base
Any variety of unsweetened non-dairy milk will work well for this recipe, with the exception of canned coconut milk, which is too thick and fatty. Personally, I find **soy milk** to be the best choice for baking. Its higher protein content contributes to a more stable emulsion and a better overall structure in baked goods. Almond, oat, or rice milk can also be used successfully, just ensure they are unsweetened to control the sugar level of your cake.
Vinegar: Activating the Rise
A touch of **vinegar** (apple cider or white vinegar both work) is crucial in this recipe. It reacts with the bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), creating an acidic environment that activates the leavening agent. This chemical reaction produces carbon dioxide bubbles, which are essential for helping the cake rise beautifully and develop a wonderfully fluffy texture. Don’t worry, you won’t taste the vinegar in the final cake!
Plain Flour and Cornflour (Cornstarch): The Perfect Crumb and Tenderness
The cake batter uses regular **plain (all-purpose) flour**, which provides the main structure. The addition of a small amount of **cornflour (cornstarch)** to both the cake batter and the strawberry mixture is a clever trick. In the cake, it helps to create a more tender, delicate crumb, mimicking the effect of cake flour. In the strawberry topping, it helps to thicken the fruit juices as they bake, preventing the cake from becoming watery. If you don’t have cornflour, you can swap it for an equal weight of plain flour, but I highly recommend using it if you can for superior results.
Vegan Butter: For the Buttery Streusel
You’ll need a good quality **vegan butter or spread** for the streusel topping. This is what gives the crumble its signature rich, buttery flavor and crumbly texture. Both block and spreadable varieties are suitable, but make sure to avoid “light” or low-fat versions, as they often contain too much water and won’t give you the desired crispiness and flavor in your streusel.
How To Make This Easy Vegan Strawberry Crumb Cake: A Step-by-Step Guide
(Detailed measurements and complete instructions can be found in the comprehensive recipe card at the bottom of this page)
Making this vegan strawberry crumb cake is a straightforward process, broken down into a few simple steps. Follow along to create this delicious dessert with ease.
- Step 1: Prepare the Streusel Topping. In a medium bowl, combine the plain flour, light brown sugar, and ground cinnamon. Add the slightly softened vegan butter and, using your fingertips, gently rub it into the dry ingredients. Continue rubbing until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs and no large lumps of butter remain. This ensures a perfectly crumbly texture. Place this mixture in the fridge to keep it chilled while you prepare the rest of the cake.
- Step 2: Prepare the Strawberry Topping. Begin by carefully hulling the fresh strawberries to remove their green caps. Then, slice them into even pieces (quarters for medium strawberries, or adjust based on size). In a separate bowl, gently toss the sliced strawberries with the caster or granulated sugar and the cornflour until all the berries are evenly coated. The cornflour will help thicken the juices during baking, preventing a soggy cake. Set these aside.
- Step 3: Combine Wet Ingredients for the Cake Batter. In a large mixing bowl, combine the vegan yogurt, non-dairy milk, neutral oil, vinegar, caster sugar, and vanilla extract. Whisk these wet ingredients together thoroughly until they are completely smooth and well-incorporated. This ensures all the flavors are evenly distributed.
- Step 4: Mix in Dry Ingredients. To the wet mixture, add the cornflour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), and salt. Whisk these briefly to combine. Then, add the plain flour and gently stir with a balloon whisk (avoid using an electric mixer) until no dry lumps of flour remain. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to a tough cake. A few small lumps are fine.
- Step 5: Assemble the Cake Base. Pour the prepared cake batter into your lined 20cm (8-inch) square baking tin. Use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the batter evenly across the bottom of the tin, creating a smooth and consistent base for your cake.
- Step 6: Add the Strawberry Layer. Evenly scatter the prepared sugared and cornflour-coated strawberries over the cake batter in the tin. Try to distribute them as uniformly as possible to ensure every slice gets a good amount of juicy fruit.
- Step 7: Top with Streusel. Retrieve the chilled streusel mixture from the fridge. Evenly sprinkle it over the layer of strawberries, ensuring good coverage. The cold butter in the streusel will help create a crispier topping when baked.
- Step 8: Bake to Golden Perfection. Place the assembled cake in your preheated oven and bake for approximately 60 minutes. The cake is ready when it’s golden brown on top, firm to the touch, and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached, but no wet batter. If the topping starts browning too quickly, loosely cover the cake with aluminum foil.
Top Tips for the Perfect Vegan Strawberry Crumb Cake
Achieving baking perfection, especially with vegan recipes, often comes down to a few key techniques. Here are my top tips to ensure your vegan strawberry crumb cake turns out moist, flavorful, and absolutely irresistible every single time:
- Embrace Your Digital Scale: This is arguably the most important tip for consistent baking results. All my recipes are developed using grams, and I cannot stress enough the importance of using a digital scale for metric measurements rather than relying on cup conversions. Cups are notoriously inaccurate, leading to varying results. A digital scale ensures precision, better consistency, and is often less messy too!
- Use Proper Measuring Spoons: Just like with cups, not all spoons are created equal. Tablespoon (15ml) and teaspoon (5ml) measurements are for proper, level measuring spoons, NOT your everyday kitchen spoons. Always ensure your spoons are level, not heaped, for accurate ingredient ratios.
- Do Not Overmix the Batter: Once you’ve added the dry ingredients to the wet, mix the batter gently. Use a balloon whisk and stir by hand until just combined – meaning no dry streaks of flour remain. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour too much, which can result in a tough, dense cake. We’re aiming for a tender, fluffy crumb!
- The Skewer Test is Key: To check if your cake is fully baked, insert a wooden skewer or toothpick into the very center. It should come out clean, or with a few moist crumbs attached. If you see wet batter, the cake needs more time. Be patient!
- Cooling is Crucial: While tempting to slice into a warm cake, allow it to cool completely on a wire rack. This allows the cake to set properly and the flavors to fully develop. Cutting into a hot crumb cake can cause it to crumble or be difficult to handle, and the textures won’t be as defined.
- Slice with a Serrated Knife: The crisp streusel topping can be tricky to cut through without squashing the moist cake beneath. Use a sharp serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to create clean, perfect slices.
- Keep Streusel Chilled: Before adding it to the cake, ensure your crumb topping mixture is well chilled in the fridge. This helps the butter stay firm, resulting in a crispier, more defined streusel texture after baking.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
Here are some common questions you might have about making and enjoying this delicious vegan strawberry crumb cake:
This cake is truly at its absolute best when enjoyed on the day it is baked. The crumb topping, being quite delicate, will naturally soften over time due to moisture from the cake. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For the best experience, I highly recommend warming individual slices in the oven for a few minutes before serving to revive that crisp topping and moist cake.
I generally do not recommend freezing this particular cake. The primary reason is that the delicious crumb topping tends to become quite soggy and lose its delightful texture upon defrosting. While the cake itself might freeze okay, the streusel is a key component of its charm, and freezing would diminish that significantly.
No, it is critically important to use fresh strawberries for this recipe. Frozen strawberries contain a large amount of water, which they release during baking. This excess moisture would make your cake soggy and dense, and prevent it from baking properly. Furthermore, frozen berries would significantly cool down the batter, increasing the baking time and risking overbaking the edges before the center is cooked through.
This crumb cake is absolutely fantastic enjoyed on its own, whether served warm from the oven or at room temperature. However, to elevate the experience, consider pairing it with a scoop of creamy vanilla vegan ice cream, a dollop of homemade vegan custard, or a generous swirl of whipped plant-based cream. A few extra fresh strawberries on the side always add a lovely touch!
While I haven’t specifically tested a gluten-free version of this recipe, you might be able to adapt it by using a good quality 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend (one that contains xanthan gum) in place of the plain flour. Be aware that the texture might vary slightly. For best results, seek out a gluten-free crumb cake recipe specifically developed for gluten-free flours.
This recipe is designed for a 20 cm (8-inch) square cake tin. Using a pan of a different size will alter the baking time and potentially the cake’s thickness and texture. If you must use a different size, adjust your baking time accordingly and always rely on the skewer test to determine doneness.
More Delicious Vegan Strawberry Recipes You’ll Love
If you’ve enjoyed this vegan strawberry crumb cake, then you’ll be thrilled to discover more delightful plant-based strawberry creations. These recipes celebrate the natural sweetness and vibrant flavor of strawberries in various forms:
- Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream (Vegan)
- Classic Vegan Strawberry Shortcake
- Decadent Vegan Chocolate Strawberry Tart
- Homemade Vegan Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream
- Vegan Strawberry Tart With Coconut Pastry Cream
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Print Recipe
Vegan Strawberry Crumb Cake
Ingredients
For the Crumb Topping:
- 100 g (¾ cup + 1 Tablespoon) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 50 g (¼ cup) light brown soft sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 60 g (¼ cup) vegan block butter (slightly softened)
For the Strawberry Topping:
- 400-450 g (3 cups) fresh strawberries
- 1 Tablespoon caster or granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch)
For the Cake:
- 135 g (½ cup + 1 Tablespoon) vegan Greek style yogurt
- 120 g (½ cup) unsweetened non-dairy milk (I use soy)
- 82 g (90ml/6 Tablespoons) neutral oil (I use olive)
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 150 g (¾ cup) caster or granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 20 g (2 packed Tablespoons) cornflour (cornstarch)
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 225 g (1 ¾ cups + 6 teaspoons) plain (all-purpose) flour
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 180°C/160℃ fan/350°F/gas mark 4. Prepare a deep 20 cm (8 inch) square cake tin by lining it with baking paper. Ensure you leave some paper overhanging on two opposite sides, as this will create “handles” to easily lift the finished cake out of the tin later.
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To create the irresistible streusel topping, combine the plain flour, light brown sugar, and ground cinnamon in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Introduce the slightly softened vegan block butter to the mixture. Using your fingertips, work the butter into the dry ingredients. Continue rubbing until the mixture achieves a crumbly texture, resembling coarse breadcrumbs, and there are no visible large lumps of butter. Transfer this crumb mixture to the refrigerator to keep it chilled while you prepare the remaining components of the cake.100 g (¾ cup + 1 Tablespoon) plain (all-purpose) flour, 50 g (¼ cup) light brown soft sugar, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, 60 g (¼ cup) vegan block butter
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For the juicy strawberry topping, start by carefully hulling all the fresh strawberries, removing their green tops. Depending on their size, cut them into quarters (halves for very small ones, or sixths for exceptionally large berries). In a separate bowl, gently toss the prepared strawberries with the caster or granulated sugar and the cornflour until each piece of fruit is well coated. This step helps to prevent the strawberries from making the cake soggy during baking. Set the bowl aside.400-450 g (3 cups) fresh strawberries, 1 Tablespoon caster or granulated sugar, 2 Tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch)
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To prepare the cake batter, take a large mixing bowl and add the vegan Greek-style yogurt, unsweetened non-dairy milk (such as soy milk), neutral oil (like olive oil), vinegar, caster or granulated sugar, and vanilla extract. Whisk all these wet ingredients together very thoroughly until they are perfectly smooth and completely combined. This ensures an even distribution of flavors and moisture throughout the cake.135 g (½ cup + 1 Tablespoon) vegan Greek style yogurt, 120 g (½ cup) unsweetened non-dairy milk (I use soy), 82 g (90ml/6 Tablespoons) neutral oil (I use olive), 1 teaspoon vinegar, 150 g (¾ cup) caster or granulated sugar, 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
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Into the bowl with the wet ingredients, whisk in the cornflour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), and salt until just combined. Then, add the plain (all-purpose) flour. Gently stir with a balloon whisk. Be very careful not to overmix the batter; stir only until no dry lumps of flour are visible. Overmixing can lead to a dense and tough cake, and we want a light, tender crumb.20 g (2 packed Tablespoons) cornflour (cornstarch), 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), ¼ teaspoon salt, 225 g (1 ¾ cups + 6 teaspoons) plain (all-purpose) flour
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Pour the freshly made cake batter into the prepared square tin, using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to spread it out evenly. Ensure the surface is level, as this will form the foundation for your delicious toppings.
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Next, take your prepared strawberries and scatter them evenly over the smooth layer of cake batter in the tin. Try to distribute them as uniformly as possible so that every slice of cake receives a generous amount of sweet, juicy fruit.
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Finally, retrieve the chilled streusel mixture from the refrigerator. Evenly sprinkle this crumbly topping over the layer of strawberries. This creates the signature crisp, buttery top for your crumb cake.
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Place the assembled cake into your preheated oven. Bake for approximately 60 minutes. To test for doneness, insert a skewer or toothpick into the center of the cake; it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached, but no wet batter. If you notice the top browning too quickly during the last 15-20 minutes, loosely cover the cake with a piece of aluminum foil to prevent it from over-darkening.
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Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the tin for about 20 minutes. This allows it to set slightly. Then, use the overhanging baking paper to carefully lift the cake out of the tin and transfer it onto a wire cooling rack. It’s crucial to let the cake cool completely before slicing to ensure the best texture and prevent crumbling. While delicious, this cake is truly best enjoyed on the day it is baked for optimal crispiness of the crumb topping.
Notes
- For additional helpful tips, detailed ingredient explanations, storage guidelines, and step-by-step photos, please refer to the main article above the recipe card.
- A crucial reminder for all my baking recipes: I develop them using precise metric measurements in grams. For the most accurate and consistent baking results, I highly recommend using a digital kitchen scale over volumetric cup conversions. Measuring with cups can be significantly inaccurate and often leads to inconsistent outcomes. A scale provides superior precision, making your baking easier and often much less messy!
I’d love to hear how your vegan strawberry crumb cake turned out! If you tried this recipe, please let me know your thoughts. Rate it, leave a comment below, or share your creation on Instagram by tagging @domestic_gothess and using the hashtag #domesticgothess. Your feedback and photos make my day!