This vegan Strawberry Rhubarb Cake with crispy caramelized almond topping is a super simple recipe that’s just like grandma used to make it but without eggs and dairy! It’s moist, soft, delicious and the perfect cake to enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea on any spring or summer day!
Vegan Strawberry Rhubarb Cake Recipe
I absolutely love the combination of rhubarb and strawberries! Especially, at this time of year when there’s fresh rhubarb around, I love to cook compote or jam or bake cakes with it. Rhubarb has such a lovely tart fruity flavor to it, making it perfect to pair with sweet desserts like cakes, muffins, pies, tarts,… the list is endless! I really love that it’s such a versatile fruit so today I wanted to share my favorite rhubarb cake recipe that literally tastes like the old-fashioned traditional cake from Grandma‘s bakery but made vegan!
A Simple Vegan Versatile Cake
This Strawberry Rhubarb Cake is so easy to make and perfect for beginning bakers. It’s soft, moist and the tanginess of the rhubarb is perfectly balanced out by the sweetness of the crispy almond topping. You can even make different versions of this cake all year long, using whatever fruit you have on hand. Whether strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, plums, or apples – anything will do! Simple desserts like this never get old and I‘m sure you’re going to love this recipe, too!
Soft, moist and so delicious!
Some vegan yogurt and non-dairy milk in the batter keep the texture of the rhubarb and strawberry cake wonderfully soft, moist, and tender. I figured out that using soy milk and soy yogurt works best for baking but any other should do, too! Feel free to use coconut yogurt and oat, almond, or cashew milk instead, however, I recommend using no watery milk like rice milk.
The cake itself is not overly sweet so if you skip the almond topping you could even eat it for breakfast! I used a combination of regular white and coconut sugar but you can use your favorite like raw cane or brown sugar.
In addition to breakfast, afternoon tea and coffee or snacking on, this vegan rhubarb-strawberry cake is also amazing served warm with vanilla pudding! Also, a scoopful of ice cream, vegan yogurt, or whipped coconut cream would make a great addition!
How to make Vegan Rhubarb Cake
As always, I recommend checking out these step-by-step instructions and the recipe video first. Then you’ll find the full recipe with exact measurements in the recipe card below!
Step 1: Prep the baking pan
First, preheat the oven and prepare the pan by greasing the sides and lining the bottom with parchment paper (see photo in step 3). I used a 9-inch springform pan but can probably also use a loaf pan, square pan, bundt pan or even a muffin pan to make cupcakes. Just make sure to adjust the baking time as needed. Once a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, the cake is done!
Step 2: Prep the rhubarb and strawberries
Next, cut the rhubarb and mix it with a bit of sugar. This softens the rhubarb and turns it nice and juicy for the cake. Also, cut the strawberries and toss them with a bit of flour or cornstarch. This will keep them from releasing all of their water in the cake during baking.
Step 3: Making the batter
Now start making the cake batter! In one large mixing bowl whisk together all the dry ingredients. That’s all flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a second bowl cream together the vegan butter (or margarine or coconut oil) and sugar, using an electric hand mixer. Then mix in the remaining wet ingredients: plant milk, vegan yogurt, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and mix until the batter is just combined. Don’t overmix the batter because that can activate the gluten in the flour and make the cake tough. A couple of lumps are okay.
Add your batter into the pan. Then gently tap the pan a few times on your counter to level out the top. Spread the rhubarb slices and strawberries pieces on top and gently press them into the batter. Set the cake in the oven to bake for 30 minutes while you make the caramelized almond topping. However, if you skip the almond topping, bake the cake for 50-60 minutes in total!
Step 4: Making the Almond Topping
After 25 minutes, start to prepare the almond topping for your strawberry rhubarb cake. Slowly melt the vegan butter and sugar in a saucepan. Be careful as it may burn quickly! Then stir in the almonds and spread the mixture over the prebaked cake. Bake for another 20-30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
Step 5: Allow to cool
Once done baking, leave the cake to cool in the tin for 20 minutes before you turn it out onto a wire rack to give it a chance to settle. This vegan strawberry rhubarb cake is very delicate and soft when it is warm so don’t remove it out of the tin too early or you risk it breaking. Once the cake is cool store it in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
This Vegan Strawberry Rhubarb Cake is:
- Egg-less
- Dairy-free (lactose-free)
- Easy to make
- Moist
- Soft
- Perfectly sweet
- Versatile
- So delicious!
- With crispy almond topping
- The perfect afternoon dessert
- or even for breakfast!
Looking for more simple vegan cake recipes? Then make sure to check out the following:
- Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
- Raspberry Almond Orange Cake
- Apricot Cake with Coconut
- BEST Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread
- Zebra Marble Cake
- Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Chocolate Pumpkin Marble Bread
- BEST Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Apple Blondies
- BEST Vegan Brownies
If you try this Vegan Strawberry Rhubarb Cake with almond topping, please leave me a comment below sharing how you liked this recipe! And if you take a picture of your dessert and share it on Instagram, please make sure to tag me @biancazapatka and use the hashtag #biancazapatka, so I won’t miss your post! Happy baking!
Vegan Strawberry Rhubarb Cake
Author:You do not have a fitting cake pan at hand right now? Try my Cake Pan Conversion Calculator!
Ingredients
Rhubarb & Strawberries
- 2 cups (200 g) rhubarb sliced into 0.4-inch pieces (approx. 3 stalks)
- ½ cup (100 g) strawberries diced (or sub more rhubarb)
- 1 ½ tbsp (20 g) sugar
- 1 tsp cornstarch or flour
For the dough
- 2 ¼ cups (280 g) all-purpose or spelt flour *see notes
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda (or sub 1 tsp more baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup (175 g) + 2 tbsp sugar
- ½ cup (115 g) vegan butter softened (or margarine or coconut oil)
- ½ cup (120 g) non-dairy yogurt *see notes
- ½ cup (120 ml) non-dairy milk *see notes
- 2 tbsp lemon juice ~1/2 lemon freshly squeezed (or 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
For the Almond Topping
- ¼ cup (50 g) vegan butter or margarine or coconut oil
- ¼ cup (50 g) sugar *see notes
- ½ cup (50 g) slivered almonds
To Garnish (optional)
- pomegranate
- powdered sugar
Instructions
- Note: For the best results, I recommend measuring the ingredients in grams. Simply click on the word "metric" right above the ingredient list. Also, make sure to check out the recipe video + step-by-step pictures above!
- Preheat your oven to 356ºF (180ºC). Lightly grease the sides of a 9-Inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Toss together the rhubarb and 1 ½ tbsp of sugar in a small bowl. In another bowl toss the strawberries with 1 tsp of cornstarch. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In another mixing bowl mix together the vegan butter and sugar until creamy, using an electric hand mixer. Then mix in the non-dairy milk, yogurt, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and mix until just combined. (A couple of small lumps are okay but please do not overmix!)
- Add the batter into the prepared pan, then gently tap the pan a few times on your counter to level out the top.
- Spread the rhubarb and strawberries on top and gently press them into the batter (see photo above!).
- Bake for 30 minutes. (If you skip the almond topping, bake the cake for 50-60 minutes in total).
- After 25 minutes, prepare the almond topping. Slowly melt the vegan butter and sugar in a saucepan, then stir in the almonds.
- Open the oven and spread the almond mixture over the cake. Bake for another 20-30 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean. Let cool for 15 minutes, then remove the cake from pan and set on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Garnish with pomegranate and dust with a bit of powdered sugar as desired and enjoy!
Notes
- Flour: I recommend using all-purpose or light spelt flour if you want a fluffy cake. I haven’t tested this recipe with gluten-free flour yet but let me know if you try it!
- Plant Milk / Yogurt: Soy milk and soy yogurt work best for baking but any other like coconut yogurt and oat, almond or cashew milk should do, too! Just be sure to use no watery milk like rice milk!
- Sugar: I used a combination of regular white and coconut sugar but you can use your favorite like raw cane or brown sugar.
- Fruits: You could also use other fruits.
- Please read my blog post for further helpful tips and step-by-step photos!
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Hello,
I’d love to make your cake but I only have an 8” sandwich tin and I’m struggling to figure out how to convert the measurements?
Any suggestions? Thank you in advance 🙂
Hi, you cam use my cake pan conversion calculator! 😉