Strawberry Almond Cake

A light almond sponge cake is filled with strawberry compote and frosted with vanilla buttercream. This Strawberry Almond Cake has all the flavors of spring and it's topped with naturally colored pastel pink roses.

If you love strawberry cakes, be sure to check out Organic Strawberry Shortcake With Homemade Whipped Cream, Strawberry Vanilla Layer Cake, Eggless Strawberry Zucchini Cake, or Simple Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes.

A Quick Look At The Recipe

• Recipe Name: Strawberry Almond Cake
• Ready In: 2 hours 15 minutes
• Makes: 2 layer 6-inch cake
• Main Ingredients: salted butter, cane sugar, powdered sugar, strawberry jam
• Flavor Profile: Juicy strawberries and delicate almond notes come together in a moist, buttery crumb
• Dietary Info: gluten free swap available
• Difficulty: Medium
• Why You’ll Love It: pink rose cake without artificial colors

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Light & Sweet: This homemade strawberry cake is light and sweet. I use almond milk along with almond extract in this sponge cake for a simple and sweet cake.
• Naturally Pink: I use organic strawberry powder to naturally color the frosting pink and top it with some classic buttercream roses. That makes this a naturally pastel pink cake without artificial colors!
• Celebration Cake: This is a beautiful, yet simple organic cake that is perfect for any celebration! Baby showers, birthdays, or just because. You will love this naturally pastel pink cake.
• Organic Cake: I use organic ingredients in this Strawberry Almond Cake, making it so much better than anything you'd buy at the store.

This cake was a special I made at my bake shop and it was highly requested! Part of its charm is that it's fancy enough for special celebrations like birthdays, baby showers, or even an elopement. But, it's also simple and fun enough for a weekend dessert!

If you're looking for more recipes from my bakery, check out other customer favorites like Cookie Dough Layer Cake, Homemade Chocolate Ganache, Salted Caramel Cake With Buttercream Frosting, Traditional Butter Pound Cake Loaf, or Simple Vanilla Cupcakes.

Ingredients

• Canola Oil: I use organic canola oil because its the most neutral oil. If you want to avoid seed oils, you can use avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil.
• Almond Milk: I use almond milk for added flavor, but any kind of milk you like will work.
• Almond Extract: I use organic almond extract to give this organic cake its almond flavor.
• Cake Flour: I use my Homemade Organic Cake Flour, but store bought also works. This is a lower protein content flour which creates a tender and delicate crumb, so don't use all purpose. Also, I have tested this cake with sprouted pastry flour and whole wheat pastry flour, both will work, but result in a darker color cake with a more hearty flavor and it also can be a little shorter.
• Baking Powder: Use baking powder, not soda as this is a slow rise bake. Be sure to check out my post the Difference Between Baking Soda and Baking Powder for more info on leavening agents.
• Strawberry Jam: I use my Organic Strawberry Jam With Fresh or Frozen Berries for the filling, but you can also use store bought, either works!
• Strawberry Powder: I use organic strawberry powder to color the top roses pink without artificial colors. You can also use an organic beet powder too, like I do in Eggless Chocolate Heart Cake.

*For a full list of ingredients and measurements, visit the recipe card below.

Baker's Tips for Strawberry Almond Cake

• Always weigh ingredients for the best results.
• I use canola oil in this cake because it has a neutral flavor. Feel free to substitute it for sunflower oil or extra virgin olive oil if you prefer.
• If you want to use a different jam, feel free to do so! Raspberry and blueberry would also be a great option, and you can also find raspberry powder and blueberry powder for the roses easily.
• If you're new to cake baking, check out my post How to Crumb Coat a Cake for a step by step tutorial. I also have a video below for this specific recipe, so be sure to watch!
• Gluten Free — Replace the cake flour with 243 grams (1 ½ cups plus 1 tablespoon) gluten free flour blend.
• Make sure your butter is soft before starting the frosting. I prefer to leave it out on the counter and let it come to room temperature naturally for the best results.
• Make sure to store this cake in an airtight container in the fridge if you have leftovers.

How to Make Strawberry Almond Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two 6-inch cake pans with parchment paper. To make the batter: In a large mixing bowl, add the canola oil, sugar, almond milk, eggs, and almond flavor.

2. Whisk together to combine the eggs.

3. Add the cake flour to the sugar mixture, and sprinkle the baking powder and sea salt right on top.

4. Fold together with a spatula until you have a smooth cake batter, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.

5. Pour batter evenly into the prepared pans, about 390 grams each. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. (If you're baking at high altitude make sure to check the Notes at the bottom of the recipe for high altitude baking instructions). Allow cakes to cool completely, then remove from the cake pans.

6. To make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and almond milk as needed.

7. Mix on low until combined, then speed mixer up to high for 1 minute or until light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of bowl and mix on high again.

8. Add a small amount of frosting into a piping bag with no tip. On a cake stand or spinner, place the first cake layer.

9. Spread a small amount of frosting on top of the cake, but not as much as if you were going to fill the layer with frosting, just a thin layer. Next, go around the cake edge with the piping bag to create a boarder of frosting. Add the strawberry jam into the center of the frosting boarder. The frosting boarder holds in the strawberry filling.

10. Top with the second layer of cake.

11. Crumb coat the cake by adding a small layer of frosting to seal in the crumbs. If you're new to crumb coating, check out How to Crumb Coat a Cake. Then frost the sides of the cake, no need to frost the top as you'll be adding roses on top!

12. Add the strawberry powder into the bowl with the remaining frosting and stir to combine completely. If it seems dry, add a few drops of water until it's smooth and creamy.

13. Put the pink frosting in a piping bag with Ateco tip #846. Pipe roses on top of the cake, starting around the edges of the cake and work your way in. Fill in any bare spots with dollops of frosting. To make a rose, simply start in the center and in a spiral motion go around the middle where you started to create a rose. It’s almost two full times around, working your way from the inside out. But, you can make the roses as big or as small as you want by simply going around the spiral more times. If you run out of frosting (as it sometimes happens) add more strawberry jam into the center of the cake! (Or, you can frost the entire cake with roses, either way works!)

Recipe FAQ's

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