Healthy Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Frosting
This Healthy Strawberry Cake is moist, fluffy and infused with fresh, juicy strawberries. The cake is topped with a rich and buttery Strawberries and Cream Frosting – aromatic, naturally colored and loaded with flavor, yet free of refined sugar, butter and white flour!
This dessert will be loved by everyone and it’s excellent for any time of day, from breakfast to lunch to dessert! Yes, I said it… this cake is totally okay to eat for breakfast! You might ask, “How is that even possible??” Well, it’s jam-packed full of fresh strawberries and whole grains, and it’s all topped off with a frosting made of yogurt and even more strawberries.
Why have a boring bowl of oatmeal when you can have CAKE? Cake WITH FROSTING. So decadent, so sweet, so rich, and yet so healthy.
One slice of Paula Deen’s strawberry cake has 1,020 calories and 148g of sugar. That’s more than ¾ cup of sugar in one sitting.
Okay, I think I’m starting to overcome the initial shock and can finally find some words to describe that nutrition label… how about, insane, ridiculous, unhealthy, an utter joke. Is she trying to kill us? Wait, never mind, I know the answer to that…
So make a healthier version of the classic Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Frosting. You can get all that delicious strawberry flavor you love so much without the trans fats, artificial flavorings, artificial colorings, preservatives, gelatin, white sugar, butter and bleached flour… right here, right now 🙂
Healthy Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Frosting
Ingredients
- 246g (1 cup) Strawberry Purée (see Instructions)
- 170g (1¼ cups) Sweet White Sorghum Flour
- 144g (¾ cup) Granulated Erythritol
- 60g (½ cup) Oat Flour
- 40g (¼ cup, packed) Arrowroot Starch
- 1 tbs Double-Acting Baking Powder
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ¾ cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
- 4 Large Egg Whites
- 1 Large Egg
- 75g (⅓ cup) Coconut Oil (melted)
- 3 tbs Natural Red Food Coloring
- 2 tsp Liquid Stevia Extract
- 2 tsp Natural Strawberry Flavor
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 tbs White Vinegar
Instructions
- Rinse 1 pound of strawberries and slice the greens off. Add the strawberries to a food processor and purée until smooth. Measure 1 cup (use any excess purée in smoothies, yogurt, oatmeal, etc.).
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray 2 8” cake pans with cooking spray.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the sorghum flour, erythritol, oat flour, arrowroot starch, baking powder and salt.
- In an electric stand mixer bowl fitted with a beater attachment, add the strawberry purée, almond milk, egg whites, egg, coconut oil, natural food coloring, stevia extract, strawberry flavor and vanilla extract. Mix on low speed. Add the dry ingredients to the stand mixer and increase the mixer speed to medium. Mix until the ingredients are fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary.
- Add the vinegar to the stand mixer and mix one last time. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans. Bake for 28 minutes, or until the surface springs back when tapped.
- Flip the cakes onto wire cooling racks to cool completely. Frost with your frosting of choice. Slice and serve, or store in the fridge covered with a cake dome for up to 5 days.
Recipe Notes
Enjoy!
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Be happy.
Live fully.
Feel naughty, eat nice.
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– Jess
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Indulge − no strings attached!
Wow, this cake looks so nice. I especially love the pink color and the 3 layers. Any day that starts with this for breakfast will be guaranteed to be great!
Aww thanks Hannah! Every day that starts with cake is bound to be a great day 😉
Oh my gosh this look AMAZING. 🙂 This is definitely going to be my birthday cake….thanks for the recipe!!!
YAY thanks Marina! I hope you love the cake 😀
-Jess
I am allergic to stevia. Any natural subs?
I haven’t tested out this cake substituting the stevia substitute so I can’t be sure. You’re welcome to test it out though! Here’s a helpful conversion chart:
https://sweetleaf.com/stevia-conversion-chart/
I love just looking at the rich colored photos…absolutely beautiful. The colors are amazing – a great treat for the eyes!!
Okay, twist my arm, why don’t you? I’ll have this for breakfast then 😉 this cake looks incredibly moist and I love how fresh the ingredients are: most definitely saved for future recipe testing and blogging! Thanks for sharing this!
Hahaha 😉 Thanks, Ala!
I hope you get to try the cake out some day, and I hope you LOVE it! 🙂
-Jess
I just made this for easter dinner tonight! cant wait to take the first bit:) I accidentally used 2 cups of strawberry purree for the cake and thought it would be a disaster, Luckily, it baked up perfectly and a little crumbly shaving confirmed its deliciousness!! thanks for the beautiful recipe!!!
Aubrey-
WOW, now that’s an Easter miracle! An extra cup of puree really should’ve made the cake super dense and a little too moist… I’m surprised it baked up just fine!
I’m glad the cake passed your mini taste-test 😉
Have a happy Easter!
-Jess
Hey Jess, can I substitute brown rice flour and sorgum flour for oat flour? I don’t have these types of flour. Thank you for sharing the recipe 🙂
Nikki-
I tried using oat flour once in this cake and it didn’t turn out very well 🙁
The cake wasn’t fluffy, it was very heavy and it kind of had an odd texture. The sorghum flour helps create a fluffy texture, a good crumb and keeps the cake lightweight.
Sorry! Darn those silly gluten free flours 😉
-Jess
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I want to make this for Mother’s Day, but don’t have strawberry powder or stevia…Could you recommend a sub? (Can I use tapioca or arrowroot instead of corn starch?)
ALSO – my pans are larger! Do you think this would work with 2 8-inch pans instead of 3 6-inch pans?
Thanks, girl!
Yay I’m SO honored!! 😀
The strawberry powder can be replaced by freeze-dried strawberries pulsed in a food processor. Freeze-dried fruits are starting to become widely available in most grocery stores (especially Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s). There isn’t really a replacement for this though, the powder absorbs a lot of liquid so it helps thicken the frosting 🙂
The corn starch can be replaced by tapioca or arrowroot, but in my experience, corn starch tends to provide slightly more “lift” in cakes. I would recommend adding an extra tablespoon of your starch of choice.
Unfortunately, the stevia is going to be difficult to replace. 2 tsp in the cake adds the equivalent sweetness of 2 cups of sugar, but adding 2 cups of sugar to the cake will make it dry and possibly even hard and crumbly. And then the 1 tsp in the frosting is also difficult to replace. Powdered sugar tends to make frosting “liquidy” as it dissolves, so you would likely need to use more freeze-dried strawberry powder.
Oh, and two 8-inch pans should work just fine instead of the 6 inch pans! Just be sure to adjust the baking time 🙂
-Jess
Wow! It looks so delicious 😛
Vita-
Thanks! I hope you get to try it out 🙂
It may look delicious but just wait until you TASTE it!
-Jess
These are the flours I have: oat, rice, corn, coconut, and almond. I of course have APF but that’s not gluten free. Which one of those gf flours can I use instead of the sorghum flour? I want to make this for my daughter in a week. TIA!
Apologies for the delayed response. I haven’t tried this cake using a different flour in place of sorghum flour, but if I were to test one out it would be rice flour 🙂
Hello,
I can’t wait to try this out for my little girls’ first birthday party. I saw your earlier regarding no real substitute for the Stevia. I am not a fan of stevia at all can you taste the stevia? If there isn’t an acceptable substitute can I just remove it completely? Would love your thoughts on this.
Many Thanks
Sarah
Yay I’m so glad you’re gonna try out the recipe!! 🙂
Unfortunately, you can’t really omit the stevia because you’ll end up with a barely sweet cake… I don’t think it would even be considered cake, because it’ll taste like bread. I don’t taste the stevia at all, which is good because when you use too much you get a bitter aftertaste. If you want to reduce the amount just in case, you can use 1+1/2 tsp in the cake rather than 2 tsp, and 1/2 tsp in the frosting rather than 1 tsp. I’ve also found the vanilla-flavored stevia is less intense, so you can try that out too (it’s also really good in coffee and yogurt)! I hope this helps, and I hope you like the recipe 🙂
-Jess
I was wondering if I could use apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar instead of white?
Heidi-
Yup! I would recommend using apple cider vinegar 🙂
I hope you like the cake!
-Jess
Hi!i was wondering what school you go to because I am interested in nutrition as well and am applying to college soon!
Maggie-
I go to the University of Arizona! If you’re looking at schools, make sure to check out this site:
http://www.eatright.org/BecomeanRDorDTR/content.aspx?id=8156
The nutrition major is heavy on science, so if that’s something you’re good at or okay with, you’ll love it!
Good luck with your applications 🙂
-Jess
Hi Jessica,
Can you please clarify this ingredient for me, your recipe above it calls for:
14 (1 tbs) Grapeseed Oil (or any other neutral oil)
is that suppose to be 1/4 Cup + 1 Tbs of oil? I just want to make sure I use the correct amount. Thanks in advance for help.
Melinda
Melinda-
Thanks for pointing that out! I was missing the “g” next to 14.
It’s supposed to be 14g (which is equal to 1 tbs of oil) 🙂
I hope you like the recipe!!
-Jess
Hello! I’m thinking of making this for my birthday cake, it looks very tasty. 🙂 could you describe to me what the cake tastes like and the consistency of it? For my big day, I want a cake such as this that is healthier (because I’m an avidly healthy eater) but also will please my friends/family and make everyone happy. Thank you so much! Have a nice day 🙂
Madeline-
This cake is packed with strawberry flavor! It’s sweet and pretty filling too 🙂
The cake is moist and slightly dense, but it’s soft and fluffy at the same time.
If you want to make sure it’s a hit, make a trial run before your big day! Have a good birthday 🙂
-Jess
Jessica, three questions for you; first, is there any other flour I can substitute for the sorghum? I can’t find it anywhere locally and I’m unable to order online at the moment. Second, how long should I cook the cake if I use two 8 inch pans? And third, is it 1/3-1/2c. strawberries before pulverizing, or 1/3-1/2c. pulverized strawberries?
This looks absolutely marvelous! I plan on making it for my birthday.
Thanks in advance!
Lorrin-
Happy early birthday Lorrin!! 😀
I haven’t tried this substitution, but I’m pretty sure more brown rice flour can substitute the sorghum flour.
If you use 8″ pans, the cake should bake around 45 minutes. Just be sure to keep an eye on it. The cakes are ready when the center springs back when tapped.
For the cake, you’ll need 1 cup of pureed strawberries. What I do is, I slice the greens off ~2 cups of fresh strawberries and place the berries in a blender or food processor. Measure 1 cup and set that aside for the recipe.
I hope you like/LOVE the cake Lorrin! 😀
-Jess
Hi! I’m making this for a peppa pig themed party! For the freeze dried strawberries is it 1/2 cup freeze dried slices (before pulsing to a powder) or is it 1/2 cup of powder? Thank you!
Kristyn-
Fun party theme!! 😀
For the frosting, you’ll need 1/2 cup of freeze dried strawberry powder. Hope you like the cake!
-Jess
Thanks! Party is in a few hours I need to get moving haha!!! Hey, Is the serving size for 1/8th of ONE of the three layers or is it for 1/8th of the triple layered cake? just wondering how many points because I’m making exactly like you did with the 3 layers?yum… Thanks in advance love your blog!
Kristyn-
So sorry for the delayed response, I haven’t been getting any email notifications of all the comments!
The nutrition label is for 1/8th of the triple layered cake 😀
-Jess
EDIT: OOPS, just saw your next comment! Haha 😉
Ah nevermind 1/8th of recipe is the serving size. Answered my own question! ?
I was wondering if I can make these in 9 inch cake pans and still make 3 layers and just double the recipe. Do you think it could work? Also I’d like to make the cakes a week or so ahead of time. Can I freeze them then defrost and frost the night before?
Hmmm… good question! I have a feeling that your idea might work, I would just be wary about the baking times. The cakes will bake differently in a 9″ cake pan, so be sure to keep an eye on them in the oven.
If you want to freeze the cakes, let them cool on a wire cooling rack then wrap them tightly (and individually) in plastic wrap. Freeze them, thaw them completely in the refrigerator (this might take an entire day for all 3 layers), and then frost and enjoy!
Hope you like the recipe Dana 😀
-Jess
I’ve given up on trying to not eat sweets and have given in to all of your recipes 🙂
I made this cake a couple of years ago for my husbands mother because she’s diabetic. It’s been saved in my bookmarks since then. I decided I was going to surprise her and make it for Christmas this year and I click on the bookmark and you no longer provide the recipe instructions. That doens’t make any sense aaaaaand this stinks…
Now I’m sad 🙁
Hey Kathryn! As I mentioned in the instructions, the new and improved recipe is in my cookbook, which is available in print and Kindle. Don’t worry, I didn’t toss it for good or anything 🙂
-Jess
I’m confused by some of the comments that ask about replacements:
Oat flour IS in the recipe, but in response to someone asking if sorghum could be replaced with brown rice & oat flours, the response was that oat flour affected texture & made it dry.
Stevia powder- someone asked about using sugar. I don’t see stevia “powder” in the recipe, I only see liquid in the recipe.
Someone asked if arrowroot or tapioca starch could be used in place of corn starch. The response was that cornstarch was much better, but I see arrowroot listed above.
I also wondered if stevia powder could be used in place of granulated erythritol because the last time I used it (for a frosting), it tasted awful.
Additionally, can ACV be used in place of white vinegar? Does the baking powder have to be “double-acting”?
Lastly, can I substitute anything in place of eggs (allergic)?
Thanks!
Hi Jessica! The comments on this post could be a bit misleading because I originally posted a Strawberry Cake recipe a loooong time ago. When I published my Naughty or Nice Cookbook, I improved the recipe for a better texture and flavor.
I have never used stevia powder, only liquid stevia extract. Stevia can’t replace erythritol.
Apple cider vinegar can replace the white vinegar.
And, most baking powders are already double acting. If yours isn’t, I’m sure it’ll still work, but I can’t be 100% sure on that.
Eggs cannot be substituted in this recipe. They’re crucial for the cake’s texture.
Hello, are the recipes in your book generally whole-grain? Thanks.
Yes, I always use whole grains over white flour! I use a small amount of starch here for a lighter cakey texture, but mostly sorghum and oat flour 🙂
(Some other recipes in the book use coconut flour and quinoa flour)
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