Strawberry Almond Cake (Dairy-Free)

by Katie Stymiest | Mar 4, 2021 | Cakes | 43 comments

A light pink frosted cake topped with frosting swirls and strawberries

Amazingly fluffy almond cake layers paired with a sweet homemade whipped strawberry buttercream frosting that practically sings summer. This dairy-free strawberry almond cake is everything fresh and fruity that a summer-inspired layer cake should be. Topped with chopped almonds for a slightly salty crunch element that will have your tastebuds rejoicing.

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Dairy-Free Strawberry Almond Cake Flavor Profile

Anytime I think of strawberries I think of sweet, light, and refreshing. And that’s what this cake is. Sweet and springy, almost cloud-like, almond cake layers that act as a supporting flavor to highlight the main star of this cake show: the strawberry frosting. Speckled with bits of real strawberry, this buttercream frosting uses a homemade strawberry filling to incorporate a real genuine strawberry flavor that packs a sweet summer berry punch in every single bite.

An Almond Cake From Scratch

Using my go-to Vanilla Cake recipe as a base, I simply swapped out the vanilla extract for almond extract. At first, I contemplated using pulverized almonds in the cake batter to bring that warm nutty taste but I knew that would create a dense cake crumb. Nothing wrong with a dense texture, but I wanted this cake to be airy and light for a summertime dessert. Almond extract packs a whole lot of almond flavor though so use it sparingly. This recipe only requires a teaspoon for the whole batter!

How To Make Strawberry Filling

Let’s quickly walk through how strawberry filling from scratch is made. First off, you can use either fresh or frozen strawberries. The only difference will be the cooking time. If you do use frozen strawberries let them thaw a bit so you can dice them up. Next, in a medium pot combine all the ingredients, stir to combine, and cook over medium heat.

The strawberry filling mixture will begin to thicken and come to a boil. It will take approximately 5-10 minutes depending on whether you use fresh or frozen strawberries. Once the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon take it off the heat and pour it into a shallow dish. Lastly, cover the surface of the strawberry sauce with plastic wrap and allow it to fully cool to room temperature before you use it.

Real Strawberry Almond Buttercream

The key to real strawberry buttercream is real strawberries. Using that strawberry filling, add 1 cup to the prepared almond buttercream and give it a good whip together. Don’t worry if there are small pieces of actual strawberry in the frosting, it only adds to the flavor and gorgeous soft pink appearance. Those strawberry speckles practically scream “summer yumminess.”

Serve the remaining strawberry filling on the side of each cake slice for an extra burst of real genuine strawberry flavor. Trust me when I say that this strawberry frosting will knock your socks off!

And there you have it…a fresh, fruity, and oh so simply delicious dairy-free strawberry almond cake packed full of real strawberry flavor that will suit each and every summer cake celebration need.

If you enjoy a strawberry almond flavor combo…give my Strawberry Almond Sprinkle Cookies a shot and let me know what you think!