This chocolate covered strawberry cake is the most decadent vegan gluten free chocolate cake ever! Tender layers of chocolate cake filled with a sweet strawberry compote and piles and piles of dairy-free whipped cream. All drizzled with vegan chocolate ganache and topped with chocolate strawberries.
It’s truly inspirational.
The chocolate cake in this recipe is perfectly fudgy yet tender and moist. The chocolate ganache is smooth, silky and sweet. And the strawberry compote? Literally perfect in every way.
This chocolate strawberry cake is so elegant and seems so elaborate – but I’ll let you in on a little secret – it’s much simpler than it seems! Sure there are a few components to it but they come together easily. No one will ever guess this luxurious vegan cake was a breeze.
Perhaps even better is that just about anyone can eat this cake! All my recipes are allergy-friendly (and many are also vegan!) and this chocolate covered strawberry cake is no exception.
This cake is:
- Vegan
- Dairy-free
- Gluten-free
- Nut-free
- Allergy-friendly
But you would never know it. This cake doesn’t mess around and can hold it’s own against any traditional chocolate cake.
How to Serve This Cake
This cake is perfect served at dinner parties, birthdays, anniversary dinners, or for Valentine’s Day! This cake is truly elegant and is perfect for any fancy home-cooked dinner. Serve this cake alongside the following for a special home-cooked dinner that is perfectly allergy-friendly!
- Steak and Mushrooms
- Roasted and Seasoned Red Potatoes
- Steamed Artichoke
- Cucumber Avocado and Tomato Salad
- Honey Cornbread
This dinner menu would be perfect for Valentine’s Day that is just around the corner!
What You Need for Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Cake with Strawberries
Equipment
- 2 8-inch round cake pans: Prepared with non-stick cooking spray.
- Medium size pot: For a make-shift double boiler. This will be use to make the chocolate ganache. You’ll also need the pot to make the strawberry compote.
- Medium size heat-safe glass bowl: You’ll need a size that nestles on top of you pot.
- Whisk: For whisking the chocolate ganache together. However, you can also use a fork.
Ingredients for Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate covered strawberries: Get my recipe for easy vegan chocolate covered strawberries here.
- Gluten free flour: You favorite cup-for-cup brand.
- Oat flour: I add out flour to almost all of my gluten-free baked goods. I think it gives it a much better texture!
- Cornstarch
- Baking powder
- Cocoa powder
- Sugar
- Water
- Vinegar
- Flax eggs: You’ll need two flax eggs for this recipe. Make 2 flax eggs by mixing 2 tbsp of ground flax seeds with 6 tbsp of water. Let sit for about 5 minutes or until it reaches the consistency of an egg.
- Oil: Any oil is fine.
- Plant milk: I like almond milk for baking because it has the most neutral flavor. However, if you have a nut allergy then any other kind of plant milk will work just fine too.
- Dairy-free whipped cream: I used frozen Cocoa Whip. I prefer it to the kind in the can which I feels goes flat way too easily. Use whatever kind you prefer.
How to Make Strawberry Compote
Strawberry compote is a delicious component in this cake – my husband’s favorite part! It’s perfectly sweet and elevates this cake to the next level. It only takes a few minutes to make and is soooo worth it!
- Wash and hull the strawberries. Chop them into pieces and add them to a small to medium size pot.
- Mix the cornstarch and water together until smooth. Add it to the pot of strawberries along with the sugar.
- Bring the strawberries to a simmer. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to thicken.
- Remove from heat and lightly mash the strawberries with the back of the spoon.
- Cool in the refrigerator completely before assembling the cake.
A good time to make the strawberry compote is when the cake is in the oven baking. This will give it plenty of time to cool while the cake bakes and cools itself.
My husband loves this strawberry compote so much he wishes there was twice as much! If you love strawberry compote with your chocolate cake then consider making a little extra!
How to Make Vegan Chocolate Ganache
This vegan chocolate ganache is super simple to make! And you only need two ingredients for it: dairy-free chocolate chips and canned coconut cream. Make sure it is actually coconut cream and not coconut milk! Coconut cream is much thicker and that’s what we need for this simple ganache.
- Place a small amount of water in a medium pot. Fit a heat-proof glass bowl over the top of the pot. You’ll want one that just nestles on top of the pot.
- Place the chocolate chips in the pot and heat the water to a simmer over the stove. Stir the chocolate chips until half melted. Remove from heat.
- Stir the chocolate chips to melt them the rest of the way.
- Open your can of coconut cream and spoon out the cream on the top. There will be some coconut milk underneath that has separated from the cream. We just need the cream so spoon carefully.
- Slowly stir the coconut cream into the melted chocolate chips until smooth
The chocolate ganache will thicken and harden as it cools. It’s best to make the chocolate ganache right before assembling the cake.
How to Assemble This Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
Before assembling this cake you’ll want to completely cool the two chocolate cake layers and the strawberry compote. If you don’t completely cool them first the coconut whipped cream will melt upon assembling.
- Place one of the chocolate cake layers on a serving plate or cake board.
- Spoon half of the dairy-free whipped cream on top of the chocolate cake layer. Top with half the strawberry compote and a large drizzle of chocolate ganache.
- Place the second gluten free cake layer on top. Repeat the layers by covering the top of this layer with the remaining whipped cream, then strawberry compote, and finally another large drizzle of chocolate ganache.
- Top the cake with dairy-free chocolate covered strawberries.
Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Cake with Strawberries
Tender layers of vegan gluten free chocolate cake filled with a sweet strawberry compote and piles and piles of dairy-free whipped cream. All drizzled with vegan chocolate ganache and topped with chocolate covered strawberries.
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 1/2 cups gluten free all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup oat flour
- 1 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup boiling water
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
- 2 tbsp ground flax seeds mixed with 6 tbsp water
- 1/3 cup oil of choice
- 1/2 cup plant milk
Strawberry Compote
- 1 lb fresh strawberries
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 4 tbsps water
Vegan Chocolate Ganche
- 1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup canned coconut cream
- 9 oz frozen dairy-free whipped cream
- 1 batch vegan chocolate covered strawberries
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the flax eggs by mixing together 2 tbsp ground flax seeds with 6 tbsp of water. Set aside for 5 minutes or until it reaches the consistency of an egg.
- Make the cake by mixing together the dry ingredients. Slowly add the flax eggs, oil, boiling water, and plant milk. Divide into two greased 8-inch round cake pans. Bake for 30 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cake layers in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove from the pans and cool completely on a cooling rack.
Strawberry Compote
- While the chocolate cake layers are baking, make the strawberry compote. Wash, hull, and chop the strawberries. Mix together the cornstarch and water until smooth.
- Add the cornstarch slurry, strawberries, and sugar to a medium sized pot. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the mixture begins to thicken.
- Remove from heat and mash it lightly with the back of a spoon. transfer it to a bowl. Cool completely in the refrigerator before assembling the cake.
Vegan Chocolate Ganache
- Add a few inches of water into a medium sized pot. Place it over the stove and fit a heat-proof glass bowl on top of the pot.
- Add the chocolate chips to the bowl. Bring the water to a simmer and stir the chocolate chips until half-way melted.
- Remove from heat. Stir the chocolate chips until fully melted. Add in the coconut cream and stir until smooth.
Assembly
- Place one of the cooled cake layers on a cake board or serving plate. Spread half dairy-free whipped cream on top of the cake layer, followed by half the strawberry compote, and a large drizzle of chocolate ganache.
- Place the remaining cake layer on top and repeat the layers with the remaining dairy-free whipped cream, then strawberry compote, followed by the chocolate ganache. Top the cake with the chocolate covered strawberries.
Notes
- Store the leftover cake in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.
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