Vegan Strawberry Rosewater Cake | Fragrant Vanilla Cake

Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite holidays to make desserts for because I love all things pink and berry flavored!  So this year I thought it would be fun to make a Vegan Strawberry Rosewater Cake!  I know Valentine’s Day is not for a few weeks, but I make stuff for the entire month before to enjoy!  This one turned out so delicious I had to share it with you all!  Also, it has been really cold here in Minnesota, it was in the single digits all last week so it was the perfect time to stay inside and bake a cake!

For this cake I used my vanilla cake batter, and scented it with vanilla and rosewater.  This batter is easy to make, nothing too fussy which is why I love it! I used whole wheat pastry flour, because it is what I have on hand and prefer, but if you wanted to use all purpose flour that would work as well.  Or if you wanted to make a gluten free cake, Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour works well too.  I recommend this specific brand because I have tried it with success.

I filled and frosted the cake with a delicious strawberry rose buttercream frosting! It is easy to make, and for the lovely color I used ground freeze dried strawberries!  They don’t add excess moisture to the frosting, but they make it a beautiful color and give it intense strawberry flavor!  It is one of my favorite frostings!  I also included a layer of strawberry jam in the filling which made it extra delicious!  It was made by Eric’s Dad and it is the perfect sweetness level!  The strawberries in it taste like they were just picked!  The thing I love about this cake is you can make it in the winter if you don’t have fresh berries but it tastes like summer!

This cake turned out so delicious!  It was heavenly with its soft vanilla rose scented cake layers, gooey strawberry jam and sweet strawberry buttercream frosting! This would be perfect for upcoming Valentine’s Day, or any day really you are craving cake (because there is no need to wait for a holiday).  So if you are in the mood for something sweet, give this Vegan Strawberry Rosewater Cake a try!

Vegan Strawberry Rosewater Cake

Makes one 2 layer 6 inch cake

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 3/4 tsp baking powder (1/2 tsp plus 1/4 tsp)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 2 flax eggs (2 Tbsp golden ground flax seed mixed with 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water, allowed to sit 15 minutes)
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp avocado oil or other neutral oil
• 1/2 cup plant based milk (I used Oatly but you can use what you prefer)
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp rosewater

Frosting:

• 1 1/2 cups vegan butter, I used Earth Balance (at room temperature)
• 2-3 Tbsp plant based milk (I used Oatly, but you can use what you prefer), add 3 then if needed add another if frosting comes out too stiff
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp rosewater
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• vegan food coloring (optional)

Filling:

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees, and line 2 6 inch round cake pans with parchment on the bottom and oil the sides.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and sea salt and whisk to blend.
3. Add the flax eggs, avocado oil, oat milk, vanilla and rosewater and beat with an electric mixer for about a minute (or 3 minutes if doing it by hand with a whisk).
4. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pans, dividing it evenly between the two of them.
5. Place the cakes in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes until the cakes are done in the center (you are able to insert a toothpick into the center and it comes out almost clean with a few moist crumbs).
6. Remove from the oven and let cool 20 minutes, then remove the cakes from the pans by cutting around the sides, placing a plate on top then inverting it and tapping on it.  Allow them then to cool completely once they are out of the pans.
7. To make the frosting, beat the butter with the milk, vanilla and rosewater until fluffy.
8. Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, and beat until completely mixed and light and fluffy (if the frosting is too stiff add that other Tbsp of milk).
9. When ready to frost, Place one cake layer on a plate, spread about 1/4 inch thick layer of the frosting over it.  Pipe a half inch thick line of frosting along the outside edge.  Spoon the strawberry jam into the center and spread out evenly inside the piped line.
10. Place the next cake layer on top.
11. Spread the remaining frosting on the top and down the sides of the cake evenly, then place the rest of the frosting in a pastry bag and use it to decorate the top.  This frosting recipe makes enough that you should be able to do some generous piping decorations on top, because I like a lot of frosting! If you wish to tint the frosting colors as I did, feel free to.
12. Serve the cake and enjoy!