Growing up I remember spending time at my Godparents’ wonderful red quaint little cabin overlooking a huge lake in northern Minnesota. There was a tiny plot of sand in the back and two docks that extended to look out to where people went boating and jet-skiing. Many of my favorite memories as a child were there, including most of the summertime holidays like Memorial Day and the 4th of July.
During the summer months, we’d put our suits on and pretty much stay in them until the weekend ended. We’d run at full speed with our feet pattering on the wooden boards then jump into the cold lake with jubilant smiles. Being a child keeps you fearless like that for a while.
What I remember most is after swimming for a while, we’d come wrapped in giant towels to sit on the picnic bench and enjoy the perfect summer lunch. Grilled corn on the cob, fried walleye, my Godfather’s famous lip-smacking good buffalo wings, fresh watermelon slices, and of course, a good dessert.
Strawberry shortcakes always frequented the cabin. Juicy sugar-soaked strawberries piled on top of the store-bought sweet cakes and dolloped with whipped cream. It was classic but a dessert that always left you satisfied with strawberry-stained lips and a smile on your face.
In an effort to recreate something unique with a touch of nostalgia for the upcoming summer months, I’m re-sharing this delightful grain free and gluten free strawberry shortcake cake with a mix of almond flour and coconut flour! It bakes up beautifully sweet, perfectly moist, and just so happens to be both gluten free and dairy free (if you’d like).
Ingredients in gluten free strawberry shortcake cake
This gorgeous almond flour strawberry shortcake cake is easier to make than it looks with just a few specialty ingredients to keep it grain and gluten free. You’ll need:
- Coconut oil: instead of butter, use coconut oil. If you prefer, you can use melted vegan butter or regular butter if not dairy free, but I would reduce the amount to 3/4 cup.
- Organic sugar: I like using an organic sugar in this recipe, but you can also use regular or coconut sugar. If you use coconut sugar, the cake will come out darker.
- Eggs: you’ll need six eggs in this recipe to ensure that this strawberry shortcake cake bakes up nicely. Don’t worry, it’s not eggy!
- Almond milk: the cake becomes easily dairy free with almond milk, but you can use any milk you’d like.
- Vanilla & almond extract: both vanilla and almond extract together really bring out an amazing flavor in the cake.
- Flour: we’re using my favorite mix of gluten free flours in this recipe. Coconut flour, which absorbs the liquid in this recipe and also creates a nice cake texture, and almond flour, which helps to keep the cake moist and create a light crumb texture.
- Baking powder: you’ll use baking powder, not baking soda, in this recipe to give this cake the right consistency.
- Fresh strawberries: for adding in between the layers and on top of your shortcake cake.
- For the frosting: you’ll need cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean for extra delicious vanilla flavor.
Technically it’s not a true strawberry shortcake, but the flavors are my favorite together, especially with a little vanilla bean cream cheese frosting on top. And you get to use both almond flour & coconut flour — whoo hoo! And to keep it dairy free, simply use a vegan cream cheese.
Recommended ingredient swaps
I know many of you may be dairy-free or follow a paleo-friendly diet, so don’t worry, I’ve got options for you!
- To make this cake dairy-free: simply use dairy-free cream cheese in the frosting.
- To make paleo: use dcoconut sugar instead of the organic sugar. Note that your cakes will turn out darker! Then you can make my paleo powdered sugar recipe) and use dairy-free cream cheese for the frosting.
Can I make it vegan?
I haven’t tested this strawberry shortcake cake with flax eggs, so I can’t be 100% sure how the texture will turn out. Let me know in the comments if you do!
Can I use other flours?
Unfortunately, no, I cannot recommend substitutes for the almond flour and coconut flour in this recipe. Sorry!
Tips for making this almond flour strawberry shortcake cake
- Get the right tools. You need a few essential kitchen tools for this recipe including: 9 inch cake pans, parchment paper (or these awesome pre-cut parchment paper rounds), an offset spatula for the frosting, a good set of mixing bowls, and a nice cake stand.
- Use room temp ingredients. Make sure to melt and cool your coconut oil, and bring your eggs to room temperature so that they don’t coagulate in the batter.
- Cool before frosting. Make sure you follow the directions as written, and wait until the cakes are completely cool before frosting them. After they are frosted, I recommend storing the cake in the fridge for optimal freshness.
Storing & freezing tips
One of the best parts about this grain free strawberry shortcake cake recipe is that you can make it 1-2 days ahead of time. I like to make the cakes ahead of time and keep them in the fridge for easy assemble, but you can also store it after you’ve frosted the cake, too!
- To store: I recommend storing the cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- To freeze: feel free to freeze this cake either frosted or unfrosted for up to 2 months. I recommend freezing it unfrosted and in individual layers for best results. First, wrap each individual layer in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and then place the cakes in a zip-top freezer bag. When you’re ready to serve it, simply thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and then let the cake come to room temperature before serving.
More cake recipes you’ll love
- Lemon Pistachio Cake with Lovely Lemon Frosting
- Brown Butter Strawberry Coffee Cake with Lovely Strawberry Icing
- Dad’s Extraordinary Yellow Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Lemon Blueberry Zucchini Cake with Lemon Frosting
- Healthy Birthday Cake
Get all of my cake recipes here!
I know you’re going to love this gluten free strawberry shortcake cake, please let me know if you make it by leaving a comment and rating the recipe below. I’d love to hear from you and it helps encourage others to make the recipe too! xo.
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Almond Flour Strawberry Shortcake Cake with Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 cup (224g) melted and cooled coconut oil
- 2 cups (400g) organic sugar (or coconut sugar)
- 6 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 ¼ cup (300g) unsweeetened almond milk (or milk of choice)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 3 cups (336g) fine blanched almond flour
- 1 cup (112g) coconut flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- For the filling & topping:
- ½-¾ pound fresh strawberries, sliced ¼ inch thick (reserve some whole strawberries for the topping)
- For the frosting:
- 8 oz (224g) reduced fat cream cheese or dairy free cream cheese
- ½ cup (57g) powdered sugar (preferably organic)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ tablespoon milk, to make frosting super creamy (optional)
- 1 vanilla bean, split and seeded (optional, but delicious)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9 inch round pans and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix the coconut oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla and almond extract together until well combined. Add the almond milk and beat again until well incorporated.
- In a large separate bowl, whisk the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder and salt together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well. Mixture should be on the thicker side.
- Divide batter evenly between pans and spread out with a spatula to smooth the tops. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until cake is golden brown, no longer jiggly in the middle and a tester comes out clean.
- Let cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes then transfer to the fridge to finish cooling. Allow cake to cool in the fridge for at least an hour before removing from the pan and frosting.
- To make the frosting: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, milk and vanilla bean together until creamy and smooth. Divide frosting in half and spread over each cake. Add sliced strawberries on top of one cake, then place the other cake on top and garnish with fresh whole strawberries.
- Cake should be kept covered in the fridge for optimal freshness and will stay good for 4-5 days
Recipe Notes
Recipe by Monique Volz of Ambitious Kitchen // Photography: Sarah Fennel
This post was originally published on May 22nd, 2017, republished on May 20th, 2020, and republished on May 8th, 2024.
Can this recipe be made into cupcakes?
Yes! I haven’t tested it personally, but many people in the comments have done so with success. I’d suggest checking them around the 15 minute mark.
Thank you so much!
So good!!
Perfect for summer!
Have you ever made this as cupcakes?
I haven’t, but it should work just fine!
I love this recipe and I’ll make this recipe in this new year 2025. I hope my wife will be happy and feel proud of me… 🙂
Can you reduce the amount of sugar, or would that affect the structure of the cake?
I haven’t tested it but I think reducing it a bit would work!
I made this for a 4th of July party and added blueberries to the top for the theme colors. The cake was excellent! Very moist and flavorful, with just the right amount of sweetness. Everyone was blown away that it was gluten and dairy free and my son was ecstatic that he could safely eat a delicious piece of cake (he had 2 slices!)
The frosting, if eaten plain, had a bit of a “twang” but on the cake it was perfect. The quantity of my frosting was not nearly the amount shown in the photo. When I make again I think I will serve as one layer with more fruit on top and no frosting (like a traditional strawberry shortcake).
Thanks so much for the recipe. Will be his birthday cake in the future!
So glad it was a hit!
Outstanding for a gluten free cake. I didn’t tell my family it was GF and they didn’t notice. It was a denser crumb but so satisfying. I loaded up on fresh strawberries on the side. Delicious!!
Love that! Perfect for gluten-free eaters and non-GF 🙂
omgomgomgomg I need to make this TODAY!!!
I love strawberry shortcake and anything almond flour. Just genius!
YES it’s the best!!
I really wish you would publish the nutritional values (e.g., calories, protein, carbohydrates, fat) for all of the recipes. See lack thereof in the Strawberry Almond Cake and Frosting.
How could I cut this down to make 2 six inch layers?
Hi! As is the recipe should work for 3 6-inch layers – feel free to freeze the 3rd layer if you just want 2 🙂
I made this recipe and it was delicious. I need to eat gluten free, but even those who don’t need to eat gluten free thought it was delicious, which is not always the case with GF. I did make a few changes to the recipe. I separated the eggs and whipped the egg whites to stiff peaks and then folded them in, making the cake a little lighter in texture. With the frosting, I added !/2 cup whipping cream (to half a recipe of frosting) and whipped it all together until there were gentle peaks, which made the frosting very creamy and lovely. Also, I halved the recipe and it was perfect for a two layer 6 inch cake, and reduced the oven time to about 25 minutes. Thank you for this recipe!
Amazing! So glad it was a hit!
I made this cake as written (using coconut sugar) and it turned out beautifully! It was a hit! I halved the recipe and used two 6” round cake pans and baked them for around 30 minutes.
So happy to hear that!
Positively GOLD. Reminds me of angel food cake – though slightly denser – with that really amazing hint of almond. WOW. Will be making again!! Thank you!! (Also – used butter, 2% milk, and regular sugar for anyone looking for recipe notes!)
Yesss! I am SO glad you’re loving this cake and it turned out great for you. Thanks for the notes regarding your subs, I appreciate it ❤️
Can I use a rectangular cake pan?
A 9×13 inch pan should work!
Made this for a friends birthday and it was a hit with the whole crowd, kids included! I told my friend’s mom it was a gluten free cake and she made a point of coming up to me later to tell me that it was delicious and that she could even tell it was gfree. I used coconut sugar for the cake batter and it worked wonderfully. I’m actually serving it again today and plan to make it for July 4. Thank you for such an amazing recipe!
AHH yay! This is seriously the best, Sharon. I am so glad this recipe is a hit for you and the whole family. Thanks so much for sharing your review, I really appreciate it ❤️
We made this for Mother’s Day and it turned out delicious, moist, not too heavy, and with great texture. Instead of 2 rounds, I put it in a glass 9 X 13 and baked for 40 minutes. I also cut the sugar in half and it was plenty sweet. Instead of icing we whipped up Coconut Cream and put it with raspberries. It was decadent, and healthy. I would definitely make it again. One other thing – I accidently put a teaspoon of coconut extract in before I realized it called for almond. So I ended up adding both. The flavor was amazing. Even the kids, who aren’t gluten or dairy free, loved it. Thank you for the recipe!
YUM! So glad this cake turned out great for you and the whole family loved it 🍓
5 stars! Stop looking this is the recipe you need! I used cashew butter instead of tahini and coconut sugar instead of sprinkles because our local store didn’t have any artificial dye free sprinkles. I made 1.5 x the recipe and made cupcakes with the extra so we could sample before my two year olds birthday and we were blown away by how good these were with our even any icing! Thank you for making clean recipes!
Whoops this was supposed to post to the healthy birthday cake post!
I have made this cake for a couple Birthdays and everyone says its amasing!! It tastes like a macaroon cake! I am really wanting to try making a vegan version of this cake but I dont think it would work out with any egg substitutes? Any suggestions I might try?
So happy you love this one, Diana! I haven’t personally tried it without the eggs. Flax eggs sometimes work in cakes but I’m not sure about this one! Let me know if you try it 🙂
UNREAL! Made this cake for Father’s Day and it was huge hit. I’m the only one who is gluten and dairy free out of the seven people in attendance and everyone remarked on the outstanding quality of the recipe. Will definitely be making again.
Could you make the base of this cake into cupcakes instead?! Or would it not hold up the same? 🙂 I’m trying to use your strawberry butter cream frosting on cupcakes 😊
Hi, Hailey! I haven’t personally tried these as cupcakes but I’d imagine they’d work just fine! Let me know if you end up trying it 🙂
What can be used in place of coconut flour?
Sorry, I haven’t tested this cake without it so I can’t be sure!
Made ur strawberry shortcake cake for my sons birthday total success put a few dark chocolate covered berries on top and made a strawberry mouse for topping instead of butter ream but everything else was ur recipe total success thanks for the post not always easy to find great keto recipes with dietary restrictions
Ahh that sounds amazing! I’m so happy you loved it! You might like this similar cake (basically a chocolate version of what you made!) too 🙂
Used it for my birthday cake 2 years in a row! So good, and my very, very picky family enjoyed every bite!
This cake is delicious. I have made a few times now and everyone loves it!
I’m so glad to hear that, Casie! Glad that you guys are all loving it 🙂
Ummm….I made this for Father’s Day and HOLY COW. This cake is banging! I don’t even like cake that much, but it was soooo tender and moist. I thought it would need more frosting (I guess I’m used to dry cakes, which is perhaps why I dislike them…) but the ratio was actually perfect. Paired with fresh strawberries from our garden…oh my. This is a keeper.
Amazing!! I’m so thrilled you loved this one, Brittany. And garden strawberries?! Jealous! 🙂
This shortcake is the best!! Have made this recipe so many times and it’s always loved by all. Most recently I have been baking this as a sheet cake – approximately 25 minutes baking time – and use it to make mini strawberry shortcake cups. So good!!
So happy you’re loving this one, Jenn! And great idea to make them mini–so fun 🙂
Would this recipe work with 2 8inch pans?
Hi, Cristin! I haven’t tried 8-inch pans, but I think it should work. You might need to bake the cakes for a little longer since they’ll be thicker cakes, so just be sure to test them for doneness!
So delicious. The cake is dense but feels so light and fresh with the addition of the strawberries. Next time I might purée strawberries to add to the cream cheese frosting between the two layers of cake- for some extra sweetness! Highly recommend this cake recipe!
Ooh the pureed strawberries sound amazing! Glad that you’re a fan of this one!
Yummy! I honestly was just looking for a gluten free shortcake recipe when I came across this cake. I made the cake into cupcakes and then just topped with glazed strawberries and whip cream. I used coconut milk for the milk so they had a strong coconut flavor (milk+flour+oil all coconut) but I really like strawberries & coconut together, so not a problem! While not quite as fluffy as the regular shortcake, it is one of the best gluten free items that I have made. Thank you!
Sounds delicious! Love all the coconut. Glad you enjoyed!
Made this recipe for my birthday as I am trying gluten free for a while. It was amazing!!!! I halved the recipe and put in 2 – 6 inch cake pans. They came out beautifully. I added some fresh strawberries and a touch of whipped cream to layer and it was delightful.
*I also used coconut sugar to sweeten.
Perfect! So happy to hear that and happy birthday!
Can I use flaxmeal instead of eggs? Would it turn out the same?
I haven’t tested it but I think it should work!
This is a brilliant recipe and I commend you for creating a cake that tastes a lot like marzipan! The cooking time you suggested was way off because my cake was still quite raw in the middle after 40 minutes. I got a great result with this formula: bake at 350 F for 40 minutes then reduce heat to 250 F for 70 minutes.
The timing is accurate based on the size of the pans, but every oven is different. Glad you found something that worked and enjoyed the recipe!
Can I make this in 3 6in pans? I want to make a cereal cake and am looking for a plain vanilla cake that I can soak the cereal in the milk but your birthday cake doesn’t have milk so can I use this one? Thank you!
Yes I think so! They’ll be quite thick though.