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–+ servings
close up shot of strawberry snack cake (gluten free option) sliced into squares

Strawberry Snack Cake (Gluten Free Option)

This Strawberry Snack Cake is lightly sweet and bursting with real strawberry flavor! The cake batter and the cream cheese frosting are infused with freeze-dried strawberries for a sweet and tangy flavor...perfect for when strawberries aren't in season! This easy dessert makes the best addition to a Valentine's or Galentine's Day celebration and can be modified to fit gluten free and dairy free lifestyles too!
Servings 12 slices
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Strawberry Snack Cake:

  • 1 ⅓ cups all purpose flour or gluten free 1-to-1 flour (160g)
  • ⅓ cup ground freeze-dried strawberries (17g) - SEE NOTE*
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • 2 large eggs at room temp
  • ½ cup maple syrup at room temp (120ml)
  • ½ cup unsalted butter melted & cooled (or refined coconut oil, vegan butter, 125ml)
  • ½ cup milk of choice at room temp (120ml)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 4 oz cream cheese softened
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter softened (28g)
  • 1 cup powdered sugar (115g)
  • 2 tbsp ground freeze-dried strawberries (7g)
  • 1-2 tbsp milk of choice
  • splash of vanilla extract
  • pinch of kosher salt

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350F and line a 9x9" baking dish with parchment paper. I like to spray/grease the dish first before placing the parchment paper in, to help it stay down.
  • In a medium bowl, add the flour, ground freeze-dried strawberries, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
    1 ⅓ cups all purpose flour, ⅓ cup ground freeze-dried strawberries, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp kosher salt
  • In a separate large bowl, add the eggs, maple syrup, melted & cooled butter, milk and vanilla extract. Whisk until combined and smooth.
    2 large eggs, ½ cup maple syrup, ½ cup unsalted butter, ½ cup milk of choice, 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients and use a spatula to stir until the batter is mostly smooth with a few small clumps.
  • Pour cake batter into prepared baking dish and level out the top. Transfer to the oven and bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  • Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes in the pan before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
  • Once the cake is cooled, prepare the frosting by adding the softened cream cheese, butter, 1 tbsp of milk, and vanilla extract to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until smooth and combined. Then, add in powdered sugar, ground freeze-dried strawberries and salt. Beat again until combined. Only add in the additional 1 tbsp of milk if it seems like it needs it!
    4 oz cream cheese, 2 tbsp unsalted butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tbsp ground freeze-dried strawberries, 1-2 tbsp milk of choice, splash of vanilla extract, pinch of kosher salt
  • Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled strawberry snack cake. Optionally, garnish with more freeze dried strawberries or even fresh strawberries. Slice into 9-12 pieces and enjoy!

Video

Notes

*NOTE: Add freeze-dried strawberries to a small food processor or blender and pulse until it turns into a powder. Alternatively, you can buy freeze-dried strawberry powder if you want to skip a step. Then, measure/weigh out the amount listed in the recipe card.
GENERAL NOTE: In all baking recipes, I highly recommend measuring your ingredients with a digital kitchen scale for the most accurate results. If you don't have access to one, be sure to measure your dry ingredients with the spoon & level method...do NOT pack it.
GLUTEN FREE & DAIRY FREE OPTIONS: Scroll up in the blog post to see my recommendations for how to easily make this strawberry snack cake gluten free/and or dairy free.
NUTRITION INFO: The nutrition info listed below is for 1 square of cake, including the frosting.
Calories: 275kcal
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegetarian
Keyword: Cake, Cream Cheese, Dairy Free, Dessert, Freeze Dried Strawberries, Frosting, Gluten Free, Snack, Strawberries, Valentine's Day, Vegetarian

Nutrition

Calories: 275kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 226mg | Potassium: 87mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 473IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 1mg