Delicious & Lemony Vegan Strawberry Shortcake Trifle.

Sweet.

Layerful.

GORGEOUS.

As you already know if you follow my Instagram stories, this vegan strawberry shortcake trifle recipe is something I developed because I love the idea of strawberry shortcake, but could do without the “short” of “shortcake.” I don’t like how dry and crumbly shortcakes are and much prefer the tenderness of a sponge cake. Still, I liked the idea of individually sized cakes, and decided to go with individually portioned trifles. The real twist to this recipe, though, is the lemon. I learned when developing the recipe for my Vegan Strawberry Cake that lemon zest makes strawberries taste like strawberry-y!

So, without further ado, let’s get into it!

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links for products I use and love. If you make a purchase after clicking one of those links, I may earn a small affiliate commission, perhaps enough to buy some extra gochujang or gochugaru 🙂

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What is Strawberry Shortcake Trifle?

Honestly, I’m not sure that a strawberry shortcake trifle is really a “thing” so much as a mashup of two things: (a) strawberry shortcake and (b) trifle. And this particular recipe for a vegan strawberry shortcake trifle might more accurately be called a strawberry shortcake cake trifle, since we pretty much replace the shortcake with just cake. Regardless, to ensure we’re on the same page, let’s take a quick look at some of these components:

A strawberry shortcake is actually an American dessert! Yup, that’s right! We’ve finally found a recipe that originates in the United States! Starting in the mid-19th century, recipes for strawberry shortcake became pretty prevalent. Borrowing the “shortcake”–a crumbly, buttery biscuit with a “short” crumb–from England, Americans added fresh strawberries and whipped cream to create this beloved American classic. These days, though, many popular recipes replace the scone-like “shortcake” with a good ole’ sponge cake (which is what we do here).

What is a trifle? So a trifle is a traditional British dessert, that layers sponge cake (usually soaked in something festive, like sherry or rum), fruit and/or jam, and whipped cream. I’m sorry, but every single time I hear the word “trifle” in the culinary context, I think IMMEDIATELY of “beef sauteed with peas and onions” 🤣 Does anyone else get that reference?? But I digress. Anyhoo, trifles are usually served in a glass container so that people can see all the layers. It’s often suggested that the dessert received its name “trifle” because it’s designed to be a “light” or “mini” dessert.

I didn’t realize until I started researching both the trifle and strawberry shortcake that I would be reuniting the States with England. But here we are.

Why You’ll Love this Vegan Strawberry Shortcake Trifle Recipe.

You are going to love love love this vegan strawberry shortcake trifle recipe because it’s:

• DELICIOUS
• DECADENT
• SO SO PRETTY!!!

I mean, just look at how beautiful this dessert is! And I love that these are individually sized so that each person gets their own vegan strawberry shortcake trifle! Sure, it means a little bit more work, but all the gasps you’ll receive when you bust these out at your next dinner party will be worth it, I promise!

But here’s the real reason you’re going to LOVE this vegan strawberry shortcake trifle recipe

The lemon sponge cake.

Yup! As I alluded to at the beginning, lemon is a total game changer when it comes to strawberry desserts. They help to amplify the strawberry flavor but also ensure that things don’t get cloyingly sweet. So, I decided to make the cake part of this vegan strawberry shortcake trifle an actual lemon cake.

And it is PERFECTION.

Key Ingredients and Notes on Substitutions for Vegan Strawberry Shortcake Trifle Recipe.

The following are the key ingredients and substitution ideas for our vegan strawberry shortcake trifle.

Lemons.

Not surprisingly, lemons are required for the lemon cake portion of this vegan strawberry shortcake trifle recipe. You will be using both the zest and the juice of the lemon–both of which are critical in order to truly deploy the flavor enhancing power of the lemon. So, no, there are no substitutions for this ingredient.

All Purpose Flour.

To keep the cake super soft and tender, we are using all purpose flour in this vegan strawberry shortcake recipe. However, we do not require a lot of height for this recipe, since it’s all going into a glass for a trifle. Therefore, feel free to substitute in your favorite gluten-free flour blend (like King Arthur’s Gluten-Free Flour Blend) if you’d like to keep this recipe gluten-free.

Vegan Yogurt.

I mean, at this point, the inclusion of vegan yogurt should not come as a surprise since I include it in just about all my vegan desserts! This vegan strawberry shortcake trifle is no exception! Paired with the lemon juice, it’ll keep the lemon sponge cake super soft (i.e. the opposite of a crumbly shortcake!!) and moist. If you don’t have vegan yogurt, you can substitute in vegan sour cream.

Vegetable Oil.

In addition to the vegan yogurt, we will be utilizing a little vegetable oil to make sure the cake remains nice and fluffy at room temperature and doesn’t get too dry. If you don’t have vegetable oil, you can substitute in coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil (though both might impart a bit of their respective flavor).

Vegan Buttermilk.

This vegan strawberry shortcake trifle recipe also calls for vegan buttermilk. The acid in our vegan buttermilk will react with our baking soda to create a little lift, but will also keep our cake moist and tender. We’ll be making our own vegan buttermilk by whisking together some plant milk (oat milk or soy milk would be better than almond milk) along with some lemon juice.

Vegan Condensed Milk.

Just a dollop of vegan condensed milk will keep the cake super moist and decadent. Nature’s Charm makes a great vegan condensed milk. However, I know vegan condensed milk isn’t easy to come by, so if you don’t have it handy, simply replace it with another tablespoon of vegan yogurt.

Sugar.

Look, this is a dessert recipe and a cake, at that, so there will be sugar. Specifically, you’ll need sugar for both the lemon cake and the whipped cream. We won’t be using a lot of sugar, but it is necessary for the cake. Why? The sugar crystals will help to release the oils from the lemon zest to create the most lemoniest cake you’ll ever eat. You can’t do that without the crystals. For the whipped cream, though, you can substitute a little maple syrup, though this might make your whipped cream a little softer than normal.

Ground Turmeric.

I don’t just want my lemon cake to taste lemon-y, I want it to look lemon-y! After all, we eat with our eyes first! And that’ll definitely be the case for these vegan strawberry shortcake trifles! So, we add our favorite yellow natural food coloring: ground turmeric (which automatically transforms these vegan strawberry shortcake trifles into a superfood–I don’t make the rules). Just a little goes a long way, so don’t go overboard. Otherwise, your cake will come out looking a little unnatural.

Strawberries.

Find me a strawberry shortcake recipe without strawberries. I dare you! This vegan strawberry shortcake trifle recipe has strawberries! I like using fresh ones because they are easier to cut up and add to my trifle. But if all you got are frozen ones, you’ll need to thaw them out completely and drain them of access liquid before adding them to your trifle. No need to go crazy with draining, since the cakes are supposed to be soaked in the traditional trifle anyway!

Vegan Heavy Whipping Cream.

Yes, this vegan strawberry shortcake recipe will require vegan heavy whipping cream. Y’all know by now how big a fan I am of Country Crock’s Plant Cream (which I’m always terrified will one day disappear due to lack of demand–which is why I have 5 of them in my fridge at all times…!). It is the only vegan whipping cream that actually whips up to stiff peaks. It works perfectly every single time.

But, if you can’t get your hands on a good vegan whipping cream, feel free to substitute with the solidified part of full-fat coconut cream. Nature’s Charm actually has a can of coconut cream for just that purpose!

Step-by-Step Instructions for Making This Vegan Strawberry Shortcake Trifle Recipe.

Make the Lemon Cake.

Preheat your oven to 350° F. Line a 9″ x 13″ baking sheet (not a pan!) with parchment paper.

Add lemon juice to plant milk to make vegan buttermilk. Set aside.

Then, add sugar to a large bowl, together with lemon zest. Using your hands, massage the lemon zest into the sugar to release the oils. Then add vegan buttermilk, yogurt, condensed milk, vanilla extract, and vegetable oil. Whisk together until the ingredients are well combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, ground turmeric. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until all dry ingredients have been incorporated.

Bake the Lemon Cake.

Pour the lemon cake into the prepared baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 13 to 14 minutes. Cake should feel tender but not raw. Remove from oven and set aside to cool for at least 15 minutes.

Make Whipped Cream.

Pour heavy whipping cream into the bowl of your stand mixer or a large bowl, together with powdered sugar. Mix on highest speed until your cream whips up into stiff peaks (about 2 minutes with stand mixer and 4 to 6 minute with hand mixer).

Assemble the Trifles.

Using 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutters (or the rim of a cup), cut out rounds of the lemon cake. You can also just cut them up into cubes, if you prefer. Add a layer of the lemon cake, followed by a generous helping of whipped cream, followed by sliced strawberries. Top with another layer of cake, followed by a dollop of whipped cream, and a couple sliced strawberries. Garnish with fresh lemon zest before serving.

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Comments & Questions.