I recently got my hands on a new brand of vegan buttermilk by Mill It, and I couldn’t wait to try it. I love the concept of a simple buttermilk cake with seasonal berries baked in. Sometimes simple is best when the ingredients can speak for themselves. I used strawberries here, but you can use raspberries, blueberries, etc. If you can’t find vegan buttermilk, you can easily make it yourself by adding one tablespoon of lemon juice to a cup of oat, almond or soy milk.

Make one 9-inch cake

Ingredients

• 2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup (149 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1 cup (240 grams) vegan buttermilk, such as Mill It brand
• 1/4 cup (54 grams) coconut oil, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup (166 grams) strawberries, diced
• ½ cup (83 grams) strawberries, sliced for decoration (optional)
• Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch cake or springform pan and line with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and lemon zest.

3. In a mixing cup, combine the vegan buttermilk, coconut oil and vanilla. Pour into the flour mixture and mix until just combined.

4. Fold in the diced strawberries and then pour into the prepared pan. Decorate the top with the sliced strawberries, if desired.

5. Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool on a rack for 20 minutes before turning out of the pan and cooling completely.

6. To serve, dust with confectioners’ sugar, if desired, and slice. Leftovers can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.