Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Line a 13x9x2-inch (33x23x5-cm) rectangular baking pan with parchment paper, letting it hanging over both sides.

Step 2

Make the strawberry puree. Wash the strawberries and slice off the stems. Add the strawberries to a food processor and pulse until the strawberries are mostly pureed but have a few small chunks remaining.

Step 3

Make the vegan buttermilk. Combine the plant-based milk and lemon juice and stir. Set aside to curdle.

Step 4

Prepare the aquafaba. Pour 6 tablespoons of the liquid from a can of chickpeas into a small bowl. With a handheld electric mixer (or stand mixer), beat the aquafaba on medium speed until it‘s foamy throughout, 45-60 seconds.

Step 5

Mix the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, mix together the extra virgin olive oil and sugar – use the electric mixer on low speed or use a whisk. Then add in the strawberry puree, whipped aquafaba, vegan buttermilk, and the almond extract or vanilla extract.

Step 6

Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, mix together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt.

Step 7

Combine the wet and dry. Switch to a wooden spoon and fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Once the cake batter is comes together, stop mixing! Overmixing can cause the cake to become dense or dry. (Note 1)

Step 8

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly. Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs. Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool.

Step 9

When the cake is cooled, frost it with the Coconut Whipped Cream Frosting and garnish with the fresh strawberries and orange zest.