Strawberry Blueberry Loaf Cake

Finish your July 4th feast on the lighter side with Strawberry Blueberry Loaf Cake, full of blueberries and strawberry puree, then topped with homemade whipped cream and fresh berries. The perfect dessert for a warm summer’s day. Makes 1 cake.

It should be no surprise that I’m adoring all kinds of fresh berries while the summer months are upon us.

I mean, have a look at these Strawberry Honeysuckle Sparkler, Dairy-Free Blueberry Lemon Crumble Muffins, Blueberry Pecan Feta Salad and Chicken, Strawberry and Apple Summer Salad, all of which I’ve made recently.

Berries are my favorite, and I knew I wanted them to play a part in my July 4th dessert this year.

The question was how to make a recipe that was simple, easy to make in advance and refreshing but not as simple as serving fresh berries in a bowl and calling it a day.

Why I love this recipe:

I found the answer in this ultra-moist berry loaf cake, which is dairy free. (High-five for dairy free desserts!)

This homemade loaf cake is incredibly simple to make, which is a massive win, and it’s colorful, which makes it perfect for a patriotic gathering.

Then I went and served with sweetened whipped cream.

If you’re avoiding dairy products, I suggest chilling a can of coconut cream and whipping it up to make whipped coconut cream. Use the same technique and add the powdered sugar, and you’ll be set.

Other recipes we adore for July 4 and summertime: Spinach and Feta Burgers / No Mayo Potato Salad / Greek Bruschetta / Blackberry Ginger Lemon Tea / Patriotic Strawberry Bruschetta | Spicy Baked Beans with Bacon

Need some more July 4 inspiration? Head on over to my Patriotic Recipe Index for more ideas.

What you need to make this recipe:

The Speckled Palate participates in affiliate programs. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Please refer to my disclosure page for more information about these affiliate programs.

• Loaf pan
• Blender
• Hand mixer

Here’s what you need:

• Fresh blueberries — we want these to be bursting with flavor, so give ’em a taste before you toss them in!
• Eggs — I like to use large eggs from the grocery store.
• Granulated sugar — also known as white sugar, this is the sweetener we’re using in our cake. There is no substitute.
• Unsweetened vanilla almond milk — you can also use any other kind of milk, so long as it’s not sweetened.
• Extra virgin olive oil — or another neutral-tasting oil
• Pure vanilla extract — the real deal stuff is where it’s at and really brings the flavors together. It’s worth the splurge!
• All-purpose flour — also known as AP flour. I have not tried this recipe with gluten free flour blends.
• Baking powder — this is our leavener. Make sure yours is fresh!
• Kosher salt — a medium-grain kosher salt is my go-to salt. You can use a similarly sized sea salt.
• Strawberries — you can use fresh or frozen to make the puree for this loaf cake. Make sure they’re nice and sweet!
• Sweetened Whipped Cream — this is an excellent topping for the cake. If you need a dairy free whipped cream, check out this recipe!
• Additional berries — for garnish! They add extra color, too.

How to make a Berry Loaf Cake

Make the strawberry pure. Combine the strawberries with sugar in a blender. Blend until smooth, and set aside.

Toss the blueberries in flour. This will prevent them from sinking to the bottom.

Preheat the oven. Spray a loaf pan with nonstick baking spray. Create a parchment paper sling. Set aside.

Measure the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Whisk, and set aside. These are your dry ingredients.

Combine the egg and sugar in a large bowl. Beat with a hand mixer or a whisk until smooth.

Pour the rest of the wet ingredients into the egg-sugar mixture. This includes the almond milk, oil and vanilla extract. Mix until well-incorporated.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold them together until just combined.

Pour the strawberry puree into the batter. Gently swirl it in.

Add the blueberries, folding into the batter until combined.

Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour, or until an inserted knife or toothpick comes out clean. Mine took closer to 1.5 hours.

Let the pound cake cool completely before slicing and serving with homemade whipped cream and additional berries. Enjoy!

Quick tips and tricks to the best loaf cake:

• Don’t rush it. This strawberry loaf cake needs ample time to bake. You don’t want yours to be half baked or gooey on the inside.
• Give it time to cool completely before slicing!
• Serve it with your favorite berries. We chose more strawberries and blueberries, since those are featured in the cake, but you could easily add other fruits to the table, too.
• Don’t forget the whipped cream… or vanilla ice cream if you’re feeling extra decadent!

More patriotic desserts to try:

• 40+ 4th of July Desserts
• Strawberry and Blueberry Hand Pies
• Sweet Strawberry Bruschetta with Almond Pudding and Lemon Curd
• All-Butter Tea Cake Cookies (cut them into stars and decorate with red, white and blue sugar cookie icing!)

Here’s how I made this dessert: