Say hello to your new favorite snack that’s packed with flavor and nutrients from top to bottom. Our Strawberry Snack Cake with Probiotic Buttercream Frosting made with Lifeway Kefir and Lifeway Kefir Butter takes on the nostalgic flavor of the ready-to-eat strawberry snack cakes often served at lunch time or as an afternoon snack years ago.
The texture of the soft cake topped with a sweet, fruit-filled frosting had a beautiful, bright pink color that brought forth a smile before the first bite was even taken. We embodied these same qualities in our version of this recipe, but we used higher quality ingredients while ensuring the cake was easy to make, easy to slice, easy to store, and a delight to enjoy!
For the liquid, protein-packed Lifeway Kefir is used, and Lifeway Kefir Butter stars in the probiotic buttercream frosting. That means there are no hydrogenated oils like shelf-stable frostings you buy at the store contain, and the rest of the recipe is filled with simple, easy to find ingredients at any major supermarket.
Lifeway Kefir Butter’s rich taste is thanks to it being a European-style butter with 82% butterfat. Think no emulsifiers, oils, dyes, or artificial ingredients. Our kefir butter is also packed with live and active probiotic cultures making it gut-healthy and microbiome-friendly. For the flours in this cake, we used almond and gluten-free oat flour for a nutty, slightly sweet flavor. Crumbly, soft, and sweet, this cultured recipe truly takes the cake!
The Benefits of Cultured Dairy for Better Health:
Research continues to show the importance of eating healthy foods, including cultured dairy such as kefir, for better gut health, a strong immune system, and to support the microbiome. Fermented foods like kefir hold important value in this line of research due to the link between the gut-brain axis and overall health.
Specifically, kefir has been shown to help diversify the microbiome, support the digestive system, reduce inflammation, support healthier blood sugar levels, and improve satiety since the bioavailable protein it contains triggers the release of GLP-1. Lifeway Kefir also contains a variety of nutrients that are vital for healthy bones and overall health including vitamins D3, K, and B 12 along with calcium and potassium. Along with our kefir, we also offer our creamy, cultured Lifeway Farmer Cheese, a high protein cheese made with live and active cultures to support a healthy microbiome that’s easy to spread and contains no added salt or sugar.
Prep Time: 1 hour Servings: 9-12Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 cup fine blanched almond flour (*not almond meal*)
- 1 cup gluten-free oat flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 oz. freeze-dried strawberries, crushed into a powder
- 1 cup raw cane sugar (or alternative sugar equivalent)
Wet Ingredients:
- 4 large eggs
- 1/3 cup avocado oil
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1/2 cup Lowfat Strawberry Kefir
Probiotic Buttercream Frosting:
- 1/2 cup Salted Kefir Butter
- 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar (or alternative sweetener equivalent)
- 1 oz. freeze-dried strawberries, crushed into a powder
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 2 tsp. additional Lifeway Lowfat Strawberry Kefir
Garnish:
- 8 ounces fresh strawberries, halved or sliced
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-in. square baking pan with parchment paper and set the Lifeway Kefir Butter out to room temperature.
- Whisk together the almond flour, oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 1 oz. freeze-dried strawberries crushed into a powder in a large bowl, then set aside.
- In another bowl, add the 1 cup cane sugar, 4 eggs, 1/3 cup avocado oil, 1 tsp, vanilla, and 1/2 cup Lifeway Lowfat Strawberry Kefir, and whisk until smooth. Pour this mixture into the bowl from step 2 and mix everything together until combined well and a smooth batter is formed.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it out on top with a spatula or the back of a large spoon. Bake the cake for 35 minutes, then set on a rack to cool completely.
- While the cake is cooling, make the frosting. Add the ingredients for the Probiotic Buttercream Frosting into a bowl, and use a hand mixer to blend until a fluffy frosting is formed that's smooth and creamy. Spread the frosting onto the cooled cake evenly with a spatula or the back of a large spoon.
- Garnish the cake with fresh strawberry halves or slices, then slice the cake into 9-12 pieces, serve, and enjoy!
- Storage Tips: Store leftover cake wrapped well in the fridge to preserve the probiotics and ensure freshness. Enjoy within a week for best taste and texture.
