3 Ingredient No Bake Strawberry Cloud Cake Magic

No heading needs to be written for the introduction. If you’ve ever dreamed of a dessert that tastes like pure, sweet air but seems too good to be true because it has zero flour, zero eggs, and zero added sugar, then pay attention! We are talking about the incredible 3 Ingredient No Bake Strawberry Cloud Cake.

Hi there, I’m Anna Kowalska, and here I share tried-and-true homemade recipes that you and your family will love. Everything I put up here is made with heart and flavor, the kind of recipes that stick around because they just *work* every single time. I’ve spent years in my kitchen perfecting dishes that feel special but don’t require a million steps or ingredients you can’t pronounce.

This particular cake is one of my absolute favorites for summer when you just can’t bear to turn on the oven. It’s light, it’s bright, and it relies on just three simple pantry staples—strawberries, applesauce, and gelatin—to transform into something truly magical. Trust me, you won’t believe the texture you get just by whipping it up!

Why You Will Love This 3 Ingredient No Bake Strawberry Cloud Cake

This dessert is what I call a true kitchen miracle. It’s the kind of recipe you make when you need something impressive but you’re short on time, energy, or ingredients. Forget heavy, dense desserts; this one floats off the plate! The best part is what’s missing.

• It’s completely flour-free, so it’s naturally gluten-light!
• Zero eggs means no worry about whipping or curdling—it’s foolproof fluff.
• Absolutely no added sugar, butter, or oil means it’s wonderfully guilt-free.
• The texture is unbelievable—truly light and airy, like eating a strawberry cloud.

The Appeal of Simple, Clean Ingredients

When you’re working with just three things, you have to trust the process. The beauty of this No Flour Cake is that the ingredients do all the heavy lifting. Applesauce and strawberries provide the moisture and flavor, and the gelatin is our secret structure builder. Be careful though: because we aren’t using eggs or butter for structure, you must use unsweetened applesauce. Sweetened versions will absolutely stop the mixture from whipping up into that gorgeous volume you’re aiming for!

Gathering What You Need for Your 3 Ingredient No Bake Strawberry Cloud Cake

Now that you know how light this dessert is, let’s get organized. Since this is a no-bake recipe, preparation is everything. We need our tools ready before we even blend the fruit, because once that gelatin hits the warm puree, things start moving fast! Don’t skip prepping that pan—it’s the key to getting those clean slices later on.

Here’s what you need to pull together for this amazing treat. I always measure everything out twice just to be safe.

Ingredient	Amount
Chopped Strawberries (fresh)	1/2 cup (77 g)
Unsweetened Applesauce	1 1/3 cups (313 g)
Unflavored Gelatin Powder	4 1/2 tsp (15 g)

Equipment Essentials for Perfect Cloud Cake Texture

You can’t fake the volume on this cake, so you need the right machinery. Forget hand mixing; this requires serious power! You absolutely must have a good blender to get that super smooth puree we need.

• A reliable blender for pureeing the fruit completely smooth.
• A stand mixer with the wire whisk attachment—this is non-negotiable for getting that quadrupled volume.
• A large, heat-proof mixing bowl for dissolving the gelatin over the double boiler.
• An 8 inch or 9 inch square pan, lined perfectly with parchment paper that comes up the sides.

Ingredient Clarity for the 3 Ingredient No Bake Strawberry Cloud Cake

Let’s talk specifics about these three stars. First, the strawberries: they must be fresh, people! If you use frozen berries, they release too much water when they thaw, and that extra moisture will sabotage your fluffiness. Chop them into small, half-inch cubes before you measure out that half cup.

Second, the applesauce. I cannot stress this enough: it must be unsweetened. If you use sweetened applesauce, the extra sugar interferes with the gelatin’s ability to hold air when we whip it later. It just won’t rise properly. Finally, the gelatin—it’s the backbone of this whole structure. Make sure you sprinkle it evenly over the puree before you start heating so it blooms correctly.

Step-by-Step Method to Create Your 3 Ingredient No Bake Strawberry Cloud Cake

Okay, this is where the magic happens, but you’ve got to follow the sequence exactly. Don’t rush the whipping part—that’s the secret sauce! We are building volume from scratch, and that takes patience, even if the whole thing is no-bake.

Preparing the Strawberry Applesauce Base

First things first, get that parchment paper ready in your square pan. It needs to go up the sides so you can lift the whole thing out later without drama. Now, grab your strawberries (fresh, remember!) and toss them into the blender along with your unsweetened applesauce. You need to blend this on the highest speed until it is completely uniform—no chunks of strawberry allowed! We want silk, not salsa.

Pour that smooth puree into a big, heat-proof mixing bowl. This is important: sprinkle your gelatin powder evenly over the top of the cool puree. Whisk it in right away until it’s all incorporated. It will look a little thick and maybe slightly gloppy—that’s totally normal. It’s just waiting for some heat!

Dissolving Gelatin Using Gentle Heat

We have to gently wake up that gelatin. The best way to do this without scrambling anything is using the double boiler method. Set your bowl over a saucepan with simmering water—just barely simmering, mind you. You need to whisk this mixture constantly until that slightly gloppy texture thins right out and becomes totally liquid again. Watch closely! The mixture should be warm, like a nice cup of tea, but it absolutely cannot boil. Boiling gelatin loses its structure, and then we have a sweet strawberry puddle instead of a cloud cake. Gelatin is a protein derived from collagen, and overheating it can cause denaturation.

Once it’s liquid and smooth, take the bowl right off the heat. Let it sit on the counter for about ten minutes until it cools down to room temperature. If you put hot liquid into your mixer, you risk melting the air bubbles we are about to create!

Achieving the Cloud-Like Volume Through Whipping

This is the workout part! Transfer the cooled mixture into your stand mixer bowl and attach that wire whisk. Turn the mixer on the absolute highest speed you have. You are going to beat this mixture for a full fifteen minutes. Yes, fifteen minutes! Don’t stop early, or it won’t hold its shape.

You’ll see it go from liquid to pale pink foam, and then, suddenly, it balloons up! It should quadruple in volume. When you lift the whisk attachment out, it should hold a soft peak—it won’t be stiff like meringue, but it should gently droop over. That airy texture is what we are after!

Setting and Serving Your 3 Ingredient No Bake Strawberry Cloud Cake

Gently spoon that incredible, fluffy mixture into your parchment-lined pan. Use a spatula to spread it out evenly—try not to deflate it by pressing too hard! Smooth the top nicely, and then it’s time to chill out. Pop it into the refrigerator for at least one hour. It needs that time to firm up properly.

When you’re ready to serve this No Egg Cake, use a very large, sharp knife. Slice carefully! It’s light, so a heavy hand can smash it. Keep any leftovers tucked away in the fridge because this dessert loves the cold.

Expert Tips for a Fluffy 3 Ingredient No Bake Strawberry Cloud Cake

I’ve made this Low Calorie Strawberry Dessert so many times that I know exactly where things can go sideways, even with only three ingredients! The biggest hurdle people hit is volume—it just doesn’t get that cloud-like lift. This usually comes down to temperature control or ingredient purity, not technique.

My biggest tip, learned the hard way, is to be meticulous about the cooling step. If you try to whip the gelatin mixture when it’s even slightly warm, you are fighting a losing battle against physics. The heat breaks the bonds before the whisk can build them up. You need that mixture fully at room temperature before it hits the high speed on your mixer.

Also, stick to the full fifteen minutes on high speed. I know it feels like forever when you’re watching it, but that continuous, high-powered whipping is what incorporates enough air to make this Gelatin Cake hold its shape without eggs or flour structure. Don’t even think about stopping at twelve minutes!

Troubleshooting Volume Issues

If you followed every step and your cake is flatter than expected, check two things immediately. First, did you use sweetened applesauce? If you did, that extra sugar is the culprit; it prevents the air from stabilizing, and sadly, there’s no fixing it once it’s mixed in. You’ll need to start over with the unsweetened kind. If you are looking for other recipes that skip refined sugar, check out my collection of desserts.

Second, look at the gelatin step. Did you boil it? If the mixture got too hot, the gelatin denatured, meaning it can’t set up properly when chilled or hold air when whipped. It should only be warm enough to dissolve, never bubbling. If you suspect it boiled, you have to let it cool completely and then try whipping again, but honestly, if you boiled it, you might just have to start fresh to get that true cloud texture.

Storing and Serving Your 3 Ingredient No Bake Strawberry Cloud Cake

Since this No Added Sugar Dessert relies entirely on gelatin to stay fluffy, temperature control is key for leftovers. You can’t leave this out on the counter like a traditional cake; it will start weeping and shrinking almost immediately once it gets warm. It really needs to stay cold to maintain that beautiful, airy structure we worked so hard to create.

Because it’s so light, serving it is a little different than slicing a dense pound cake. Make sure you use a very large, sharp knife, and wipe the blade clean between every single slice. This stops the knife from dragging and tearing that delicate structure.

Storage Method	Duration
Airtight Container in Refrigerator	Up to 3 Days
Freezing	Not Recommended

Best Practices for Refrigeration

Keep the cake covered tightly in the refrigerator. If you don’t have a lid that fits your square pan, just use plastic wrap pressed gently against the surface of the cake. This keeps it from absorbing any weird fridge smells and prevents the top from drying out. Honestly, it tastes best on day one, but it holds up well for about two or three days. If you try to freeze it, the texture will collapse into a dense, gummy mess when it thaws, so keep it chilled! For more tips on food safety and storage, check out resources from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Frequently Asked Questions About This Light Dessert

I know this 3 Ingredient No Bake Strawberry Cloud Cake sounds almost too good to be true, so naturally, you have questions! Don’t worry, I’ve gathered the ones I hear most often from readers who are skeptical about how something with no flour or eggs can actually turn into cake.

Can I Substitute the Strawberries in This Recipe?

Yes, you can swap out the strawberries, but I have to warn you: the results change! You can try using blueberries instead, which works mechanically the same way. However, the blueberries tend to make the final cake a little less fluffy than the strawberries do. Also, be prepared for a color change—the blueberry version often turns out a muted, grayish-purple hue instead of that lovely pale pink. It still tastes great, but it loses some of that visual pop! If you enjoy fruit-based desserts, you might also like my recipe for baked pears.

How Sweet Is the 3 Ingredient No Bake Strawberry Cloud Cake?

This is the most important question since we are skipping the sugar! Because we only use unsweetened applesauce and the natural sugars in the strawberries, this cake is very, very light on sweetness. It’s more refreshing and subtly fruity than dessert-sweet. If you are used to traditional cakes, you might find this No Added Sugar Dessert a bit bland on its own. That’s okay! If you need more sweetness, I highly recommend topping it with a simple vanilla whipped cream or even a thin layer of powdered sugar mixed with a drop of vanilla extract. That extra touch makes it feel more like a traditional treat without disrupting the light texture.

Sharing Your Experience with This No Flour Cake

I put my heart into sharing these simple, amazing recipes, and I truly want to know what you think! Once you’ve tried whipping up this incredible No Flour Cake, please come back and let me know how it turned out for you.

Did it fluff up perfectly? Did your family even believe it only had three ingredients? Drop a rating below and share your thoughts in the comments! If you are interested in the science behind whipping air into mixtures, you can look into resources detailing the process of aeration in food science, such as those provided by major university extension programs.

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