Preheat the oven to 350F & grease & parchment line a standard loaf pan
Combine the vegetable oil or melted vegan butter with the vanilla extract & set aside
Combine the plant milk with the vinegar & let stand for 5 minutes to thicken. (Soy milk is the only plant milk that will thicken, but you can use another milk if you prefer)
Sift all the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl, including the sugar.
Pour in the wet ingredients (this will be the plant milk mixture & the oil mixture) Whisk smooth by hand about 30 strokes
Pour the batter into the prepared pan *leaving out about 2 cupcakes worth of batter- I'm sorry this recipe is not exact to fit into a loaf pan if you add all the batter it will overflow in the oven
Bake immediately in the preheated 350°F oven for 25 minutes, then turn the oven temperature down to 325°F to bake the rest of the way, approximately 20 minutes more. When you gently press the center the loaf should be springy to the touch with no raw batter. Or do the toothpick test for moist crumbs.
Cool in the pan until you can safely touch without burning yourself then turn it out out onto a cooling rack to cool the rest of the way.
Now prepare the strawberry compote: In a small sauce pot combine the chopped strawberries with the optional sugar & first measure of water over medium heat until it comes to a low boil
Combine the 2 teaspoons water with the cornstarch & whisk to a slurry add this to the boiling berries & stir for 15 seconds
Remove from the heat & cool completely to cold while you prepare the whipped cream according to the package of the brand you are using