If you’re looking to enjoy the sweet, soft, summery flavor of fresh strawberries in a layered cake, I’ve got the perfect recipe for you! Whether it’s strawberry season or not, our homemade strawberry cake is guaranteed to bring smiles to your table.
Bursting with fresh strawberry flavor, thanks to our simple strawberry reduction and topped with a rich cream cheese strawberry frosting, I know it’s going to be love at first bite!
I have a soft spot for strawberry desserts – anything from an easy strawberry shortcake to an imaginative strawberry ricotta crostata will catch my attention and my heart!
What makes this delightful strawberry cake so special is the natural strawberry flavor from the fresh berries. And the intense flavor of the freeze-dried strawberries adds even more strawberry flavor to the cream cheese frosting.
Our detailed recipe, step-by-step photos, and instructions will help you make the perfect homemade strawberry cake every time.
Ingredients to Make a Strawberry Cake
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make our easy strawberry cake recipe. In Chef Speak, this is called the Mise en Place, which translates into Everything in its Place.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
How to Make a Strawberry Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Butter 2 (9-inch) round cake pans, or spray with baking spray.
- Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper.
- Wash and hull the fresh strawberries, then place them in a food processor or blender.
- Pulse until you have a strawberry puree.
- Pour the mixture into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently.
- Cook until reduced by about half (25 -35 minutes). Let it cool completely before using.
- Add the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda to a large bowl.
- Whisk the dry ingredients to combine.
*You can use fresh strawberries or frozen strawberries to make the puree.
- Add the room temperature butter to the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl and electric mixer).
- Beat the butter at medium speed, just until it begins to get fluffy.
- Add the granulated sugar to the whipped butter.
- Beat until light and fluffy, 4- 5 minutes.
*Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. - Add the egg whites and vanilla extract to the creamed butter.
- Beat until at medium speed for about 1 minute or until well combined and fluffy.
- Reduce to low speed, then add half of the flour mixture.
- Mix just enough to combine.
- Add the whole milk, mixing just enough to combine.
- Add the remainder of the dry ingredients and mix just enough to combine.
*Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed. - Add the strawberry reduction to the cake batter.
- Mix just enough to combine.
*Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add a drop or two of red food coloring to enhance the natural pink color of the batter. - Divide the batter among the two cake pans.
- Place the pans on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the cake is springy to the touch and starts to pull away from the sides of the pans.
- Let the cakes cool in the pans for 20 minutes on a wire rack. Then, invert them from the pans onto the wire rack and let them cool completely. Remove and discard the parchment paper.
How to make Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
Add the freeze-dried strawberries to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until they are a powdery crumb. This will yield about ½ cup. Set aside until needed.
- Add the room-temperature cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a large mixing bowl and electric hand mixer).
- Whip for 1 minute at high speed until completely smooth and creamy.
- Add the room temperature butter to the whipped cream cheese.
- Beat until light and fluffy.
- Add the powdered sugar, strawberry powder, vanilla extract, and table salt to the mixture.
- Beat at medium-high speed until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Add 1 -2 tablespoons of whole milk to the frosting to get the desired consistency.
- Mix until the strawberry cream cheese frosting is light and fluffy.
- Place one of the cake layers on a cake stand and spread about 1 cup of frosting on top of the cake.
- Top with the second layer.
- Spread the remaining frosting on the top and sides of the cake.
- Smooth the frosting on the outside of the cake and decorate as desired.
Sink your fork into a cake that’s perfect for celebrating the birthday of someone special, enjoying a summer cookout with friends, or wooing your beloved on date night.
Strawberry desserts are always a welcome treat, and our moist and tender strawberry cake will not disappoint.
Our fresh strawberry cake recipe is guaranteed to become a family favorite and your go-to cake recipe for birthdays, showers, potlucks, dinner parties, or just as a special dessert for your family’s dinner table.
Store the cake refrigerated in an airtight container for 5-6 days. The cake can also be stored frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to three months.
Recipe FAQ’s
You can skip the food coloring if you want to, but be aware that the final color of your cake will be less bold than the cake shown in our photos.
Ingredients high in fat and moisture are the secret to making a cake that’s moist and delicious! Our strawberry cake calls for butter, whole milk, eggs, and fresh strawberry puree, which all contribute to a moist and delicious cake.
A good way to clean your fresh strawberries is to soak them in a mixture of baking soda and water in a large bowl for 5 minutes. If this is your preferred way to clean your berries, use 1 teaspoon of baking soda per 4 cups of fresh, cold water to clean your berries. No matter what method you choose, I recommend always washing your fruits and vegetables before eating or preparing.
More Recipes You’ll Love!
While you are making cakes, try my delicious carrot cake recipe or some of the ones below.
Strawberry Cake
Equipment
- 2 9 inch cake pans
Ingredients
Strawberry Reduction
- 1 pound fresh strawberries.
Cake
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large egg whites room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ cup fresh strawberry puree
- 2-4 drops pink food coloring as needed
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup freeze-dried strawberries
- 8 ounces full-fat cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 6 -7 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 – 2 tablespoon whole milk if needed to thin out the frosting
Instructions
Strawberry Reduction
- Wash and hull the strawberries.
- Place the strawberries in a food processor or blender. Pulse until you have a puree.
- Pour the mixture into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently.
- Cook until reduced by about half (25 -35 minutes).
- Let cool completely before using.
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Butter 2 (9-inch) round cake pans, or spray with baking spray.
- Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper.
- Add the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda to a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Add the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl and electric hand mixer).
- Beat the butter at medium speed, just until it begins to get fluffy.
- Add the granulated sugar to the whipped butter.
- Beat until light and fluffy, 4- 5 minutes.*Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add the egg whites and vanilla to the creamed butter. Beat until at medium speed for about 1 minute or until well combined and fluffy.
- Reduce the speed to low, then add half of the flour mixture. Mix just enough to combine.
- Add the whole milk, mixing just enough to combine, then add the remainder of the dry ingredients and mix just enough to combine.
- Add the strawberry reduction to the batter, mix just enough to combine.*Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add a drop or two of pink food coloring to get the color of the batter to your preference.
- Divide the batter among the two cake pans.
- Place the pans on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the cake is springy to the touch and starts to pull away from the sides of the pans.
- Let the cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Then, invert them from the pans onto the wire rack and let them cool completely.
- Remove and discard the parchment paper.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- Add the freeze-dried strawberries to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until they are a powdery crumb. This will yield about ½ cup. Set aside until needed.
- Add the cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Whip for 1 minute at high speed until completely smooth and creamy.
- Add the butter to the whipped cream cheese. Beat until light and fluffy.
- Add the confectioners’ sugar, strawberry powder, vanilla extract, and salt to the mixture. Beat at medium-high speed until the mixture is smooth and creamy
- Add 1 -2 tablespoons of whole milk to the frosting to get the desired consistency.
- Place a cake layer on a cake stand.
- Spread about 1 cup of frosting on top of the cake.
- Top with the second layer.
- Spread the remaining frosting on the top and sides of the cake. Smooth the frosting on the outside of the cake and decorate as desired.
Notes
- Start by adding one pound of quartered berries (with the stems removed) and two tablespoons of water to a small saucepan over medium heat.
*We want to cook out all the juice, which will help prevent the berries from burning as they cook. - When the berries begin to release their juices, use a potato masher or fork and mash the berries.
- Continue cooking until most of the water has been removed. The liquid will be thick and resemble a paste. At that point, you should stop cooking the berries.
- Transfer the berries to a shallow bowl or plate to cool.
- Prepare the frosting per instructions, but hold back the strawberries until after all the rest of the ingredients have been added.
- Add the strawberry paste, and if the frosting is too thick, add a little milk until you get the desired consistency.
Sandi says
Beautiful light and airy cake. Did not make frosting as we have to watch our sugar. Am sure it is yummy. How can cream cheese and strawberries be anything but yummy. Just dusted it with powdered and was great. Thanks for sharing. Sandi
Chef Dennis Littley says
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the cake even without the frosting, and I understand watching your sugar, I have to do the same thing. Pretty much all of my baked goods go to neighbors after getting a slice for myself and my wife.
Catherine says
I will make this soon. This is a gorgeous cake!
Thank you so much!
Chef Dennis Littley says
Thanks! Let me know how you enjoy the cake.