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Slice of strawberry cake on a white plate with a fork.

Strawberry Cake

Chef Dennis Littley
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.
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Cooling Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12
Calories 717 kcal

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

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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

If you don't have access to freeze-dried strawberries, you can use fresh or frozen.  If using frozen, do not defrost them.
  1. 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.  
  2. When the berries begin to release their juices, use a potato masher or fork and mash the berries.
  3. 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.
  4. Transfer the berries to a shallow bowl or plate to cool.
  5. Prepare the frosting per instructions, but hold back the strawberries until after all the rest of the ingredients have been added. 
  6. Add the strawberry paste, and if the frosting is too thick, add a little milk until you get the desired consistency.

Nutrition

Calories: 717kcalCarbohydrates: 88gProtein: 6gFat: 38gSaturated Fat: 24gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 102mgSodium: 329mgPotassium: 522mgFiber: 4gSugar: 60gVitamin A: 1223IUVitamin C: 269mgCalcium: 95mgIron: 6mg
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