This homemade strawberry cake recipe is bursting with vibrant strawberry flavor, and it doesn’t require fresh strawberries or strawberry sauce in the batter. Instead, we use freeze-dried strawberries to add both flavor and color to the cake. No food coloring required!
My goal for the homemade strawberry cake was to create a quick and easy recipe that I could make on a whim.
And instead of reinventing the wheel, I used my reader-favorite classic white cake as a base. It has the perfect texture, and I knew it’d be a perfect foundation!
This recipe has been tested and retested to ensure it comes out perfectly, and I’m sharing all my tips and tricks to guarantee it turns out right in your kitchen, too. By the time you’re done, you’ll feel ready to open a bakery!
Why you’ll love this recipe
Forget strawberry Jell-Os, we’re making the most fabulous strawberry cake from scratch without any artificial flavors!
- Made with real strawberries, not artificial flavoring. With three layers of strawberry, thanks to the cake batter, strawberry sauce, and frosting, this cake is a strawberry-lover’s dream come true!
- Delicate, moist texture – The cake is moist and tender with a tight, even crumb.
- No food coloring – just vibrant strawberry flavor! Most strawberry cakes are given a bright, pink color with food dye. However, for this recipe, I only used freeze-dried strawberries for coloring. If you want brighter pink, feel free to add a drop or two of pink food coloring.
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Pin ItKey Ingredient Notes
- Strawberry sauce – You can use a store-bought strawberry sauce, but I much prefer to make my own. All you need is fresh strawberries, granulated sugar, water, cornstarch, and lemon juice! You can make it a few days in advance.
- Freeze-dried strawberries are my secret to infusing the cake batter with fruity flavor and creating a pretty pink color without the need for food dye.
- Milk helps bind the ingredients and adds moisture to the batter. I recommend using whole milk for the richest taste, but any type of milk you have on hand, whether dairy or non-dairy, will work.
- Sour cream – I’ve tested this cake with sour cream, buttermilk, and oil, and find that sour cream creates the best texture, creating the tight, even crumbs we want.
- Pure vanilla extract – I use homemade vanilla extract to enhance the sweetness of the cake and add a little depth to the flavor. Store-bought vanilla is also perfectly fine. Just make sure to use high-quality pure vanilla, not the imitation stuff!
- Cake flour is a game-changer for creating a soft, tender cake with a fine crumb! I do NOT recommend substituting any other types of flour, including all-purpose flour, or your cake will have a dense, coarse texture. While you can make DIY cake flour, it’s important to use bleached flour, which gives it that beautiful pink color.
- Unsalted butter – I recommend unsalted butter for baking, because you can control the salt in your baked goods. If using salted butter, omit the extra salt, or your cake will have way too much sodium!
- Large egg whites give the cake structure. You can substitute the 6 egg whites with ¾ cup of carton egg whites if desired.
- Strawberry cream cheese frosting – I make a homemade frosting with freeze-dried strawberries, cream cheese, powdered sugar, coarse kosher salt, and heavy whipping cream. I promise it’s super easy!
How to soften butter quickly
The best way to soften butter is to let it sit at room temperature for about 2 hours. If you don’t have that kind of time, here’s a quick trick:
- Fill a tall glass with hot water, and let it sit for a few minutes.
- Then, pour out the water, and immediately invert the warm glass over the stick of butter.
- After about 5 minutes, you’ll have perfectly soft butter that’s ready to use!
DIY Cake Flour
While I highly recommend using cake flour for this recipe, you may substitute homemade cake flour in a pinch.
For 1 cup DIY Cake Flour:
- Measure 1 cup (125g) of bleached all-purpose flour.
- Remove 2 tablespoons (15g) of flour.
- Add 2 tablespoons (16g) of cornstarch.
- Whisk to combine.
How to make the best strawberry cake
This strawberry cake consists of 3 components: strawberry cake layers, strawberry sauce filling, and creamy strawberry cream cheese frosting.
I recommend making the strawberry sauce in advance, as it requires time to chill.
1. Make the strawberry sauce filling
Follow the instructions to make homemade strawberry sauce, and let it chill in the fridge for at least an hour!
You’ll need about ½ cup of sauce, so you can half the recipe if you wish.
2. Prepare the Strawberry Cake
Preheat your oven to 350°F, and line the bottom of two 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper. Spray the pans with cooking spray to prevent the cake from sticking.
- Crush the freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder. I like to use a blender or a rolling pin!
- Then, sift the powder through a fine-mesh sieve. You’ll need about 65 grams of strawberry powder.
skip this step
You can skip this whole crushing and sifting process and use this freeze-dried strawberry powder instead! You’ll need 65g of powder.
- Whisk the milk, sour cream, and vanilla in a medium bowl or a 4-cup measuring glass.
- Mix the strawberry powder and dry ingredients in a bowl with a paddle attachment.
- Add the softened butter to the dry ingredients, and mix until the ingredients are no longer dry. This takes about 3 minutes!
- Add the egg whites and mix on medium speed to combine.
- Pour half the milk mixture and beat to combine.
- Then add the remaining milk mixture, and continue to beat. Stop and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed to incorporate all the ingredients!
- Divide the batter evenly into the prepared baking pans, spreading it out evenly.
For even cake layers
To ensure even cake layers, weigh the batter when dividing it into the cake pans. My batter weighed 1,421 grams in total, so I poured about 710 grams of batter into each pan.
- Bake until the cakes are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Rest the cakes in the pan for a few minutes. Then, invert them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Loosen the cake
If needed, run a knife around the edges of the cake pan to separate the batter and make the cakes easy to transfer.
3. Make Strawberry cream cheese frosting
Prepare the strawberry cream cheese frosting while the cake cools. Transfer the frosting into a piping bag.
4. Assemble the Cake
- Level the top of the cakes with a serrated knife.
- Place a cake layer on a serving platter. I like to place 3-4 strips of parchment paper or wax paper on the platter first to keep it clean!
- Pipe the frosting over the cake, and smooth it into an even layer using an offset spatula. Then, pipe a border around the edges.
- Spoon about ½ cup of strawberry sauce into the center, and spread it evenly inside the icing border.
- Place the second cake on top, flipping it upside down so the top of the cake is nice and flat.
- Coat the entire cake with the remaining frosting.
- Decorate as desired. I like to pipe the remaining frosting around the edges, and finish with fresh strawberries and strawberry pearl crisps!
For easy frosting
Completely cooled or chilled cakes are much sturdier and easier to handle. I actually prefer to make my cakes 1-2 days in advance for this reason. And remember, never frost a warm cake! The frosting will melt right off.
How to Assemble the Cake
Tips for Success
- Make the strawberry sauce first, as it requires time to chill. You can make it up to 3 days in advance.
- While it’s an extra step, I highly recommend sifting the crushed freeze-dried strawberries to remove the seeds and larger bits for a smoother texture. Or use freeze-dried strawberry powder.
- Bleached cake flour is key to tender crumbs and beautiful pink color, so I highly recommend purchasing a store-bought cake flour. In a bind, you can make DIY cake flour with bleached all-purpose flour.
- Use the spoon and level method to measure the flour. Or, for even better accuracy, weigh the flour using a kitchen scale. For the spoon and level method, use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup until the cup is overflowing with flour. Then, level it off with the back of a butter knife.
- Don’t over-bake the cake. As you can guess, over-baking results in a dry cake. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake to see if it comes out clean.
- For a pristine homemade strawberry cake recipe, trim off the brown edges, top and bottom with a serrated knife before frosting.
- Never frost a warm cake! If your cake is warm to the touch, the frosting will melt right off.
- 8-inch round cake pans are best! If you opt for a smaller pan, you’ll need to increase the baking time.
- You can bake the cake layers up to a month in advance. Wrap the cooled cakes with a plastic wrap and place them in a freezer bag. Refrigerate for a few days, or freeze for up to 30 days.
Make-Ahead Tips
- Store the strawberry sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days. OR, freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen sauce in the refrigerator before using.
- Store homemade strawberry cream cheese frosting in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Or, freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw the frosting in the fridge, and re-whip it before using.
- Cakes are best when they’re made in advance! The layers are easier to frost and slice once completely cooled or chilled in the fridge.
- Allow the cakes to cool completely. Then, wrap each layer tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag.
- Store the wrapped strawberry cake at room temperature for up to 1 day, or freeze for up to 1 month.
Storing Tips
- Store your frosted strawberry cake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Cover the cake with an airtight cake container.
- Frosted cakes freeze well, too! Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.
FAQs
Can I put fresh strawberries in a cake?
I don’t recommend using fresh strawberries in this cake, finding they cause the batter to become soggy. Instead, I save them for decorating the top!
Can I use a different frosting?
Absolutely! Feel free to use any store-bought or homemade frosting you like best. Some of my favorite alternatives include plain cream cheese frosting, vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream, American buttercream, and lemon cream cheese frosting!
More Cake Recipes
Strawberry Cake
This homemade strawberry cake recipe is bursting with vibrant strawberry flavor, and it doesn’t require fresh strawberries or strawberry sauce in the batter. Instead, we use freeze-dried strawberries to add both flavor and color to the cake. No food coloring required!
Ingredients
For strawberry sauce:
- 8 oz (225 g) strawberries fresh or frozen Note 1
- 2 tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (60 ml) water if using frozen strawberries, use ¼ cup water
- ½ tablespoon (4 g) cornstarch
- ½ tablespoon (7 g) lemon juice
Strawberry Cake:
- 80 g freeze-dried strawberries Note 2
- 1 cup (240 ml) milk at room temperature
- ½ cup (120 g) sour cream at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups (320 g) bleached cake flour Note 3
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 1 ½ sticks (170 g) unsalted butter softened
- 6 (210 g) large egg whites at room temperature, Note 4
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 30 g freeze-dried strawberries
- 15 oz (450 g) cream cheese softened, Note 5
- 1 stick (113 g) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 4 cups (520 g) powdered sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream cold
For decorating:
- Strawberry pearls
- Fresh strawberries
Instructions
To make the strawberry sauce:
- In a medium saucepan, combine strawberries, sugar, and water.
- Bring it to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix cornstarch and lemon juice until smooth.
- Slowly pour the cornstarch mixture into the strawberries while mixing continuously.
- Reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Smash the berries with a fork or potato masher for a smooth consistency.
- Chill the sauce, covered, for at least 1 hour. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week. You won't use all the sauce for the filling. You can use the remaining sauce for decorating or serve it over pancakes, or waffles.
To make the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Line the bottom of two 8-inch cake pan with parchment paper. Then, spray the pans with cooking spray to prevent the cake from sticking.
- Crush the freeze-dried strawberries in a blender or using a rolling pin into a fine powder. Sift through fine-mesh sieve. (Note: You’ll end up with roughly 65g of strawberry powder.)
- In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, sour cream, and vanilla.
- In a mixing bowl with the paddle attachment, mix powdered freeze-dried strawberries, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt on low speed.
- Add butter and continue to mix on low speed until no dry ingredients are left, about 3 minutes.
- Add the egg whites and mix on medium speed until combined, about 1 minute.
- Add half of the milk mixture and beat on medium speed for 1 ½ minutes.
- Then add the remaining milk mixture and continue to beat for another minute, scraping the sides of the bowl halfway.
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake the cake for 23-28 minutes, or until the cake are light golden and the inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the cake rest in the pan for 3 minutes. If needed, loosen the edges with a knife and invert the cakes onto a wire rack to cool completely. (At this point, cake layer can be wrapped and stored at room temperature for up to 1 day or frozen for up to 1 month.)
To make the frosting:
- Pulse the freeze-dried raspberries in a small food processer until powdery. (Alternatively, you can crush them with a rolling pin until fine powder.)
- Sift the crushed strawberries through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the seeds and large pieces.
- In a mixing bowl with a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Add powdered sugar, strawberry powder, and salt. Beat on low speed for a minute.
- Add heavy cream and mix on low speed until mostly incorporated. Then increase the speed to medium-high and continue to beat until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Transfer the frosting into a piping bag with round tip. (I use Wilton 2A round piping tip.)
To assemble:
- Cut the top of the cake with a serrated knife to level. (TIP: The cake layers are easier to handle once they are completely cooled and/or chilled in the fridge.)
- Place one cake layer on a serving platter. (TIP: Place 3-4 strips of parchment or wax paper on the bottom to keep the serving platter clean.)
- Pipe the cream cheese frosting all over and smooth it with an offset spatula. Then pipe a border around the edges of the cake.
- Spoon about ½ cup of the strawberry puree in the middle and spread it evenly inside the border.
- Place the second cake upside down so that the top of the cake is nice and flat.
- Coat the entire cake with the remaining frosting and smooth it with an offset spatula.
- Decorate the cake as desired. Here, I piped the remaining frosting around the edges, placed fresh sliced strawberries, and covered the sides with strawberry pearl crisps.
⭐️ Did you make this recipe?
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Tips & Notes
Notes 1: Both fresh and frozen strawberries work wonderfully. No need to thaw frozen berries.
Note 2: You’ll need 65g of sifted strawberry powder. To skip the whole crushing and sifting process, you can buy freeze-dried strawberry powder.
Note 3: I do not recommend substituting all-purpose flour as it will result in a dense, coarse texture, and your cake will have a more muted pink color.
Note 4: You can use carton egg whites, about ¾ cup.
Note 5: For the best results, use full-fat, brick-style cream cheese, not cream cheese from a tub.
Storing Tips:
– Store your frosted strawberry cake on the counter at room temperature for 1-2 days or refrigerated for up to 5 days. Cover the cake with an airtight cake container or loosely wrap it in foil.
– Frosted cakes freeze well, too! Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Cupcakes: I’ve made cupcakes using this recipe. Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for 20-22 minutes. You’ll get about 33 cupcakes.
– Store your frosted strawberry cake on the counter at room temperature for 1-2 days or refrigerated for up to 5 days. Cover the cake with an airtight cake container or loosely wrap it in foil.
– Frosted cakes freeze well, too! Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Cupcakes: I’ve made cupcakes using this recipe. Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for 20-22 minutes. You’ll get about 33 cupcakes.
Nutrition
Servings: 1 serving
Calories: 606kcal
Carbohydrates: 70g
Protein: 7g
Fat: 34g
Sugar: 45g
Sodium: 580mg
Did you make this?Leave a rating and your feedback. Thank you!
520 grams of powdered sugar is no way near close to 1/2 cup….
OMG, that’s my mistake!! So sorry for confusion and thank you so much for letting me know!! It should have been 4 cups, which is 520g. Again, thank you for your comment, Erica!!
Hi,I don’t see butter quantity mentioned in the cream cheese frosting recipe.If you could mention the amount it would be great for me to try it out.Thank you.
Oops, sorry about that. I updated the recipe. You’ll need 1 stick (113g) of butter for the frosting. Thanks for letting me know, Sabeetha! Let me know how it turns out if you give it a try.