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This Easy Strawberry Cake Recipe, made from scratch with fresh strawberry puree. No cake mix, no Jello in here! This is filled & topped with the most delicious strawberry buttercream frosting too.
My family loves strawberry cake and they are always begging for it. In fact, most of them actually prefer fruit-flavored cakes over flavors like chocolate or vanilla.
Fortunately, my mom was a master at cakes. She made professional-level cakes my entire life. The best part is that I not only got the chance to learn some things from her, but also inherit her recipe box too.
**Don’t miss our Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting!
Often when she would make cakes for weddings, there would be the traditional wedding cake in both white and chocolate flavors.
But then when she would make the specialty cakes that are separate for the bride and groom, and that is where recipes like this strawberry cake would get to make an appearance.
Don’t miss our Baked Strawberry Donuts too!
strawberry cake
I love this cake because it is made from scratch. Now, I know that there are so many recipes out there that either use a doctored cake mix or call for strawberry jello to be added for the strawberry color and flavor.
But this one is 100% homemade – unless, of course, you want to use strawberry jam in place of the strawberry puree. Either are a delicious way to go with this recipe.
But then, you can use homemade strawberry jam and then we are back to the cake being 100% homemade. WIN-WIN!
strawberry cake recipe
Here are some commonly asked questions
How many can this serve?
This cake can be sliced in a couple of different ways, depending on your serving needs. We are a family of 5 – so I typically just slice it into 10 pieces. However, they are fairly good size and you could make them smaller to get 12 slices if needed.
You can also cut the cake a different way to maximize the servings. Start by cutting the cake in half, down the middle. You will then have 2- half-moon shaped pieces.
You can then slice the ends of those off – giving you 4 small wedges and leaving 2 semi-rectangles of the cake. Then you will slice thin, semi-rectangle-shaped pieces off of those.
Doing it this way should yield about 16 slices that are still more than enough for most people- especially when pairing it with a scoop of ice cream.
HOW DO YOU MAKE Strawberry Puree?
- Combine the strawberries and sugar in a small food processor or blender and pulse until it reaches the consistency of thin jam.
Can I use a vanilla substitute instead of vanilla extract?
Yes. Vanilla essence does not provide quite the same flavor as regular vanilla extract. However, it is a good alternative.
strawberry cake from scratch
Can I use frozen strawberries?
Yes, absolutely, that will work just fine. Just be sure to thaw them & pat them dry before using.
To make Strawberry Puree you will need…
- fresh strawberries
- granulated sugar
Why do you add vanilla extract?
Vanilla extract is a common flavoring found in most baked good recipes and frequently found in cookies too. It adds a certain depth to the flavor of the recipe that extends beyond a more “bready” taste.
This recipe calls for a stand mixer. Can I also make this recipe by hand?
Yes. This recipe can easily be made by hand. However, keep in mind that this method will influence the overall time commitment.
strawberry cake with real strawberries
HOW DO YOU MAKE Homemade Strawberry Cake?
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Liberally grease and flour 2 – 8″ round cake pans. I prefer Baker’s release. Set aside.
- In a large mixer bowl, stir together the cake flour, AP flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the cubed butter and mix until it looks like coarse, moist crumbs.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
- In a measuring cup, combine the milk, strawberry puree, and vanilla. Stir until well combined.
- With the mixer on low, carefully pour the milk/strawberry mixture into the flour/butter mixture, slowly beating until smooth.
- Add in food color until you reach the desired color. Keep in mind that the color will intensify as it bakes.
- Divide the batter between the two prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the toothpick test comes out clean.
- Cool completely before removing from the pan and frosting. I like to freeze mine for at least 1-2 hours before decorating as it keeps the crumbs from getting in the frosting.
Can this strawberry cake be frozen?
Yes, I do it often. Once baked – this cake can be frozen at all stages of the creation process.
I like to remove the freshly baked and cooled cakes from the pan, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for later use. (this is also handy when you want to work with cold cakes to keep the frosting from getting too soft.
I also like to freeze the cake once I have assembled the layers and added the crumb coat. This helps the final frosting decorating go much smoother. This way you don’t have your frosting melting off the side of the cake because the cake or the frosting is too warm.
Often times I will get a cake to this stage days before the event I’m making for. Then just finish up the decorating the night before.
You can also gently wrap the completely decorated cake and freeze until you need it. Remember that the frosting won’t be completely firm and can still be dented if something gets pushed up against it while in the freezer.
Just make sure to thaw it in the fridge the night before as it does taste best when not frozen. I also like to leave it at room temperature for 1-2 hours before serving so the frosting is more creamy than stiff.
homemade strawberry cake
To make Homemade Strawberry Cake you will need…
- cake flour
- all-purpose flour
- granulated sugar
- baking powder
- table salt
- cold butter – cubed
- large eggs
- milkor buttermilk
- strawberry puree or strawberry jam
- vanilla extract
- pink food color – optional
How do I properly measure the confectioner’s sugar?
The official way is to spoon the sugar into the measuring cup & level off. This makes sure the sugar isn’t packed tightly into your measuring cup, adding more than you need, as that will make your recipe too dry.
Sometimes if you fluff the sugar with a spoon, then gently scoop it into the measuring cup, taking care to not pack it in – that can work. For THIS RECIPE you can fluff and gently scoop.
Can this recipe be cut in half?
Oh of course! If you only want 1 layer of cake, you can cut this recipe in half. However, I recommend making the full recipe and then freezing the other layer for another day instead.
Do I have to use food coloring?
Food color is optional – but recommended as strawberry cake takes on a grey color when the batter is mixed and baked.
Keep in mind that the color of the cake will intensify as it bakes. I added 15-20 drops of gel color in electric pink. It gave the batter a pretty soft pale pink color. Once baked – you can see that it turned very bright and vibrant pink.
This is also true for the frosting – the color will intensify as it sits. But it is far more subtle than in the cake.
fresh strawberry cake
HOW DO YOU MAKE Strawberry Buttercream Frosting?
- Place the butter in a large mixer bowl and beat on high until light and fluffy.
- Add the vanilla and salt, mix until just combined.
- Slowly beat in the confectioner’s sugar, 1 cup at a time making sure it is completely incorporated each time before adding the next cup.
- Fold in the strawberry puree or jam.
- Beat in the food color if using.
Should I use salted or unsalted butter?
This is really a personal preference. If you are happy with just a little salt to cut the sweetness, then use salted butter.
I usually use whatever I have on hand & I really don’t pay too close attention to what butter I have. But I typically keep salted butter on hand & I love that little bit of extra salt with the sweet in this recipe.
These days with groceries being more difficult to find – I basically get whatever the store has available at the time and make it work.
Can this recipe be made in a different size pan?
This recipe can be made in 3- 6″ round pans, 2- 9″ round pans, 1 – 10″ round bundt, 1- 11×7 baking dish, 1 – 10″ springform pan, or 12-18 cupcakes.
Reduce the time for smaller pans or cupcakes – increase for large pans when the batter is deeper and will take more time. Keep an eye on them as they bake and as always, make sure your toothpick test is clean OR the tops of the cakes spring back when pressed lightly with your finger when checking for doneness.
strawberry birthday cake
Ingredients for Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
- butter – room temperature
- vanilla extract
- table salt
- confectioner’s sugar
- strawberry puree or strawberry jam
- pink food color *optional
What is cake flour?
Cake flour is very finely milled making it lighter in texture, it is bleached so it has a lighter color, and has a much lower protein content than your standard all-purpose. All of these things will change the overall texture, rise and consistency of the cake since it will produce less gluten.
Do I have to use cake flour?
As I mentioned it does change the overall texture and consistency of the cake. I highly recommend it, however, if you can’t find it at your store – you can sub in all-purpose flour. Just keep in mind that it might yield a denser cake.
Can I use a gluten-free flour?
I’m not sure just yet. I have been meaning to give this a try but haven’t had a chance. If you do try this, I would recommend using a1:1 flour like this oneas I don’t believe it would require additional ingredients that are typically called for when trying to make baked recipes in a gluten-free version. Please come back & tell me how it turned out.
How do I properly measure the flour?
The official way is to spoon the flour into the measuring cup & level off. This makes sure the flour isn’t packed tightly into your measuring cup, adding more than you need, as that will make your recipe too dry.
However – if you fluff your flour with a spoon – just like I mentioned with the confectioner’s sugar, then gently scoop the flour into the measuring cup, taking care to not pack the flour – that should work for this recipe.
Can I use a sugar substitute?
I have not personally tried it, so I can’t say how that would turn out. But if you would like to try it, I suggest a product that offers a 1:1 swap. Please let me know how it turns out.
moist strawberry cake
Products I love when making a homemade strawberry cake…
This strawberry cake recipe is SUPER EASY and delicious – and if you’re like me, then you maybe already have some of these items on hand
OR maybe you have never made a cake from scratch before, & you might be a bit nervous – but you’re going to love it. I have made a list below of the things I absolutely can’t live without when it comes to making this cake recipe.
- pink food color – optional
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
best strawberry cake recipe
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strawberry cake with buttercream frosting
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strawberry cake with strawberry icing
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Easy Strawberry Cake Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings: 12
This Easy Strawberry Cake Recipe, made from scratch with fresh strawberry puree. No cake mix, no Jello in here! This is filled & topped with the most delicious strawberry buttercream frosting too.
Prep Time 30 minutes mins
Cook Time 40 minutes mins
Decorate 2 hours hrs
Ingredients
Cake
- 1½ cups cake flour
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1¾ cups granulated sugar
- 2½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp table salt
- 1 cup cold butter – cubed 2 sticks
- 4 large eggs
- ¾ cup milk or buttermilk
- ¾ cup strawberry puree or strawberry jam
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- pink food color – optional I used about 15-20 drops of gel
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
- 2 cups butter – room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp table salt
- 7 cups confectioner’s sugar
- ¾ cup strawberry puree or strawberry jam
- pink food color optional I used about 15-20 drops of gel
Fresh Strawberry Puree (to equal 3/4 cup)
- 1½ cups fresh strawberries about 10-12
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
Instructions
Cake
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Liberally grease and flour 2 – 8″ round cake pans. I prefer Baker’s release. Set aside.
In a large mixer bowl, stir together the cake flour, AP flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Add the cubed butter and mix until it looks like coarse, moist crumbs.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
In a measuring cup, combine the milk, strawberry puree, and vanilla. Stir until well combined.
With the mixer on low, carefully pour the milk/strawberry mixture into the flour/butter mixture, slowly beating until smooth.
Add in food color until you reach the desired color. Keep in mind that the color will intensify as it bakes.
Divide the batter between the two prepared cake pans.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the toothpick test comes out clean.
Cool completely before removing from the pan and frosting. I like to freeze mine for at least 1-2 hours before decorating as it keeps the crumbs from getting in the frosting.
Frosting
Place the butter in a large mixer bowl and beat on high until light and fluffy.
Add the vanilla and salt, mix until just combined.
Slowly beat in the confectioner’s sugar, 1 cup at a time making sure it is completely incorporated each time before adding the next cup.
Fold in the strawberry puree or jam.
Beat in the food color- if using.
Fresh Strawberry Puree
Combine the strawberries and sugar in a small food processor or blender and pulse until it reaches the consistency of thin jam.
Decorate
Remove one of the cakes from the pan and place it on a cake plate or cardboard round. You can add a small dollop of frosting underneath to keep it from shifting on the plate.
Use a cake leveler or sharp knife to trim off the dome if your cake did not bake flat.
Add some of the frosting in an even layer on top of that bottom round of cake. You can also add about 1/4 cup of additional strawberry puree or jam on top of the frosting for additional flavor and visual interest.
Remove the second cake from the pan, trim the cake as you did the first layer to make sure it is nice and evenly flat.
Place that layer on top of the filling layer.
Using an offset spatula, spread a thin coat (this is the crumb coat) of frosting around the whole cake, tops, and sides. You should be able to see through it. I like to freeze the cake at this time to set the frosting and make it easier to work with for the decorating.
Once frozen, add another thicker layer of frosting to the top and sides of the cake.
Transfer the remaining frosting to a piping bag and decorate as desired. I use a medium open star tip for this one.
Top the cake with a single strawberry in the center.
Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Notes
*Food color is optional – but recommended as strawberry cake takes on a grey color when the batter is mixed and baked.
Keep in mind that the color of the cake will intensify as it bakes. I added 15-20 drops of gel color in electric pink. It gave the batter a pretty soft pale pink color. Once baked – you can see that it turned very bright and vibrant pink.
This is also true for the frosting – the color will intensify as it sits. But it is far more subtle than in the cake.
This recipe can be made in 3- 6″ round pans, 2- 9″ round pans, 1 – 10″ round bundt, 1- 11×7 baking dish, 1 – 10″ springform pan, or 12-18 cupcakes.
Reduce the time for smaller pans or cupcakes – increase for large pans when the batter is deeper and will take more time. Keep an eye on them as they bake and as always, make sure your toothpick test is clean OR the tops of the cakes spring back when pressed lightly with your finger when checking for doneness.
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate. Please double-check with your own dietary calculator for the best accuracy. We at Taste of the Frontier cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
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Reader Interactions
Lindsey says
I want to try this tomorrow but I have a couple questions. Do you think thawed frozen strawberries would be ok to use? What about that AND only all purpose flour?
Reply
Gina Kleinworth says
Please reference the frequently asked questions section of the post where these questions have been answered.
Alexis Jade says
How would you recommend making it in a cast iron??
Reply
Gina Kleinworth says
I do not recommend making this in cast iron. For best results, please use aluminum cake pans.
Tarynn Kettel says
This is a desert hit! Thanks for sharing this recipe!Reply
Robyn Crandall says
Should the frosting be 2 sticks of butter instead of 2 cups? My frosting was awful! It was like wax.
Reply
Gina Kleinworth says
No – 2 cups is correct to balance 7 cups of confectioner’s sugar. 2 sticks would only be 1 cup and would not be enough to handle that much sugar without becoming crumbly. Also – even if you reduced the sugar, then there wouldn’t be enough frosting to fill and cover a cake this size.
Tracey Minto says
I made this recipe as a gluten free/dairy free cake. It turned out great!! The frosting was a bit sweet and I had a ton of extra frosting. Because of using dairy free butter I would probably use less when making the frosting next time.Reply
Erica C Libertino says
Flavor is sooo yummy!!!!!
Side note: I have been baking for years…..but I can’t seem to make a strawberry cake fluffy to save my life!! It is always dense and almost “wet like”. I used cake flour and everything else to a tee!!! Help me. I’ve been trying for 6 years and it has to be me or my oven or butter was too hard. Idk.Reply
Gina Kleinworth says
This cake in particular is dense in comparisson. I have not made one yet that is as light and fluffy as a box mix. However – I like them that way because they hold up to layering so I have not tried to make it any lighter.
Lori says
I used Weis Quality Gluten Free flour for both flour measurements worked beautifully. I used my homemade strawberry jam and would probably use a bit more the next time or add it between layers when icing the next time. Instead of the butter cream I made a whipped cream & cream cheese icing that was very lite and fluffy I use it in my pumpkin roll. Since the cake had so much flavor already the icing complimented it well. I will make this againReply
Gina Kleinworth says
Thank you for letting me know – I would love to give it a try with a gluten-free flour.
Maria Purdy says
I baked and I added a small strawberry yogurt and came pretty delicious and the icing was amazing , thank you very much for sharing the recipe♥️Reply
Virginia Smith says
Can I use freeze dried strawberries instead
Reply
Gina Kleinworth says
I’m not sure if that would work as you do need some of the moisture from the strawberries. But if you give it a try – please let me know how it turned out.
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