The one thing that sets this strawberry cake apart from others? Reduce fresh strawberry puree down and add to the best white cake batter.
This recipe is such a fan favorite, that it deserved a spot in print! You’ll also find this recipe in my New York Times best-selling cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
This strawberry cake completely blew me away. After years of mediocre from-scratch strawberry cakes, my expectations were pretty low. It was time to taste test my efforts. Biting into the first pastel-pink forkful was the moment of truth…
I cried tears of joy. Or were those actual tears because I just dirtied every dish with all this strawberry cake recipe testing?
I find it challenging to pack real strawberry flavor into cake without the crutch of fake strawberry flavoring. My goal was to create a strawberry layer cake made entirely from real strawberries. We’re talking strawberries inside the cake and in the frosting as well. With the help of freeze-dried strawberries, I tackled strawberry frosting. I’ll get to that below. But for strawberry cake? Things have always been pretty lackluster in the flavor and texture department.
Strawberry Cake Problems
- Chopping up strawberries and folding into cake batter works, but then you’re just eating vanilla cake with chunks of strawberries.
- Pureeing strawberries and folding into cake batter has potential, but the texture is always off. There’s too much liquid. How about adding more flour to make up for that liquid? Then your cake is too dense. And the flavor is always lacking.
- Strawberry jam could work, but I prefer to start with real strawberries.
So how can we pack real strawberry flavor into cake batter without adding too much liquid? REDUCE THE STRAWBERRIES DOWN. Ding ding ding! We have a winner.
How to Pack REAL Strawberry Flavor Into Cake
- Puree fresh strawberries.
- Reduce down on the stove.
- Let cool.
- Stir into cake batter.
You’ll need a food processor or blender to puree the fresh strawberries, and again when you make the frosting.
Take that strawberry puree—don’t add anything else to it—and reduce it down on the stove. This, my friends, is where all the magic happens. Like I mention above, you want a lot of concentrated flavor within a little amount of liquid. We also do this with champagne in my mimosa cupcakes and champagne frosting. And with Guinness in Guinness chocolate cake, too.
You’ll begin with about 1 cup of hot pink puree and reduce down to 1/2 cup. After 30 minutes, it will be very thick and very red. Add this thick and highly concentrated strawberry flavor to your cake batter, instead of the thinner strawberry puree.
The reduced strawberry puree will go into the cake batter. No need to strain the seeds first—they disappear when the cake is baked.
Because the reduced strawberry puree needs to completely cool down, I suggest getting started the day before. Just let the reduced strawberry puree sit in the refrigerator overnight and make the cake batter the following day.
Strawberry Cake Batter
The cake batter starts from my white cake. This vanilla-flavored cake proved to be the best jumping-off point for a strawberry cake. I kept the majority of the recipe the same, but I removed some of the wet ingredients to make room for 1/2 cup of reduced strawberries. The cake is light, springy, soft, and fluffy.
The reduced strawberry puree will tint the cake batter a lovely pastel pink and, if you want, you can add a small drop of pink or red food coloring to brighten that hue. Not necessary, of course. (I added a single drop of pink gel food coloring.) Expect a velvety and slightly thick cake batter.
- No artificial strawberry flavor.
- Nothing from a box.
- Just pure strawberries.
The Strawberry Frosting
You can taste the fresh strawberry flavor in the baked cake, but the flavor is REALLY brought out when you combine it with strawberry frosting. Like strawberry cake, strawberry frosting has always left me feeling a little defeated. Fresh strawberries were the issue. The frosting would always curdle from the added moisture. And no amount of fresh strawberries could get me the strawberry flavor I craved. Instead of settling for artificial strawberry flavoring, I took a trick from Sally’s Candy Addiction: strawberry dust! Grab some freeze-dried strawberries, grind them up, and mix that magic dust into the frosting.
(I actually added freeze-dried strawberries to cake batter as one of my test recipes. This was an awful decision and an epic fail. The cake was atrocious. Texture, taste, and appearance. Just… no. But freeze-dried strawberries are a YES for frosting!)
- Where to buy freeze-dried strawberries? I find freeze-dried strawberries in my regular grocery store in the dried fruit aisle. I’ve also seen them in health food stores. Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Amazon, and Target all carry them, as well. Or, you can order them online.
- Baker’s Tip: Do not use “dried strawberries” which are like raisins, dried apricots, and dried pineapple. They have a gummy texture and don’t grind into a powder. You need freeze-dried strawberries, which have all of the moisture removed.
Instead of a thicker strawberry buttercream, I used my silky cream cheese frosting recipe. Added in the freeze-dried strawberry “dust” and milk and was left with a frosting so pink, Barbie would be jealous!
By the way, this frosting would also be a fantastic filling for homemade eclairs or on strawberry cupcakes.
Let’s Review
The tricks to homemade strawberry cake and frosting made with real strawberries? (1) Reduced strawberry puree in the cake batter and (2) freeze-dried strawberries in the frosting. Have fun baking!
Print
Homemade Strawberry Cake
- Prep Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 6 hours (including cooling)
- Yield: serves 10-12
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
The one thing that sets this strawberry cake apart from others? Reduce fresh strawberry puree down and add it to the best white cake batter. This recipe is also in my New York Times best-selling cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
Ingredients
Strawberry Puree
- 1 pound (454g) fresh strawberries
Cake
- 2 and 1/2 cups (295g) cake flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 and 3/4 cups (350g) granulated sugar
- 5 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup (80g) full-fat sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120g/ml) whole milk, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup reduced strawberry puree (from step 1)
- optional: 1–2 drops red or pink food coloring
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup (about 25g) freeze-dried strawberries*
- 8 ounces (226g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 cups (360g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 Tablespoon whole milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- pinch of salt, to taste
Instructions
- Make the reduced strawberry puree first, and let cool: Hull the fresh strawberries and place them in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. You should have a little more than 1 cup (around 270g). Transfer the puree to a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until it’s reduced to 1/2 cup (about 135g). This usually takes around 25–35 minutes, but could take longer depending on your pan or the ripeness of your strawberries. Remove from heat, pour into a heat-safe bowl, and cool completely before using. I always make the reduced puree the day before so it has plenty of time to cool down. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Allow it to come back to room temperature before adding to the cake batter. (See Notes for additional make-ahead instructions.)
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. (If it’s helpful, see this parchment paper rounds for cakes video & post.)
- Make the cake: In a medium bowl, whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg whites and beat on high speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract and beat on medium-high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Add the dry ingredients and then, with the mixer running on low speed, slowly pour in the milk and beat until just combined. Do not overmix. Whisk in the room-temperature reduced strawberry puree and food coloring (if using), making sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter should be slightly thick. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 24–25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pans set on a cooling rack for 1 hour. Run a knife around the edges to loosen the sides, remove the cakes from the pan, peel off the parchment, and place on the rack to finish cooling. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.
- Make the frosting: In a blender or food processor, process the freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder. If any larger bits remain, sift the powder through a fine-mesh sieve. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the confectioners’ sugar, strawberry powder, milk, and vanilla. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then gradually increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes until completely combined and creamy. Taste, then beat in a pinch of salt if the frosting is too sweet. Cover and refrigerate it for 1 hour before using. Yields about 3 cups (720g) of frosting.
- Assemble and frost: (For additional help with this step, see this how to assemble a layer cake video & post.) First, level the cakes: using a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. Discard (or crumble over ice cream!). Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand, cake turntable, or serving plate. Spread 3/4–1 cup (180–240g) of frosting in an even layer on top. Top with the second layer, upside down, and spread 1 cup (240g) of frosting all over the top and sides in a very thin layer to make a crumb coat. Run a bench scraper around the cake to help smooth out the frosting on the sides. Refrigerate the cake until the crumb coat has set, about 20 minutes. Cover the top and sides with the remaining frosting. Before slicing, refrigerate the cake for at least 20 minutes to set the frosting and help the cake keep its shape when slicing—it could slightly fall apart without time in the fridge.
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If the cake has been in the refrigerator for more than 4 hours, take it out 2 hours before serving so it can mostly come to room temperature.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: The cake layers can be baked, cooled, and covered tightly and stored at room temperature overnight. Likewise, the frosting can be prepared, then covered and refrigerated overnight. Let it sit at room temperature to slightly soften for 10 minutes before assembling and frosting. Frosted cake or unfrosted cake layers can be frozen for up to 2–3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before decorating/serving. See How to Freeze Cakes for instructions. You can also make the reduced strawberry puree ahead of time and store it covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw, bring to room temperature, then use in the recipe.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Food Processor | 9-inch Round Cake Pans | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Pink Food Coloring | Cooling Rack | Cake Turntable | Straight Spatula and Bench Scraper (for frosting) | Round Cake Carrier (for storage)
- Cake Flour: I strongly suggest using cake flour in this recipe. If you can’t find it, try this homemade cake flour substitute.
- Whole Milk: If needed, buttermilk works in its place. I don’t recommend a lower-fat milk.
- Where to Buy Freeze-Dried Strawberries: I always find them in my regular grocery store in the aisle with the dried fruit. Target, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe’s carry them, and I’ve also found them in some health food stores. You can also buy them online. Do not use the chewy/gummy dried strawberries. You need FREEZE-dried strawberries, which grind into a powder. If you can’t find them anywhere, just leave them out of the frosting and add another 1/2 cup of confectioners’ sugar.
- Can I use frozen strawberries for the puree? You can use frozen strawberries, but they will take longer to reduce even if you thaw them first.
- 9×13-Inch Cake: Simply pour the batter into a greased 9×13-inch pan and bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cupcakes: Fill cupcake pans 2/3 full with batter. Bake for 20–22 minutes. Makes 30 cupcakes. For 14–15 cupcakes, follow my strawberry cupcakes recipe, which is adapted from this strawberry cake.
- Food Coloring: If you want, you can add 1–2 small drops of pink or red food coloring to deepen the pink color of the cake. I add 1 small drop of pink gel food coloring.
- No Cream Cheese in Frosting: If you’d like to skip the cream cheese in the frosting, use my strawberry buttercream recipe instead. You’ll have enough for a thin layer of frosting, or you can 1.5x the recipe for a thicker layer.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Thank you for the recipe!! I made it this morning for my niece’s birthday. Now, I have made many strawberry cakes and it is always hard with the amount of liquid so I decided to give your recipe a try since the puree made since. I did however run into a problem… my puree reduced to only a 1/4 of a cup! I used more than a lb and it still wasn’t enough. Probably my own error. Eek Didn’t have time to make more so I improvised. After combining all ingredients I folded in 1/4 cup pulsed fresh strawberries (since my niece specifically asked for “chunks” and 2 tbs of blended-to-powder freeze dried strawberries to counter the extra liquid from the chunks and add flavor. It actually added a great pink color without food dye. I hope it turns out. Thanks again!!
Hey, everyone! Just wanted to share to my experience with this cake. I absolutely loved the flavour! I have tried making strawberry cakes many time and it has never tasted anything like strawberries. However, this cake was filled with fresh strawberry flavour! I made this cake for my mom’s birthday and all the guests loved it. I had a lot of people say that the cream cheese frosting tasted similar to strawberry ice cream! 🙂 It was an absolute hit! I was also able to make the cake a beautiful pink colour by adding 2-3 drops of gel food colouring.
Also, my mom was vegetarian during her birthday, so I made one slight change to the recipe. Instead of egg whites, I used aquafaba (which is the liquid that can be found in a can of chick peas). I replaced each egg white with 3 tbsp of aquafaba (so 15 tbsp. altogether!) and it worked perfectly! I definitely recommend this recipe! It is a definite crowd pleaser! Thanks Sally!
Hi Sally,
What if I used frozen strawberries? Will these puree well for the cake batter? They’re usually sweet, so would you decrease the amount of sugar in the cake batter?
Hi Jessica, You can use frozen strawberries with no other changes to the recipe. They will take longer to reduce even if you thaw them first.
I watched the video which was so helpful! The cake was for my sons birthday and everyone loved it! THANK YOU!! The only issue I had was the cake tops were a bit sticky. I cut the tops off but not sure what I need to do differently to avoid in the future. I will definitely be making this again and will use the icing recipe for white cake as well. Any ideas to deal with the soft sticky tops?
Omg THANK YOU!!!! This recipe was amazing!!!
Perfect crumb, super moist and lots of strawberry flavour. Thank you so much for taking the time to develop and share this recipe.
The frosting was AMAZING! However, we felt like the cake itself didn’t have much strawberry flavor. Sally, I’m wondering if the quality of my fresh strawberries could be to blame? They’re out of season and were a bit pale in color. Any chance that could cause the strawberry flavor to be weak in the cake? Purely asking to learn! We LOVE your recipes! ❤️
Hi Katie, When they are in season, sweet summer berries will give you the best flavor, but I know they are nearly impossible to find during some parts of the year. The better the berries, the better the flavor of the cake! If you plan ahead you can freeze super sweet strawberries to use for this cake at a later time when they aren’t in season. OR add a touch of strawberry extract to the batter. 3/4 teaspoon should be plenty.
I feel like every time I make this cake it sinks in the middle and I don’t understand why 🙁
Hi Jessica, A cake that sinks in the middle is often under-baked. If it still seems a bit raw in the center next time bake it for a minute or two longer.
This cake is AMAZING. I tried it out twice. Once with regular flour, and once with gluten free flour. The cakes only lasted a few days each in my family’s fridge!
I made this for my daughter’s birthday and it’s really good! Loved the strawberry flavor and how light the cake is!
I had one problem though. When assembling the cake, it cracked open in the middle. Good thing the icing was able to hold it together 🙂 I would love to make this again and wanted to know where I could have gone wrong for that to happen.
Sally I made this recipe yesterday and the cake was soooo dense (not dry) Can you help me figure out what went wrong. I used two 9″ pans.The cake did not look like your cake when it was sliced. The color was almost grey? (Next time I’ll add a little food coloring). When I checked the cake at 24 minutes, it was not done but it looked good. When I cooked it 4 minutes more and took it out of the the oven it appeared to have fallen. The icing was perfect and actually everyone liked the cake but it was not dry but very dense????
Thank you so much for your reply. I will try again with your suggestions. And I LOVE the link to How to Prevent a Dry or Dense Cake.
I never comment on recipes, but this cake is amazing. It’s my parents’ favorite thing to request when they visit me. We don’t like overly sweet desserts- this cake is just perfect.
Hi Sally ,
Thank you for this awesome recipe, made it on July 4th for my Son’s 3rd birthday ….it was phenomenal.
Also making it today for my husband’s birthday . We just love it.
One question , if using regular all purpose flour, what is the corn starch measurement ?
Thank you
Uma
San Jose, CA
Hi Uma, We are so happy your family enjoys this recipe! Here is exactly how to make Homemade Cake Flour Substitute with all purpose flour and cornstarch.
Like many, I absolutely love baking everything you have and search out your recipes over others!
I had a huge issue with the icing being too “runny”, almost melting off while I tried to decorate. It is in the fridge now; I’m hoping that will thicken it up a bit. Since the strawberries were frozen, that water added to the liquidity of the icing. Maybe no buttermilk next time??
I’ll let you all know how it turns out!
Hi Cynthia, For this frosting you need freeze-dried strawberries which grind into a powder, not frozen strawberries!
I’m a little confused about the amount of strawberry puree turned into reduction.
You say you start with a pound of strawberries and that once you puree them, you have about a cup. However, a pound is 16oz which means you would have 2 cups of puree before reduction.
Then you say you reduce that down to half a cup. So does that mean that you meant to say to reduce it by half or that you are genuinely reducing 16oz down to 4oz?
Thanks,
Erin
Hi Erin, when you puree 1 lb of strawberries, they break down to about 1 cup of liquid. Reduce down the 1 cup of liquid to 1/2 cup.
This cake recipe is amazing! I made my friend a birthday cake and actually made 4 batches (doubled the recipe twice…) for a much bigger cake. Definitely the tastiest cake I’ve ever made and very moist. The cooked-down strawberries make it veerrrrryyy yummy and full of strawberry flavor.
Love this recipe soooo much! When I made it, I forgot to measure how many cups I got out of one batch. Did anyone by change measure in cups how many there were?
Hi Sally, thank you very much for giving this “too-afraid-to-bake” girl some confidence in the kitchen :-). I have a question for you regarding the strawberry cake. I made a large cake by making the batter twice and filling my cake pan 2/3 full. It came out delicious and the texture was perfect. I let it cool completely at room temp overnight, then frosted with your vanilla frosting the next day. Then I refrigerated it. Once I refrigerated it, however, it got REALLY dense. Did I do something wrong?
I should mention that the reason I know the texture was perfect before refrigerating is because I used a stencil to cut the cake (my daughter’s bday) before frosting. The cake I cut away from the stencil is what we ate at room temp.
Can you use this recipe in a bundt cake?
Hi Donna, This strawberry cake batter fits nicely into a 10 cup or larger Bundt cake pan. I’m unsure of the exact bake time but it will increase due to the large amount of batter in one pan.
The cake looks perfect and fabulous to bake for a special day. Yes, its definitely the best strawberry Cake. Lovely!!
This strawberry cake is truly the best of the best on your website and that says a lot because all your recipes have been fantastic!!! I use your white chocolate strawberry frosting to go with it and this tastes like it’s just out of a fancy bakery. Your recipes take all the guesswork out of baking because I know you have already solved any problem I could encounter. Many thanks!!
I wanted to make something special for my hubby’s birthday and he wanted a strawberry cake; I have never baked anything before so I tried to follow your recipe as closely as possible including all the tips… The only thing better than the cake is the great instructions! Thank you so much for putting this out there, this cake and frosting is absolutely delicious, never could you ever get something this good in a store.
I am thrilled with this cake! The flavor is spot on, no need for extra strawberry flavoring. Because of picky family members I used the alternative (aka not cream cheese) frosting she linked to. Superb as well! I am never going back to boxed strawberry cake! Now I wanna go buy other freeze dried and fresh fruits and play with other flavors here.
I made this cake twice. I have advice for those trying :
1. Follow the original recipe. Don’t DIY your flour, go to the store and get cake flour NOT pastry flour, they are different. You can find the cake flour (I used King Arthur) and the freeze dried strawberries at whole foods otherwise order them. It’s worth the wait.
2. Use fresh strawberries and buy two pounds. You’ll have left overs but you can use it on other stuff. Have a milkshake or freeze it for later. Make sure you reduce the strawberries enough.
3. Make sure your cake pans are 9″ pans. The first time I used 8″ pans and it added 7 minutes on my cooking time. If you use 8″ pans add 7 minutes to your cooking time. Check with a toothpick in the center for doneness.
4. This batter is very thick. It will not pour into the pan. If it does it’s too wet. You should have to work it in the pan with a rubber spatula while at the same time lifting and dropping it.
5. I have an expensive KitchenAid mixer with all the bells and whistles, but my little Hamilton Beach hand mixer is way better for making this cake. You just have to be careful not to over work the flour. Feel free to beat the crap out of the eggs butter and sugar.
This is one of the best cakes I have ever had. I would pay for this cake. You cannot buy this cake. Go make this cake and show it off. If you fail try again. It’s worth mastering. It will be something you share with people the rest of your life.
I forgot to rate this cake. It’s a five star recipe.
Sally, I LOVE your site! I love that you make everything from scratch. I had a question about the food coloring. I have made this cake twice and I love it. I used two drops of pink gel food coloring and mine still is not the nice pink color. How do I know how much to use without affecting the texture of the cake?
I make this every year for my daughter’s birthday at her request. It’s amazing. So much fresh strawberry flavor it’s practically bursting. The only thing I do slightly differently (more because I’m lazy than anything else) is just cook down frozen strawberries and mash them into a puree instead of blending first. But with or without that shortcut, it’s amazing!
Looks amazing! I’m planning to make this as a 2-tiered birthday cake. Should it work ok for that? Thank you!
Hi Jess, I’ve made this cake as a tiered cake and it worked well! Use this recipe for the bottom and then you can use the batter for these strawberry cupcakes for the top as it fits perfectly into three 6 inch layers. See the post for Simple Homemade Wedding Cake to see how to properly support the tiers. Happy baking!
Hello Sally! I’m a huge fan of all your recipes; not only do they turn out tasting delicious and looking superb, but you’re so thorough with all of your directions, alternative ingredient suggestions and troubleshooting tips! It’s so helpful!
I’ve made this lovely cake before and it was a huge hit! I’m wanting to make a hybrid cake, so to speak, alternating a layer of strawberry cake with a layer of vanilla cheesecake, topped with another layer of strawberry cake.
My question for you is, do you think this specific cake recipe is firm enough to hold the weight of a cheesecake, or should I make a different type of cake, one that is perhaps more dense, like a pound cake? I’d hate for my cake to cave in due to a heavy middle layer of cheesecake. Any tips or suggestions would be much appreciated! Thanks!
Everything you said it was. One of the best frostings I have ever had.
Hi Sally.
This looks amazing. I’ve just made the strawberry purée. Yum. It’s cooling now, overnight.
One thing I’d Locke to ask, what size baking pan you used? 23cm or 31cm? It says 9 inches once and then later on 9×13 inches….sorry, I have both sizes here and just want to make sure I’ll be using the correct one in the morning.
Thank you so much.
Greetings from Australia
Mel
Hi Mel! Use 9-inch (23cm) round cake pans. I also have a recipe note for how to turn this into a 9×13 inch rectangle cake. But the written recipe is for 2 9-inch (23cm) pans.
Hi Sally.
Thank you!
I’ve made your cake now and it is absolutely amazing. (I used my 30cm pans and the dough rose to 3cm height, in each) next time I’ll try the smaller pans.
Adding the strawberry purée really is a game changer.
The sponge was so flavoursome. Strawberry intense, that’s all I say.
Thank you for a fabulous recipe. I shall follow you on FB and try some more. 😉
I used this recipe but swapped out raspberries instead and it is AMAZING! You just need to strain all the seeds out first.