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
Very light, nicely flavored cake. It was an instant hit! One thing to consider is reducing 2 pounds of strawberries instead of one pound; I had to reduce an additional pound of strawberries because the first only yielded 1/4 cup. Other than that recipe went smoothly and frosting was amazing.
The strawberry flavor in this cake is so perfect! The texture and smell are lovely. I didn’t have whole milk so I used buttermilk and it came out just fine. Another hit 🙂
I made this recipe for my husband for Valentine’s Day. I was so excited to bake it after having found it on your blog and watching your video. I could just tell how much love and effort was put into the creation of this recipe. I made the 9×13 pan version. This left me with so much extra frosting that next time I will half the frosting recipe. It was the best strawberry recipe ever! Thank you so much for sharing! Will make again and again!
I made this absolutely incredible cake yesterday for Valentine’s day with my three year old and was thrilled with it. I grew up eating box strawberry cake every year for my birthday and though I knew it would be special, could not believe just how great it was. My kids and husband have already requested it for my daughter’s upcoming birthday. Another winning recipe, Sally. Thank you.
The cake is delicious but it turned out very sticky. I had to freeze it get it out of the pan and then it fell apart. I was able to frost one layer but ended up making cake pops with the other. The only change I made to the recipe was the amount of sugar in the frosting. I only used 3/4 cup and it was definitely sweet enough. I don’t what went wrong.
Anyone know what could’ve gone wrong?
This cake came out beautifully for Valentine’s Day! Would it be possible to add mini chocolate chips to the batter without compromising the integrity of the cake?
Hi Caroline, We are so happy you enjoyed this cake! You can add mini chocolate chips. 3/4 – 1 cup would be plenty.
I loved this recipe. I used it for a competition and everyone loved it. I used your strawberry sauce recipe in between the layers and it made the cake really stand out with strawberry flavor
Made this cake today for my in-laws anniversary dinner. It was so delicious. I only added 1 cup of powdered sugar to the frosting and it was perfectly sweet. Like others have said, the frosting in this cake is really what makes this strawberry cake stand out! The frosting is so good I had to stop myself from eating it straight out of the bowl . Thank you for the recipe and all your hard work that went into creating this. I will be making this again and again.
Excellent recipe! I recently made this and was extremely pleased with the results. The strawberry was pronounced and had a very natural taste that wasn’t too sweet or overbearing. I will definitely be making this again!
Can I use whipping cream in lieu of whole milk? ( only have that or skim and I know that skim is not the way to go)
Hi Illya, whipping cream is too thick and heavy for this cake batter. A lower fat or nondairy milk will work in a pinch.
Making the cake now and am so excited. Made buttercream frosting yesterday and it’s SO good! One thing…my strawberries reduced but didn’t get thick like pictured. Thicker than when first blended, but still loose. Thoughts?
Hi Layla, it may need to reduce for a bit longer to get to the thicker consistency. How much did it reduce down to? You should have about a half cup.
It’s looking so gorgeous. I can’t just wait to make it for my family. With so strawberry, it’s healthy too.
Hi has anyone used almond milk? I can get dairty free yogurt but not sour cream.. I may just need another recipe. I have the strawberries.
Hi Christina, You can certainly try the dairy free alternatives such as almond milk. We haven’t tested this recipe with them, so let us know how it turns out!
Thanks for this tasty recipe! Perfect for Valentine’s Day week! Before adding the strawberries I split the batter in half and added half the recommended strawberries to one half and a fraction of the wet ingredients from the white cake recipe on which this is based to the other half. The results was enough batter for a 6 layer cake using 6 inch cake pans. Then with some food dye the layers went from white to dark red at the bottom – and the lower half is strawberries! This recipe made our February!!!
Hi! I want to make this for valentine’s day but can I use 3 6inch cake pans!?
Hi Edina, for a 6 inch version of this cake, we recommend using our Strawberry Cupcakes recipe. It’s the perfect amount of batter for three pans. Happy baking!
Hi Sally
I made this cake for my anniversary and it turned out amazing.Thanks !!
Seems like the cake turned out as intended, followed all instructions to the letter, but I myself (and several others in my family) wasn’t a fan of the texture or flavor. The people who liked it were in the “it was good” camp, but I’ve definitely gotten more positive feedback than “good” before so overall, not a hit. Will not be making again.
I used this recipe to make my daughter’s 4th birthday cake. It worked out great. I couldn’t get fresh strawberries, so subbed raspberries and blueberries. (She’s into purple, so the combo worked). I cut the sugar in the frosting by a third after tasting how sweet the cake itself is. The cream cheese frosting works great for balance. Rich, moist, flavorful. All around, a great recipe. Thanks!
The flavor was incredible and so pretty! But, our cake was a little dense. Any tips?
I agree. I made cupcakes, and tried one without frosting. There’s nothing about the flavor that says “strawberry”.
Sally, I made the cake and frosting for my granddaughter’s birthday. I followed the directions to a T. The cake came out perfect, but the frosting was like glue… nobody liked it because of the frosting… such a disappointment…. any tips regarding what I did wrong? I thought next time I might just make your buttercream and stir some strawberry preserves into it… HELP……
Hi Geri, thank you so much for giving this recipe a try! If the frosting was too thick it means the wet and dry proportions were off. To fix this you could add a little extra milk next time. And make sure you’re measuring the freeze dried strawberries correctly – 1 cup will turn into about 1/2 cup powder after it is processed. Too many freeze dried strawberries in the frosting would also result in it being too thick. You’ll also want to make sure to spoon and level your confectioner’s sugar. Scooping it will pack it in too tightly. Hope these tips can help for next time!
Thanks for the tips, I appreciate you doing that.. I did spoon and level the confectioners sugar, but after I did that, I sifted the sugar…would that have made a difference?
As far as the freeze dried strawberries, I put them through my food processor, then measured 1/2 cup. Maybe adding more milk would have loosened the frosting up.
I did notice that Sally’s blog has a butter cream with raspberry jam and a cream cheese frosting also with strawberry jam, I think. The. Cake was really delicious, so I will try it again. I LOVE Sally’s recipes! She works so hard and does such a great job… thanks for your tips…❤️
How could I make this recipe into a cake pop?
Hi Sarah, we haven’t turned this cake into cake pops yet – but you definitely can! Keep in mind that one 9 inch layer will make about 40 cake pops so you can cut this recipe in half if you would like. For the frosting go by feel – add it in slowly until you get the perfect consistency. You’ll want to significantly decrease the amount of frosting as the cake is pretty moist already. Let us know if you give it a try!
How long would you advise to bake this for if I was to split the mixture between 2 6inch pans?
Hi Candice! This will be much too much batter for 2 6 inch pans. The batter from these Strawberry Cupcakes is the perfect amount for 3 6 inch pans. You could make cupcakes with the extra batter. If you would like to adapt the recipe further you can use this guide to determine how much batter you’ll need.
A family favorite. Worth the effort and the calories. Made this for a birthday and it was requested by all of my adult children for their birthdays from now on!
I just made this recipe yesterday for my daughters 3rd birthday and it turned out amazing!! The real strawberry flavor was on point and everyone raved about the cake. I was wondering since this is your basic white cake recipe do you think I could put chocolate chips in it, instead of the strawberry? Thanks for your wonderful recipes!
Hi! Sorry to burst in with a reply, but I’ve made this awesome cake with the chocolate frosting recipe that’s on the side of the Hershey’s cocoa can. OMG, divine! 🙂 I’m making this cake again this weekend for a wedding cake/cupcake cake tower. The top mini cake will be strawberry cake, chocolate frosting, with chocolate dipped strawberries on top. Then the rest of the guests will have cupcakes (3 flavors, including strawberry cake with chocolate frosting and a chocolate dipped strawberry on top!). I have a perfect cupcake stand for it, too. 🙂
Anyway, Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Frosting recipe is my go-to chocolate frosting recipe! 🙂
It’s January. Can I use thawed frozen strawberries?
Hi Teressa! Yes, you can use frozen strawberries for the strawberry puree, but they will take longer to reduce even if you thaw them first.
Can heavy cream be used as a substitute for whole milk in the cake batter?
Hi Stacey, heavy cream is too thick and heavy for this cake batter. I recommend whole milk. 2% or nondairy milks work in a pinch, too.
Believe it or not…I get mine from the dollar store in our plaza. I USED to get them from Aldi’s but they don’t seem to sell them anymore. Hope that helps as THIS cake is WORTH making as IS & going WHERE EVER you have to get the ingredients. BTW, they are VERY cheap but small packages.
This is excellent. The frosting is my favorite I’ve found on Sally’s site. My favorite cake EVER is a mash-up of two of Sally’s recipes: favorite white cake and this strawberry cream cheese frosting. I’m usually a chocolate girl but something about that combination is absolutely fantastic in every way.
I loved this strawberry cake recipe Sally. Thank you so much <3