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
I want to make this recipe so bad with 3 layers using a 9 in round cake pan. Could you elaborate on how to increase the ingredients I’ll be using
Hi Asia, for a 3 layer cake, you can make 1.5x the batter to evenly distribute across your 3 pans. Enjoy!
Question – I’m so excited to try this recipe for my son’s 2nd birthday party on Sunday. However, I only have 1 cake pan. Is it ok to just make one thicker sponge and then just slice it in the middle? Or will it change the density of the cake for the worse? Thank you!
Hi Niki, we don’t recommend using only one pan for fear the batter will overflow and the cake will bake unevenly. You can simply put half of your batter in your cake pan, and leave the remaining batter covered with a clean towel at room temperature while waiting for the first layer to bake. Once that layer is finished and cool, remove the cake and finish baking off your batter. Hope this cake is a big hit at your son’s birthday!
Hi, I’m wondering why no egg yolks? most all cake recipes call for whole eggs unless its chiffon or angel food where the whites a re whipped separately
Hi Lisa, Using only the whites will ensure that the crumb is not weighed down by the fat in egg yolks. This recipe began with our White Cake and if you wish, you can read even more about it over on that post!
Hello Sally, I really do enjoy your recipes, thank you so much. I want to make the strawberry cake this weekend but about the puree and the seeds should I strain the seeds from the puree after I reduced it or before I reduce. I don’t want seeds in the cake.
Hi Dee, the seeds do disappear in the baked cake, but feel free to strain your reduced puree if you’d like. Hope you enjoy this cake!
Oh my gosh this recipe! I am not someone who likes fruit flavored cake but this was AMAZING! Made this for my step dads birthday and it was a giant hit with my whole entire family. There wasn’t any left to take home. Got so so so many compliments and will be make again. Also I loved it! I was shocked how much I liked it! Thank you for a great recipe!
What are some natural food coloring options that would work with this recipe?
Hi Rachel, The cake will be a natural pale pink (from the strawberries) without any added color. We usually add just a drop of pink gel food coloring to brighten it up a bit, but we haven’t tested any additional natural coloring options – let use now if you do!
Would adding a little freeze dried strawberry powder help the color?
Hi! I’m excited about making this cake for a friends birthday, it looks delicious! I was wondering if I can make just the cake a day ahead, and frost it the next day. And if so, would I refrigerate it? Thank you!
Hi Susan! The cake layers can be baked, cooled, and covered tightly at room temperature overnight – see recipe notes for more make-ahead instructions. Hope it’s a hit!
Thank you so very much! I’m sure it will be amazing!
I wanted to add to another comment, I reduced 2 cups of puréed strawberries to 1/2 cup. It took 50 minutes. Would that be considered “too long”? Or is it about the final amount? The reduced purée tastes a bit tart. Thank you!
It’s about the final amount! The flavor will depend on the strawberries you use. Hope you love the cake!
Woooooow!!! 10 stars!!! This cake is everything!!! Thanks Sally!!! I’m tempted to eat the whole cake myself. So freaking good!!!
Yo Sally-o, I’ve only got 8 inch pans. Could I bake this cake in the 8 inch pans? Thanks, dawg!
Hi Jamal, this post on cake pan sizes and conversions should help! Happy baking!
Hi! Making this today! Would the bake time be the same for a Bundt pan?
Hi Anna, check out this guide to cake pan sizes and conversions for info on using different pans for cake recipes. Hope this helps!
Made this cake today. I can’t wait to try it! Sally, you’ve posted the most amazing recipes- best of any that I’ve tried (I’ve tried a ton). They are always easy to follow, perfect crumb and so moist. The chocolate cake is my next one to try. It’s for my son’s teacher, as a “Thank You”. I’m so glad I found your blog!!! It’s my go-to!
Ann
Definitely will make this again!
I made this for a potluck and everyone Raved about it. The flavor was amazing and I enjoyed using new techniques to make it.
I may have over creamed the butter and sugar because it was a little dense. Would over creaming also cause the cake to be dry?
Hi Donna, so glad you enjoyed the flavor of the cake! We have a post on how to prevent a dry or dense cake that you can read for some troubleshooting tips. If you over-cream butter, the butter will trap more air than it should. As the batter bakes, that extra air will deflate and leave you with an overly dense cake. For best results, cream butter and sugar together for about 1-2 minutes. Hope this helps!
Would this work in 8” round shallow silicone cake pans ?
Hi Susan, it depends on the depth of your pan, but you can fill them 2/3 way full. Silicone should work just fine. Hope you enjoy the cake!
Due to an egg allergy, we usually use unsweetened applesauce or baking soda + vinegar. Would you be able to advise which of these would work better for this recipe? I’m concerned that with 5 egg whites to replace that the cake would be too dense/wet if we used applesauce. Banana and aquafaba aren’t options as we also have allergies to those but I’m desperate for a strawberry cake recipe!
Hi Elise! We haven’t tested an egg-free version of this cake, so without trying it ourselves it’s really hard to say. Either option would change the intended outcome of the cake. For best taste and texture (and so you don’t waste your time trying to adapt this recipe since it may not work properly), it may be more useful to find a recipe that is specifically formulated to be egg-free. Let us know if you give anything a try!
I’m hoping to make this for my son’s first birthday this weekend. Would your not so sweet frosting work with this cake as well?
Absolutely! You can use our not-so-sweet whipped frosting with this cake as well.
I don’t plan to make this cake for 3 weeks although I have plenty of very ripe strawberries now. Would you recommend freezing the strawberries whole, purée only and freeze then reduce when the time comes or purée and reduce now and freeze?
Hi Nicole! We recommend reducing the puree – it can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw, bring to room temperature, then use in the recipe.
WOW I MDE THIS YESTERDAY, SO WHEN I TELL YOU IS SO FLUFY AND SOFT THE STARWBEEY LAVOR IS SUPER YOU CAN TASTE THE CLEAN NATURAL STRAWBERRY FLAVOR
Made this cake for my birthday and it turned out wonderfully! Used the “room temperature “ trick after reading about how important it is to have the butter, eggs, sour cream & others at room temperature. Realized that I’ve bumped into your website before and decided to subscribe! Thank you for doing all the hard work for us!
Thank you so much for your kind feedback, Jill — we’re so glad you loved this cake (and our other recipes, too!)
I haven’t made this yet. How tall are the layers of cake?
Hi Bruce, we haven’t measured the cake layers. Maybe about an inch and a half or so.
Could you please provide a version using strawberry jam? I can at home and id love to be able to use that, but I’m sure the wet ingredients would need to be adjusted. Thanks for the great recipe!
Hi Megan! Strawberry jam does not produce the same amount of flavor as the reduced strawberry puree. For best results, we recommend following the recipe for the cake batter. You can, however, spread a bit of your jam between the layers for extra flavor!
I have tried the recipe twice. The first time was a mess. Cake tore apart because of loose texture, frosting too runny that couldn’t be spread well on the side of the cake.
The second time today is a big success. All the party teens love it so much that they take the remaining slices back home.
Thank you for the recipe, Sally.
Same here. Although it tasted great, my frosting was too runny. Wish I’d left out the milk altogether, but even that probably wouldn’t have made it thick enough.
if i wanted to make this for 3 eight inch rounds, should i do 1.5 of the recipe? looks absolutely delicious.
Hi Karla! Yes, that is what we recommend. Your 8 inch pans will yield slightly thicker layers (bake time will be slightly longer, too). Let us know if you give it a try!
hi!! i really love this recipe and i wanted to make it into a 6in , would that work the same?
Thankyou!
Our recipe for strawberry cupcakes works perfectly as a 6 inch cake. You can read more about it in our post on 6 inch cakes.
Hi Sally, I wanted to make this cake as a middle layer of a teapot cake for my daughter- is it possible to halve this batter to make just one cake?
Also, can I use frozen strawberries, the fresh strawberries aren’t the best here this time of year.
Thanks
Hi Lauren! Yes, you can halve the batter recipe for a one layer cake. You can use frozen strawberries, but they will take longer to reduce even if you thaw them first. Happy baking!
Hands down the best strawberry cake in the universe!!! How does Sally do it!!! Perfection! Perfection! Perfection! I don’t want to even try to describe you his cake with my words. Tasting is believing! One bite and you will know
Hi! How firm is this cake? Is it something you could cover with buttercream and decorate successfully, or is it very soft and moist?
Hi Alice, you can absolutely cover and decorate this cake with regular buttercream (or strawberry buttercream) instead of the strawberry cream cheese frosting used in the recipe. Still a wonderfully soft and moist cake, too!
Does this recipe double well? I was wanting to make a 9” cake. 🙂
Hi Diana, This recipe makes a 2 layer nine inch cake as written.
I have a question about the strawberry reduction, mine didn’t get real red but it is thick. Should I be concerned about it? I want to make this cake for my husband and he is looking forward to it.
Hi Leah, the color of the strawberry reduction will depend on the strawberries you’re using. You can alway add a bit of gel food coloring to deepen the pink color of the cake.
Hi I love this recipe, can I use coconut oil in place of the butter for a dairy free option? Do you know? Thank you have a blessed day!
Hi Paige, we haven’t personally tried it, but you could try solid coconut oil in place of the butter (so that it can properly cream together with the sugar). The taste of the final cake will likely be different. If you give anything a try, let us know how it goes!