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
This is the worst recipe I have ever made from this site. The cake is way too soft and the layers fell apart upon unmolding. They were the difficult to frost. The final product tasted good but it was ugly. The cake is way too soft and crumbly to hold together.
The flavor and crumb of this cake is phenomenal (how can it be so light with a pound of strawberries in it?) but the strawberry cream cheese frosting really takes it over the top. The only change I would make is adding some red color to the batter next time: my puree did not retain color after baking, and I’d like the cake to visually read “strawberry” the same way it tastes “strawberry.” This is an absolutely outstanding cake!
Yum! My grandson asked for a strawberry cake for his 5th birthday last year and I used this recipe. It was delicious. His 6th birthday is today and he asked for it again! Now that’s high praise!!
The frosting was amazing. It was so delicious! The cake was a little dry though. I followed the recipe exactly. I don’t know what happened.
Will a bundt cake pan work?
Hi Lona, this strawberry cake batter fits nicely into a 10 cup or larger Bundt cake pan. We’re unsure of the exact bake time but it will increase due to the large amount of batter in one pan. Enjoy!
how awesome that you answered so quick! Thank you! getting ready to bake!
Has anyone tried Gluten Free 1:1 Flour with this recipe?
Hi Samantha, we haven’t tested this cake with gluten-free flour, but let us know if you give it a try!
If I am using three 8 inch pans, how long do you recommend I bake them for? Thanks, Sally!
Hi Zoey! Bake time will be slightly longer but we’re unsure of the exact bake time. Let us know how it goes!
I made this for my daughters birthday and it was such a hit! Super delicious, will be making again. Mine didn’t turn out as pink as the pictures but I chose not to add food coloring. It was a lovely light pink color.
Hi Sally! I love your recipes! I’m planning to make this cake for my birthday and was planning to pair with your vanilla buttercream frosting. Because I’m not using the strawberry frosting, I’d really like to increase the strawberry flavor in the cake ax some posters have mentioned it’s more subtle. Would increasing their amount of strawberry purée work- or would that change the texture? Add freeze dried strawberries? Id love to hear your thought! Thanks!
Hi Tracy, we haven’t tested it this way, but adding more strawberry puree would definitely change the texture of the cake because there would be more liquid. If you add ground freeze-dried strawberries, that might increase the flavor without changing the texture as much, but we haven’t tested this so can’t say for sure if the cake would still turn out as light and fluffy and moist. One thing you could try is adding a layer of strawberries between the cake layers, on top of the layer of buttercream–either fresh cut strawberries or strawberry jam? If you try it, let us know how it turns out!
I know you don’t need another positive comment regarding this cake, but you are going to get one anyway. I made this cake for my English relatives – they know cake – they loved it! You crushed it, Sally!
I’m making the NY Crumb Cake today.
Thanks for your expertise and clearly written recipes.
MJ
Hi I use your recipes all the time for every occasion we have! They are fail proof ! Can I freeze the strawberry sponge cake until ready to frost next week?
Thanks
Hi Farusha, absolutely! See recipe notes and this post on how to freeze cakes for details.
I made this cake for our July 4 party. I didn’t have the red food coloring so it wasn’t as pink as I would’ve preferred but it didn’t last very long. This is a new go to recipe for me. All of the tips and suggestions helped me a lot. Thanks for a great cake
Ricky
Would this cake be good with another frosting? Buttercream?
Thank you
Hi Aj, we do recommend sticking with a strawberry frosting here since it really packs a punch of strawberry flavor. If you would prefer a buttercream instead of this cream cheese frosting, you can use our strawberry buttercream recipe instead!
It tastes delicious. It literally tastes like a scone with jam and cream. I don’t know how it just does. My husband said it would be easy to eat the entire cake.
Hi Sally,
I love trying your recipes. I actually tried to bake this last night but unfortunately my cake came out dry. Do you have any suggestions? I’m going to try again.
Hi Nancy, Thank you for trying out recipes! We have a post on how to prevent a dry or dense cake that you can read for some troubleshooting tips.
Was low on vanilla extract so used almond …. Oh my heavens! What a great recipe – 5 stars.
Hi Sally,
I can’t get freeze dried strawberries where we live. I have a heap of recently frozen strawberries. Could I do something with those for the frosting or can you suggest an alternative?
Thanks
Hi Maxine, There is not a great substitute for freeze dried strawberries for the frosting. If you’re unable to find what you need in the store, you can substitute the same amount of confectioners’ sugar for a plain vanilla frosting. Or, if you have strawberry extract, you can try adding that to the frosting for the strawberry taste. Hope this is helpful!
The strawberry flavor in the cake is subtle, but the icing with the freeze dried strawberries is INCREDIBLE! The icing really makes this cake amazing. I’m glad it was from scratch, because the other commonly used recipe incorporates a cake mix + Jello and I really don’t enjoy that version. This is as good or better than any bakery strawberry cake I’ve purchased. Thank you!
Hi Sally, any chance you have 8 inch cake pan conversions you can point me towards? Excited to try this!
Hi Lindsey, you could use 8 inch pans for slightly thicker layers (bake time will be slightly longer, too). Hope you love this cake!
What brand of purée machine did you use for the strawberries
Hi Kim, any food processor or blender should work!
Another perfect recipe Sally! I was thinking of making a filling of just a light whipped cream- do you have a recipe that would work for that in this strawberry cake? Same wonderful frosting though! 🙂
Hi Donna, you could use this whipped cream recipe or even this whipped frosting recipe for something a bit thicker!
Do I have to use cake flour? Would AP work?
Hi Sydney, We strongly suggest using cake flour in this recipe. You can use our homemade cake flour substitute in a pinch.
Can this be made as cupcakes?
This looks wonderful! Would it work with mango puree as well?
Hi Esther, many readers have reported success making this cake with reduced mango puree and freeze dried mangoes. Let us know how it goes for you!
Hi. I made this cake last night and frosted it today. Looking forward to tasting later today at my niece’s birthday party. Two quick trouble shooting questions… 1. When I put in the room temp plain whole milk yogurt the batter curdled. Is that normal if not how do I prevent that? #2 The tops of the cakes were a bit soggy when I unwrapped this am. I cut that part off, but how can I prevent that in the future? Cakes were cooled for hours before wrapping. Thanks. Kim
Hi Kim! Some curdling is normal – it should come together with the addition of the dry ingredients. The sogginess if just some of the cake’s moisture – normal, too! Easy to trim off when leveling. Hope the cake is a hit!
Hey if I use plain homemade yogurt instaed of sour cream..will it affect the taste and texture?
Hi Sai! Yogurt is a great substitute for sour cream as long as it isn’t runny.
I’m thinking of making this for a baby shower, but am wondering how you think doubling the recipe for a four layer cake would go? Do you think the frosting would be too soft (being cream cheese) to support that? Thoughts?
Thank you! You are my go to for all my baked goods!!
Hi AA, rather than doubling, we recommend making two separate batches. A four layer cake should hold up just fine, but you may want to use cake dowels for extra support. You can see how we do that in our wedding cake post. Enjoy!
I cannot wait to try this recipe, however, I was wondering if I could use 6 inch pans instead or if I would have too much excess batter for the cake. Also, How do I make a reduced puree? its my first time making one.
Thank you!
Hi Kjia! See recipe notes for reduced strawberry puree instructions. For a 6 inch strawberry cake, we recommend using our strawberry cupcakes recipe – it makes the perfect amount of batter for a three layer 6 inch cake. You can read more about using cupcake recipes to make 6 inch layer cakes in this post. Happy baking!
To make a 6” cake with three layers do I need to change the recipe please
Hi Sharon, The batter from our strawberry cupcakes recipe makes the perfect amount of batter for a 3 layer 6 inch cake (more on 6 inch cakes here!)
I made this cake for a summer birthday and it was a delicious hit! I did not put food coloring in it as it was for a man and it had a nice light color that did not look particularly pink. I made a from scratch semi chocolate buttercream frosting as the cream cheese would not have held up in the heat.
The guests guessed that it was a maple cake due to it’s complex flavor and not being able to see the strawberries. We served fresh strawberries with it and it was loved by all!
When searching for a new baking recipe for an event, I know that my best bet is Sally’s Baking Addiction!
I have made this cake several times. It is my husband’s favorite now. I made extra strawberry purée and use a lemon curd recipe to make a strawberry curd for the middle layer. It is amazing! It adds so much more strawberry flavor to an already amazing recipe.
So smart! Going to try that
This was an exceptionally sweet cake,probably from the frosting and the sweetness from the freeze dried strawberries. I used cake flour but wouldn’t describe this cake as light. It is a heavy cake. The cake itself had good flavor and was very moist. However it was too sweet with the addition of the frosting for my tastebuds.