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’m confused it says 1 cup of freeze dried strawberries but only 25 grams?
Hi Sarah, Yes that is correct. Freeze dried berries are very light!
Hi Sally!
I am about to make this cake… One strawberry, but I also wanna do raspberry as somebody ( my mom) doesn’t like strawberries. Can I substitute for reduced raspberry pureee?
I made this cake into cupcakes for the rangers in a national park during all the lay-offs. They were incredible! Best cupcakes I ever made. It lifted the spirit of the rangers at least for that day. Thank you.
Some backstory, if you will indulge me: approximately 11 years ago, I found a recipe online for a strawberry cake that used real strawberries in the batter. I made it for my family, we loved it, and I promptly lost the recipe. What followed was a decade-long quest to find either the original recipe, or a new one that could replace it in our collection of treasured confections. After countless failures, be they flavorless or sloppy or denser than a collapsing star, I was losing all hope. Until last night.
I was on the hunt for the perfect cake recipe for my father’s 59th birthday. I have never personally prepared a recipe from this website and although I rarely trust someone so easily, Sally’s reputation precedes her. Last night, I started to believe again. I believed that I may finally complete my quest… Today, I am certain of my triumph.
I used frozen strawberries for the puree and stirred in two True Lime crystallized lime packets after it was fully reduced. Those were the only changes I made to the recipe. The cake baked up beautifully and had a lovely crumb and even better flavor. Even the trimmings were irresistible. The frosting was utter perfection: it was sweet, tangy, and creamy all at once, absolutely jam-packed with strawberry flavor and a perfect pink hue with speckles of strawberry throughout.
Although the recipe I first made all those years ago is lost to time and the haze of youthful memory, I mourn it no longer after having made this cake. I have no issue saying that this outshines the recipe of yore. From the depths of my heart, I thank you, Sally. You have allowed this weary berry cake lover to finally, finally say he has found the perfect strawberry cake recipe. I promise I won’t lose it this time.
This cake was amazing! I didn’t have freeze dried strawberries for the icing, so I used some of the left over strawberry reduction and it was fantastic, with a strong strawberry flavor. After that, I added some powdered sugar to the rest of the leftover strawberry jam and used it as a filling. It provided a a really nice tart pop of flavor that helped balance the overall sweetness of the cake!
I’ve made this cake several times. I do use my own gluten free flour blend as we cannot have gluten. The only change I made was using 2 whole eggs and 2 egg whites & used 1/2 teaspoon McCormick Strawberry Extract. This is a very good cake. It is moist and flavorful.
Can I use egg whites from a carton instead of separated eggs??? It’s strawberry season here on Long Island and I’ve already made strawberry ice cream, a strawberry sheet cake and strawberry margaritas.
Hi Tracy, you can use carton egg whites if needed. The carton should give instructions for replacement quantities. Enjoy strawberry season!!
This cake is fantastic. The strawberry puree was about 2 foamy cups after put through the blender. I reduced for over an hour and still had 1 cup of liquid left. I put 1/2 in the batter and 1/2 on top of the frosting in the middle layer.
I actually have a question that I hope someone can answer. Is this frosting the right consistency to be piped for cupcakes? I am making vanilla cupcakes for our daughter’s baby shower and would like a less sweet frosting. I find buttercream a bit too sweet and found this recipe.
Hi Melanie, yes, it can be piped. It’s not quite as stiff/stable as buttercream, but it’s still pipeable!
If I wanted to make this as a 3 tier 8” round cake, would I need to adjust the recipe?
Hi Dylan, yes, you can use the recipe as is for 3 thinner 8-inch layers. The bake time would be less so keep an eye on them and use a toothpick to check for doneness.
The frosting was amazing, but like others have said, the cake itself was very dense and for me it was also a little dry, even though I followed the recipe carefully. I would try a different recipe for the cake next time.
Normally, I love your recipes, but this one didn’t turn out too great for me, and I’m not sure why. It was very moist, but the flavor of the strawberries didn’t come through. I tasted the reduction before I put it in, and it was delicious, but it just didn’t come through after baking. The texture was also very dense. I weighed the Swans Down cake flour twice with a digital scale, so I’m not sure what happened. The frosting was fantastic, though! The freeze dried strawberry powder packed a punch!
There were several comments regarding the quantity of fresh strawberries. Re: the recipe, one pound of strawberries yields about 2 cups of pureed berries. Should this be reduced to 1/2 cup as per the recipe, or by 1/2 the starting volume as implied by the recipe? One person thought twice the quantity made a better tasting, though denser, cake.
Thanks,
c
Hi Carl, after pureeing the 1 pound of strawberries, you’ll want to simmer the puree over medium-low heat until you’re left with 1/2 cup (about 135g) of reduced strawberry puree, or slightly more (you need 1/2 cup for the cake). Hope that helps answer your question!
I always end up with extra strawberry puree, so I like to slightly overbuy strawberries for this recipe. Add about 1/2 cup mashed (not pureed!) strawberries to a pan with what’s left of your puree (about another 1/2 cup for me,) a little lemon juice and whatever amount of sugar your heart tells you. Reduce it until it bubbles without boiling and it’s a nice dark red. I use this compote as a filling between my layers and it’s a REALLY nice way to break up the textures and sweetness. As for the fact that this leaves extra frosting, well… there’s always nilla wafers.
Hi There! i ended up with 119g of the strawberry puree after i reduced it… should i attempt to reduce some more to get me to 135g or would I be okay to just use what I have!
Hi Emma, you can use what you have.
I made this cake last week for a friend’s birthday party & it made her cry – TEARS OF JOY! I had never tried strawberry cake, but now I am just itching for a reason to make this one again.
My kitchen is ~8,000 ft above sea level, so I made the following adjustments:
SCANT 2 3/4 cups cake flour
HEAVY 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
SCANT 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
5 large egg whites (My dogs loved this recipe, because they got microwaved egg yolks in their dog chow.)
1/3 cup plain Noosa yogurt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup of the reduced strawberry puree (I loved this recipe, because my whole house smelled like strawberries!)
I baked the cakes at 365 degF for 20 mins – they weren’t quite done, so I think I baked them for an additional 2-3 minutes after checking.
I made the frosting as written & it was a beautiful pink color. The whole cake was fluffy, moist, & definitely had a distinctive strawberry taste! Personally, I don’t think food coloring is necessary – the cake/frosting was lovely without.
I made this strawberry cake for my daughter’s birthday, and it was a hit! The frosting was so creamy and delicious. Will definitely make again!
Would it be possible to half this recipe?
Hi Maddie, yes, you can halve this recipe if needed.
I’ve made this cake several times and it always comes out delicious and is a huge hit with family and friends! My niece just graduated and requested for me to make strawberry cakes pops for her grad party. Do you think this recipe would be good for that? Any suggestions?
Hi Chrissy, 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!
Could I use mango instead of strawberries? I would still reduce it? I have a ridiculous amount of mangos to use up and I wanted to make a mango cake but I only trust Sally’s recipes so I was wondering if I could use this recipe with mangos.
Hi Lacey, Many readers have reported success making this cake with reduced mango puree and freeze dried mangoes. Let us know how it goes for you!
This cake came out incredible!
I bake quite often and although my husband eats my baking, this is the first time he’s ever eaten a slice and asked me to be sure there will be another piece for him tomorrow!
Is the color of the finished, baked cake supposed to be like the color of a spice cake?
It doesn’t look like the color of a strawberry cake.
Hi Eugenia, The color comes from the strawberries you used – were they nice and red and sweet? If they were less vibrant, the color won’t be as bright. So glad you enjoyed the cake!
Okay, this may be my favorite cake of all time. The utter magic is … all of it. The cake is so delicious. The frosting is not too sweet. The freeze dried strawberries in the frosting are the utter magic of this cake. It’s so good, I’m going to dream about it after it’s gone. Thank you!
Looking forward to trying this strawberry cake for a birthday celebration. Do you think I can use 1-1 gluten free flour successfully?
Thank you for sharing your recipes!
Hi Kristin, we haven’t tried this recipe with gluten free flour, so we’re unsure of the results. Although some readers report using an all-purpose 1:1 gluten-free flour in many of our recipes with success, you should expect slightly different results anytime you substitute ingredients. Let us know if you do give it a try!
Thank you for the input, I may try the gluten free 1:1 flour in the cupcake recipe. And do the cake with the regular flour.
This cake was amazing. I did a gluten free trial with the cupcakes with Bob’s Red Milll Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour and they turned out beautifully with no gritty feel. Will make again!
Hi I am making this cake today and I bought the freeze dried powder instead of the dried strawberry. Would it still be the one cup?
Hi Angelica, we’d keep it to about 25g.
I will say, I have made this cake for my brother’s wedding cake and a friend’s birthday. It has been a grand slam every time. HOWEVER – the strawberry paste instructions are a little off. To really get an actual strawberry flavor in the cake, and the right color, I have to double (or sometimes even triple) the amount of strawberries I put in, and the volume of the strawberry paste. This always makes the cake denser and more moist, but that has not been a bad thing in most people’s opinion. 🙂 It also takes a good 1-2 hours to prepare the strawberry paste.
This was an excellent cake, very moist and flavorful.
One pound of strawberries produced 2 cups of puree for me that and the 5 unused yolks seemed a shame to waste, so I took lemons and made lemonade (well, I made strawberry pastry cream). I added the remaining puree to the pastry cream as it was all mixed together for a final boil on the stove and it came out perfectly. The pastry cream I used on the interior layers for even more moisture and flavorful
Hi – what did you use to put the frosting on the cake?
Hi Dominique! Here’s our helpful post on how to assemble a layer cake!
Hi Sally. I was looking for a fresh strawberry cake recioe for a wedding cake. I worry about it being too soft and not hold up to being stacked. Would this one hold up to being a 10″ bottom tier with a chocolate raspberry middle tier and another strawberry top tier? Thanks in advance.
Hi Nancy, we’ve used this recipe for a tiered cake and it has worked out well! Our homemade wedding cake post has helpful tips for tiered cakes.
Thank you for your prompt reply. I have made many wedding cakes over the years, but never a strawberry request. So, I didn’t have a tries and true recipe. I am doing a trial “tasting” cake today. Fingers crossed it is the one. Cheers!
Hi can I use strawberry emulsion in the frosting instead of freeze dried strawberries? Also is there enough frosting to decorate the cake or should I double the recipe?
Thanks!
Hi Angelica, you could try some strawberry emulsion in place of the freeze dried strawberries, but you’ll likely need to add some additional confectioners’ sugar to make up for the loss of freeze dried strawberry powder. You could 1.5x the recipe for a bit extra for decorating. Enjoy!
Oh. My. Goodness. This is the most amazing cake recipe I have ever made or consumed. And I normally HATE strawberry cake! Sally, you truly outdid yourself. Reminds me very much of a Susie Cake in both texture and icing flavor. 10/10!
So delicious! Can’t wait to make this again!