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
Has anyone tried slightly less sugar and strawberry jam in the cake?
Looking forward to making this cake. Freeze dried strawberries found at Big Lots and Trader Joe’s. I’ll be keeping a supply. Have you used any other flavors of the dried fruits? Blueberry?
I have not tried other flavors but other readers have reported success using them!
This is the best strawberry cake EVER! It does bake quickly so watch it carefully-mine was done in about 15 minutes. I didn’t have freeze dried strawberries, so I ended up making a regular cream cheese frosting and added some reduced strawberry purée and it turned out amazing!
Thank you for sharing…this recipe was Amazing!!! I shared it with my pastor and his wife….they loved it! My 12 yr old son helped me and now this is his favorite dessert. I couldn’t find freeze dried strawberries…so my son suggested using some of the strawberry puree in the frosting…I used about 2 Tblsp…it turned out better than I could have hoped!!!! Thanks again!!!
This is a keeper!!!
Super yummilicious!!!
Hi Sally! This is a wonderful recipe! I made it this weekend as a trial for an upcoming event and used this along with your lemon buttercream frosting and it turned out great! I’d like to double the recipe and use three 9” cake pans instead of two to make a 3 layer cake so do you have a recommended cook time for this amount since i’m now doubling the recipe as well as using an extra cake pan? Also, for your lemon buttercream frosting, would you recommend doubling it or more for this 3 layer cake?
I’m glad you enjoyed the cake, Lucy. I don’t recommend doubling cake recipes. For the best texture make twice instead of doubling. Making twice would yield 4 layers. You can make half of the recipe for a third layer.
I made this cake for my mom’s birthday & it was delicious!! It’s also the most beautiful pink.
Like others have mentioned, my layers sunk in the middle a bit.
Here’s my tip for finding freeze-dried strawberries—I live in a very small town..My local grocery does not carry them. BUT—Kellogg’s Special K with Red Berries has freeze-dried strawberries in it! Two boxes of the cereal gave me 1 cup of berries. Easy!
This cake was absolutely delicious! I made two of them- one with the cream cheese frosting and one with the buttercream frosting. We loved them both, definitely a personal preference. I will be making again (and again).
This was a phenomenally good cake and it turned out great. We had a long rainy quarantine day and a birthday to celebrate so it turned out to be a great activity.
Just finished frosting this cake and my comments are good and bad. The good: a. whoever thought up using freeze dried berries is GENIUS. Once those berries hit that warm cream cheese and butter they bloom and come to life. This frosting is phenomenal. I mean, it is GOOD. b. Once the cake looks like it’s boarding on done grab that baby out of the oven. The cake continues to cook while cooling in the pans. If you give it “a few more minutes “ you’ll be sorry. c. I don’t have a food grinder and did just fine without it. I believe the cake is better with those berries not being ground to dust. The fresh berries I chopped small and they cooked down just fine. The freeze dried one I put in a Ziploc bag and pounded with a rolling pin. The bad: I chopped up nearly 2 lbs. of strawberries to yield one cup of puree and I’m glad I did. One half cup of puree isn’t nearly enough for a cake this size. Half cup just barely gives you that strawberry taste. Also, use more than a “teeny bit” of red food coloring. The batter is pale pink and you want that deep strawberry color. Also, this cake is a “project” cake, takes all day and the kitchen a mess when you’re done. Not a cake to “throw together” to take to the office the next day, but so worth the time and effort.
Hello I baked this for my twins 7th birthday as they requested a strawberry cake. It was a hit. I ended up making one layer and cutting that in half and icing it in the middle that way. I used the rest of the batter for mini cupcakes. Very delicious. I did have to make this over a couple of days. I made the strawberry purée and baked the cake first day then the rest on day two.
Hi! Wow this looks amazing. I love that all the flavor comes from real strawberries. I’ve been looking for a recipe like this for awhile! I’m interested in making this into mini cupcakes. Do you think that will work? Any suggestions?
Thank you! Love your recipes. I’ve made a few and they’ve been solid. Your iced oatmeal cookies are on my permanent Christmas cookie rotation.
Thank you so much Abbey! This recipe yields quite a lot of mini cupcakes (some readers have reported about 75). Mini cupcakes usually take around 11-13 minutes.
I followed this recipe and used the cake flour modification since I only had AP flour. The cake came out very dense and I couldn’t taste the strawberries at all in the cake. I couldn’t find freeze dried strawberries so left those out of the frosting and just decided to top the cake with fresh strawberries sweetened with a little bit of sugar overnight. The frosting and strawberries on top tasted great, but I am very disappointed in how the cake itself came out. I’m not sure what happened.
Hi Jessica, For the strawberry flavor in the cake, did you taste your strawberries before you pureed them? The sweeter and more flavorful the actual berries the better they translate to the cake. To help troubleshoot a dense cake take a look at my post How to Prevent a Dry or Dense Cake. I hope this helps!
Delicious cake and icing, I followed everything to the letter. However my cake did sink a bit in the middle, and it was so delicate it was really hard to move. It definitely stuck in the pan which was a bummer even though I buttered and floured the pans, if I did this again I would use parchment in the bottom. I had a hard time icing it as well because it just wanted to fall apart. Not sure if I did something wrong to cause that!
Made it as direct. Used parchment on pans… All ovens are different , but mine needed another 5 minutes due to middle not cooked.
Cake was a great flavor..: frosting I had to thin out a bit more… but spread perfectly. Cake slightly dry… possibly from having to cook longer…. the family had no problems eating it. Used sliced strawberries on top to decorate
Thx for the recipe
This cake is phenomenal! I have had my eye on this recipe since it was posted and finally got around to making it as part of my long list of quarantine bakes (anybody else baking and comparing every brownie recipe they can get their hands on?). It is absolutely delicious and I will be making this for anyone and everyone’s birthdays when we’re allowed to have birthdays again. Unfortunately my baking soda is past its prime, so the cake didn’t quite have the perfectly soft and fluffy texture I was hoping for, but the flavor is still soooo good. And I want to put this strawberry cream cheese frosting on everything. Thanks Sally for this great recipe! I love everything pink, so this cake is such a joy
I made this cake and it came out super super yummy. I always check on it even if a recipe says bake certain amount I check it before so it doesn’t burn and good thing I did since it was ready at 15 minutes. I forgot to put butter on the edges and it still came out perfectly and it didn’t stick! The cake was soft, tasty, just perfect. The icing was not good at all. I followed the instructions but didn’t like the taste. So I made a cream cheese frosting and it mixed with the cake deliciously.
I made this cake and it was absolutely delicious!! Super easy to make and wows any guests you’re trying to impress. I will definitely be making time and time again!
It’s a lot of work but 8/10 would make again!
Hi Sally, I made this cake for my young daughter’s birthday and it was loved by all, especially my daughter. Which is what really counts! Full success. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes. Many thanks for making this day extra special.
Hi Sally,
I made this cake for my husband’s birthday, and for Easter. The frosting is delicious, and the cake has a good flavor, but the edges of the cake tasted burned. I’m not sure what I did wrong. After my timer went off, the cake tester was still coming out wet, so I cooked it until it came out clean. But, I was disappointed to have the burnt flavor. If I avoided the edges, the flavor was great. It was also a bit dry…so I can only assume that I over baked it. Any tips?
Hi Vickey, I’m so glad you enjoyed the flavor. It does sound as if it was over baked. Any chance you changed the number or size of the pans or used glass pans? If you try again feel free to tent the top with foil part way through baking to help the tops not brown too quickly as the center bakes. You might also enjoy reading my 10 Baking Tips for Perfect Cakes and my post on How to Prevent a Dry or Dense Cake.
Hey Sally. Thanks for the strawberry reduction part, it was an intense and delicious addition. The batter was like strawberry fluff. So, our cakes sunk in the middle. I did the AP Flour substitution w Corn Starch for Cake Flour. I also added (accidentialy) two sticks of butter. I am at 7500′ altitude. Do you think there is another alteration to be made for high altitude?
Thank you for the delicious recipe. My 10 year-old daughter made this with minimal help from me. It was very time consuming, but worth the trouble. We made a lemon cream cheese frosting for the middle and we used the leftover strawberry purée to make a strawberry cream cheese frosting on the outside. The combination of the two was not only aesthetically pleasing, but the two flavors together were a perfect combination. She wanted to make a cross, so we took the leftover strawberry frosting and added cool whip to it so it would be easier to decorate. We decided that this will be our Easter tradition from now on. Thank you again. The Karsten Girls
I made this recipe today and it’s outstanding. Didn’t have freeze dried strawberries available due to shortages but it’s still delicious with standard cream cheese frosting. Even my husband loved it and he’s not a sweets guy! Can’t wait to try some of your other recipes.
Molly, I was actually able to get some sour cream in my last grocery pick up but I never got a reply with an alternative. I did find a recipe to make your own sour cream online using heavy cream, milk or buttermilk, and I think maybe lemon juice or vinegar. Mix it and let it sit for 24 hours and apparently that’s great for baking, but I have not personally tried it. My best guess for a straight up sub would be the same amount of cream cheese or a slightly smaller amount of buttermilk (or full fat milk with lemon juice or vinegar). I’m sorry I’m not more help! I absolutely love this recipe and have made it numerous times, so I hope you are able to make it!
Cortney, did you find an answer to this question? I’m reducing the strawberries right now and just realized I have no sour cream or plain yogurt!
Hi Sally,
My 10-year-old son and I made this strawberry cake this weekend because he loves strawberries. As you can imagine, we tasted each step of it along the way and everthing was fantastic! Although the batter turned out a dingy brown (despite the red food coloring), the end product also tasted great. However, it was a bit too sweet for us (and our friends), even using the cream cheese frosting. If a recipe is too sweet, can you just cut down on the sugar (e.g., by half) or does the missing amount then somehow need to be compensated for (e.g., with more flour)?
Hi Meg, I’m so glad that you enjoyed it! The sugar is responsible for the moisture and texture of the cake as well as the flavor. You can try slightly reducing it but it may not be as moist. You can also add a bit more salt to cut the sweetness and perhaps try a Swiss Meringue Buttercream frosting instead.
THIS WAS EVERYTHING I HOPED FOR !!! I made this cake for my stepson and he LOVED IT. I had been eyeing this recipe for a while but I was a little Intimidated by it.. I did mess up beating the sugar and butter but it can only get better as I keep learning. I am beginner and it was a little overwhelming but it was totally worth it to see his little face thank you so much Sally
My strawberry puree did not reduce by much and definitely didn’t get as thick as your picture. I heated on medium low in a small saucepan for almost 40 minutes. Any idea what the problem might be? Should i heat longer?
Yes, depending on the berries and the heat of your stove they can take longer. Just keep going and they will eventually reduce!
Hi Sally!
Just started making the Strawberry cake for my wife’s birthday (today!!). Of course I missed the note about making the puree the day before. I’m in the process of reducing right now. Can I put it in the freezer to speed up the cooling or will that change the consistency?
Thanks!
Absolutely!
Quite moist and very delicious! I really was blown away by it!
My cakes did not rise at all. Tested my baking powder (it’s fine) and measured everything by weight. I did have to make the cake flower following your instructions (all stores are out due to the virus…) but I wouldn’t think that would matter? They have been in for 24 min and aren’t even done, still jiggly and flat. I also have an oven thermometer so I know the oven temp is ok too. I have never had this happen to me before. This was supposed to be my daughter’s birthday cake. I’m so disappointed 🙁