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 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.
Puree 1 pound of ruby red strawberries. You’ll need a food processor or blender for this step, 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 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. They’re the same strawberries you use in strawberry and cream cookies.
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!
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!
PrintHomemade Strawberry Cake
- Prep Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 6 hours
- 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 to the best white cake batter.
Ingredients
Strawberry Puree
- 1 pound (454g) fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled
Cake
- 2 and 1/2 cups (285g) 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 (75g) sour cream or plain yogurt, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk, at room temperature*
- 1/2 cup reduced strawberry puree (see 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
- 1–2 Tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Make the reduced strawberry puree first, and let cool: Puree 1 pound of rinsed and hulled strawberries. You should have a little over 1 cup. Stirring occasionally, simmer the puree over medium-low heat until you’re left with 1/2 cup or slightly more (you need 1/2 cup for the cake). This takes at least 25–35 minutes, but could take longer depending on your pan or how juicy your strawberries were. Allow to cool completely before using in cake batter. I always make the reduced puree the day before so it has plenty of time to cool down. I cover and place in the refrigerator overnight. Allow it to come back to room temperature before adding to the cake batter. (See Notes for further make-ahead instructions.)
- Preheat 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: Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamed, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. Beat in the egg whites on high speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Then beat in the sour cream and vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients until just incorporated. With the mixer still running on low, slowly pour in the milk *just* until combined. Do not overmix. Whisk in 1/2 cup of room-temperature reduced strawberry puree, making sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick. Stir in food coloring, if desired. (I use 1 small drop of pink gel food coloring.)
- Pour batter evenly into cake pans. Bake for around 24–25 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it is done. Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.
- Make the frosting: Using a blender or food processor, process the freeze-dried strawberries into a powdery crumb. You should have around 1/2 cup crumbs. Set aside. In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese for 1 minute on high speed until completely smooth and creamy. Beat in the butter until combined. Add the confectioners’ sugar, strawberry powder, 1 Tablespoon milk, and vanilla and beat on medium-high speed until combined and creamy. Add 1 more Tablespoon of milk to slightly thin out, if desired. Taste, then add a pinch of salt if needed. Yields about 3 cups of frosting.
- Assemble and frost: First, 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. Evenly cover the top with frosting. Top with 2nd layer and spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides. Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes before slicing. This helps the cake keep its shape when cutting—it could slightly fall apart without time in the fridge.
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for 5 days.
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 (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.
This is the *best* cake I’ve ever made! I adapted it a little to make it gluten free for my birthday, and it turned out amazing. I used to love strawberry cake from a box as a kid, and it’s been hard to find a from-scratch version with enough strawberry flavor so I can make it gluten free. This cake is tender and has a great strawberry flavor, but the icing is to die for and really pulls it together. Thanks so much for the recipe!!
Hi Sally! I made this cake yesterday for my husbands birthday. Every year he wanted a black forest cake. This year, I decided to do something different and came across this strawberry cake. I asked him how he felt and he was borderline about it. After he tasted this cake, he was surprised. He really enjoyed it, as did I.
I made this cake for my daughter’s 16 birthday, and it was a hit with her and her friends!. The cake itself turned out fluffy and moist and held its shape great. The frosting was delicious and plenty for decorating the cake. It has quickly become a favorite. Thanks Sally!
best strawberry cake I’ve had!
Extremely delicious- everyone loved flavour. I was unsure whether cake would taste ok as seemed a bit flat but it tasted great. Before I cut it I said “enjoy because unless this is awesome I will never make it again” because it was so time consuming. Unfortunately they ALL said it was awesome.
Made this cake for my boyfriends birthday (strawberry cake is his fav) and he LOVED it. Perfect consistency and the pink from the strawberries was to die for! 10/10 recommend to everyone!
My daughter asked me to make a strawberry cake for our Christmas dinner, so I began scouring the internet to find a recipe that was completely homemade. Yours sounded perfect. I gathered all the ingredients and followed the directions exactly. The frosting, with the freeze-dried strawberries was beautiful and the best I’ve ever tasted! My cake? Not so much. The batter looked as pictured, but the layers didn’t rise much and didn’t have that fresh strawberry flavor I expected. All ingredients used were fresh and/or well within expiration dates (baking powder, milk, etc.). My reduced strawberries turned out great, but took longer than noted in directions to reduce to half. I baked the layers for 24 minutes only, but they looked tan, not pink. What went wrong? Frosting- 5 stars, cake 0 stars.
Hi Sally!
I have always made a strawberry cake from the box every year for my birthday but decided it was time to do something from scratch since that’s how I’ve started to do everything these days. Made this the other day and the cake itself is fantastic – light, fluffy, great texture, moist. My husband and I loved it. The only sad thing was that it didn’t have much of a strawberry taste. I reduced the strawberries and even added maybe a little more than you suggested into the cake (it was a very thick consistency…I wonder maybe too thick?). I also prefer chocolate icing on my strawberry cakes, so I made a chocolate buttercream but I think it just ended up overpowering the cake and being too heavy. So my question…(it doesn’t sound like others have had this issue so maybe I’m so used to my artificial box cake I can’t get that taste out of my head) If I were to increase the amount of strawberries in the cake, what other ingredients would I need to increase to offset the puree? Flour? I’m just now getting into the whole science of baking so I’m not sure. Trying to avoid strawberry extract. Maybe my strawberry reduction was too thick?
Thank you thank you!!!
Hi Emma, 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. I recommend using the frosting in between the layers if you want to use chocolate on the outside, or vice versa. Also remember the sweeter your berries start out the better the flavor will be in the cake (this time of year where I live good berries are hard to find!).
Hi Sally, I made this for my daughter’s 6th birthday party. Everyone who tried them loved them and some were taken home for spouses to try. Thanks for the recipe. I think it was the icing that was the biggest hit. The freeze-dried fruit dust was ingenious! It tasted much better than adding jam to the icing and kept up the consistency the same just as if I added a little more powdered sugar.
I make a lot of cakes and this is one of the best cakes I’ve ever had. I’ve tried other strawberry cake recipes and nothing comes close. The strawberry powder in the frosting is genius!
Hi! Do we need 1/2 cup or 1 cup of freeze dried strawberries for frosting?
1 cup grinds down into about 1/2 cup of the powder. 🙂
Dear Sally,
I am not a baker and yesterday my son came home with strawberries and asked me to bake a strawberry cake. I tried your recipe and it turned out great. Thanks for this great recipe, it made me look like a star 🙂
Baked this for a dinner party with great success! Kicking myself because I forgot to take a photo before it was devoured. Just a note for Australian bakers, freeze dried strawberries are called strawberry chips (found at Woolworths). Thanks for a faultless recipe
HOLY COW! Best strawberry cake EVERRRRRRR! If you are thinking about making this cake go ahead. You will not be disappointed!
Hi Sally,
I have an important question! Does this recipe call for sweetened or unsweetened freeze-dried strawberries when preparing the frosting? I have my 2 layers of cake baked and ready for the next step but am afraid to proceed without knowing the answer. I purchased sweetened freeze-dried strawberries but I am afraid they will make the frosting overly sweet. Your recommendation will be greatly appreciated.
Hi! Make sure you’re using freeze-dried strawberries, not dried (gummy-textured) strawberries. Freeze-dried strawberries are simply strawberries and should have no sweetener on them.
I want to make this cake with a finish closer to buttercream but I don’t want to stray too much from the original recipe. I’ve seen your recommendation to use the cream cheese frosting as the center layer. Do you think I can smooth the cream cheese frosting enough on the outside to add some flourishes, such as edible lace? If I used the white chocolate frosting from the strawberry cupcakes or a traditional buttercream would I get the same flavor?
Hi Katie, you won’t get the same flavor unless there is cream cheese in the frosting somehow– or unless you fill the cake with cream cheese frosting, which is a great idea if you want to stick to traditional buttercream on the outside of the cake (for making intricate piping/designs).
i have been asked to help make strawberry cupcakes for a wedding in a few weeks. I am a bit skeptical about the flavor of fresh strawberries in November. Can I use frozen strawberries instead? They want white frosting so I won’t be doing the strawberry frosting.
Hi Janis, You can try frozen strawberries but they will take a lot longer to reduce since they contain more water. You can also add a bit of strawberry extract to the batter for more flavor since you won’t be using the frosting – or use the strawberry frosting between layers and white frosting on the outside!
Hi Sally, do you think this would work using blueberries for a blueberry flavour cake?
Hi Catherine, some readers have tried this recipe with blueberries with great results. Use freeze-dried blueberries for the frosting, too.
I love this cake! It was so easy to make, and the frosting has such a lovely, natural strawberry flavor! I’m interested in making it again with some of the fruits other people mentioned here, like kiwi!
I didn’t have fresh berries, and they’re not in season here so the ones in stores are not good, so I used frozen. They did take longer to cook down, but other than that, the cake is still delicious!
Love it! The frosting makes it extra good!
Followed the recipe exactly. So easy to follow and the cake tasted absolutely amazing.
Hi Sally, I ran into your blog and I loved it. I was looking for how to use frozen strawberries in a regular vainilla cake. I read the trick about reducing the liquid and use the concentrated puree!. You also mentioned that you reduce the amount of liquid ingredients (of your vainilla cake) to make room for the puree, but how do I do this?. If I use for example 1 cup of milk, should I reduce it to just 1/2 cup and complete with 1/2 cup of the puree?. Thanks!
Hi Carol! The recipe as written is my tested recipe where I reduced the ingredients down to make room for the puree. 🙂 I adjusted the milk and sour cream.
I can’t say enough about this cake. It.Was.Perfect. It was so incredibly delicious, I was blown away from the praise I received after my family tasted it. Thank so much for sharing this recipe. I am looking forward to trying more of your recipes! But, maybe the strawberry cake, again. Because.
Hi Sally, it turned out nice and moist and fluffy, was very happy with it.
My boyfriend’s youngest son turned 8 today. He loves strawberry so I decided to give your recipe a whirl. It was a huge hit!! Everyone loved it. Thank you! I’m a new fan .
This recipe is terrific, everyone loved it. I have also made it and layered it with a lemon cake. This recipe is definitely a keeper:) I am making it again for a baby shower and also want to make a kiwi cake to go with it. Do you think I could use the same recipe, but with kiwi? I don’t have time to try it out, I was just asked today to make the cake for Friday.
I bet this was so good layered with lemon! I haven’t tried baking with Kiwi but let me know if you try it.
Can u make this cake with splenda. What are the total carbs in one made with splenda. Have entire family of diabetics
I’ve made this recipe before and it was fantastic! Nephew requested it for his birthday but we’ll need a 12 x 18 sheet cake for his party, I saw the directions for a 9 x 13… So for a 12 x 18 would I just double or 1.5 the recipe? Thank you!
I have not tried making a half sheet cake out of this recipe. The truth is that the pan capacity for a half sheet pan is probably somewhere between 1.5 and double this recipe. I usually caution against doubling cake recipes and it’s too much batter for most mixers to work with and we run the risk of over or under mixing the batter resulting in a dense cake. If you do double it (or make it twice and combine them) and have leftover batter you can use it to make some extra cupcakes!
This turned out amazing! I made this using two deep 7inch pans to make four layers. I also loved your idea of using freeze-dried strawberries in the frosting, which I added to my usual buttercream recipe as I didn’t have cream cheese on hand. Thank you for sharing!
Hi,
I just made this cake and it was delicious- especially the icing-but my cake didn’t have a strong strawberry flavor. Could I have reduced the strawberries too much? I added 1/2 cup.
Hi Abby, 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! Also try tasting your berries before you puree them – the more flavor in the fruit the more flavor in your cake 🙂 If you want a stronger flavor in the cake itself, you can add a very small amount of strawberry extract.
Daughter requested strawberry cake for her 16th birthday. All the reasons Sally identified for coming up with this recipe are the same ones that made me choose it. So wonderful!! As a number of others have stated, my strawberry purée started at much more than 1 cup and took a little longer to 1/2 in size. Color a little lighter, but flavor…incredible. Can’t go wrong with this recipe.