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.
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.
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, rinsed and hulled
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: In a blender or food processor, puree the fresh strawberries. You should have a little more than 1 cup (about 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 made this for my daughters 2nd birthday! I had to give away the remaining pieces so I wouldn’t overindulge! The only thing, mine was more brown than pink. But the flavor was delicious and I loved that it baked perfectly round and flat and held up amazingly!
Sally, could I use a raspberry puree in this cake instead of strawberries (still reducing the raspberry puree down, I’m assuming)? I really love raspberry and would love to make a pure raspberry cake! And what would you suggest I do for the frosting? Would the frosting from your lemon cupcakes with raspberry frosting work? And should I double or 1.5x the recipe to get enough to frost this entire cake? Thanks!
Raspberry puree works like a charm in this recipe! Substitute the same amount for the strawberry puree and reduce it down. You can buy freeze-dried raspberries! I know they are readily available in most grocery stores these days. Or 1.5x the raspberry frosting recipe. Let me know how it turns out!
This is my husband’s FAVORITE cake! Thank you sooooo much for this recipe. It came out perfect thanks to your wonderful detailed instructions!
hello! I’m on the hunt for a good strawberry cake recipe for my sister’s baby shower and found this one. I would like to add some lemon zest to the batter or a lemon simple syrup on top before I ice the cake with cream cheese icing. I have already tried to convince my sister to no avail that lemon curd would be delicious inside. Would adding lemon zest or simple syrup derail your recipe? Also would lemon juice ruin a cream cheese icing? Thanks.
Not in the slightest! Some readers have added up to 2 Tablespoons of lemon zest and 1 Tbsp of lemon juice without changing anything else in the recipe. Lemon cream cheese frosting is delicious and I have a recipe you can use right here. This amount would be perfect for the strawberry cake.
Hi Sally, I’m making this cake for my daughters first birthday this weekend! Do you have a suggested baking time for 2 6” round pans? Thanks so much!
Hi Jessica! So sweet. 🙂 There’s too much batter for 2 6-inch cake pans, but if you use my strawberry cupcake recipe instead– that amount of batter is perfect for THREE 6-inch cake pans. Or only use 2 6-inch cake pans and use the extra batter for a couple cupcakes on the side. 🙂
Hi Sally! I’m obsessed with this recipe. I’m obsessed with your cake pop recipes as well. I was wondering if you think making cake pops from this recipe would work well if I got the ratio of sponge to frosting right? Thanks 🙂
Hi Amanda, YES! Strawberry cake pops would be delicious!
I followed this recipe exactly as written and although it was a little more work I loved making it and the house smelled fantastic for the rest of the day from reducing the strawberries. For my family we felt the frosting was just a tad too overpowering in strawberry flavor, I was looking for something a bit sweeter, but that’s just personal preference; and next time I’ll half the freeze dried crumbs for my frosting to see if that helps but other than that I LOVED how much strawberry flavor came out of this cake without using any liquid flavorings. I will definitely be making this cake again!
This is the BEST strawberry cake I have ever made. I made it maybe 5 times this last year when strawberry’s were in season. Its a favorite at our house.
I made this cake & it is the BOMB! Everyone loved it! I have NEVER made any of your dishes that no one disliked! I have your baking cook book & I LOVE how you don’t have large portions otherwise I’d be big as a house LOL. Thank you for making cooking fun AND easy!
This is one of my favourite recipes, and I have made it several times. My only problem is finding freeze-dried strawberries here in Saskatchewan, Canada. I have harvested them from cereal and recently found some at Cabela’s, but on a recent trip to the US I stocked up on them. I’m looking forward to many more of these delicious cakes!
Hi Sally
Cannot wait to make this!..
Wanted to ask you would your Best strawberry frosting be good for this cake?
I am not a fan of cream cheese
Thanks so much
Michele
Absolutely! You will need 1.5x the recipe to make sure there is enough strawberry frosting.
I stumbled on to your blog and it was like god sent me an angel. It was a 2 day process but this was the best strawberry cake we have ever had. When I say we. I mean my family and our pup. I set the cakes to cool and forgot she wasn’t in her crate. I came back to half of the pan. I was distraught. As my daughter dried my tear she says I can’t be mad at the dog. She’s a foodie like the rest of us. I would not change anything about this recipe although next time I may try it with jam.
Sally, my husband asked for a strawberry cake for his birthday. He and my daughter love strawberry cake and we have always purchased them in the past. Because we have been trying to eat super clean lately and remove all the processed food from our diet, I set out to make a strawberry cake from scratch. Most of the cakes used a cake mix or at the very least, strawberry gelatin. Yuck. I finally found your recipe and followed it perfectly and it was FABULOUS!!!’ Everyone asked for seconds and my husband is still talking about how amazing it was. Thanks for helping me make their birthday cake so special!
This cake was FABULOUS! My 6 year old requested a strawberry cake this year for her birthday and it took quite some time to find a recipe that didn’t include artificial colors/flavorings. This cake is IT. Flavor was amazing, color was beautiful – the frosting was a light pink and SO flavorful. Love it. It’s going in the family cookbook. Thank you!
High altitude modifications. Add an extra egg, reduce baking soda by 1/4 tsp. I would reduce the sugar to 1 1/4 cups. I live at 7,000 feet and sugar concentrates at altitude so you can reduce it. I usually reduce 1/4 cup per cup. You could reduce the baking powder a little but I’m not sure that’s necessary. Sometimes you have to play with it a little.
I made the strawberry cake into cupcakes. It made 32 cupcakes. I reduced the baking time to 17 minutes. This is a fabulous recipe that I will be making over and over again. The flavor is phenomenal and the texture of the cake is light. This recipe is worth the effort.
I made this recipe into cupcakes and it’s amazing! Thank you for your great tips of using reduced purée and freeze dried strawberries in the frosting. It’s tangy and delicious!
I made this cake for my daughter’s birthday and it was incredible!!! I was amazed at how deeply the reduced strawberry purée and powdered freeze-dried strawberries flavored the cake. Absolutely loved this recipe and am thrilled to have an all-natural go-to version of this favorite dessert!
Hi Jennie! You can certainly try it, though I do not recommend replacing any flour with freeze dried strawberry powder. Think of it more as a flavor and less as a dry ingredient. Let me know what you test!
Hi Christina! Though I personally haven’t, a few readers have tried this recipe with reduced raspberry puree– with success! Definitely strain the seeds.