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
Hi,
I’ve made this cake 4 years ago and everyone one raved about it. It was honestly the best cake I’ve ever tasted.
I’m making it again this year and ordered pre- ground freeze dried strawberries. Should I still
Measure out 25g of the powder?
Hi Candice, yes, you’ll want about 1/2 cup or 25g of the powder. Hope it’s a hit!
Hi Sally. I LOVE all your recipes and cookbooks, thank you! Question? If I half this recipe, can I use 3 6″ cake rounds? Thanks in advance.
Hi Christy, For a 3 layer, 6 inch cake, you can use the batter from these strawberry cupcakes and use the baking instructions for 6 inch cakes. Enjoy!
This was a lot of time and work and there wasn’t a strong strawberry taste. I recommend using red food coloring because I didn’t and it was a yellow color.
Hey Sally I would like to pipe a white border on the bottom and top of the cake with just plain cream cheese frosting and then frost the cake with the strawberry. How much frosting should I leave out before adding the strawberry and will it be enough?
If I need white icing for this cake but want it so complement the flavour of the cake would I just do a simple vanilla buttercream or what else could I put into it to bring out the strawberry flavour in the cake
Hi Brandi, if you wanted, you could still frost between the layers with the strawberry frosting but do a regular cream cheese frosting on the outsides. You could also use a strawberry cake filling (like the filling from these strawberry shortcake cupcakes) for more strawberry flavor. Here is more on how to fill cakes, too. We hope the cake is a hit!
I am just curious if I could use some strawberry jam I made in place of the strawberry puree reduction in the cake? Thank you.
Hi Patricia, no, the strawberry puree reduction is key for this recipe. We don’t recommend swapping with jam. Hope you enjoy the cake!
Se ve muy buena, la voy a preparar
Best strawberry recipe I’ve used!
I like to used some strawberry extract along with vanilla to make the flavor pop, andd alos zest some lime or orange in while making the strawberry puree to enhance flavor
Thank you for this recipe, as someone who bakes a lot this is my go to website for cakes.
Hello, I want to try making one layer of strawberry cake and one layer of chocolate cake with strawberry filling in between. How can I adjust the recipe measurements so I only get enough batter for one layer of each cake.
Hi Lois, you can halve this recipe for 1, 9-inch round layer.
This recipe is one of my all-time favorites to make!
I had a question about the frosting: do you think that it could be used in other recipes such as on top of sugar cookies?
Hi Carmen, so glad you love this cake recipe. We would use our strawberry buttercream (very similar, but a little sturdier) on top of sugar cookies – yum!
Love love love this strawberry cake. Would it be just as delish if I subbed pumpkin puree in the cake and freeze dried pumpkin in the frosting? Thanks so much.
Hi Jane, we would use our pumpkin cake recipe for the cake instead – see Notes after the recipe for layer cake instructions.
I was hoping to make this in a rectangular tin? Would this still work?
Hi Bel, see recipe Notes for baking in a 9×13-inch pan: 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. Enjoy!
I made this strawberry cake. It is delicious and moist, but instead of fluffy it is dense. What did I do wrong? Thank you.
Hi Dawn, happy to help troubleshoot. A dense cake can be caused by many factors; the most likely culprits are over-mixing the batter, over-baking (which would also make the cake dry), or over-measuring the flour. When you over-mix, the gluten in the flour develops too much, creating a tough, rubbery texture instead of the light and airy one you want in a cake. You can check out this post on preventing a dry or dense cake for next time if you decide to give it another go. Thank you again for giving it a try and let us know if we can help troubleshoot further!
Hello! We only have a semi powerful hand mixer and not a fancy kitchen aid machine. Can we still use that ?
Hi Ethan, you can definitely use a handheld mixer to make this cake, no problem!
I would just like to thank you for your recipe ❤️ I’m a home baker that sells cake from home as a small income for my family of 8 & this flavor has been a big hit the last few weeks I’ve been trialling it so thank you all the way from New Zealand
What if I don’t have cake flour?
You can make your own cake flour substitute! See Notes after the rice for details.
How can I increase the recipe to use it for 3, 9 inch sandwich tins (like you vanilla cake) please? I’d like to make this for my granddaughters birthday cake.
Hi Jane, For a 3 layer cake, you can make 1.5x the batter to evenly distribute across your 3 pans. Enjoy!
Even my non-cake eating family members said this cake was really good! And, the cake lovers were eating it for breakfast and for dessert, they loved it so much. Now, in my world, that’s saying something! I did have a little trouble with the amount of reduced puree. Like another commenter, I too had almost double the amount of strawberry puree from 1 pound. I was very thankful that the recipe included weight in grams so I could use the correct amount. I did not use food coloring and the cake was beige with strawberry flecks. It had a coarse, grainier texture but stood up well to the absolutely amazing frosting. This frosting remains perfectly soft even though the cake is refrigerated. Friends, this recipe is a keeper and I’m so excited to make it again.
Hi I’m planning on making this for my daughter I wanted to make a smaller taller cake so I was going to use 3 6 x 2 cakes will this amount of batter work for that ?
Thank you
Hi Leana, For a 3 layer, 6 inch cake, you can use the batter from these strawberry cupcakes and use the baking instructions for 6 inch cakes. Enjoy!
Can I use unsweetend frozen strawberries, when the fresh strawberry season is past? I just bought the last tub of fresh strawberries & used them in a salad….Ugh.
Hi Syrie, you can use frozen strawberries, but they will take longer to reduce even if you thaw them first.
Hi Sally, can I use frozen strawberries for the strawberry puree?
Hi Lili, you can use fresh or frozen strawberries to make the puree for the cake. You’ll need freeze dried strawberries for the frosting.
Hi, This sounds delicious. I want to make a three tiered cake with 4 inch spring form pans. Can you please tell me how long to cook them and whether the recipe will make sufficient? Many thanks.
Hi Angie! Here is everything you need to know about converting recipes to different Cake Pan Sizes. We’re unsure of the bake time needed for 4 layer cakes. Our strawberry cupcakes batter may be much closer to the amount of batter you’ll need.
Hi Sally,
How long and what temperature would I bake them as cupcakes?
Also would the icing in the recipe be enough to lightly cover 30 of them?
Hi! Thanks for the recipe! I have the strawberry puree right now simmering and very confused ~ recipe says to start with 450g of hulled, fresh strawberries and then puree. But I just noticed it says you should have 270g of fresh puree before simmering? Where does the other 180g of strawberry puree go and why does the weight change ? Pls help
Hi Nais, we started with 1 pound (454g) of fresh strawberries, then hulled them and pureed them, and the weight decreased to about 270g. Most of that was due to hulling the berries.
Ahh I misunderstood and had the whole amount hulled before weighing. I reduced down the leftover puree and made a thin jammy layer
Thanks !
Have you ever tried making this cake with a different fruit at center stage? Like you, I adore strawberries but my first cousin’s birthday is coming up and she is allergic to strawberries. My family adapted to other fruits and it seems like we always end up doing something with raspberries. I have a devine raspberry angel food cake recipe. How my whole family is hung up on raspberries instead of strawberries (sorry strawberries, I love you but some people just don’t get along with you). Everyone always ask me for the frosting recipe. Have you ever tried your strawberry cake with raspberries instead? I am going to try your recipe with raspberries on Sunday when I make her cake. Do you have any pointers you can share? Thank you Sally, you have knock-out recipes! They are great!
Hi Marianne, this method and recipe should work well with raspberries – you may even be able to find freeze-dried raspberries for the frosting!
I made this lovely strawberry cake for my daughter’s 6th birthday. She and everyone at the party loved it. The real strawberry flavor was bursting through in every bite. I opted for 8″ round cake pans because I like thick layers of cake. The cake was moist and velvety and the cream cheese frosting was sweet and tangy. Thank you, Sally!
This was really good. Lots of compliments. I had to bake longer than stated and then it was slightly dry on the edges. I didn’t use the food coloring and wish I had. The color was like wheat bread once baked and was a little off putting.
Good day. As I scroll through all the tasty recipes, i have been so impressed by all how lovely and so good they all look. I love to bless family and friends by my own baking and hopefully use yours as well. Thank you for sharing yours.
I absolutely love this cake and have made it for my kids’ birthdays in the past. My question is, if I plan to make two 9×13 cakes, does that change how much frosting I need? Should I just double the frosting recipe?
Hi Sarah! You’ll need less frosting for a sheet cake – 1.5x this amount may be just fine, but we’re not completely sure. So glad you love this cake.
the flavor of this cake is good, but as with some of the other comments – this is a very dense cake. it’s not light and fluffy. i honestly wish i had gone with a different recipe.
I followed this recipe exactly and I would not change a thing.
I was looking for a different cake. My family always ask for chocolate cake. This was a great cake. Everyone liked it.
Fabulous cake!
We’re so happy you loved this cake, Valerie!
I’m making this right now, and after 24 minutes the cakes are still very wet and wobbly in the middle….! Lets see how long this takes and how it turns out – fingers crossed!