Strawberry Cake

Fresh strawberry cake is the little black dress of summer desserts—everyone's gotta have a go-to. Featuring light and fluffy layers of strawberry sponge and a gorgeous pink cream cheese frosting, this simple but classy cake will take center stage at any and every summer celebration. It can be challenging to infuse a cake and frosting with big strawberry flavor without resorting to extract or strawberry-flavored Jell-O (which many recipes have!), but a combination of reduced strawberry puree and freeze-dried fruit ensure that both cake and frosting are packed with fresh (non-artificial) fruitiness without being weighed down by too much moisture. Here's everything you need to know.

What People Are Saying:
"This was absolutely my favorite cake ever. I love strawberries and don't like things too sweet. I also do not like cake. However, I enjoyed this cake more than I could ever imagine myself enjoying a cake. I'm going to definitely make this again! It's such a great summer cake!" - CyanMustache

How To Make Strawberry Cake

INGREDIENTS

• Freeze-Dried Strawberries: These are critical to getting concentrated strawberry flavor into the buttercream without additional moisture, which might cause it to curdle. Lately I’ve been able to find these at my local drug/convenience store, but they’re also available in many grocery stores as well as online.
• Fresh Strawberries: This cake gets its concentrated strawberry flavor from fresh strawberries which are blitzed to a puree and then cooked on the stove until reduced by half. You can also use thawed frozen strawberries, if that’s what you have—as long as they don’t contain added sugar. If you have store-bought puree that’s 100% strawberries (with no added sugar!), you could definitely use that as well.
• Flour & Cornstarch: All-purpose flour is best for this recipe. Adding a little cornstarch in with the flour lightens the cake and gives it a texture similar to a cake made with cake flour without the need to buy a specialty ingredient.
• Baking Powder: This is the cake’s primary leavener. Without it, you'll end up with a flat, dense cake.
• Kosher Salt: I tested this recipe with Diamond Crystal kosher salt, which is less salty by volume as opposed to Morton kosher or table salt. If you’re using either of these salts, I recommend using about half the amount called for in the recipe.
• Sugar: Granulated sugar is the sweetener of choice here, as its pure sweetness elevates the strawberry flavor without being distracting.
• Butter & Vegetable Oil: I decided to use two different fats here for a very specific reason. Butter brings that dairy richness and buttery flavor to the cake, while oil helps lock in moisture and prevents the cake from eating “dry” even when it is served cold from the refrigerator. For the best results, make sure both are at room temperature before creaming with the sugar.
• Egg Whites: Using egg whites (as opposed to whole eggs) helps to preserve the cake’s pretty pink color, as well as give it a light and airy texture.
• Milk: I tested this recipe with whole milk, but you could also substitute 2% or skim if that’s what you have.
• Confectioners’ Sugar: This is the key to a light and fluffy cream cheese buttercream. Unless you’re scooping it directly from a freshly-opened bag, sieving it is key.
• Cream Cheese: This is a traditional ingredient in a strawberry cake frosting. I love how the tang of the cream cheese cuts the richness of the buttercream.
• Heavy Cream: Adding a little heavy cream helps lighten the frosting so it whips and spreads more easily.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Start by blitzing the freeze-dried strawberries and making the strawberry puree. After turning the food processor off, wait at least 15 seconds before opening the lid so the strawberry dust can settle. Transfer the blitzed strawberries to a small container and set aside.

Add the hulled fresh strawberries to the food processor and process until completely smooth. Pour into a medium pan and set over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, and cook, stirring often, until the liquid has reduced by half (you should have about 1 cup). This should take 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of your pan and how vigorously the puree is bubbling. Once the puree has reduced, remove it from the heat and let cool completely.

When the puree is cooled, it’s time to make the cake. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 350°. Grease 2 (8") round baking pans with cooking spray. Use the bottom of one of the tins to trace and cut out two parchment paper circles, and place the parchment circles in the bottoms of both tins. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt until completely combined. Set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until they’re light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. The mixture should appear grainier than a typical “creamed” mixture, and that’s okay; it will smooth out as soon as the oil goes in. Add the oil and beat until combined, then add the egg whites one at a time, beating well and scraping down the bowl between each addition. Around the third egg white, you might start to notice the batter start to split; if this happens, add 1 Tbsp. dry ingredient mixture to the batter (this will help it come back together).

After the last egg white is incorporated, add half of the whisked dry ingredients and beat just until combined. Add the milk and reserved cooled puree and beat until combined, then add the remaining dry ingredients and beat just until no dry streaks remain. Be careful not to overbeat at this stage: you’ll end up with a tough cake.

Divide the batter between both of the prepared cake pans, smoothing the top to level the batter. Transfer to the oven and bake until springy to the touch and a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely in the pans before removing and setting aside.

Once the cakes are cooled, make the frosting. Set a sieve over a large bowl and add confectioners’ sugar and reserved freeze-dried strawberries. Use a flexible rubber spatula to push the confectioners’ sugar and blitzed freeze-dried strawberries through the sieve into the bowl, then set aside.

In the clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and salt until smooth and creamy. Add the cream cheese and beat just until combined. Be careful not to overbeat at this point: if you agitate the cream cheese too much it can split.

Add a third of the sifted strawberry confectioners’ sugar and beat on low speed until combined. Stop and scrape down the bowl, then repeat twice more until all the strawberry confectioners’ sugar is incorporated. Add heavy cream, raise the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy.

To assemble the cake, peel the parchment paper off the bottom of both cake layers. Select the flattest cake layer and use a serrated knife to cut off the very top of the cake. (In addition to leveling the cake, the exposed crumb will act as an anchor for the frosting, preventing it from peeling away from the cake layer.)

Place this bottom cake layer on the serving platter and spread 1 cup of the frosting on top. Add the second cake layer on top of it and frost the top.

Then use the remaining frosting to cover the sides of the cake. Refrigerate the cake until you’re ready to serve.

The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• Weigh your ingredients: For the best results, make sure to weigh all your ingredients (but especially the flour and cornstarch) using a kitchen scale. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, don’t fret. Your cake will still turn out delicious, but because baking is such a science, the closer you can get to exact measurements, the better your final product will be!
• Use frozen strawberries to make this cake year-round: If strawberries aren’t in season, I recommend buying and blitzing thawed frozen strawberries (which have been frozen at the peak of ripeness) as opposed to using unripe “fresh” berries.
• Save yourself some time by working ahead: You can make the strawberry puree up to 3 days before you want to make the cake. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator, but make sure to bring the puree to room temperature before using in the cake.
• Use a fresh bag of confectioners’ sugar: Confectioners’ sugar only clumps once it’s been exposed to moisture, so if you’re making frosting using a freshly opened bag, you don’t need to sift it!

Strawberry Cake Variations

If you love this cake and want to explore other strawberry cakes, you’ve come to the right place. We love a strawberry crunch cake, and have even made poke cake and cinnamon roll variations. If you can’t resist the classic combination of chocolate and strawberries, give our strawberry chocolate mousse cake or chocolate-covered strawberry Swiss roll cake a try. And don’t forget our classic strawberry pound cake!

Storage

Unfrosted cake layers can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 1 month. The frosting can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Once assembled, this cake should be stored in the refrigerator. Wrap loosely in plastic wrap and enjoy within 3 to 5 days.

Editor’s Note: This recipe was updated on May 9, 2025 to address your feedback.