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This Strawberry Cake Recipe is simply delicious. With its fluffy cake layers, decadent strawberry frosting, and the delightful burst of strawberry flavor, it’s a dessert that captures the hearts and taste buds of many.
Quick Recipe Overview
WHAT: A from-scratch layer cake made with real freeze-dried strawberries for authentic flavor and gorgeous color.
WHY: Delivers intense strawberry taste without the moisture problems of fresh fruit while staying incredibly tender.
HOW: Blend freeze-dried berries into powder, mix into standard cake batter, bake in two layers, frost generously.
Table of Contents
- Quick Recipe Overview
- Why I Love Making Strawberry Cake
- Ingredient Notes
- Simple Strawberry Cake Recipe Recipe
- How To Make Strawberry Cake
- Substitutions & Variations
- FAQs for Simple Strawberry Cake Recipe
- My Best Tips for Making Strawberry Cake
- What to Serve With Strawberry Cake
- Storage & Reheating Tips
- More Cake Recipes To Try
Why I Love Making Strawberry Cake
This simple strawberry cake recipe is a crowd-pleaser for several reasons. First and foremost, the flavor is simply divine. The natural sweetness of ripe strawberries combined with the moist, tender cake creates a mouthwatering taste experience. Each bite is a symphony of flavors, making it the perfect dessert for any occasion, from birthdays to casual gatherings.
I love that baking allows you to express your creativity, experiment with flavors, and create personalized treats for your loved ones. It’s a skill that can bring joy to others and make you the star of any potluck or family gathering.
🩷 Melissa
This strawberry cake has become my favorite way to celebrate spring and summer gatherings. Unlike recipes that rely on artificial flavoring or cake mix, this one gets its gorgeous pink color and authentic strawberry taste from freeze-dried berries – a trick I learned after years of struggling with watery cake batters from fresh fruit.
Making a homemade strawberry cake is not only a culinary delight, but it’s also a fantastic skill to possess. Baking a cake from scratch allows you to control the quality of ingredients, experiment with flavors, and personalize the end result to suit your taste buds.
Plus, the satisfaction of presenting a beautifully decorated cake that you made yourself is unparalleled. So, let’s dive into the wonderful world of strawberry cake!
Ingredient Notes
Freeze-dried strawberries: The star of this recipe! Look for brands with no added sugar for the purest flavor and brightest color. You’ll find them in the snack aisle near dried fruit at most grocery stores.
Room temperature butter: Crucial for proper creaming with the sugar. Cold butter won’t incorporate air properly, resulting in a denser cake.
Room temperature eggs: These blend smoothly into the batter without curdling. Set them out 30 minutes before baking.
Room temperature milk: Like the eggs, this ensures even mixing and proper emulsification for a tender crumb.
Note: If your freeze-dried strawberries seem stale or have been open for a while, they can still work but may provide less vibrant color and slightly muted flavor.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Simple Strawberry Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 ⅔ cups granulated sugar
- 3 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup butter, room temperature
- 1 ¼ cup milk, room temperature
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 1 oz freeze-dried strawberries
- 1 recipe strawberry frosting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line 2, 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper and grease the sides well. Set aside.
- Process freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor or blender until they are a fine powder.1 oz freeze-dried strawberries
- Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in bowl, whisk to combine and then set aside.2 ½ cups all purpose flour, 3 ½ teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt
- In a large mixing bowl, using a hand mixer or your stand mixer, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.⅔ cup butter, 1 ⅔ cups granulated sugar
- Add eggs and mix well to combine.3 eggs
- Add ⅓ of the flour mixture and mix until incorporated.
- Add half of the milk and mix until incorporated.1 ¼ cup milk
- Add another third of the flour and mix.
- Add remaining milk and mix.1 ¼ cup milk
- Add remaining flour and mix until a smooth batter forms.
- Add powdered freeze-dried strawberries and mix to full combine.
- Divide the batter into prepared bans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the cake springs back lightly when touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Place the warm cakes on a cool wrack and let them rest for 10 minutes in the pan before removing from the pan.
- Cool completely before frosting with your favorite frosting. We used strawberry frosting and you can find that recipe here.1 recipe strawberry frosting
Notes
Nutrition
How To Make Strawberry Cake
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F, prepare two 8-inch pans with parchment and grease, then blend freeze-dried strawberries into fine powder.
Step 2: Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
Step 3: Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes), then add eggs and mix well.
Step 4: Add flour mixture and milk in alternating batches, starting and ending with flour, mixing just until combined after each addition.
Step 5: Fold in the powdered freeze-dried strawberries until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
Step 6: Divide batter between pans, bake 30-35 minutes until springy to touch, cool 10 minutes in pans, then completely on racks before frosting.
Substitutions & Variations
Dairy Alternatives
Use dairy-free milk (almond, oat) and vegan butter for a dairy-free version. Results are nearly identical.
Gluten-Free
Substitute with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. The texture will be slightly more delicate.
Flavor Twists
Add 1 teaspoon almond extract for a strawberry-almond cake, or fold in white chocolate chips for extra sweetness.
Different Berries
Try freeze-dried raspberries or blueberries using the same method for different flavors.
Single Layer
Bake in a 9×13 pan for 35-40 minutes for an easy sheet cake version.
FAQs for Simple Strawberry Cake Recipe
Nope, you aren’t using either for this recipe. The secret ingredient is freeze dried strawberries which have all the flavor and none of the moisture compared to fresh or frozen berries and are much easier to work with in baked goods!
While a classic strawberry frosting pairs beautifully with this cake, you can experiment with other frostings, such as cream cheese or vanilla buttercream, depending on your preference.
To prevent your cake from sticking to the pan, it’s important to properly prepare the pan. Grease the sides and bottom of the pan with butter or cooking spray, and then line the bottom with parchment paper. This combination helps the cake release easily from the pan once it’s baked and cooled.
My Best Tips for Making Strawberry Cake
☞Bring Ingredients To Room Temperature: This ensures even mixing and a tender crumb. Cold eggs and milk can cause the batter to curdle.
☞Don’t Overmix Once You Add Flour: Mix just until combined to avoid developing too much gluten, which makes cake tough.
☞Process Freeze-Dried Berries Into A Fine Powder: Larger pieces can create air pockets. Blend until completely powdered for even distribution.
☞Use Parchment Paper Circles In Your Pans: This guarantees your cakes release cleanly every time, even in older pans.
☞Let Cakes Cool Completely Before Frosting: Warm cake will melt your frosting and create a mess. Patience pays off here!
What to Serve With Strawberry Cake
This cake pairs beautifully with vanilla ice cream, fresh whipped cream, or a scoop of strawberry sorbet. For brunch gatherings, serve alongside fresh fruit salad and coffee. The cake is sweet enough to stand alone but also complements lemon curd, chocolate ganache, or cream cheese frosting between layers. Consider serving with champagne or sparkling lemonade for celebrations.
Storage & Reheating Tips
Room Temperature
Store unfrosted cake wrapped tightly for up to 2 days. Frosted cake can stay covered at room temperature for 2 days.
Refrigerator Storage
Keep frosted cake in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature 30 minutes before serving for best flavor.
Freezer Storage
Wrap unfrosted cake layers tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator.
Make Ahead
Bake cake layers up to 2 days in advance, wrap well, and refrigerate. Frost the day of serving for freshest results.
More Recipes to Try
- Strawberry Banana Smoothie: It’s high in fiber, rich in antioxidants and tastes great
- Fresh Strawberry Pie: It’s made with fresh or frozen strawberries, gelatin, sugar, whipped cream
- The Best Strawberry Shortcake: It takes a favorite dessert and turns it into a simple, sturdy cake
- Homemade Strawberry Lemonade: It’s a sweet and fruity refreshment for hot summer days
- 4 Ingredient Strawberry Frozen Yogurt (5 minute recipe!): It’s the perfect healthy dessert when you’re craving ice cream
More Cake Recipes To Try
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ review and share it on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!
hi i was wondering if there was something other then freeze-dried strawberries i could use? i cant find them anywhere in my nearby stores 🙁
Walmart has them and online, I probably would just try a different recipe if you don’t have them with ingredients you have.
Can you also link the strawberry frosting recipe please?
No problem, there it is Brittany! https://www.blessthismessplease.com/strawberry-frosting/
Can you make this in a sheet pan?
I think it might be too much batter for a sheet pan, I bet it would make closer to 1.5 or 2 sheet pans worth of batter.
Made this for my friends birthday 🎂 it was so good. Made your strawberry frosting as well – so good!
I just baked this cake for my sister, who wanted a strawberry cake with white icing for her 40th. I am loving the cake. I will get her review tomorrow. Is there a way I can share the cake when I finish decorating it tomorrow?
It baked a lot faster because I scooped some out for the personal cupcake, and I think the silicone pans I bought are wider than my cake pans, but the color is beautiful and I can’t wait for everyone to try.
Thank you for this easy recipe. I think next time I would just put a little less sugar.