Strawberry Cake
This homemade Strawberry Cake is truly fantastic, bursting with fresh strawberry flavor in every bite. As someone who has written a cheesecake book, baked countless cakes for both my blog and bakery experience, I’ve tested and refined this recipe to make sure it stands out among classic cake recipes. The fluffy cake layers are made with real strawberries, filled with sweet strawberry jam, and frosted with a tangy Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting that balances the richness beautifully.
What makes this strawberry layer cake so special is the way the flavors come together — light, fruity, and refreshing while still feeling indulgent. It’s the kind of dessert that not only looks stunning with its soft pink crumb and fresh strawberry decorations, but also tastes even better than it looks. This is the perfect cake to bring to a birthday celebration, spring gathering, or any time you want to impress with a show-stopping homemade treat.
I made this cake a total of 3 times to get it perfect, exactly the way I wanted it to be. The cake layers are fluffy and light, the Strawberry Jam is sweet and rich, and the Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting is tangy, creamy, and impossible to resist.
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When I test recipes, I always make sure they will turn out their best so I can share them with you.
The cake is made with real strawberries, and you will be able to taste the burst of fruity goodness in every bite of this dessert.
Overall, this has been one of my favorite cakes I baked lately! This cake is so worth it. It has a lot of steps, but can be made simpler if you use store-bought jam.
Strawberry Cake Recipe
I will show you step-by-step how to make this delightful Strawberry Cake. Here you will find the detailed instructions alongside images, and on the bottom of the page you can see the key ingredients list.
The first thing you want to do before starting this cake, is to make the strawberry reduction, which will be used in the cake batter and also in the frosting.
Strawberry Puree
Place the strawberries in a blender, and blend until it becomes a fresh strawberry puree.
Pour the puree in a saucepan, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it reduces to 3/4 cup.
Pour the reduced strawberry puree in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface, so a skin doesn’t form.
Let the puree cool down.
You will use 1/2 cup for the cake batter, and the remaining 1/4 cup for the frosting.
When you reduce the strawberries, the flavor becomes super concentrated and it’s going to make the taste of strawberry present in every layer of this cake.
Strawberry Cake Batter
To make the Strawberry Cake Batter, mix the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
Beat the softened butter with a mixer on medium speed to low speed for 30 seconds. Add the sugar and the oil and beat for another minute or two, until the batter is fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until completely incorporated before adding the next egg. Along with the final egg, you can add the vanilla extract.
Add the sour cream, and the reduced and cooled down 1/2 cup of strawberry puree, mix to combine.
At this point you can add a couple of drops of red or pink food coloring to the batter, if desired.
The batter’s color will fade as the cake bakes, and it will turn more orange/brownish, so if you want the cake to remain pink, you have to add a bit of food coloring, but it’s totally optional.
Pour half of the buttermilk in the bowl. Mix to combine.
Add half of the flour mixture to the bowl, stir until incorporated.
Pour the rest of the buttermilk and mix. Finish by adding the remaining flour. Mix on low to combine. You can finish stirring with a spatula, to avoid over mixing the cake batter.
Baking
Line 3, 8″ pans with parchment paper and grease. Divide the batter between the three prepared cake pans evenly.
Bake the prepared pans in the oven for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes off clean when inserted in the cake.
Let the cakes cool down for about 10 minutes, then flip onto a wire rack, or tray to cool down completely before assembling the cake.
If you aren’t assembling the cake on the same day, wrap the layers individually with plastic, and place them in the freezer. It’s better to keep the cake in the freezer instead of the fridge, because as my friend Kristin taught me, the fridge will dry out the cake layers, whereas their moisture will be better preserved if you freeze them.
Strawberry Jam
You can make the Strawberry Jam even as the cake bakes. Or a few days ahead. It will keep well in the fridge for a week, or even longer.
And it’s ok to use store-bought jam if you don’t want to make your own jam.
Place the strawberries, lemon juice, and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, keep the heat at medium-low. Stir occasionally and let them jam cook until it becomes thick and darkened in color, and the berries are falling apart, it can take about 30 minutes or more to reach this stage. If you take the temperature with a thermometer it should be between 200 and 220ºF.
If you don’t have a thermometer just cook until the jam is very thick and reduced.
Pour the jam in a medium bowl, let it cool down completely. Cover and place it in the fridge.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
To make the Strawberry Frosting, beat the butter for 30 seconds with the paddle attachment if using the bowl of stand mixer, or you can use a hand mixer instead.
Add the cream cheese and beat for another 30 seconds.
The reason we don’t add the cream cheese immediately is that over beating cream cheese can cause it to become watery, which will make the frosting too runny.
Add half of the powdered sugar and mix on low to combine, then raise the speed to medium-high and beat until creamy for 30 to 60 seconds.
Add the strawberry puree, mix on low. Then add the remaining powdered sugar and mix on low to combine.
Raise the speed to medium high and beat until the frosting is creamy.
If the frosting is too runny, add a bit more powdered sugar a little at a time until the desired consistency is achieved.
To assemble
To assemble the cake, start by placing a cake layer on a cake plate or turntable. Spread a thin layer of strawberry buttercream on the cake.
Place a bit of frosting in a piping bag lined with a large round tip.
Pipe a ring of frosting around the edges of the cake.
Fill the center with a layer of jam. Top with another cake layer.
Repeat this process by spreading a layer of frosting on the cake, then piping a ring of frosting around the edges. Fill the center with jam. It’s important to not over fill the cake, or it will spill through the cake as you’re trying to ice it.
Stack another cake layer on top.
Crumb Coating
Cover the cake with a thin layer of frosting. Use an offset spatula to smooth out the cake on top, and use a bench scraper to smooth out the sides of the cake.
This thin layer of frosting will seal the crumbs in the cake, which will prevent the final coating of frosting from having any visible crumbs throughout.
Another reason why I like to crumb coat my cakes is that it makes it much easier to get the final frosting layer to be very thick and smooth. Specially when decorating and stacking a cake with such a wet filling as our strawberry jam, and a soft frosting like the cream cheese based one we are using, crumb coating can be very helpful.
After you are done spreading this thin layer of frosting around the cake, place the cake in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes until the frosting sets.
While the cake is in the fridge, prepare the strawberries. Slice them in half lengthwise and place them facing down on a paper towel lined plate or tray, to drain the strawberries of any excess water.
Frosting and decorating
Remove the cake from the fridge and spread a thick layer of frosting on the sides and on top of the cake.
Place the cake scraper on the side of the cake, and spin the turntable around as you keep the cake scraper steady, to remove any excess frosting and smooth out the sides of the cake.
Swipe the offset spatula at an angle, coming towards you, to smooth out the edges of the cake on top.
Place the strawberries all over the cake. Slice and serve.
Cake tips
Here are some tips for making this easy strawberry cake recipe:
- When making the strawberry puree, make sure it’s reduced to 3/4 cup and reserve 1/2 for the cake batter, and 1/4 for the frosting. The puree can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days and has such a nice real strawberry flavor.
- Make sure the buttermilk, sour cream, and eggs are at room temperature. Just remove them from the fridge about 20 or 30 minutes before you have to use them in the recipe.
- The butter and cream cheese should also be at room temperature, about 72ºF.
- Spray the round cake pans with oil, place a round of parchment paper on the bottom, and lightly spray the parchment. I like this way of preparing my cake pans the most.
- Don’t over mix the batter once you add the flour ingredients in, because that can make the cake dry.
- Over baking can also cause the cake to become dry. Bake just until a toothpick comes off clean when inserted in the cake. If using a convection oven, use 325ºF instead of 350ºF.
- If not assembling the cake on the same day, wrap it tightly with plastic and place it in the freezer instead of the fridge. Remove the cake layers from the freezer 10 minutes before it’s time to frost the cake.
- Don’t over beat the frosting once you add the cream cheese in, that can make the frosting runny.
- The jam can be made up to a week ahead, as it keeps super well in the fridge.
Why you will love this Strawberry Cake
The combination of the moist crumbs of this perfect strawberry flavored cake, the delicious strawberry jam filling, and luscious frosting, is the perfect balance of texture, flavors, and exude decadence in fruity goodness in every bite. The strawberry flavors are bold, and this dessert will be perfect for any strawberry lovers!
This cake is perfect to be served for Mother’s Day, Easter, any Spring or Summer events. You can enjoy this cake at a family gathering, or make it for someone you love.
Even though there are a lot of steps to this recipe, they are fairly simple, and you can make several parts of this cake with days in advance. You can also take a shortcut and use store-bought jam instead of making your own.
No matter what, you will definitely enjoy this incredible cake!
FAQ for Strawberry Cake
Can I make the cake layers ahead of time?
Yes! The cake layers can be baked in advance. Wrap each layer tightly in plastic wrap and freeze. They’ll keep well for up to 2 months. When ready to assemble, let them sit at room temperature for about 10–15 minutes before frosting.
Do I need to use food coloring to make the cake pink?
Not at all. The reduced strawberry puree gives the cake natural color, though it may bake into a more muted shade. Food coloring is optional if you’d like a brighter pink hue.
Can I use frozen strawberries instead of fresh?
Absolutely. Frozen strawberries work perfectly for both the puree and jam—just thaw them before blending.
What if I don’t want to make homemade jam?
You can save time by using good-quality store-bought strawberry jam. The cake will still be delicious!
Why do my cake layers sometimes come out dry?
Dryness usually comes from over mixing the batter or baking too long. Be sure to mix only until combined after adding the flour and check for doneness with a toothpick as soon as the baking time is close.
How do I keep the frosting from turning runny?
Make sure your butter and cream cheese are at room temperature, but not too warm. Also, avoid over beating once the cream cheese is added—this can cause the frosting to loosen. If it does seem too soft, add a bit more powdered sugar to help it firm up.
How should I store this cake?
Because of the cream cheese frosting, the cake should be kept in the refrigerator. Cover it well to prevent drying out, and let slices sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving for the best texture.
Can I make this recipe into cupcakes instead of a layer cake?
Yes! This recipe works well as cupcakes. Fill liners about two-thirds full, bake at the same temperature, and start checking for doneness around 18–20 minutes.
If you liked this recipe, here are some more recipes you might enjoy:
- Strawberry Shortcake Cake
- Passionfruit Cake
- Strawberry Pineapple Cake
- Pistachio Raspberry Cake
- Almond Raspberry Cake
- Lemon Blackberry Cake
- Strawberry Nutella Cake
- Raspberry Coconut Cake
I hope you enjoyed this recipe. Leave a comment below, or tag me on instagram if you make it! I love to see your creations!
Strawberry Cake
Ingredients
Strawberry Puree
- 453 grams strawberries 16 oz
Strawberry Cake Batter
- 3 cups all-purpose flour 382 grams
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature (113 grams)
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 300 grams
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil 120 ml
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream 120 grams
- 1/2 cup strawberry puree
- 1/2 cup buttermilk 120 ml
Strawberry Jam
- 2 cups quartered strawberries 300 grams
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar 100 grams
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter 226 grams
- 1/2 cup cream cheese 113 grams
- 5 cups powdered sugar 625 grams
- 1/4 cup strawberry puree
To decorate
- strawberries sliced in half
Instructions
Strawberry Puree
- Place the strawberries in a blender. Blend until the strawberries becomes a puree.
- Pour the pureed strawberries in a medium saucepan, place over medium heat.
- Bring to a simmer, and stir often.
- Cook the puree until it reduces to 3/4 cup. You will use 1/2 cup for the cake, and 1/4 cup for the buttercream frosting. It can take 10 minutes or a bit longer to reduce the puree to 3/4 cup. It depends on how high the heat is.
- Remember to stir occasionally, and after pouring the puree into a heat-safe measuring cup, check the amount — if there’s still too much liquid (more than 3/4 cup), return it to the pan to cook a bit longer before measuring again.
- Once you have 3/4 cups, pour in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the puree so it doesn’t form a crust. Let the puree cool down.
Strawberry Cake Batter
- Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF.
- Grease and line the bottom of 3 8-inch cake pans with a circle of parchment paper. Grease the parchment and the sides of the pan as well.
- In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Use an electric mixer to beat the butter at medium speed for 30 seconds. You can use a stand mixer or a hand mixer.
- Add the granulated sugar, the oil, and beat together with the butter for another 1 to 2 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Scrape the bowl every so often to ensure everything is getting nicely incorporated together.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until incorporated before adding the next egg.
- Add the vanilla and mix to combine.
- Pour the sour cream, and 1/2 cup of the strawberry puree in the bowl and mix. You can place the remaining strawberry puree in the fridge, covered, to use in the frosting later.
- At this point, you can add a couple of drops of pink food coloring to the cake if desired.
- Add half of the buttermilk to the bowl and mix on low.
- Add half of the dry ingredient mixture and stir to combine
- Add the remaining buttermilk and mix.
- Finish by adding the last half of the dry ingredients. Stir to combine.
- You can also use the spatula instead of the mixer to fold the batter during this final stage. Avoid over mixing, to prevent the cake from turning out dry.
- Divide the batter evenly between the 3 pans.
Baking
- Bake the Strawberry cake layers in the pre-heated oven for about 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes off clean when inserted in the cake.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool down in the pan for 10 minutes. Then flip the cakes onto a wire rack until they have cooled completely.
- If not using the cake layers on the same day, wrap them in plastic wrap and place in the freezer until you are ready to use. Keeping the cake layers frozen will be better than in the fridge to retain moisture.
Strawberry Jam
- Add the chopped strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice to a saucepan.
- Cook the strawberries, stirring occasionally, at medium-high heat.
- When the strawberries come to a boil, turn the heat down and continue to cook at medium-low heat.
- Cook until a thermometer reads between 200 and 220ºF. The jam will be dark, and thick. If it starts to stick to the bottom of the pan, turn the heat down even lower.
- If you don’t have a thermometer, simply stop cooking them jam once it is dark, thick, and reduced.
- Remove the jam to a bowl, place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the jam, and let it cool down. Refrigerate for a couple of hours before using.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat the butter in the bowl of a mixer for 30 seconds. Add the cream cheese and beat for another 30 seconds on medium-speed.
- Add half of the powdered sugar, mix on low until combined. Raise the speed and beat on medium speed for just a few seconds.
- Add the strawberry puree and mix on low.
- Add the remaining powdered sugar, mix on low, and then raise the speed to medium-high, and beat for one minute.
- If the frosting is too runny, add a bit more powdered sugar to make it thicker.
Assemble the cake
- To assemble the cake, place a cake layer on a cake plate.
- Spread a thin layer of the Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting on top of the cake.
- Place some of the Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting in a piping bag fitted with a large round tip.
- Pipe a ring of frosting around the edges of the cake.
- Spread a layer of jam inside the ring of frosting.
- Top with another cake layer.
- Repeat the process by spreading a layer of frosting on the cake, then piping a ring of frosting around the edges, and filling the center with jam.
- Top with the final cake layer.
- Spread a thin amount of frosting on top of the cake and on the sides. Use an offset spatula, or a cake scraper to smooth out the frosting. This is called crumb coating, it helps seal the crumbs in, and makes it easier to smooth out the final coating of frosting.
- Place the cake in the fridge until this layer of frosting has chilled, about 20 to 30 minutes.
- While the cake is in the fridge, prepare the strawberries. Slice them in half lengthwise and place them facing down on a paper towel lined plate or tray, to drain the strawberries of any excess water.
- Remove the cake from the fridge and spread the remaining frosting on top of the cake and on the sides.
- Use the cake scraper to smooth out the frosting by placing it on the side of the cake, and keeping it steady as you spin the turntable around.
- Smooth out the top of the cake using an offset spatula, swiping it over the edges of the cake gently towards you.
- Place the halved strawberries all over the cake.
Storage
- Store the leftover cake slices in the fridge, in an air-tight container.
- If freezing the cake, wrap it in plastic and place in air-tight container, and remove the fresh strawberries.
Hi, I’m a baker and have found, through the years, many recipes that I love, but every strawberry cake recipe that I’ve tried, have always been a disappointment. I was intrigued and found your recipe interesting. I look forward to trying it.
Thank you,
Claire
This cake is incredible, delicious recipe! The assembly could use with more detailed instructions like shaving off the tops of the cake so the layers are nice and even – and only adding the strawberries right before presenting – as they will weep from the sugars and slide off (even if you’ve had them on a paper towel). It was still perfect (albeit lopsided). But so happy with it, definitely a crowd pleaser and was delicious days later.
My first time making a cake, and while the flavor turned out amazing, the presentation is…nightmare inducing. 😂
So when I made my layers they ended up slightly rounded on top and not flat so when I piped on the frosting & tossed in jam, it immediately smashed out of the sides and the layers slide all around. Did you have that issue? Unsure of what I did wrong. It’s currently sitting in my fridge half frosted because I can’t get the frosting to stick with it sliding around and gooping out the sides like it is. Haha
Thanks for this recipe and instructions by the way! Were simple to follow for a brand new baker.
Hello. Can I substitute the buttermilk? I can’t find any in grocery stores in Romania.
add a tsp of vinegar to the same amount of milk and let it sit for 5 min, then use in the recipe.
Can I use low-fat buttermilk? No one seems to have full fat in stock
sure
For the cake layers, could I make a buttermilk glaze to pour onto shortly after the layers come out of the oven, to keep them moist, or do you think that would mess the cake up?
Also, if followed correctly would this recipe yield at least 20 servings or should I use bigger cake pans?
If you’re used to doing the buttermilk glaze with other cakes I don’t see why not do it with this one. Go for it!
depending on how you cut this cake, you can get 20 servings.
I do like using buttermilk glaze for my cake layers however, with the jam for this one do you think it could have the potential to make the cake “too moist” if that’s even a thing?!
The cake looks gorgeous! Love the color.
I am just wondering if the strawberries at the side of the cake stick to the cake well or do they drop off easily?
They didnt slide, but they leaked a bit. The trick is to put them facing down on a paper towel once you slice them and let the paper towel sort of absorb the excess liquid.
How to replace eggs in this recipe..as my family is vegetarian i cannot use eggs
Not sure if it will work since I havent tried without eggs, so it might not work. It’s hard to say without testing first, but if I had to try, I’d add 3/4 cup yogurt to the batter instead, or maybe apple sauce.
Could I use coconut oil and monk sweetener instead of canola oil and sugar?
Yes, you can substitute coconut oil for vegetable oil and monk fruit sweetener for sugar in this recipe, but there are a few things to keep in mind. For the coconut oil, use the same amount (½ cup or 120 ml), but make sure it’s melted and that your other ingredients, especially eggs and buttermilk, are at room temperature. Coconut oil can solidify when mixed with cold ingredients, which might create an uneven texture in the batter.
For the monk fruit sweetener, if you’re using a 1:1 blend (like Lakanto), you can swap it directly for sugar. However, if you’re using pure monk fruit extract, you’ll need significantly less, so it’s important to check the brand’s conversion chart. Monk fruit sweetener makes baked goods drier, as sugar helps with moisture retention, so adding an extra tablespoon of sour cream or buttermilk might help maintain the cake’s texture. The final result might be slightly denser with a different crumb.
Very yummy cake, easy if you follow all the steps. I added 1/4 strawberry powder to the cake mix and the frosting for extra color and flavor. The strawberry flavor was so strong, I loved it. I think next time I will add fresh mint to the jam layer, it’s my fav flavor combination.
That sounds like a delicious addition! Mint and strawberry go SO well together. Glad you liked the recipe!
Can I make the strawberry jam, strawberry puree, and frosting ahead of time and store in the fridge until ready to bake the cakes? Like 24-48 hours in the fridge? I would place plastic on top of each to prevent drying out/crusting.
Yes you definitely can!
Could I possibly make the cake the night before like frost it and all? 😭
definitely. Keep it in the freezer though if possible, each layer wrapped in plastic, to keep them from drying out.
If I want to make this a day or two in advance would I store each layer wrapped in the fridge?
in the freezer is better. keeps it moist. the fridge will dry the cake.