Hi everyone! Guess what? We have a new favorite homemade Strawberry Cake recipe! We have fallen in love with this moist and flavorful scratch Strawberry Cake recipe. The cake layers are delicious, and pair amazingly well with our Pipeable Cream Cheese Frosting recipe! SOOOO good.
Another huge plus with this Strawberry Cake recipe is that it calls for frozen strawberries. No matter what time of year it is, whether it is strawberry season or not, you’ll be able to enjoy this fantastic Strawberry Cake recipe. Hooray!
While we love our other scratch strawberry cake, we have decided to retire it from our Recipes section. This new version is every bit as moist but with even more strawberry flavor, and will be our new go-to recipe for strawberry cake.
Thanks to Mom (our BeBe) for making sooo many versions of strawberry cake until we found our favorite! I have to admit though, it was fun sampling all of those different versions of strawberry cake along the way! If you were a fan of our previous strawberry cake recipe, you can still find it here, but we hope you’ll try our revised version! We think you’ll love it!
*This cake calls for the Reverse Creaming Method of mixing, for a moist & tender cake. The ingredients are added in a different order than the traditional creaming method. We explain the steps in our recipe instructions, but you may find it helpful to watch our free video tutorial on the Reverse Creaming Method, which you can find here: The Reverse Creaming Method of Mixing.
Strawberry Cake Recipe {Version #2}
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs, room temperature ( can warm the eggs by putting in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes)
- 1 1/2 cups (340 g) strawberry puree ......I used frozen strawberries that were lightly sweetened, you could also use fresh.....puree the strawberries in food processor or blender
- 1 teaspoon (4 g.) vanilla
- 2 teaspoons (8 g) strawberry extract
- 2 to 3 drops AmeriColor Pink or your pink coloring of choice (optional but makes for a prettier shade of pink)
- 3 cups (300 g) cake flour
- 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon (14 g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
- 1/4 cup (50g) vegetable oil
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) (113 g) unsalted butter, cut butter into small pieces so it can be added slowly during mixing process. I cut mine into 1/2 to 1 inch slices onto waxed paper on the countertop, letting it soften only about 5 to 6 minutes.
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (This recipe uses the reverse creaming method.)
- Grease and flour three 8 x 2 inch round pans
- In a separate bowl, combine eggs, strawberry puree, vanilla, strawberry extract, pink coloring (as desired). Blend together with a fork.
- In the bowl of your mixer, hand whisk the dry ingredients (cake flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt) for 30 seconds to combine. With your mixer on low to medium speed, add the pieces of butter, a few pieces at a time, also add the oil at this time. Mix until the dry ingredients form moist crumbs that look like coarse sand. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Method is important when using Reverse Creaming, so with the mixer on LOW speed, SLOWLY add 1/2 of the egg mixture to the dry ingredients, increase the mixer to medium speed and beat for 1 1/2 minutes, the batter will be thick and fluffy. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, then add the remaining egg mixture in 2 pourings, beating 20 seconds after each. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and pour into prepared pans.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pans 10 min. then turn out.
- Makes 7 1/2 cups batter IF USING FONDANT: This recipe does not hold up well to fondant unless frosted with ganache to give it a nice firm shell.
- Cupcakes: This recipe will work for cupcakes, they will have only a slight dome**We frosted our cake with this Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe. (I piped spirals of frosting in varying sizes with my Wilton star tip 21.)
If you prefer a doctored cake mix recipe, we have a great one for you: Strawberry Cake: Doctored Cake Mix Recipe.
Thanks for your feedback, Earlene– I’m so happy to hear it! Good idea to substitute strawberry gelatin mix when you couldn’t find the strawberry flavoring. xoxo
Hi, there! Quick question – which strawberry cake would you recommend under fondant?
Thanks!
Barb
Hi Barbara, I would use the above recipe.
Thank you so much for Your response! You can’t imagine how much I rely on the two of you! You are both fabulous!
Could I use two 9″ tins instead? Would I have to lower the (fan) oven temperature?
Thanks!
Hi Sallyann, Yes, you could use two 9 inch pans, bake at 350 and increase the time a bit.
I always make it two pans, they turn out great. The cakes are just thicker😊
Hello, do you happen to have a recipe that you use for strawberry frosting or strawberry cream cheese frosting?
Hi,
I saw a comment from someone who used freeze-dried strawberries in her version of the recipe. How much should I use to substitute the fresh/frozen berries? I have been looking for a recipe that does not mention Jell-O for once. Freeze dried berries have been my saving grace for a nice solid strawberry frosting. Can’t wait to try this recipe.
Hi Rolanda, I remember there was a comment on using freeze-dried strawberries. I scanned the comments but did not see it. I have not tried using freeze dried so I don’t know how much you would need to get 1 1/2 cups puree. Hopefully, you will find that information on the freeze dried package. Hope you like the recipe!
Do you happen to have a recipe that you use for strawberry frosting or strawberry cream cheese frosting?
Can I used canned strawberries because fresh strawberries over here are really expensive, and I have no frozen strawberries at the moment. Could I please get a reply asap?
Hi Afia, I have never used canned strawberries, I actually did not know they were available in cans. I’m sorry that I cannot give you a definite answer on this.
Hi Shanell, We don’t have a strawberry recipe in the recipe section, but here is a recipes that I think you will like. It is a Strawberry Buttercream
1 stick (8 T) (113g) unsalted butter, slightly softened
4 to 5 cups powdered sugar
1/2 finely chopped fresh strawberries and also the juice, You could also puree them or mash them.
Add the butter and beat until smooth and creamy, slowly add the powdered sugar and chopped strawberries with juice created from the chopping. Beat until well blended. Add more powdered sugar if too thin or more strawberries if too thick. You could also add 1/2 teaspoon of strawberry extract for more strawberry flavor. You could also add just a touch of pink gel color for a light pink color to the buttercream. Remember that color will intensify over time.
The recipe can be doubled.
Hi!! Is this cake still moist after being the the fridge I’ve made the doctored version and it still stays super moist so I was wondering if this one is too ! Thanks !
Hello, when mixing the batter for that long, does it come out tough? In other recipes I have read that when you mix the flour it shouldn’t be mixed for a long time since the gluten will make it tough or gummy. It has been hard to find a good strawberry cake recipe and I don’t have time to do trial bakes.
@Yessica – This is a moist cake and should keep just fine in the refrigerator for about 3 days (what we usually recommend for all of our cakes) as long as it is frosted and stored in a bakery box.
@Debra- This recipe uses the Reverse Creaming Method of mixing which is a bit different. With this method, the ingredients are not added in the usual order that you may be used to. When the butter is added to the dry ingredients, the butter coats the flour which minimizes the formation of gluten (gluten causes toughness). If you have any questions about the reverse creaming method, you can find out more info here:link to mycakeschool.com
How accurate are the metric measurements in this recipe?
Hi Heippi, I think the measurements are accurate. We have had many positive comments on the cake. Did you make it and have a problem?
Is this cake supposed to be really dense? I made it the other day Nd it was not as light and fluffy as it looks in the picture.
Hi Sherri, The recipe should not be really dense. The reverse creaming method produces only a slightly more dense cake. It was probably a matter of technique. After the dry ingredients are moistened with the butter and it looks like coarse sand, with the mixer on low speed slowly add 1/2 of the liquid mixture, it is important to add the liquid slowly, then increase the speed to medium and mix for 1 1/2 minutes. The next 2 additions of liquid do not need to be done slowly. I hope this helps.
Hi! would this recipe work for a 2 tier cake?
HI Elaine, It will work for a 2 tier cake because the top tier will be on its own cake board and it will be resting on the dowels (or bubble tea straws) that are placed in the bottom tier. The dowels will support the weight of the top tier. The cake is somewhat soft and will be fine frosted in buttercream but if it is to be covered in fondant, we think you should crumb coat with spreadable ganache. Here is a link if you would like to watch Melissa’s video on Tier Stacking, link to mycakeschool.com. Hope all goes well.
Does the cake itself need to be refrigerated? Like if I make it a day before decorating… should I keep in in the fridge or is it okay on the counter?
Hi Heather, The cake layers can be left out unfrosted. It is when the cake is frosted with a cream cheese frosting it needs to be refrigerated.
Would this cake be good with your chocolate buttercream frosting? I have made it before with the cream cheese frosting and everyone that tried it loved it. Thank you for your recipie I am glad to find one that does not use strawberry gelatin.
Hi Davin, We are happy you like the strawberry cake recipe. Strawberry pairs well with chocolate, I think that would be a good choice.
Hello I cannot find strawberry extract! What would be a substitution? Not into jello. Thanks!
HI Wilnette, I do not know of a good substitute. I used Watkins Strawberry Extract that I bought at Walmart. You might need to order it online. McCormick is another brand you could order. You could add fresh strawberries to the filling and the top of the cake. This would add some additional flavor but will not give the depth of flavor that strawberry extract does.
Thanks for your quick response! I found the extract at Walmart per your direction. I will let you know how it turns out!
Great, hope you like the recipe!
Hey! I was wondering if this cake would work well with a butter cream frosting? Thanks!
Hi Anna, Yes, this cake would be good with a buttercream frosting. You could make a strawberry buttercream using your favorite vanilla buttercream recipe, adding a teaspoon strawberry extract, a bit of pink food color. You could also add some finely chopped strawberries if you like.
Thank you for this recipe. It was the first one I found and made for a baby shower cake and it was delicious ( from a chocolate lover). I used frozen strawberries, no sugar added and it turned out great. Thanks again for making and sharing this recipe!
Thank you for this recipe. I made it but did a few changes and everybody loved it. I didnt have strawberry extract so i used some freeze dried strawberries which really boosted the flavour, and used 2 sticks of butter instead of butter and oil. filled it with a strawberry swiss meringue buttercream.
Hi Jrchin, Some members have had problems finding strawberry extract, so thank you for post how you increased flavor in the recipe. I’m happy it turned out so well!
You said you used slightly sweetened frozen strawberries? Did you sweetened the frozen strawberries yourself? If so, may you share how much sugar or honey you used?
Hi Tay, I would say I used 2 or 3 teaspoons sugar for each cup of strawberries, but strawberries vary in their sweetness so it is best to do a taste test. Some brands of frozen strawberries are pre sweetened and would not need additional sugar. Hope you enjoy the recipe.
Hi. I’m going to make this for my sons bday, but I don’t have any strawberries I only have the extract. What should I use in place of the purée for the liquid needed? Thank you!!
Hi Kelly, Since you do not have strawberries I suggest making the Yellow Cake recipe, here is a link, link to mycakeschool.com. Adjust the recipe by just using 1 teaspoon vanilla and 2 teaspoons strawberry extract…….don’t forget to add the pink color. Hope all goes well.
I can’t find any strawberry extract on hand because I would have to order it online. Could I use the imitation extract instead?
Hi thank you for your recipe. It’s just that I don’t have any cake flour….. Are there any substitutes?
Hi Brandi, We used Wilkins Imitation Strawberry Extract found a Wal-Mart.
Hi Ally, This is the substitution for cake flour. For every 1 cup of all purpose flour, remove 2 Tablespoons flour and replace with 2 Tablespoons cornstarch. For this recipe measure out 3 cups of flour, remove 6 Tablespoons flour and replace with 6 Tablespoons cornstarch. Whisk to combine. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
I’ve made this a few times, and it’s delicious. However, each time I’ve made it, the flour/sugar mixture doesn’t blend in all the way, meaning I get white lumps in the pink cake. Can you help me figure out what I’m doing wrong?
Thanks for the help!! Btw your replies are definitely the quickest of all the blogs around. Can’t wait to make your cake.
Thanks for the compliment, Ally! We try not to overlook any questions, but we do get behind every now and then.
Hi Meghan, It sounds as though your flour and possibly the sugar may need to be sifted with a flour sifter. Just measure out the amount of flour you need for the recipe, then sift. Let me know if this solves the problem.
Thanks for your quick response! I had been sifting the flour, but never thought about sifting the sugar. I just tried the recipe sifting the sugar as well, and it worked great! Thanks!
Wonderful, thanks for letting me know!!
Hi, can I use caster sugar in place of granulated sugar? If yes what quatit yet? Also, can I use normal baking butter in place of unsalted butter?
Thanks
Hi Adekemi, Yes you can use caster sugar, it is like granulated sugar, just finer. Here is a link to convert granulated sugar to caster sugar by weight, link to traditionaloven.com I am not familiar with baking butter, but if it has salt in it, you can reduce the amount of salt in the recipe.
Hi there
I don’t think we have strawberry extract in NZ (or at least I’ve never heard of it). Is there something else you can use instead?
Many thanks.
Hi,
I am going to make this cake for the first time and really excited. I have a couple of questions:
– I read from the above comments that we need around 1 pound of fresh strawberries to make 2 cups of puree. So, when you say puree is it just the strawberries by itself or do we need to add any amount of water, also, should we cook the strawberries before making the puree?
-can I use two 9 inch pans for the same amount of ingredients that are mentioned in the recipe or is there anything extra we need to add
Looking forward for your reply!
Many Thanks.
Hi Amanda, I am not sure what else you could use, you may need to order it online.
Hi Deepika, I am happy you are going to try the recipe. If you are going to use fresh strawberries, just slice them thinly, add a little sugar if they are not as sweet as you would like and puree them in a food processor or blender. You do not want any large pieces of strawberry in the cake batter. If you will be using 9 inch cake pans, just make 2 layers, otherwise the layers will be very thin.
Hi Melissa,
Came across your website yesterday. Tried your strawberry cake -version 2. It was awesome ! Everyone at home loved it 😍. Thanks a ton!
I tried the Strawberry cake recipe, it was awesome. thanks for your quick response to my question, it was helpful.
regards
Hi Yasmin and Adekemi, Thank you for posting your thoughts on the recipe, we are happy you like it!!
Do you sift the cake flour first before measuring it or no?
Hi Melanie, I do not sift the cake flour. Weighing the ingredients will give the most accurate measurement. If you are measuring into a 1 cup measure, spoon the cake flour into the cup and level off with the back of a knife. Hope you like the recipe.
I tried this recipe last night and I only tasted the small part of the cake I cut off the top to make it even. Oh my! This is the absolute best strawberry cake I have ever tasted! So delicious and moist. My daughter and husband tried the small piece as well and thought the same. My daughter said that cake was the best thing I ever made.
Hi Melanie, You have made my day!! I am thrilled you like the recipe and thank you so much for taking the time to write a review!!
Managed to source some strawberry extract so I could make this cake for my daughter’s 3rd birthday. I made it with two tiers joined with buttercream. It was delicious! My daughter told me that it was “the best cake ever!”. So thank you for a recipe that made a little girl in new Zealand very happy!
Thank you for this recipe! I’ve made it twice already, my family absolutely loves it.
@Amanda- I missed your post, I’m so happy to hear that you all loved the recipe!! Thanks for posting your comment & picture! xoxo
@Mary- I’m so happy to hear it! Thank you for your post!
Thanks Melissa
Also wanted to tell you that I had some passionfruit pulp that needed using up and I loved this recipe so much that i replaced the strawberries with passionfruit pulp and just added vanilla essence instead of strawberry extract. Turned out just as scrumptious and iced with buttercream icing. Such a versatile recipe!
I love that you experimented with passionfruit! Sounds fabulous!
How do you make the strawberry puree with frozen strawberries? Do you thaw them first and drain off any excess liquid before pureeing?
Hi Danielle, You will thaw the strawberries, put the strawberries with their juice in a food processor, blender, immersion blender or smoothie maker and puree. Hope you will enjoy the recipe.
Can you make this recipe in a bundt pan? If so what temperature and how long?
Hi! I want to make cake balls using this delicious recipe for a baby shower I am giving. Can I make and freeze in advance?
I made this cake, minus the strawberry flavoring and dye, and it was plenty pink and strawberry flavored. Also, possibly my favorite scratch cake I’ve ever made. I made a quick icing of cream cheese, powdered sugar, and strawberry puree. So yummy! I’m making it again for book club. I love strawberry cake but due to my children’s allergies, we can’t have artificial flavorings or dyes so that eliminate almost all recipes I have been able to find, so thank you for the recipe!
Hi Melanie, Yes, the strawberry cake layers can be frozen for up to 2 months. Just make sure to wrap in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil. Wrap the layers separately.
Hi Beth, Wonderful, we are very happy you liked the cake and that it worked for you without the strawberry flavoring. Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try and posting your thoughts.
Hi Katie, I have not baked a layer cake in a bundt pan, but I think you can do so without a problem. This is a link to a Cooks Illustrated article on the topic that I think you will find interesting, link to cooksillustrated.com
Hello! Can I use all purpose flower instead of cake flour?
HI Samira, You can use all purpose flour, the cake will not be quite as tender. This is how to can make cake flour using your all purpose flour. For 1 cup of all purpose flour remove 2 Tablespoons of the flour and replace it with 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch. So for this recipe that has 3 cups of flour. You will measure out 3 cups of the all purpose flour and remove 6 Tablespoons and replace with 6 Tablespoons of cornstarch. Whisk to incorporate. Hope you will enjoy the recipe. Let me know if you have other questions.
I will try that! Thank You
Can I use this recipe to make a checker board cake?
Hi Luceta, yes I don’t see why not!
How many cups of icing do you suggest to cover the 3 layers? I’m planning to make a white chocolate cream cheese frosting!
Hi La’Kica, You will need 4 1/2 cups to fill and frost a 3 layer 8 inch round cake. This can vary depending on how thick or thin you apply the frosting. If you are going to do extra decorative piping you will need more. It is always a good idea to make extra. The frosting sounds delicious!
I made this today for my daughter’s 6th bday. She requested a strawberry cake. this cake is DEFINITELY a keeper! My family LOVED it! I was a little skeptical to the method of mixing- and there was no milk in it, but after reading the reviews I realized that it was probably ok. And it was!
Hi Aja, We are so happy you gave the recipe a try and that liked it !! Thank you for posting your thoughts on the cake!!
This is my go to recipe! my son absolutely loves this cake. Everyone loves it and it is so moist and yummy. thank you for this recipe!
Hi Mary, Wonderful! Thank you for your nice review of the recipe!!
Your recipe sounds amazing!!!! I really want to try it for my grandpas b-day, but I don’t have a stand mixer can you use a hand mixer instead?
Hi Bernadette, Yes, you can use a hand mixer. Just add a few more seconds to the times. If you have not used the Reverse Creaming Method you might like to watch Melissa’s video. A link to the video is in the description under the first picture of the cake.
I plan on using this recipe for my daughter’s first birthday. What cooking modifications should I use in order to make mini-cupcakes? (oven temp, timing, etc). Thanks!
Hi Erin, Fill the mini cupcakes 2/3 to 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes. Check at 10 minutes with a toothpick inserted in the center to see if done. The toothpick should be clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Keep an eye on them and check frequently as they near completion time.
I am so excited you have no idea!! I absolutely adore strawberry boxed cake but wanted to find a strawberry from scratch cake, prefereably without the jello flavoring. I made a few but had complications with several of them. This is by far the closest thing to what I was looking for. Moist, smells amazing, and tastes even better thank you thank you!!!!!
Yayyyy! So happy to hear it, Nicole! Thanks so much for your feedback! xoxo
hi,
please can I substitute strawberry with grapes
Hi Esther, we have never used grapes so I do not know. It would be a different taste from strawberry. The grapes would need to be pureed so the grape skins would not be too tough. It is an interesting idea, let us know if you give it a try.
Hi . I love your receipe. but in UK. we use grams . not cups . Could you plz convert it for me ??.
Hi Dawn, There are gram measurements for the scratch version of this cake. I do need to add them to the doctored strawberry version, I will do that soon.
wah!!! Awesome cake, I will make this cake on my child’s birthday, which is helding on next month.
I saw such beautiful cakes on the sites :
link to cakengifts.in
Can I half the batter?I don’t want that much cake
Hi Pricilla, I have not reduced the recipe by half but I think it will be fine to do so.