Strawberry Sour Cream Cake

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Today we're sharing a new delicious scratch Strawberry Sour Cream Cake Recipe!

This flavorful strawberry sour cream cake with white chocolate frosting is SO good. It is super moist and the combination of cake and frosting flavors is perfect!

Strawberry Sour Cream Cake with White Chocolate Buttercream

Even if you aren't a fan of white chocolate, these strawberry cake layers can be paired with all sorts of fillings and frostings from strawberry buttercream to cream cheese frosting, vanilla buttercream, lemon cream cheese frosting, and more!

How to Make Strawberry Sour Cream Cake 

You will find the full, printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here is a quick look at our steps!

This strawberry sour cream cake is made with the traditional creaming method of mixing (as opposed to the reverse creaming method), giving it a nice fluffy texture.

Advantage of Sour Cream: The boost of acidity from the sour cream in the recipe softens the gluten, making for a more tender cake. Sour cream also adds a richness to the cake batter. We love cakes with sour cream!

Combine Flour, Salt, and Leavening: In a medium sized bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Whisk to blend for 30 seconds.  Set aside.

Combining Wet Ingredients: In another bowl combine the sour cream, strawberry puree, vanilla, strawberry extract, & oil- blend and set aside.In the bowl of your mixer blend the butter until smooth, Gradually add the sugar and mix on medium speed 3 to 5 minutes until fluffy and lightened in color.

Add the room temperature eggs one at a time mixing until the yellow of the yolk disappears.

Alternating Dry and Wet: Add the flour mixture and the sour cream mixture alternately, beginning and ending with the flour mixture (3 additions of dry ingredients, 2  additions of wet ingredients. Mix until combined and smooth, do not mix above medium speed or over mix.

Time to Bake! Divide the strawberry cake batter between the three 8 inch cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 22 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached.  Let cool 5 to 10 minutes, then turn out.

Should I freeze My Cake Layers?

Freezing cake layers is an optional step but one that I try to make time for. After removing your cake layers from the oven, allow the cakes to cool (still in their pans) on a cooling rack for about five minutes before flipping them out. 

Wrapping the Cake Layers

While still warm, I place each cake layer on a foil-wrapped cake board (so that the boards can be reused). Then, I wrap the cake layer in plastic wrap & foil, and into the freezer they go.

The layers actually become more moist in the freezer thanks to the trapped moisture from the warm cake being placed in the freezer.

I freeze my cake layers even if only for a few hours (but they can be frozen for up to three months and will still taste as fresh as the day they were baked)!

Thawing the Cake Layers

When it's time to assemble the cake, just thaw on the countertop, still wrapped. After condensation forms on the foil and the thawing is well underway, you can go ahead and remove the layers from the foil and continue thawing.

Many decorators prefer to assemble the cake while the layers are still partially frozen as they are easier to handle but that is up to you!

 Fillings and Frostings for Strawberry Cakes

Cooked Strawberry Filling in a white glass bowl. We love to use this in our strawberry sour cream cake recipe!

There are so many amazing pairing options for strawberry cakes. Today, we are using white chocolate frosting and a flavorful cooked strawberry filling for a fantastic White Chocolate Strawberry Cake, but the options are endless. Here are a few other favorites!

 
Delicious White Chocolate Buttercream in a glass bowl.
White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting- Yum!

Assembling the Cake

Place the first cake layer on your pedestal or cake base. Spread with a layer of white chocolate frosting, and then spread on the cooked strawberry filling. This strawberry filling adds great strawberry flavor to every bite.  

Spreading cooked strawberry filling on top of a layer of strawberry sour cream cake spread with white chocolate frosting.
  • You can pipe a dam of your frosting before adding the strawberry filling if you'd like to make sure that the filling stays fully enclosed.
  • My filling was thick and so I didn't pipe a dam. When not piping a dam, keep the strawberry filling about ½ inch from the edge all the way around to be on the safe side.
  • Add the next cake layer and repeat.
  • Finally, add the third layer, fill in any gaps between layers with your frosting (I do this with a piping bag with the tip snipped away), and then frost the cake as usual
  • I like to frost my tier on a turntable when possible, so that I can easily spin it as I smooth the frosted sides with a bench scraper.
  • Then, I like to chill the tier in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes (or longer in the refrigerator) until the frosting is firm. Then, if you'd like a smooth finish, go over it once more with a hot bench scraper and spatula.
  • As a final touch, I added a few rows of shell border around the top of the cake using a star piping tip 21, and then I filled inside of it with lots of chocolate curls! (Technically these are white chocolate candy coating curls, but you could use white chocolate also).
The top view of our Strawberry Sour Cream Cake, frosted with white chocolate frosting, and decorated with three rows of shell borders.
Rows of Shells Piped with a Tip 21

How to Make Chocolate Curls

If you're feeling fancy, mounding chocolate curls on top of cakes makes for a beautiful presentation.

I have a mini loaf pan that I like to use for creating curls (it is about 3x6 inches). First, I melted a few blocks of chocolate candy coating/bark coating (I used CandiQuik) in the microwave in small increments.

When the candy coating is almost completely melted, just let it sit for a couple of minutes and then stir to help any remaining pieces disappear.

Then, I poured my melted candy coating into a *foil lined* mini loaf pan and placed in the freezer for about 15 minutes or until firm. You can refrigerate also or even let it firm up at room temperature but it will take longer. 

*If you don't have a mini loaf pan, any small rectangular or square tupperware or container would work-- the end result that we're going for thick block of chocolate coating. Allow the block to warm slightly and then use a vegetable peeler or sharp knife to glide down the side of the bar, creating curls. I prefer to use a vegetable peeler. 
 
Chill your chocolate curls in the freezer for about five minutes before adding to the cake to firm them up so that they will be less fragile. I rotate my block of chocolate coating often as I'm working.
 
*Check out our video tutorial on How to Make Chocolate Curls! These are striped but the curling technique is the same.
 
 
White Chocolate Curls pictured with a vegetable peeler
 

Do you have to use Strawberry Extract in this recipe?

We use strawberry extract to add a little boost of strawberry flavor in most of our strawberry cake recipes. Although this recipe does contain ½ cup of strawberry puree, the strawberry flavor of the cake layers alone is fairly mild.

We find that often the fruit flavor is baked out of our fruity cake recipes and extracts are a great fix for this. This is also the case with our lemon and cherry cake recipes.

However, if you do not wish to use strawberry extract, the strawberry filling in this recipe is wonderful and lends a really nice strawberry flavor.

Sliced Strawberry Sour Cream Cake with White Chocolate Frosting, resting on a white pedestal.

More Strawberry Cakes

If you love strawberry cakes, don't miss these other favorites from our Recipes Section! 

Enjoy the Recipe!

We hope that you love this White Chocolate Strawberry Cake as much as we have, and definitely keep this strawberry sour cream cake in mind for all sorts of fun filling and frosting combinations.

Don't miss our full collection of cake recipes and free cake decorating tutorials! We have so many cakes to share with you.

Sliced Strawberry Cake with white chocolate frosting on a white pedestal, topped with white chocolate curls and a strawberry.

Strawberry Sour Cream Cake with White Chocolate Frosting

Delicious Strawberry Sour Cream Cake with White Chocolate Frosting! This moist scratch strawberry layer cake is sure to please a crowd!
Course: Cakes and Cupcakes
Servings: 15
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Ingredients

For the Strawberry Sour Cream Cake

  • 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, softened (170g)
  • 2 cups white sugar (400g)
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature (Place eggs in a bowl of warm water for five minutes if in a hurry.)
  • 3 cups cake flour (342g)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder (8g)
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda (3g)
  • ½ teaspoon salt (3g)
  • 1 cup sour cream (full fat) (227g)
  • ½ cup strawberry puree (Puree fresh or frozen strawberries) (129g) Liquefy in a blender. We did not heat on stovetop.
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil (54g) (We use canola oil)
  • 2 teaspoons strawberry extract (8g) (If no extract, you can substitute 2 Tablespoons powdered strawberry jello)
  • *Pink Coloring Gel- Optional for desired color. We used a small amount.

For the Strawberry Filling

  • 2 cups chopped strawberries (fresh or frozen — chop in rather small pieces)
  • ¼ cup white sugar (50g)
  • 2 Tablespoons cornstarch (cornflour in the UK) (18g)
  • 1 Tablespoon water (9g)

White Chocolate Frosting

  • 3 sticks unsalted butter, softened (339g) (do not soften in the microwave)
  • 8 ounces white baking chocolate (227g) (I used 2 Ghirardelli Premium Baking Bars)
  • 5 cups powdered sugar (575g)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (4g)
  • 4 tablespoons milk or cream (42g)
  • ½ teaspoon salt (3g)

Garnish

  • Whole fresh strawberry or strawberries for top
  • White chocolate candy coating for curls You could also use a white chocolate bar
  • *I also piped three rows of shell border around the top with a piping tip 21.

Instructions

For the Strawberry Sour Cream Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, grease and flour three 8 inch x 2 inch round cake pans.  You can use two 9 inch pans, just lengthen the baking time a bit.
  • In a medium sized bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Whisk to blend for 30 seconds.  Set aside.
  • In another bowl combine the sour cream, strawberry puree, strawberry extract and oil, blend and set aside.
  • In the bowl of your mixer blend the butter until smooth. Gradually add the sugar and mix on medium speed 3 to 5 minutes until fluffy and lightened in color.
  • Add the eggs 1 at a time mixing after each until the yolk is blended
  • With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture and the sour cream mixture alternately, beginning and ending with the flour mixture (3 additions of dry ingredients, 2  additions of wet ingredients.) If adding a little pink coloring gel, you can do so at this time.
  • Mix just until combined.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 22 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached.  Let cool 5 to 10 minutes, then turn out.

For the Strawberry Filling

  • Add all ingredients to a small saucepan. On medium/high heat allow mixture to come to a boil.
  • Stir as the sugar begins to melt and the strawberries soften.  When the mixture begins to boil, lower the heat and stir constantly until the mixture begins to thicken. 
  • You can press some of the strawberries against the side of the pan as they soften.  Pour into a heat proof bowl to cool.  It can be refrigerated in an air-tight bowl until ready to use.  Use within 5 days.   This makes enough filling for a 3 layer cake.  

For the White Chocolate Buttercream

  • Cut/chop the white chocolate into very small pieces, put into a microwave safe bowl and add 4 Tablespoons milk or cream.
  • Microwave for 15 seconds let sit for a minute or two, stir and microwave again 15 seconds letting it sit a minute to soften further, stir. Be careful not to over heat the chocolate. The chocolate will continue to melt as it is stirred. Let the chocolate cool down before using.
  • Beat the butter until softened and smooth, add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time. Add the white chocolate and milk mixture. Add vanilla and salt. Add another Tablespoon milk if needed. Beat on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes and it will become smooth and creamy.
  • Makes 5 cups frosting. Makes enough to frost a 2 or 3 layer eight inch cake. If you will be doing a lot of decorative piping, you will need additional frosting.

Assembling the Cake

  • Place the first cake layer on your pedestal of cake base.
  • Spread with white chocolate buttercream within about ¼ inch to ½ inch from the edge of the cake. Then spread with about half of the strawberry puree filling on top of that (if you are frosting a three layer cake).
  • Add next cake layer and repeat.
  • Fill in any gaps between the layers frosting, then frost the cake with white chocolate frosting. Garnish with white chocolate curls & strawberries.

Notes

Substitution for cake flour:  Using all purpose flour (plain in the UK) for each cup of flour in a recipe, remove 2 Tablespoons of flour replace with 2 Tablespoons cornstarch (cornflour in the UK).  This recipe has 3 cups of flour so you will measure out 3 cups of all purpose flour, remove 6 Tablespoons and replace with 6 Tablespoons cornstarch, whisk to blend.           
This recipe makes 7 cups batter. Works well for cupcakes,  for standard size cupcakes bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes.
Fresh or frozen strawberries can be used.

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70 Comments

  1. I’m making a 2 tier cake(9 inch cakes and 6 inch cakes) this weekend. I was wondering if the cakes would be sturdy enough without using dowel rods or if I need to use them? I will be using ABC icing and fondant as well.

  2. Hello,

    I made this cake last night and it was good! But I did not get a good strawberry flavor maybe it was the extract I used? It was also veryyy crumbly.

  3. Hi Kelly, I am sorry the strawberry flavor was not good. It is a good idea to always smell your extract before using, even when it is not close to expiration date. I have had extract be bad even though not close to the expiration date. It should have had good flavor with 2 teaspoons extract. When you mention very crumbly, do you mean dry? If dry, it could mean too much flour. If not using a food scale, spoon the flour into a measuring cup for dry ingredients then level off with the back of a knife. Scooping a cup into a flour container packs in the flour giving you too much. Over baking also causes dryness. Thank you for trying the recipe and giving us your feedback.

  4. I made this recipe, today. The cake is super moist and has a nice strawberry flavor. I loved the taste of icing. Will definitely make this one again! Thank you!

  5. Hi Sandra, Your cake looks lovely! Thanks so much for posting your photo and for your nice comments on the recipe.

  6. Hi Bebe, can I cover this cake with fondant ?
    Can I totally subs cake flour with APF to get a dense cake instead of spongy cake?

    thanks
    Amy

  7. Hi Amy, Using 3 cups of all purpose flour without removing 6 Tablespoons and replacing with 6 tablespoons cornstarch will add more gluten to the recipe and possibly make it less moist. I think it will be fine to cover with fondant as the recipe is written. Chill the cake before laying on the fondant. You could cover the cake with ganache before adding fondant as an extra precaution but I don't think it is necessary.

  8. Hello,

    I don't know why my cake was taking apart after I dismantled the cake :(

    Can you tell me please what I'm doing wrong, I always use special damp rings of cloth when I cook my cakes and after I leave them in the cake mold above a dryng grid for 10 minutes, but this cake when I started to dissasemble it, parts of cake rest in the mold.

    It is so fragilz pieces are taking spart.

    Thank you.