Easy Strawberry Cake

Experience the taste of pure summer with this incredibly Easy Strawberry Cake, bursting with real berry flavor in every single bite. It’s a quick, moist, and beautifully pink dessert that uses a clever jam trick in the cake and real fruit powder in the frosting for an authentic taste that’s far superior to any mix.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

This cake is a tribute to my mother and my sisters. Growing up, our birthday season was a marathon of strawberry cakes, a tradition born from our collective love for the pink, fruity dessert. My mother’s secret was a box of strawberry Jell-O, but I wanted to create a from-scratch version that captured that same joyful magic with real ingredients. This recipe is the happy result, a cake that now stars at our own family celebrations.

Ingredients

For the cake

• 2 1/2 cups (320g) all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 2/3 cup strawberry jam, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Red food coloring or gel, as desired (optional)

For the frosting

• 1 cup (22g) freeze-dried strawberries
• 1 (8-ounce) brick cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 3 cups (340g) powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Up to 3 tablespoons milk, as needed
• A handful of fresh strawberries, sliced, for decoration

Step-by-step instructions for making the recipe

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, and grease the paper.
2. Combine the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Make the cake batter: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the room-temperature butter and granulated sugar together on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
5. Add half of the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. Add the strawberry jam and mix until incorporated.
6. Mix in the remaining dry ingredients, then add the sour cream and vanilla extract (and food coloring, if using). Mix just until the batter is smooth and no streaks of flour remain.
7. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans and smooth the tops.
8. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.
9. Let the cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes before inverting them onto the rack to cool completely. Remove the parchment paper.
10. Make the strawberry powder: While the cakes cool, place the freeze-dried strawberries in a spice grinder or a zip-top bag. Process or crush until they form a fine powder.
11. Make the frosting: In a clean mixer bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
12. Add the powdered sugar, the strawberry powder, and salt. Beat on low speed until combined, then increase to medium speed until the frosting is creamy. Add milk, a teaspoon at a time, if needed, to reach a spreadable consistency.
13. Decorate the cake: If the cake layers have domed tops, trim them with a serrated knife to create flat surfaces.
14. Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread with just under one-third of the frosting. Top with the second cake layer.
15. Spread another third of the frosting over the top. Use the remaining frosting to cover the sides of the cake. Decorate the top with fresh sliced strawberries.

Mia

Easy Strawberry Cake

Experience the taste of pure summer with this incredibly Easy Strawberry Cake, bursting with real berry flavor in every single bite. It’s a quick, moist, and beautifully pink dessert that uses a clever jam trick for an authentic taste.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Cooling Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 2 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Servings: 10 servings

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 759

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the Cake

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 320g
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar 200g
• 3 large eggs room temperature
• 2/3 cup strawberry jam room temperature
• 1/2 cup sour cream room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Red food coloring or gel as desired, optional

For the Frosting

• 1 cup freeze-dried strawberries 22g
• 1 brick cream cheese 8 ounces, softened
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick, softened
• 3 cups powdered sugar 340g
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons milk as needed
• fresh strawberries sliced, for decoration

Equipment

• Two 8-inch Round Cake Pans
• Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer
• Spice Grinder or Mini Food Processor

Method

 

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, and grease the paper.
2. Combine the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
   2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 3/4 teaspoon salt
3. Make the cake batter: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the room-temperature butter and granulated sugar together on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
   1 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
   3 large eggs
5. Add half of the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. Add the strawberry jam and mix until incorporated.
   2/3 cup strawberry jam
6. Mix in the remaining dry ingredients, then add the sour cream and vanilla extract (and food coloring, if using). Mix just until the batter is smooth and no streaks of flour remain.
   1/2 cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, Red food coloring or gel
7. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans and smooth the tops.
8. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.
9. Let the cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes before inverting them onto the rack to cool completely. Remove the parchment paper.
10. Make the strawberry powder: While the cakes cool, place the freeze-dried strawberries in a spice grinder or a zip-top bag. Process or crush until they form a fine powder.
    1 cup freeze-dried strawberries
11. Make the frosting: In a clean mixer bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
    1 brick cream cheese, 1/2 cup unsalted butter
12. Add the powdered sugar, the strawberry powder, and salt. Beat on low speed until combined, then increase to medium speed until the frosting is creamy. Add milk, a teaspoon at a time, if needed, to reach a spreadable consistency.
    3 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 3 tablespoons milk
13. Decorate the cake: If the cake layers have domed tops, trim them with a serrated knife to create flat surfaces.
14. Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread with just under one-third of the frosting. Top with the second cake layer.
15. Spread another third of the frosting over the top. Use the remaining frosting to cover the sides of the cake. Decorate the top with fresh sliced strawberries.
    fresh strawberries

Notes

Using room temperature ingredients is key for a smooth, well-combined batter and frosting. The freeze-dried strawberries are essential for the frosting’s vibrant flavor and color and are not recommended to substitute.

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