Every bite of this fresh strawberry cake is bursting with incredible strawberry flavor! With three cups of chopped berries in the cake layers and even more in the whipped strawberry buttercream, it’s the perfect dessert for summer, when strawberries are ripe and in season.
I have lots of great strawberry cakes on my site, including my homemade strawberry cake, strawberry shortcake cake and my strawberry crunchy layer cake. But I’m often asked in the comments of my fresh strawberry cupcakes recipe if those cupcakes can be turned into a cake. That recipe is a little different than my others because strawberries aren’t pureed and added to the cake batter, or just layered between cake layers, they are chopped and baked into the cupcakes.
Since I’ve gotten that question quite a bit, and simply increasing that cupcake recipe and baking a cake turns out quite dense, I decided to work on a cake version. It took a little bit of time and I came back to it a few different times, making it better and better each time. So much so that the hubs declared it the best cake I’ve ever made. Quite a thing to say after all these years of making cake!
So, this recipe is derived from the cupcakes, but has been adjusted for the ideal cake texture. It still has fresh berries baked right into it. No need to bother with purees or making a reduction – just pure strawberry flavor with a little less fuss.
That said, I did do the puree and reduction for the buttercream. This is meant to be a FRESH strawberry cake, after all, and that’s how the frosting is for the original cupcakes. But if you really want to avoid that, you can replace the strawberry puree with ground up freeze-dried strawberries. Check out my strawberry frosting recipe to see how to go about that.
Why This Fresh Strawberry Cake Is So Good
- FRESH strawberries in every bite. This cake is FULL of chopped strawberries (like 2 pounds of strawberries!), so you get pieces of fresh berries in every single bite.
- Moist & tender crumb. This cake is moist and tender, without being overly dense, which was the primary issue with just using the strawberry cupcake recipe.
- The whipped strawberry buttercream. Whipped buttercream is simply classic buttercream that’s whipped at the end. Whipping it lightens the buttercream, which pairs really nicely with the cake.
- Perfect for summer. I cannot think of a more perfect cake for summer than this fresh strawberry cake, since strawberries are ripe and in season.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Let’s take a look at some key ingredients in this cake and the frosting. The exact measurements for the ingredients can be found in the recipe card below.
- All-purpose flour – I may sound like a broken record repeating this on every cake recipe but it’s very important to properly measure the flour. A food scale is the best option, but the spoon and level technique works too. For tips, see my How To Accurately Measure Flour post.
- Salt – Without it, your cake will be bland. Don’t leave it out!
- Butter – The cupcake version has quite a bit of moisture/fat, which contributes to the dense cake texture when you adjust it. I’ve used less butter in this new cake recipe (it looks the same, but it’s more batter for a cake, so less, if that makes sense).
- Sour cream – Adds moisture to the cake without thinning the batter too much, which helps prevent the strawberries from sinking. If you can’t use sour cream, I’d recommend plain Greek yogurt, not something thinner, like more milk.
- Milk – As mentioned above, I added less liquid/fat overall to this recipe, so there’s less milk too. I used whole milk, but 2% would also work.
- Strawberries – I like to use fresh, ripe strawberries. I’m often asked about frozen strawberries and I typically avoid those for something like chopping them in a cake. I find that thawed strawberries are a bit soft and mushy, which would make them hard to chop. But they’d be fine for the buttercream, where chopping isn’t an issue.
- Powdered sugar – I’m often asked about the amount of powdered sugar. There’s a good bit, because I use a good bit of frosting. That said, you can reduce it, but then I’d reduce all the frosting ingredients by the same ratio and just make less frosting. In order to add plenty of strawberry reduction and flavor, you need a thick enough buttercream to hold it. Powdered sugar is what thickens the buttercream (and adds volume). So adjust everything equally, and you’ll have the consistency you need to be able to add the strawberry reduction without thinning out the frosting too much.
How To Make Fresh Strawberry Cake
This cake takes a little time to make, as most layer cakes do, but it’s totally worth it. Start with your cake layers, then make your buttercream and put it all together. For full instructions, scroll down to the recipe card below.
Make the cake
Place parchment paper circles in the bottoms of three 8-inch cake pans. Grease the sides. Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
Beat the butter, sugars, and vanilla on medium for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
Mix in the sour cream, followed by the eggs, one at a time.
Mix in half of the dry ingredients. Slowly add the milk, then the remaining dry ingredients.
Fold in the strawberries. Do not over mix.
Divide the batter evenly between 3 pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
Cool for 2-3 minutes in the pans, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the buttercream and build the cake
Puree the strawberries until smooth.
Bring the pureed strawberries to a slow boil and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring often, until it reduces to 3/4 cup.
To make the frosting, beat the butter until smooth, then add half of the powdered sugar. Add the cooled strawberry reduction and the vanilla. Mix, then add the remainder of the powdered sugar. Beat the buttercream on medium-high speed for 3-5 minutes.
To assemble the cake, remove the domes from the cake layers. Place the first cake on a serving plate. Spread about 1 cup of frosting on top, then add the second layer and another cup of frosting. Add the final cake layer on top. Frost the outside of the cake.
Tips for the Best Cake
- Use strawberries with good flavor. The flavor of your cake will only be as good as your strawberries. You’ll need close to 2 pounds of strawberries.
- Don’t skimp on creaming time. There should be a visible difference in the color and texture of the butter and sugar when fully creamed. The color should be lighter and it should appear fluffy. It usually takes 2-3 minutes to achieve this.
- No overmixing. I noted this twice in the instructions because it’s super important. When combining the wet and dry ingredients and then when folding in the strawberries, mix just until everything is combined. Overmixing can result in dense, dry cake layers.
- Keep an eye on bake time. Every oven is different, so I recommend checking the cake layers at the 25 minute mark. A toothpick inserted in the center of the cake should come out with a few crumbs. These baked in 27 minutes in my oven.
- Cool before frosting. Let the cake layers cool completely before frosting and assembling. You can even make them a day ahead, if you’d like. Just wrap in plastic wrap once they’ve cooled and keep them on the counter.
- Stir the reduction frequently. The strawberry reduction will burn to the pan if it’s not stirred consistently. The constant stirring also helps more liquid evaporate.
- Thicken your buttercream properly. I know it’s tempting to reduce the powdered sugar for many people, but if you make your buttercream too thin (by reducing the powdered sugar), you won’t be able to add the strawberry reduction without getting a frosting that’s much too thin, or even separated. If you really want to reduce the sugar, reduce everything and just make less buttercream that has the same consistency.
Proper Storage
Once assembled, this fresh strawberry cake should be stored in the fridge. Store in an airtight container, like a cake carrier, or well-covered with plastic wrap. It’s best enjoyed within 3-4 days.
It’s best served at room temperature, so I like to let it sit on the counter for a bit before serving.
Watch How To Make It
More Strawberry Desserts
Fresh Strawberry Cake
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Ingredients
Strawberry Cake
- 2 ¾ cups (358g) all-purpose flour
- 2 ¾ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (168g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 1 ½ cups (310g) sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (173g) sour cream
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup milk
- 3 cups (400g) strawberries (chopped)
Whipped Strawberry Buttercream
- 3 cups (400g) strawberries (chopped)
- 2 cups (448g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 8 cups (920g) powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch salt (or to taste)
Instructions
Make the cake
- Prepare three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper circles in the bottom and grease the sides. Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C).
- Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
- Add the butter, sugars and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl and beat together on medium speed until light in color and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Do not skimp on the creaming time.
- Add the sour cream and mix until well combined.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until mostly combined after each. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until mostly combined. Slowly add the milk and mix until well combined. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until well combined and smooth. Do not over mix the batter.
- Gently fold in the strawberries. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated. Do not over mix the batter.
- Divide the batter evenly between the cakes pans and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool for about 2-3 minutes, then remove to cooling racks to cool completely, 2-3 hours.
Make the buttercream
- While the cakes bake and cool, start on the strawberry reduction. Add the strawberries to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. You should have about 1 1/2 cups of puree.
- Add the puree to a small sized saucepan and cook over medium heat. Allow the mixture to come to a slow boil, stirring consistently to keep it from burning, until it has thickened and reduced to about 3/4 cup, about 10-15 minutes. To measure, pour the puree into a measuring cup. If it’s more than 3/4 cup, add it back to the pan and continue cooking.
- When the puree has thickened and reduced, pour into a large measuring cup and allow to cool to at least room temperature. This strawberry mixture can be made ahead, if you like, and stored in the fridge.
- Add the butter to a large mixer bowl and beat until smooth and creamy.
- Add about half of the powdered sugar and beat until well combined and smooth.
- Add 4-5 tablespoons of the cooled strawberry reduction and the vanilla extract mix until well combined.
- Slowly add the remainder of the powdered sugar and mix until well combined and smooth.
- Add salt to taste and continue adding strawberry reduction until you have the right flavor and consistency of buttercream.
- Beat the buttercream on medium-high speed for 3-5 minutes to whip the buttercream. You don’t have to do this step, but it lightens up the buttercream nicely. Set aside.
Build the cake
- Use a large serrated knife to remove the domes from the top of the cakes so that they’re flat, if needed.
- Place the first cake on a serving plate or a cardboard cake round. Spread about 1 cup of frosting evenly on top of the cake.
- Add the second layer of cake and another cup of frosting, then add the final layer on top.
- Frost the outside of the cake. Refer to my tutorial for frosting a smooth cake, if needed.
- Finish decorating the cake with some buttercream swirls and fresh strawberries. Store in an air-tight container or well-covered in the fridge. Best when served at room temperature. Best if eaten within 3-4 days.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
