Strawberry Cake

This homemade Strawberry Cake recipe is moist, tender and made with fresh strawberries and a fluffy, fresh strawberry buttercream frosting! An easy layer cake recipe with PRO baking tips!

 

Estimated reading time: 23 minutes

When it’s strawberry season you KNOW we’re going to be in the kitchen whipping up ALL the strawberry treats. Whether it’s a bowl of fresh strawberries with yogurt for breakfast, a strawberry smoothie after a workout, strawberry rhubarb crisp for a dessert on the healthier side, or a decadent slice of Classic Strawberry Pie, we’re here for it and we know you are too!

This homemade Strawberry Cake recipe with strawberry buttercream frosting is our favourite cake recipe for strawberry season. It’s packed with fresh strawberry purée, which gives it a deliciously sweet strawberry flavour, and it’s frosted with the fluffiest strawberry buttercream frosting made with fresh strawberries. This cake has the perfect tender texture, the cake layers bake up beautifully, and it’s super easy to frost and decorate. If you’re looking for a new cake to try that’s simple to make but oh so impressive, this homemade strawberry cake with fresh strawberry buttercream frosting is IT!

Strawberry cake is a classic layer cake dessert that captures the essence of fresh strawberries in both flavour and colour. It’s made using fresh strawberries, along with basic cake ingredients like flour, sugar, eggs, and butter. Our recipe calls for fresh strawberries to flavour and colour both the cake and the strawberry buttercream frosting (with the optional addition of a little red food colouring for presentation), although some other versions of strawberry cake often call for artificial flavourings like strawberry extract or even strawberry Jell-O. We prefer to focus on natural ingredients to showcase the taste of fresh, in-season strawberries.

Here are just a few reasons we LOVE this homemade strawberry cake recipe!

1. It’s GORGEOUS. Fresh berries just don’t get any more beautiful and the pink hues are simply gorgeous. It’s got such a classic summer-inspired look and it’s perfect for hosting summer dinner parties!
2. It’s SIMPLE to make. The instructions are basic and the method is simple enough for anyone to follow.
3. It’s easy to MAKE AHEAD. We like to make this cake a few days or even weeks ahead of time. We wrap it well in plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze the layers until we’re ready to make the frosting and serve it.
4. It’s perfect for CELEBRATIONS. Looking for a summer birthday cake or a cake for a special celebration during strawberry season? This is IT!
5. It has amazing FLAVOUR. The strawberry flavour in this cake is intense, making it super delicious!
6. It’s a great recipe for BEGINNERS. If you’ve never made a layer cake before, especially one with fresh berries, this is the one to start with. With ALL the pro tips, tricks, and baking science we share, you’re sure to love the outcome!

If you want to take your homemade layer cakes to the next level, be sure to follow all our PRO tips and tricks for the perfect homemade strawberry cake!

1. Start with room-temperature ingredients. Make sure your milk and eggs are at room temperature. This will create a smooth cake batter and help the ingredients combine properly.
2. Measure the flour correctly. The best way to measure flour is in grams, but if you’re using cup measurements be sure to fluff the flour in its bag or container before scooping VERY gently (don’t pack the flour into the measuring cup at all), and then level it off with the back of a knife or other flat object.
3. Avoid over-mixing, especially after adding the flour. Over-mixing can create a dry, tough cake because it reduces the number of air bubbles present in the batter which give the cake its lift as it bakes.
4. Don’t mix on high speed. This can create something called tunnelling where long, thin air bubbles appear in the baked cake. This is caused by vigorous mixing that strengthens the gluten strands in the cake batter too much.
5. Prepare the pans properly. Always grease your cake pans generously with butter and dust the inside with cocoa powder on all sides (use flour if you’re making a white cake and cocoa powder for a chocolate one). This will prevent the cake from sticking to the pan. We suggest using spring-form pans for baking cakes for even easier removal.
6. Bake immediately after mixing. Don’t let an unbaked cake sit out on the counter. Always preheat your oven first and bake the cake immediately after adding the batter to the pans. This will help the cake rise properly in the oven as the leavening agent in the cake batter is activated as soon as the wet and dry ingredients are combined.
7. Place the pans in the centre of the oven. Don’t place the pans too close together as this can cause them to brown too much on one side. Add the pans to the centre of the oven so they bake evenly.
8. Don’t open the oven as they bake. Avoid opening the oven during baking unless it’s absolutely necessary to rotate the cakes while baking (if your oven is small or has a hot spot). Opening the oven door at the end of the baking time is ok, especially because testing the cake with a toothpick is necessary to prevent over-baking.
9. Don’t over bake. Over-baked cakes are dry and crumbly. Be sure to remove them from the oven as soon as a toothpick inserted into the top of the cake comes out clean.
10. Don’t under bake. Under-baked cakes are partly baked but gummy on top and in the centre. Test the cake with a toothpick to be sure the cake is baked completely.
11. Don’t let them cool completely in the pan. Cool the cakes in the pan only for the first 10-20 minutes of cooling, then turn them out onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Cooling the cakes in the pan will trap moisture in and make them soggy.
12. Frost only after completely cooled. Don’t try to frost a cake that’s still warm, especially if you’re using a butter-based frosting as the butter will melt and you’ll be left with a mess. Wait for the cakes to cool completely, then frost.
13. Level the cakes before frosting, if necessary. Use a large serrated knife (like a bread knife) to cut any domed top off of the cakes before assembling and frosting.
14. Chill the cake during assembly. Add whatever filling you’re using between the layers, then chill for 20-30 minutes in the fridge. This will help the filling firm up so the cake keeps its shape as you add the frosting around the outside of the cake.
15. Chill the cake before slicing. Place the cake in the fridge once you’ve finished frosting it so the frosting can firm up. This will make the cake easier to slice and create clean, uniform slices.

When you’re baking a homemade strawberry cake recipe, creating a strawberry buttercream frosting with fresh strawberries is a great way to highlight the natural fruit flavours and colours. But working with fresh fruit can be problematic, especially when you’re trying to incorporate it into buttercream frosting. Here’s an in-depth guide to perfecting your strawberry buttercream, maintaining the right consistency and preventing separation.

Select ripe, flavourful strawberries for the most vibrant taste and colour. Wash and hull them, dry them, then mash them well. Add the mashed fruit to a fine mesh strainer and allow the liquid to drip out of the mixture. Removing as much liquid as possible will help keep your frosting together and prevent separation.

Add the fruit to the buttercream once the base buttercream mixture has formed. Be sure to mix the butter and sugar together first. The butter will coat the sugar, preventing it from absorbing the liquid from the added fruit. If you don’t mix the butter and sugar together first, you’ll be left with a runny frosting.

Frosting Separation OR the Frosting is too Runny: If your frosting begins to separate or if it’s too runny, this is typically because there’s too much liquid from the strawberries. To fix this, you can simply add more powdered sugar to absorb excess moisture and stabilize the mixture. Chilling the frosting for 30 minutes before whipping it again can help re-emulsify the ingredients.

The Frosting is Too Stiff: If your frosting is too stiff, it may not spread smoothly or easily. Adding a few teaspoons of milk, one at a time, can help you achieve the right consistency. Make sure any added liquid is at room temperature.

Colour Adjustments: If the frosting isn’t pink enough, simply add a tiny drop of red food colouring. This is usually enough to cause the frosting to take on a soft pink colour.

This buttercream can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Before using, allow it to come to room temperature and then re-whip it to make sure its texture is nice and creamy and spreadable.

Frosting a layer cake is not just about making it look pretty! Proper frosting technique helps seal in moisture and helps the cake keep its shape. Here’s our detailed guide to help you frost your homemade cakes perfectly!

1. Prepare Your Tools: Before you start, make sure you have helpful tools: a turntable or lazy susan is extra helpful for spinning the cake as you frost it, an offset spatula, a bench scraper, and a piping bag and tip are the tools we always use for frosting layer cakes. Have your frosting ready and make sure it’s at a spreadable consistency. If it’s too stiff, you can soften it slightly in a mixer on low speed using the paddle attachment (using the paddle attachment instead of the whisk attachment prevents you from adding too much air to the batter, as this can cause air bubbles in your frosting, making it hard to work with). Make sure your workspace is clean and that you have enough room to maneuver around the cake.
2. Level the Cake: After your cakes have completely cooled, you’ll likely notice they have domed on top just a little bit. To create a flat, stable surface for frosting, you need to level the cakes by gently sawing off the domed top using a serrated knife. Aim to keep the knife as level as you can.
3. Stacking the Cake Layers: Begin by placing your first layer on a cake board (bottom side down) slightly larger than your cake. Scoop about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of frosting onto the centre of the layer, then spread it evenly with your offset spatula all the way to the edges. It’s crucial to get this layer even, as it sets the foundation for the rest of your cake. Add the second layer on top, but turn it upside down so the flat bottom is actually the top of the cake. This will give your layer cake a professional look.
4. Apply a Crumb Coat: The crumb coat is a thin layer of frosting that helps to catch any loose crumbs so that they don’t appear on the outer layer of your cake once it’s frosted. After stacking your layers with frosting between them, apply a thin coat of frosting all over the cake. Use your offset spatula to spread it, and then smooth it out with the bench scraper. Don’t worry if it looks messy and is full of crumbs…that’s why it’s called the crumb coat. Refrigerate the cake for about 30 minutes to set this crumb coat, which will make applying the final coat of frosting SO much easier.
5. Frosting the Cake: Once the crumb coat is set in the fridge, apply the final coat of frosting by adding a generous amount of frosting on top of the cake, and spreading it outwards and down the sides of the cake evenly with your offset spatula. Keep the layer of frosting uniform, as much as you can, and create rustic swirls.
6. Refrigerate Before Slicing: As tempting as it might be to slice it right away, 30 minutes in the fridge will help the frosting firm up just enough to slice the cake cleanly. This will give your cake slices that professional bakery look.

Maintaining moisture in cakes is very important and there are a few secrets professional bakers use to make sure their cakes are perfectly moist, every single time:

1. They Use the Right Ingredients: High quality butter, the addition of vegetable oil, and incorporating buttermilk or sour cream adds richness and moisture to cakes.
2. They Follow the Correct Baking Process: Professional bakers measure correctly and accurately, they use the correct oven temperature, and they avoid over-baking – all things that affect the moisture level of a cake.
3. They Use Syrups: Professional bakeries often brush their cakes with a simple syrup before frosting and decorating to add sweetness and other flavours, as well as moisture.
4. They Cool, Handle and Store the Cakes Properly: Letting the cake cool in the pan for a short time prevents it from releasing too much steam. Wrapping the cake layers in plastic wrap if you’re storing them also helps lock in moisture, and storing the cake in an airtight container even after it’s frosted helps it stay moist.
5. They Frost the Cakes Properly: Frosting the cake with a crumb coat first locks in moisture because the crumb coat acts as a moisture barrier.

Here are some common problems you might encounter while baking layer cakes and how to prevent them:

1. An uneven or sunken cake:
   • Make sure to measure ingredients accurately, especially the leavening agents like baking powder or baking soda.
   • Do not over-mix the batter as this can result in excess air being incorporated into the batter, leading to uneven baking and sinking in the centre of the cakes.
   • Ensure the oven is preheated to the correct temperature before placing the cake inside.
   • Avoid opening the oven door during baking as this can cause major changes in oven temperature and result in an uneven rise.
2. A dry or dense cake:
   • Measure the flour properly by spooning it into the measuring cup and levelling it off, rather than scooping it directly from the bag (using the fluff and scoop method also works well).
   • Do not over-mix the batter as this can over-develop gluten in the batter and lead to a tougher texture. Mix until the ingredients are just combined and the flour disappears.
   • Check the baking time and temperature. Over-baking can cause the cake to dry out. Use a toothpick to check for doneness.
3. A cracked cake:
   • An oven temperature that’s too high can cause the cake to rise too quickly and crack on the surface. Double-check that your oven temperature is correct by using an oven thermometer.
   • Avoid opening the oven door during the first half of baking. This can cause sudden temperature changes that contribute to cracking on the top of the cake.
4. Cakes that stick to the pan:
   • Properly grease and flour the cake pans (dust with cocoa powder instead of flour for a chocolate cake). You can also use parchment paper to line the bottoms of the pans to prevent sticking.
   • Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10, 15 or even 20 minutes before inverting it onto a wire rack. Cooling the layers in the pan for several minutes helps the cake release more easily.
5. Sunken cake layers:
   • Check the freshness of your baking powder or baking soda. They lose potency over time and can cause cakes to sink. Replace them if necessary.
   • Ensure the oven temperature is accurate. Use an oven thermometer to check the temperature.
   • Avoid over-mixing the batter, as this can deflate the air incorporated during the creaming process. Mix until just combined.
   • Be sure the cakes are fully baked before removing them from the oven. If they’re not fully baked in the centre, they’ll sink in the middle after you remove them from the oven.
6. Difficulty frosting the cake:
   • Be sure the texture of your frosting is soft enough that it will easily glide over the surface of the cake without difficulty.
   • It’s a good idea to refrigerate the cake layers before frosting to make frosting the cake easier (the layers will be firmer after refrigerating).
7. The cake is bulging on the sides or difficult to slice:
   • Refrigerate the cake after placing the frosting between the layers and before frosting the outside of the cake. This will prevent the cake from settling too much and the sides from bulging.
   • If the cake is difficult to slice because it’s too soft, refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour before slicing.

Here’s a list of basic kitchen equipment you’ll need to make this homemade Strawberry Cake recipe (paid links);

• Stand Mixer OR Handheld electric Mixer and some mixing bowls
• small pot
• Blender
• Sieve
• Silicone Spatula
• measuring cups and spoons
• liquid measuring cups
• Offset Spatula
• 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans (round)
• Cooling Racks
• Bench Scraper

Here’s a list of the ingredients you’ll need to make this homemade strawberry cake recipe (paid links):

FOR THE STRAWBERRY PURÉE

• 1 pound strawberries
• juice of half a lemon (about 1 tablespoon lemon juice)

FOR THE CAKE:

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 large egg whites at room temperature
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2/3 cup strawberry purée

FOR THE STRAWBERRY BUTTERCREAM:

• 2/3 cup unsalted butter  softened to slightly cooler than room temperature
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons milk
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh strawberries
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• food colouring red or pink (optional)

Take this homemade strawberry cake recipe to the next level with one of these tasty variations on the original recipe!

1. Lemon Strawberry: Add lemon zest to your cake batter and the frosting for a bright-tasting treat!
2. White Chocolate Strawberry: Incorporate melted white chocolate into the frosting before you add the fresh strawberries. This will add stability to the frosting as well as a delicious white chocolate flavour. Top the cake with strawberries dipped in white chocolate.
3. Chocolate Strawberry: Make a chocolate layer cake and frost it with this fresh strawberry buttercream. Top it with shaved chocolate and chocolate dipped strawberries.
4. Extra Strawberry: If you want an even stronger strawberry flavour, you can add some freeze-dried strawberries or freeze-dried strawberry powder to the cake batter and the frosting. 
5. Mixed Berry: Replace some of the fresh strawberries with fresh blueberries and raspberries for a mixed berry cake.

Here’s how to make this fresh strawberry buttercream frosting recipe!

1. Chop 5 or 6 strawberries as finely as you can. (You’ll need to add 1/2 cup chopped fresh strawberries to the frosting.) Once they’ve been chopped, add the strawberries to a strainer over a bowl to let the excess liquid drain out of them while you prepare the rest of the frosting.
2. Add the butter and 4 cups of icing sugar to the bowl of your stand mixer, along with the milk. It’s a good idea for the butter to be just slightly cooler than room temperature for this frosting because of the high water-content in the strawberries. Beat the butter, icing sugar and milk on high speed until you end up with a stiff buttercream frosting. You’ll probably have to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times to make sure everything is incorporated.
3. Measure out 1/2 cup of the drained strawberries and add them to the stiff frosting. Beat them in on medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is evenly incorporated. At this point, your frosting may be too soft to pipe, so add as much of the remaining 2 1/2 cups of icing sugar as you need to create a frosting that’s of piping consistency (this means it will hold its shape when piped on top of a cupcake).
4. Add the remaining icing sugar 1/2 cup at a time, as needed, and don’t forget to add in the pinch of salt, too (this tones down the sweetness of the frosting just a bit).
5. If you’re not happy with the colour of the frosting after adding the strawberries, simply stir in a touch of red or pink food colouring.
6. Once the frosting is prepared and the cake layers have cooled completely to room temperature, you can go ahead and frost the cake according to the recipe directions.

1. After the cakes have completely cooled, you’ll likely notice they have domed on top just a little bit. To create a flat, stable surface for frosting, you’ll need to level the cakes by gently sawing off the domed top using a serrated knife. Aim to keep the knife as level as you can.
2. Begin by placing your first layer on a cake board (bottom side down) slightly larger than your cake. Scoop about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of frosting onto the centre of the layer, then spread it evenly with your offset spatula all the way to the edges. It’s crucial to get this layer even, as it sets the foundation for the shape of rest of your cake.
3. Add the second layer on top, upside down, so the top of the cake is as flat as possible.
4. Apply a thin coat of frosting all over the cake. Use your offset spatula to spread it, and then smooth it out with the bench scraper. Refrigerate the cake for about 30 minutes to set this crumb coat, so that applying the final coat of frosting will be much easier.
5. Apply the final coat of frosting on top of the cake, spreading it outwards and down the sides of the cake evenly with your offset spatula. Keep the layer of frosting uniform, as much as you can, and create rustic swirls.
6. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes so that the frosting firms up giving you clean and sturdy slices.
7. Top with fresh strawberries, if desired, before serving.

We hope you love this homemade strawberry cake recipe as much as we do! Let us know in the comments below, what’s your favourite cake recipe for summer? We’d love to know!

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