If you’re looking for a strawberry cake that is bursting with fresh strawberry flavour, then this recipe is it! Super soft strawberry cake layers are sandwiched between a strawberry cream cheese buttercream and fresh strawberry filling – YUM!
Why This Strawberry Cake is Special
So this might be an unpopular opinion, but I feel like there’s two problems with regular strawberry cake.
Firstly, if it’s a recipe that uses only fresh strawberries, then it often lacks that strawberry flavour hit that you want, from well, a strawberry cake!
Secondly, if it’s a recipe that uses strawberry essence or extract only, then it often has this overwhelmingly artificial taste which just isn’t my cup of tea.
I really wanted to try and develop a recipe that had as much fresh strawberry as possible in the actual cake batter, but with the addition of strawberry extract/essence to really bump up the flavour. Hopefully in a way that simply amplified the natural strawberry flavour, but without it tasting artificial.
How did I achieve this? After MANY fails (the first version I made was SO BAD), I finally got the result I wanted by making a strawberry filling/reduction (which I adapted from my raspberry filling recipe), and that became the base of the entire cake.
I used the strawberry filling in the cake layers, cream cheese frosting and as a filling in the centre of the cake. To then amplify the strawberry flavour, I added additional strawberry essence/extract into the cake layers (it took me a few trials to get the amount juuuust right!) and frosting, and it really took the cake to the next level!
How to Make Strawberry Cake
So this strawberry cake has three elements:
- Strawberry filling/reduction (this is the base of the entire recipe and is made first. It can also be made the day beforehand to save time)
- Strawberry cake
- Strawberry cream cheese frosting
You can find the full quantities as well written directions in the recipe card at the end of this blog post 🙂
Strawberry filling/reduction:
Begin by placing strawberries, sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice in a large fry pan and place over a medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Once the strawberries are soft, using a potato masher, mash the strawberries well. Allow the mixture to reduce for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Combine cornstarch with the water and mix until the cornstarch is no longer lumpy. Add it into the strawberry mixture while continuously mixing to avoid lumps forming.
Reduce for another few minutes and then take it off the heat. You should have about 2 cups. It’s okay if it’s not exact, but if you have a lot more than 2 cups, then you will need to reduce the mixture further.
The filling needs to cool before you move onto the cake. To speed up the process, spread the filling out onto a wide dish and refrigerate for 30 minutes. You can also make this the day beforehand to save time.
Strawberry Cake
Begin by preheating oven to 160 °C (320°F) with the fan on (see note 4 on recipe card below if you don’t have a fan function) and grease and/or line two 8 inch cake tins (I use my homemade cake release).
In a bowl, sift together your flour, cornflour, baking powder and salt. Using a whisk or fork, mix until well combined. Set aside.
In a small bowl combine 3/4s of a cup (195g) of the strawberry filling, milk and gel food colour. Mix until well combined. Set aside for now.
In another bowl, add in your butter, vegetable oil and sugar. Using an electric mixer (hand or stand mixer are both fine – see note 2), cream together for 3 minutes until light and creamy.
Add in egg whites in 3 batches on a low-medium speed, mixing well in between each addition (about 10-15 seconds between each batch).
Add in half of your strawberry/milk mixture from earlier, strawberry essence/extract, vanilla and white vinegar. Mix until well combined. Now set your mixer aside as the remainder of the batter will be finished by hand.
Finish off by adding in half of your premixed dry ingredients to your wet mixture, and gently fold it in with a spatula until just combined. Then add in the remaining strawberry/milk mixture, and fold it in until just combined. Lastly, add in the remaining dry ingredients and gently fold it into the mixture until just combined. Do not overmix (see note 3). If your batter seems a little dull in colour, then you can add another drop of red gel food colouring.
Distribute the batter evenly into the two 8 inch cake tins, and bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Once baked, allow the cake layers to cool in the cake tins for about 15-20 minutes, and then turn them out onto a wire rack to completely cool before frosting with the strawberry cream cheese buttercream recipe below.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
Begin by creaming your butter for a few minutes until it’s light and fluffy. Either use a hand mixer or stand mixer on a medium high speed. If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment.
Add in the icing sugar in 3 batches while mixing on low. Ensure that each batch of icing sugar is mixed into the butter well before adding in the next batch.
Next add in your cold cream cheese, strawberry essence/extract and vanilla. Mix just until the frosting is smooth. Avoid over-mixing (see note 3).
Add in a 1/4 cup (65g) of the strawberry filling we made earlier, and mix that in until just combined. You can add additional colouring in at this point too if you prefer.
Assembly
OPTIONAL: Begin by trimming off all the caramelised edges on the top, bottom and sides of the cake layers. Also level the tops if the cake layers have a slight dome.
Place your first cake layer onto your cake stand, and spread out a generous amount of the frosting on top.
Place some of the frosting into a piping bag with a 1A round tip, and pipe a border/dam around the edges of the cake layer to hold in our strawberry filling. Fill the middle with the remaining strawberry filling we made earlier.
Place the next cake layer on top and cover the top and sides with more frosting. If you have a cake scraper, you can use it to smooth out the sides. I like to do a little bit of piping on the top with the remaining buttercream in my piping bag (using the same 1A piping tip) and finish off with fresh strawberries on the top.
Soft Strawberry Cake
Print Pin VideoIMPORTANT: For accuracy, I would recommend using the gram measurements provided, as those are the exact quantities I use. Cup measurements are given as estimates (based on US cup measurements) to make it easier for those who do not have a scale.
Ingredients
Strawberry Filling/Reduction
- 3 cups (600 g) fresh strawberries - hulled and halved
- ¾ cup (150 g) white granulated sugar - see note 5 if you have very sweet strawberries
- 1 tbsp lemon zest - about the zest of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup (60 g) fresh lemon juice
- 3 tbsp (22 g) cornstarch - also known as cornflour
- 2 tbsp water
Strawberry Cake
- 2⅓ cups (300 g) flour - regular all purpose (see note 1 if you want to use cake flour)
- ¼ cup (25 g) cornstarch - also known as cornflour
- 2½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt - omit if using salted butter
- ¼ cup (60 g) milk - room temperature
- ¾ cup (195 g) strawberry filling/reduction - made in the first step of this recipe
- 1 drop red gel food colouring - optional but recommended, see note 6
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter - room temperature
- ½ cup (105 g) unflavoured vegetable oil - I use canola
- 1½ cups (300 g) white granulated sugar
- 6 large (225 g) egg whites - room temperature, size 7 eggs
- 3 tsps strawberry essence/extract
- 1½ tsp vanilla essence/extract
- 1 tsp white vinegar
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter - room temperature
- 4½ cups (570 g) icing sugar - also known as powdered sugar/confectioners sugar
- 1½ cups (335 g) cream cheese - cold, firm type not spreadable
- ¼ cup (65 g) strawberry filling/reduction - made in the first step of this recipe
- 2 tsp strawberry essence/extract
- 1 tsp vanilla essence/extract
Instructions
Strawberry Filling/Reduction
- Place the strawberries, sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice in a large fry pan and place over a medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Once the strawberries are soft, using a potato masher, mash the strawberries well. Allow the mixture to reduce for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Combine the cornstarch with the water and mix until the cornstarch is no longer lumpy. Add it into the strawberry mixture while continuously mixing to avoid lumps forming.
- Reduce for another few minutes and then take it off the heat. You should have about 2 cups. It's okay if it's not exact, but if you have a lot more than 2 cups, then you will need to reduce the mixture further.
- The filling needs to cool before you move onto the cake. To speed up the process, spread the filling out onto a wide dish and refrigerate for 30 minutes. You can also make this the day beforehand to save time.
Strawberry Cake
- Preheat oven to 160 °C (320°F) with the fan on (see note 4 if you don't have a fan function) and grease and/or line two 8 inch cake tins (I use my homemade cake release).
- In a bowl, sift together your flour, cornflour, baking powder and salt. Using a whisk or fork, mix until well combined. Set aside.
- In a small bowl combine 3/4s of a cup (195g) of the strawberry filling, milk and gel food colour. Mix until well combined. Set aside for now.
- In another bowl, add in your butter, vegetable oil and sugar. Using an electric mixer (hand or stand mixer are both fine - see note 2), cream together for 3 minutes until light and creamy.
- Add in egg whites in 3 batches on a low-medium speed, mixing well in between each addition (about 10-15 seconds between each batch).
- Add in half of your strawberry/milk mixture from earlier, strawberry essence/extract, vanilla and white vinegar. Mix until well combined. Now set your mixer aside as the remainder of the batter will be finished by hand.
- Finish off by adding in half of your premixed dry ingredients to your wet mixture, and gently fold it in with a spatula until just combined. Then add in the remaining strawberry/milk mixture, and fold it in until just combined. Lastly, add in the remaining dry ingredients and gently fold it into the mixture until just combined. Do not overmix (see note 3). If your batter seems a little dull in colour, then you can add another drop of red gel food colouring.
- Distribute the batter evenly into the two 8 inch cake tins, and bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Once baked, allow the cake layers to cool in the cake tins for about 15-20 minutes, and then turn them out onto a wire rack to completely cool before frosting with the strawberry cream cheese buttercream recipe below.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream your butter for a few minutes until it's light and fluffy. Either use a hand mixer or stand mixer on a medium high speed. If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment.
- Add in the icing sugar in 3 batches while mixing on low. Ensure that each batch of icing sugar is mixed into the butter well before adding in the next batch.
- Next add in your cold cream cheese, strawberry essence/extract and vanilla. Mix just until the frosting is smooth. Avoid over-mixing (see note 3).
- Add in a 1/4 cup (65g) of the strawberry filling we made earlier, and mix that in until just combined. You can add additional colouring in at this point too if you prefer.
Assembly
- OPTIONAL: Begin by trimming off all the caramelised edges on the top, bottom and sides of the cake layers. Also level the tops if the cake layers have a slight dome.
- Place your first cake layer onto your cake stand, and spread out a generous amount of the frosting on top.
- Place some of the frosting into a piping bag with a 1A round tip, and pipe a border/dam around the edges of the cake layer to hold in our strawberry filling. I like to pipe a double border so its high enough to get all the remaining filling in. Fill the middle with the remaining strawberry filling we made earlier.
- Place the next cake layer on top and cover the top and sides with more frosting. If you have a cake scraper, you can use it to smooth out the sides. I like to do a little bit of piping on the top with the remaining buttercream in my piping bag (using the same 1A piping tip) and finish off with fresh strawberries on the top.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only as they are automatically calculated by a third party application. Actual values may differ based on brands and types of products used.
163 Comments
This is my second time making a “Cakes by MK” cake recipe and WOW they are to die for. I made this cake for my daughter’s 3rd birthday and everyone was raving about it. And it was easy to make! You are very talented. I can’t wait to make more of your recipes! Sending love from Kansas, USA
Aww yay! Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback Kate 🙂 so happy to hear everyone loved the cake and happy birthday to your daughter! 😀
Hi! Can I use margarine instead of butter?
Heya! 🙂 I haven’t tried using margarine myself, though I would recommend using butter if possible as it holds air a bit better than margarine so will give you a fluffier cake as this recipe uses the creaming method 🙂
Hi MK! I will be making this cake for my daughters first birthday! I am so exited. She is my first and only baby. I am not a baker so this is my first time attempting a cake. My question is: how far in advance can I make the cake prior to her party? Another question is how does it do in the heat? We are having her party at a park in this hot July weather lol
Thank you!
Hi Alexis 🙂 How exciting that you’re making your first childs first birthday cake! I can imagine how excited you must be for such a special occasion 🙂
I would recommend making the cake the day before the party and storing it in the fridge (just make sure the cake layers are completely covered in frosting otherwise the fridge will dry them out a little). You can then take the cake to the park with you and just keep in mind it will need a couple of hours to come to room temp (cold cake isn’t as nice!), but the hot weather should help with that. The only thing is the frosting for this cake is slightly softer than a traditional buttercream because of the cream cheese. It should still hold relatively well if the cake has been in the fridge overnight, but you would want to keep it out of direct sunlight otherwise you run the risk of the frosting melting. Hope that helps Alexis and all the best 😀
I made this cake for my daughter’s birthday and it was so good! I want to try making this recipe but as cupcakes for an upcoming cookout…any suggestions?
Yay! So so happy to hear you loved the recipe Jennifer 😀
Yes you could totally make these as cupcakes, just reduce the cook time and check them at about the 18 min mark and then bake more if needed 🙂
What milk do you use
Hi Lela! 🙂 I use whole milk (blue top here in NZ). Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Thanks for the great recipe! Is it ok to puree the strawberries before reducing them? I made this wonderful cake as per the recipe and had a difficult time trying to mash them after they cooked – remaining pieces of strawberry resulted in noticeable grey spots in the cake. I’ll make it again for a party and would like to prevent any left-over pieces of strawberry in the reduction.
Hi Clarence! 🙂 So happy to hear you loved the recipe 😀
Yes you can totally puree them before reducing them 🙂
Hi! Very excited to try this recipe for my son’s birthday! Could I substitute the all purpose flour for pastry flour? If so, do you think the recipe would need to be adjusted in any way?
Thanks! Love your recipes!
Hi Ellen! 🙂 Hmmm good question! So in general you could use cake flour in this recipe in replacement of the all purpose flour and cornstarch, though pastry flour I am not too sure sorry! I would think it would work okay as I believe pastry flour has a slightly higher protein content than cake flour, but I honestly can’t say for sure and would hate for you to go through all the effort of making this cake (as it is quite involved!) and it doesn’t turn out right. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help Ellen!
I made the strawberry recipe and the cake was a bit flat because I wasn’t able to use a mixer to buff up the egg whites, but tasted wonderful. Definitely a wakeup call to buy some equipment that I need for baking. I definitely will make it again. I found it interesting that you like to use food gel coloring to beef up the color and that you top your cake with your fondant first, and then the strawberry glaze.
Hi Starr! 🙂 Ahh yes using an electric mixer of some sort is important for the creaming step (and adding in the egg whites) to encorporate air into the batter. This will give you a nice tall cake 😀 so glad it still tasted great 🙂
Yes I like to use the strawberry reduction as a filling and usually put buttercream underneath any fillings so that the cake layer doesn’t get soggy 🙂
I used your raspberry filling recipe to put between a 3 layer 8- inch cake. I made a dam of buttercream and put a thin layer of buttercream on each layer before spreading the jam filling. Once it was all assembled and I started frosting the top and outside of the cake, I noticed the raspberry filling was oozing out the sides. It became a messy disaster! I just ended up spreading the jam along with the buttercream around the outside because there was nothing else I could do. I think I used too much jam filling. How much typically should I be using between the layers to prevent this disaster? Still tasted great though.
Thanks.
Hi Jody! 🙂 Ahh yes this used to happen to me all the time too. The key is making sure that the filling doesn’t go any higher than the buttercream dam on the edges and piping a thicker buttercream dam can also help prevent the filling from seeping out. For this recipe there is quite a bit of left over strawberry reduction to go in the middle (there’s about a cup remaining), but if you feel like its a bit too much you can use less. I also piped a double border for this recipe to make the buttercream border a little higher so you could try this as well so that you can use all the filling 🙂
Hope that helps for next time Jody!
Hi! I haven’t had a chance to taste this yet because I’m assembling it tomorrow but absolutely love how it’s turned out so far! I just had a couple questions. Do you measure your strawberries after they’re halved and hulled? I just made the cake itself (no inside filling or strawberry frosting) and barely had enough for the addition into the cake mix. That’s the only measurement that I could think of that might’ve been off. And secondly could this recipe be made into cupcakes? If so I would I have to change any measurements/temperatures/cooking times? Thank you so much for sharing the recipe, can’t wait to taste it!
Hi Macy! 🙂 So so happy to hear the cake was coming along well – you have probably already tried it now as I am a bit late in replying, so I hope you enjoyed the final product 😀
In terms of the strawberries, it should be 600g after the tops have been removed 🙂 it could also be that perhaps the mixture was reduced too much?
And yes you can totally turn these into cupcakes – everything would stay the same except for the cooking time, which would be reduced to about 18mins or so 🙂
Hope that helps and hope you enjoyed the cake Macy!
So, you don’t whip the egg whites before adding?
Hi Sarah! 🙂 Yes that’s correct, no need to whip the egg whites separately before adding them in 🙂
Hope you enjoy the recipe!