Strawberry Cake from Scratch

My strawberry cake from scratch is a beautiful, soft layer cake that I love baking when strawberries are in season. I fold fresh berries into the batter and bake it into moist, tender layers with a naturally sweet strawberry flavor and a delicate pink hue. It’s an easy homemade dessert that feels special but delivers big flavor in every bite.

This strawberry cake from scratch is the epitome of the perfect Southern cake, and in my humble opinion, it’s the ultimate summer dessert. It’s made with soft, tender pink layers that are topped with a creamy, luscious strawberry-filled frosting. If you love a strawberry treat, like my pillowy strawberry bundt cake recipe, then you should definitely give this recipe a try. I will say, however, that the key to making this layered cake is using fresh and juicy strawberries, which are in their peak from April through late June. But the rest of the year, you can use frozen (thawed) berries instead.

Now, most “easy” cake recipes use boxed cake mix, like my strawberry crunch cake, or jello for flavor and color, like my strawberry pineapple jello cake. Although there’s nothing wrong with cake mix or jello, the strawberry flavor does taste a bit artificial. This recipe, on the other hand, is made entirely from scratch, and from the pink hue to the berry-liscious flavors, every bite is filled with real and fresh ingredients. I love that!

Lisa – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The best strawberry cake I’ve made and tasted. I cut the frosting recipe in half, used reduced fat cream cheese, and frosted only the middle and top layers. Simply elegant and delicious!

Key Ingredients and Tips

• Cake flour – For the most soft and tender cake, I always use cake flour. But a combo of all-purpose flour and a little bit of cornstarch is a good substitute.
• Baking powder and baking soda – This pairing makes the cake ultra fluffy and airy.
• Sugar – I use granulated white sugar to help sweeten this up. Plus, sugar helps to create the cake’s signature moist texture.
• Fat – For this recipe, I use both unsalted butter and vegetable oil. This combo creates the best overall flavor and texture.
• Vanilla extract and strawberry extract – Just a drop or two of these extracts highlights the bright flavors from the fresh strawberries.
• Strawberries – The star of the show! I prefer fresh pureed berries, but the frozen and thawed kind works too. You need fresh ripe in-season strawberries to make this cake really shine. Use berries that are so ripe they squish easily in your fingers. Strawberries are also the star of my fresh strawberry pie.
• Buttermilk – This helps to keep the cake soft and tender. The store-bought variety is fine, but if you’re up for it, check out our handy guide for how to make buttermilk at home.
• Cream cheese – For the base of the frosting, I suggest the block (not tub) kind and make sure that it’s softened.
• Strawberry jam – This is the secret ingredient to making the strawberry cream cheese frosting. If I’m short on time, I use the store-bought kind, but you can always use my homemade jam.
• Powdered sugar – This helps balance out the tanginess from the cream cheese in the frosting. Just make sure to sift it and to remove any clumps.

How to Make

Find the full recipe with ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.

Do the prep work – To start off this recipe, I preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, I grease two cake pans with butter or shortening, and cover the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper that I’ve cut into circles, so that the cake doesn’t stick.

Combine the wet ingredients – I always use an electric mixer for all of my cake recipes. I grab a large bowl and toss in the butter and sugar. Then I beat them on high until it’s light and creamy. Then, I add in the oil and mix it up again.

Mix dry ingredients – In another bowl, I combine the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Puree the strawberries – I use fresh and juicy strawberries for this recipe, and always, always make sure that they’re ripe. I puree them with some sugar in a blender until it’s all smooth.

Add the strawberries – I return to the bowl with the wet ingredients, and mix in the eggs, vanilla extract, strawberry extract, strawberry puree, and milk.

Mix wet and dry – Turning the mixer back on low, I slowly and carefully add the flour mixture to the bowl with all the combined wet ingredients. Then I mix until it just comes together, and turn off the mixer so as not to overwork the batter.

Bake the cakes – Now, I pour the batter into the greased cake pans and bake those for 30 minutes. I always use the toothpick test to check that the cake is baked!

Cool – Let the cakes cool completely on a rack. If you try to assemble warm cakes, the frosting will melt.

Make the frosting – To start off the frosting, I beat the cream cheese and butter until it is fluffy. Then, I add in the strawberry jam, vanilla extract, and just a pinch of salt. I beat that again, and finally, with the mixer on low, I add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time until it’s sweet and thick enough to spread.

Assemble – I place the cooled first cake layer onto a platter, and cover it evenly with the strawberry frosting.

Keep frosting – Then, I add the second cake layer on top and cover it all the way around with the rest of the frosting. It helps to rotate the cake stand or platter as you spread the frosting over the cake. I’m not worried about perfection here, just a nice, even coating.

Decorate – Finally, I make the signature swooping marks on top of the cake, and I top it off with some decorative fresh strawberries. You could also add sliced berries on top, if you prefer.

Recipe Variations

• Cupcakes – Divide the batter into a lined muffin tray and bake for about 20 minutes.
• Coconut – Mix some shredded coconut into the cake layer for a tropical twist.
• Mascarpone – Swap the cream cheese with mascarpone for a lighter version of this frosting.

Serving Suggestions

Each slice of this homemade bake is decadent and delicious enough to enjoy on its own. It honestly doesn’t need much more, but if you want to sweeten it up, here are some great ideas:

• Top with some fresh whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
• Decorate with a drizzle of chocolate sauce.
• Pair with your favorite tea or refreshing iced coffee.

Storing

You can let this cake sit out for 3 days at room temperature. Otherwise, it lasts 7-10 days in the refrigerator when it’s wrapped well.

To freeze this cake, wrap it well with a layer of plastic wrap, then foil. Keep in the freezer for up to 6 months. Then thaw at room temperature. To preserve the best possible appearance on the outside, you can “flash freeze” the cake, unwrapped, for about an hour so the frosting hardens. Then wrap well and freeze.

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