Share Recipe

A rich, buttery cake with a hint of fresh strawberries, filled and finished with a cream cheese strawberry frosting. This Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Frosting is a decadent delight!

MIA Status

Life is crazy. Ideally I’d post recipes everyday, or at least four a week, but recently, it just hasn’t been possible. Thing after thing has come up that has kept me occupied. So, I apologize. I have a whole list of recipes and photos ready to go, so hopefully I’ll get them up in the next few weeks. And of course I have lots of Christmas goodie recipes coming your way!

At times like this I kind of wish I had started a blog called “recipes and a couple photos without chit-chat.” Then, I’d be much quicker at posting. Maybe I’ll instead start “Minimal Monday.”

Birthdays

In any case, one of my MIA weeks was when my parents came to visit. We spent lots of time making food and hanging out, so I didn’t have time to write and edit. BUT, I did have time to make some delicious new recipes, like this cake.

My parents trip was just a few days after my Dad’s 70th birthday, so I wanted to make him a special birthday cake. I asked him to tell me some of his favorite desserts, and he said he loves strawberry cakes.

I have made plenty of strawberry cakes in my day, including a Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake and a Lemon Strawberry Cake. But, I wanted strawberry to be the solo star of this special cake.

Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Frosting

I have made a few recipes from other baking enthusiasts that have strawberry jello in the cake mix, or use a white cake mixed with strawberry puree. Although all the ones I have tried are delicious, I wanted something a bit different for this birthday cake.

I wanted the buttery, rich flavor of a yellow cake with a hint of fresh strawberry. And I wanted a cream cheese strawberry frosting.

Yellow Strawberry Cake

As this strawberry cake uses whole eggs instead of only egg whites, it has a yellow-pink appearance. That muted color works in my opinion as the cake does not have an overwhelming strawberry flavor, and I think a redder cake would cause confusion or at least surprise when you took a bite. If you want a deeper red cake, you could certainly add food coloring.

Strawberry Frosting

Originally my Dad asked for strawberry buttercream. However, I thought straight strawberry buttercream was too sweet (a crazy thought for me), so I used cream cheese with butter and strawberries. The result was perfection. No one is ever sad about strawberries and cream cheese.

Freeze Dried Strawberries

Years ago I made a cake that used freeze dried strawberries in the frosting. If I could remember where I first saw the idea, I would give them credit – but I don’t have a clue at this point.

But, that trick is one of my favorites. Freeze dried strawberries pack real flavor into frosting, while not causing it to be runny. A win-win.

This Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Frosting is perfect for the next time you celebrate the strawberry lovers in your life!

Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Frosting

A rich, buttery cake with a hint of fresh strawberries, filled and finished with a cream cheese strawberry frosting. This Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Frosting is a decadent delight!

5 from 2 votes

Print

Course: Dessert

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 28 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 pieces

Pin Recipe for Later

Ingredients

Cake

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup strawberry puree*
• 1/3 cup sour cream

Frosting

• 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1/2 cup freeze dried strawberries crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1-2 tablespoons strawberry puree*
• ~ 8 fresh strawberries for decoration

Instructions

*Puree

• First, make strawberry puree that will be used for cake and frosting. To do this, you can thaw a bag of frozen strawberries, or use a quart of fresh strawberries with the tops removed. Place the thawed or fresh strawberries in a food processor and process until turned into puree, about 2 minutes.

Cake

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 3, 8” round cake pans with parchment paper. Butter and flour sides of pans.
• Use electric mixer fit with paddle attachment to beat butter and sugar until lightened and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• On low speed, beat in eggs, one a time, until well incorporated. Scrape down sides as needed. Then, mix in vanilla extract.
• In a small bowl, stir together flour, cornstarch, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. In a second small bowl, stir together oil and 1/2 cup strawberry puree.
• Alternate mixing flour mixture and oil mixture into butter. Do this in about 3 additions each, starting and ending with flour.
• Stir in sour cream.
• Divide batter evenly among the three prepared pans. Bake for 25-27 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into middle of cake comes out with just a few crumbs.
• Let cakes cool in pans for 5-10 minutes. Then transfer to a baking rack to finish cooling.

Frosting

• Use electric mixer to beat cream cheese and butter until smooth, about 3 minutes.
• Beat in freeze dried strawberries and salt until well incorporated.
• Mix in powdered sugar, about 1/2 cup at a time, scraping down sides as needed. Then, add strawberry puree, about 1/2 tablespoon at a time, until desire consistency and taste is reached.

Assembly

• Once cakes have cooled, level each of the three cake layers with a cake leveler or serrated knife.
• Spread about 1/2 cup of frosting on top of one leveled cake layer. Place a second cake, leveled side down, on top of frosting. Spread about 1/2 cup of frosting on top of second cake. Place final cake layer, leveled side down, on top of frosting.
• Use remaining frosting to cover outside of cake as desired. Decorate with fresh strawberries.

Notes

If you add too much strawberry puree to the frosting, and it becomes runny, add more powdered sugar.

Disclaimer: All nutritional information provided on this website is an estimate only and is not guaranteed.

Tried this recipe?Mention @SugarSpicesLife or tag #SugarSpicesLife!

If you enjoyed this Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Frosting, you might also enjoy these other SugarSpicesLife recipes:

Strawberry Custard Ice Cream
Blueberry Cupcakes
Almond Lemon Cake
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake
Lemon Strawberry Cake

Links to items used to make this recipe:

Chicago 8″ Round Pans
10″ Cardboard Cake Round
Wilton Cake Turntable for Decorating