A few years ago, I created this Strawberry Lemonade cake that became an instant hit: cake flavored with fresh strawberries (pureed and reduced), filled with strawberry buttercream, topped with lemon buttercream – basically Summer in cake form! It’s been on my list to write an all-strawberry cake recipe ever since, and after getting a request for one via Instagram DM, I knew it was time. I took to the store for a pound of fresh strawberries and a package of freeze dried strawberries to give you the ultimate flavor profile. I promise, it’s as delicious as it is pretty to look at!
I know what you might be thinking: why fresh strawberries and freeze dried strawberries? After tons of testing, fresh strawberries are hands-down the best way to flavor a cake, while freeze-dried strawberries are hands-down the best way to flavor buttercream. Trust me, there is no way around it. The good news is that most groceries stores carry both, but if you have a hard time finding freeze-dried strawberries, you can always order them on Amazon (these are the ones I use, but I get them from my local Trader Joe’s).
When it comes to flavoring a cake with fresh strawberries, it’s not enough to just chop them up and add them to your batter (you’ll just have a vanilla cake with weird strawberry chunks). It’s also not enough to simply puree them, since the excess liquid tends to water down the flavor. Instead, you must puree and reduce the strawberries to intensify the strawberry flavor while evaporating most of the liquid.
For this fluffy and flavorful strawberry cake, I started with my favorite Vanilla Cake recipe as a base and adjusted the leavening agents to accommodate the acidity in the strawberries (aka I reduced the baking soda slightly). After the reduced strawberry puree hits room temperature, I whisked it together with the whole milk in the recipe and added it in at the end. Reducing the strawberries does make this recipe a little bit more involved, but it’s so worth it for the incredible flavor!
Remember how I said freeze-dried strawberries are best for flavoring the buttercream? This is because adding fresh (or even frozen) strawberries to buttercream will add way too much liquid and not enough flavor. As opposed to simply freezing strawberries, the process of freeze-drying eliminates all of the liquid from the berry, leaving only the intense flavor. After grinding those freeze-dried berries into a fine powder, adding them to buttercream is the only way (in my humble opinion) to get that refreshing, pure flavor you imagine when you think of strawberry buttercream.
After filling and frosting these beautiful cake layers with tasty strawberry buttercream, I decorated with pretty piping (using Wilton Tips 1M for the rosettes and 4B for the stars), fresh strawberries, and chamomile flowers. The flowers were an impulse on the way out of the store – I couldn’t stop imagining them on my final cake design and felt safe to use them because they’re 100% edible (although I would not recommend eating them because they don’t taste the best). They did make this cake look extra cute though!
However you decorate, one thing is for sure – this cake is a strawberry lover’s dream! And bonus if that strawberry lover also is a big fan of the color pink.
Homemade Strawberry Layer Cake
Ingredients
Strawberry Layer Cake
- 11 oz (312g) fresh strawberries, stems removed
- 3/4 Cup (180ml) whole milk, room temperature
- 2 1/2 Cups (265g) sifted cake flour* DIY recipe in notes
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 Cup (170g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 2/3 Cups (330g) granulated white sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/3 Cup (80g) sour cream, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1-2 drops pink food coloring, optional
Strawberry Buttercream
- 2 Cups (452g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 Cups (34g) freeze dried strawberries**
- 6 Tbsp (90ml) whole milk, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 7 Cups (840g) powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
Make the Strawberry Layer Cake
- Make the Strawberry Reduction: After cutting off the stems of the strawberries, puree them using a food processor. Afterwards, you should be left with 1 cup of puree. Place the strawberry puree into a saucepan over medium-low heat and simmer for 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally. When you’re done with the reduction, you should have about 1/2 cup (if you have more, keep cooking!). Place the reduced puree into an airtight container and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes, or until it reaches room temperature. Then, whisk it together with the whole milk and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and prepare three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with cooking spray and fitting the bottoms with wax or parchment paper circles.
- In a medium sized bowl, place the sifted cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, whip the butter on high until creamy, 2 minutes. Add the granulated sugar and beat together with the butter at medium speed for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Turn the mixer to low and add the eggs one at a time, making sure each one is incorporated before adding the next. Add the vanilla and sour cream, then turn the mixer to high and beat for 1 minute.
- Keeping the mixer on low, add all of the dry ingredients at once until just combined, then add the strawberry milk mixture and pink food coloring (if using) until just combined, about 30 seconds. Give the batter a few stirs by hand to make sure everything is incorporated without over-mixing.
- Pour the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Cool the cakes in the pan for five minutes, after which you can turn them out and continue to cool them on a wire rack or sheet pan for several hours.
Make the Strawberry Buttercream
- With a food processor, grind the freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder and set aside. You'll have between 1/4 and 1/3 Cup of strawberry powder after grinding.
- Whip the butter using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on medium speed until it’s creamy and light in color (5-10 minutes). Add vanilla, milk, and strawberry powder and continue to mix on medium for 1 minute.
- Add the powdered sugar a few cups at a time, scraping down the bowl and paddle after each addition. Add the salt and mix on low for another 30 seconds.
Assembly
- After cooling and leveling the strawberry cake layers, fill and frost with strawberry buttercream. To create the look pictured, create a smooth buttercream finish with the strawberry buttercream. Then, divide the remaining buttercream amongst two piping bags – one fitted with Wilton Tip 1M and one fitted with Wilton Tip 4B. Pipe rosettes and stars in a crescent moon shape on top of the cake and as accents on the side of the cake. Finish the look by garnishing with fresh sliced strawberries and chamomile flowers.
Notes
- You can make the reduced strawberry puree up to one week before using in the cake recipe and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to make the cake. Just bring it back to room temperature by letting it sit on the counter for at least an hour.
- The cake layers can be made ahead and stored at room temperature, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to two days. Alternatively, you can wrap them and store in the freezer for up to two months before thawing and decorating.
- The buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-whip with your stand mixer on low for one minute to bring it back to frosting consistency.
Did you make this cake recipe? I want to know how it went! Leave me a comment below and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me. I love to see what you create!
Where can I find fresh whole chamomile flowers?
I found them at my local organic grocery store but they aren’t usually in season until Spring/early Summer.
could i put fresh strawberries in the layers?
Hi Owen! You certainly can 🙂
Just for future bakers information:
I cut this recipe in half and made cupcakes for my friends birthday. It made approx 12 cupcakes, which was perfect for my needs! I used frozen strawberries that I had from the summer to make the strawberry puree and just used that to make the buttercream instead of the freeze dried strawberries (I cut that recipe in half too) and didn’t use any milk or cream. It turned out awesome! Then I had some puree left over, so I filled my cupcakes with puree and then piped the buttercream on top and it was SO GOOD! The puree filing wasn’t overly sweet so it helped cut some of the sweetness of the buttercream, and it added even more strawberry flavor. My friend said it was probably the best cake/cupcake she’d ever had! This is going to be a go to recipe for me from now on, especially in the summer when the strawberries are in season and I don’t have to freeze them. YUM!
Yay, Katie! I’m so happy this recipe was a hit as cupcakes! Thanks so much for all this info, it’s super helpful!
Want to make this cake what I like to know is can it be bake in a Bundt cake pan
Hi Toni! I’ve never tried baking this recipe in a bundt pan before but I’m sure it would work. Here’s an article that explains how to convert the recipe for a bundt pan: https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/layer-cake-to-bundt-cake/
Hi, if I want to make only 12 cupcakes, would it be fine to cut the recipe in half? I don’t want to be short on the batter, thank you!
Hi Haydee! Yes, cutting the recipe in half will yield about 15 Cupcakes, so you should be totally good.
I made this for my daughter’s 1st birthday – it was delicious and beautiful. A wonderful recipe and always easy to follow. Thank you very much!
Yay, Kerry! So happy you loved this recipe 🙂 happy birthday to your daughter!
Hello! Is it possible to leave out or substitute freeze dried strawberries? I am having a tough time finding some that don’t cost an entire mortgage! Thanks
Hi Kate! The frosting recipe is best with freeze dried strawberries, but if you can’t easily access them you can try this method with fresh strawberries: https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/strawberry-buttercream-frosting/
Awesome cake! I made this Strawberry cake with your Vanilla cake recipe instead.
Turned out so yummy and got me a cake order from one of the guests.
Yay, Lena! I’m so glad this recipe was a hit + congratulations on your cake order! That’s amazing!
I am going to make your Strawberry Cake but have a question. I made some strawberry puree and froze it. I noticed it stays somewhat “soft” in the freezer–is that normal? Can’t wait to make this recipe and love your other recipes as well!
Thank you
Hi Pam! I’ve never frozen strawberry purèe before but I think it should be okay! So excited for you to try this recipe – let me know how it goes!
Hi, Whitney!
I’d love to make this cake! I have a question about the freeze-dried strawberries. The recipe calls for 2 cups. Do you get that much from the TJ product after you grind it? I started looking on Amazon and it was crazy expensive if I’m trying to buy 2 cups of whole/slided freeze-dried strawberries! I’m thinking that I’m missing something….I hope!
Hi Julie! Yes – that’s the amount I get from one package of Trader Joe’s freeze dried strawberries. I would go by the gram measurement (34g) when looking for and measuring freeze dried strawberries. They’re hard to accurately measure in cups. Hope that helps!
How many people does this recipe serve?
Hi Lesley! This cake serves 15-20 people depending on how large you cut the slices. Enjoy!
Thank you Whitney! I am so excited to make this cake for my baby girl’s 1st birthday party next weekend. It looks amazing! I will be serving close to 50 people (20 are kids) . I was going to make a small “smash cake” for my baby and then a larger one for my guests. I have two 12” round metal cake pans and was planning on using one recipe for each cake pan (doubling the recipe). This would create a two layered cake. I’m wondering if that will be enough. Should I do what I just mentioned or:
1) 1.5 x the recipe for each 12” pan (still a two layered cake) or will that overflow the cake pan?
2) Create a 3 layered cake and use a single recipe for each 12” round cake pans, using your recipe x 3?
Or do you have another suggestion? Thank you so much!!
Hi Lesley! I’m so excited for you to make this cake and congratulations on your baby girl turning one. What a fun cake for her party! Since this cake recipe makes about 6 cups of batter and a 12-inch pan needs about 7.5 Cups of batter to fill it 1/2 full (or 10 Cups to fill it 2/3 full), I would either recommend making 1.5x the recipe per 12-inch layer or you can make a single batch per layer and have shorter layers. Another suggestion would be to make cupcakes for the guests using this recipe. If you want to go the cupcake route, be sure to fill the tins no more than 2/3 full and bake at 350F for 15-18 minutes. The recipe should make about 30 cupcakes per batch. Let me know if you have more questions!
Hi! This cake is absolutely amazing!! I just made it and ate it. I love how there’s no artificial ingredients and the taste truly comes from real strawberries. I have one question, does this cake have to be refrigerated due to the fruit, or can it be left at room temperature for a few days? Thank you!!
Yay, Tammy! I’m so happy you love this recipe as much as I do!! The cake can be left out at room temp (covered) for a 3-4 days if you prefer. The fruit that’s baked into the cake will not spoil and the sugar content in the cake and buttercream helps preserve it at room temp. I usually refrigerate my cakes until an hour or two before serving them though, just to keep the decorations looking perfect. Hope that helps!
Hello! I only have freeze dried strawberry powder, not the whole freeze dried strawberries. How much of the powder do I use? Thank you!
Hi Jennifer! You’ll want to use about 1/3 Cup (about 17g) of freeze dried strawberry powder for this recipe. Enjoy!
Sounds delicious! I’d love to try this but am wondering if it needs to be kept refrigerated? I really need a fresh strawberry cake that doesn’t, now that I’ve downsized to one fridge! Please let me know!
Hi Barbara! There’s no need to refrigerate this cake unless you’re using a filling or frosting that needs to be refrigerated. The Strawberry Buttercream in this recipe doesn’t require refrigeration and the decorated cake can be kept at room temp for up to 5 days. Enjoy!
Perfect, thank you so much for responding!
Hi Whitney! Would love to make this cake but be able to decorate the exterior in multiple colors of buttercream. If I fill the cake with strawberry icing but coat the outside and decorate with vanilla will that taste weird? How do you recommend getting to decorate the cakes but not always making vanilla??
Hi Lindsey! That’s exactly what I would do – fill and crumb coat the cake with strawberry buttercream, then decorate with vanilla buttercream. That will taste amazing! Vanilla goes very well with strawberry. Enjoy!
I could only locate whole dried strawberries, help? Can I use them? Advice please.
Hi Raina! Are they freeze dried or just dried? If they can be ground into a powder I’d say give them a try!