Strawberry Cake

This elegant three-layer strawberry cake recipe is sure to impress. With chopped fresh berries added to the cake batter, plus homemade strawberry frosting, this cake is bursting with strawberry flavor. If you are harvesting berries fresh from your garden for this cake, consider cutting several with longer stems. Piled on top of your frosted cake, they add a beautiful finishing touch.

Strawberry Cake

This elegant three-layer strawberry cake recipe is sure to impress. With chopped fresh berries added to the cake batter, plus homemade strawberry frosting, this cake is bursting with strawberry flavor. If you are harvesting berries fresh from your garden for this cake, consider cutting several with longer stems. Piled on top of your frosted cake, they add a beautiful finishing touch. (Short on time? Try our short-cut version below.)

Yield: Cake – 10 to 12 servings and Frosting – enough for a 3 – layer cake

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract or scrapings of inside of ½ vanilla bean
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1½ cups finely chopped strawberries
  • Strawberry Frosting (see recipe below)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease three 8″ round cake pans and set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, thoroughly combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  • In the bowl of an electric mixer or a large mixing bowl, combine butter and sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Turn the speed down to low and add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating one before adding the next. Mix in the vanilla.
  • Stop mixer and gently scoop in a third of the flour mixture. Mix on low speed just until incorporated. Add half the milk and continue mixing until just blended. Turn off the mixer again and repeat the steps until all ingredients have been added. You should begin and end with flour, adding milk between each flour addition. Add strawberries and mix on low until just incorporated.
  • Evenly divide batter among greased cake pans and place in a preheated oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • When cakes are done, remove them from the oven and place them on a cooling rack. Cool for 15 minutes in the pan. Run a knife around the edges of each pan to loosen cake; remove from pans. Keep cake on the rack until completely cool.
  • Once cooled, if cakes are slightly domed in the middle, cut off tops just enough to make them level. Place first cake layer on a large plate or cake stand. Add a generous amount of strawberry frosting and spread evenly over the cake top. You should end up with a ⅛ to ¼" thick layer of frosting. Repeat with second layer. Place final layer on top and frost rest of cake until sides are covered. Decorate with fresh berries or as desired.
Strawberry Cake Reciepe

Strawberry Frosting

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
  • 1 (16-ounce) box confectioners' sugar
  • 1/2 cup strawberry juice or 1 cup fresh strawberries

Cream the butter and 1 cup of the confectioners' sugar. Add the remaining sugar and strawberry juice alternately, mixing well after each addition. If you can't find strawberry juice at the store or want a fresher flavor, blend 1 cup of fresh berries until fully pureed. Strain through a fine mesh sieve.

Short-Cut Cake

Ingredients

  • 1 package white cake mix
  • 1 package strawberry gelatin
  • ¾ cup vegetable oil
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup chopped strawberries
  • Strawberry Frosting (see recipe above)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Combine the cake mix and gelatin in a mixing bowl. Add the oil and eggs. Beat for 3 minutes or until well mixed. Add the strawberries and beat for 1 minute longer. Pour into 3 greased and floured cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of each cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove cakes and place wire racks to cool completely.
Sequoia Strawberries
Very large, dark red and sweet.