Easy and Fresh Strawberry Cake

ByBrittany
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This fresh strawberry cake is moist, tender, and bursting with strawberry flavor. If you’ve been searching for a strawberry layer cake, this is the one! It’s a beginner-friendly recipe that bakes up beautifully every time, making it the perfect dessert for spring and summer —or any birthday celebration!

A slice of pink strawberry cake with fluffy white frosting, partially cut and resting on a white plate, accompanied by a black fork.

STRAWBERRY CAKE INGREDIENTS

A close-up of a frosted strawberry cake with a slice removed, revealing layers of soft pink cake layers and creamy white icing.

CAKE BAKING TIPS

This fresh strawberry cake recipe is super easy to follow, and nearly fail-proof in my opinion. But sometimes we need a little extra help! These baking tips will help you achieve the perfect cake texture, every time.

BEFORE BAKING: 
  1. Room Temperature Ingredients: Let the eggs, milk, and sour cream come to room temperature before mixing. This helps the ingredients combine more evenly, resulting in a smoother, fluffier batter.
  2. Strawberry Puree Preparation: Make sure the frozen strawberries aren’t rock solid before tossing them into the food processor. Let them sit out for about an hour, or pop them in the microwave to thaw. If you want chunkier pieces, just pulse the processor a few times. For a smoother purée with no chunks—just a boost of flavor—blend for about 15 seconds.
  3. Precise Measuring: Use a food scale for accuracy, especially when measuring flour. Too much flour can cause dry and dense cake layers. If you can’t get your hands on a food scale

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    , spoon the flour into your measuring cup and gently level off with a knife for the most accurate measurement.
  4. Pan Preparation: Prepare your pans with a baking spray, or homemade pan release. There are plenty of homemade pan release recipes online! My absolute favorite is Pam Baking Spray. I have never had a cake stick when using this spray! You can also use parchment paper rounds at the bottom of each cake pan for extra insurance.
MIXING INGREDIENTS & BAKING:
  1. Mixing Technique: “Don’t over-mix the batter!” This is a common phrase in the baking world. Believe it or not, with recipes using a box cake mix, this isn’t the case. When you beat air into a cake mix recipe, something magical happens. With that being said, don’t be afraid to use your hand mixer on a medium-high setting until your batter is smooth and all ingredients are fully incorporated.
  2. Don’t Overbake: Overbaking can lead to a dry and crumbly texture. Use a toothpick or knife and insert into the center of the cake – if it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, it’s good to go. 
  3. Pro Tip: You can also gently press your finger into the top of the cake, if it springs back slowly, it’s done! If your finger leaves an indent, bake for a few more minutes and try again.
AFTER BAKING:
  1. Cooling: Let cool for 10-15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. This gives the cake time to set and prevents any tearing when being moved.
  2. Storage: Be sure to store properly to lock in that moisture! I recommend double wrapping the cake layers in plastic wrap, and storing in the freezer until you are ready to add the frosting and decorate.
A close-up of a slice of moist strawberry cake layered with fluffy white frosting on a white plate.

DOCTORED = CAKE MIX MADE BETTER

  • Easy Upgrades: Adding a few simple ingredients such as melted butter, vanilla extract, and sour cream, can create a homemade taste with the best texture!
  • Flexibility: You can customize a doctored cake mix recipe however you’d like. Add-ins like chocolate chips, pudding mixes, or flavored extracts can completely transform a basic box mix. I’m telling you, people won’t believe it started with a cake mix! In this case, adding strawberry puree really brings this fresh strawberry cake to the next level.
  • Consistency: Box cake mixes provide an extremely reliable base, no messing with baking powder or baking soda, and the end result is super consistent. 
  • Time-Saving: It can be so discouraging spending time and ingredients on a cake that doesn’t turn out right. I’ve been there! Doctored cake mix recipes are absolutely delicious, and really eliminate room for error.

FAQ FOR FRESH STRAWBERRY CAKE

What kind of frosting goes best with strawberry cake?

Strawberry cake pairs well with cream cheese frosting or a basic vanilla buttercream.

Which cake mix brand works the best? 

My absolute favorite is always Duncan Hines cake mix for doctored cake mix recipes.

How do I get a strong strawberry flavor?

This strawberry cake gets its flavor from three sources: strawberry cake mix, strawberry extract or emulsion, and strawberry purée. If you’re looking for a more intense strawberry flavor, feel free to add a little extra extract or emulsion to give the flavor an extra boost.

How do I keep my strawberry cake from getting soggy?

This recipe uses strawberry purée for that very reason. I’ve adjusted the amount of sour cream to account for the extra moisture from the purée, which helps keep the cake perfectly moist without turning soggy.

Do I need a food processor for this recipe?

The food processor definitely speeds things up, but it’s not absolutely necessary. You can get a similar effect by muddling the strawberries in a bowl using the back of a spatula or wooden spoon—it just takes a bit more time and effort.

A slice of pink cake topped with white frosting, with a black fork partially digging into it, on a white plate.

Well, there you have it – your new go-to fresh strawberry cake recipe! It’s easy to make, bursting with real strawberry flavor, and sure to impress your friends and family. Whether you’re baking for a summer gathering, a birthday, or just craving a slice of something sweet and fruity, this recipe delivers every time!

Continue below for the easy-to-follow recipe, dig in, and enjoy every bite!

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A close-up of a frosted strawberry cake with a slice removed, revealing layers of soft pink cake layers and creamy white icing.

Fresh Strawberry Cake

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  • Author: Brittany
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 25 slices 1x
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Description

This fresh strawberry cake is moist, tender, and bursting with strawberry flavor. If you’ve been searching for a strawberry layer cake, this is the one! It’s a beginner-friendly recipe that bakes up beautifully every time, making it the perfect dessert for spring and summer —or any birthday celebration!

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 Box Strawberry Cake Mix (Duncan Hines)
  • 1 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
  • 3 Eggs (Room Temperature)
  • 1/4 cup Strawberry Puree (Notes)
  • 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter (Melted)
  • 3/4 cup Sour Cream
  • 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
  • 1 cup Milk
  • 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
  • 1 Teaspoon Strawberry Extract/Emulsion

Instructions

  1. Preheat & Prep: Preheat oven to 345°F. Prepare (4) 6 inch cake pans or (3) 8 inch cake pans with baking spray or a homemade pan release. You can also use parchment paper rounds at the bottom of the pans for extra insurance.
  2. Melt Butter: In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave the butter at 15-30 second intervals until completely melted. Set aside.
  3. Wet Ingredients: Measure sour cream and milk into a small, microwave-safe bowl. If not already at room temperature, microwave for 30 seconds to bring to room temperature and set aside.
  4. Strawberry Puree: If not close to room temperature, thaw the frozen strawberries in the microwave. Use a small food processor to create the strawberry puree. This should only take about 15 seconds to get to the right puree consistency. Set aside. 
  5. Eggs: If eggs are not room temperature, add whole eggs into a bowl with warm water and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Crack eggs into a separate bowl, and set aside. Doing this gives you a chance to fish out any unwanted egg shells!
  6. Dry Ingredients: Add flour, sugar, strawberry cake mix, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Use a whisk or spoon to gently combine the dry ingredients.
  7. One Bowl: Combine all ingredients into the larger bowl containing the dry ingredients, including the strawberry puree. Don’t forget to add the vegetable oil, strawberry extract or emulsion, and vanilla extract (or imitation vanilla)!
  8. Mix It Up! Whisk or mix ingredients together with an electric hand mixer

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    , starting on low and increasing speed to med-high. Scraping bowl periodically to make sure all ingredients are incorporating and not stuck on the bottom. Mix until batter is smooth and fluffy, usually 1-2 minutes!
  9. Pour into Pans: Pour batter into prepared cake pans. If you can, use a food scale

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     to evenly distribute batter between pans for consistent cake layer size.
  10. Bake: Bake for 30-35 min for 6 inch pans, and 28-33 min for 8 inch pans. Insert a toothpick or knife into the center of the cake – if it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, it’s good to go. You can also gently press your finger into the top of the cake, if it springs back slowly, it’s done!
  11. Cooling: Let cakes cool in pan for 10-15 minutes, and transfer to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
  12. Buttercream: Try this American Buttercream Recipe or Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting to bring these beautiful strawberry cake layers together!

Equipment

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Notes

Make sure the frozen strawberries aren’t rock solid before tossing them into the food processor. Let them sit out for about an hour, or pop them in the microwave to thaw. If you want chunkier pieces, just pulse the processor a few times. For a smoother purée with no chunks—just a boost of flavor—blend for about 15 seconds.

American Buttercream Recipe

Cream Cheese Buttercream Recipe

For a taller cake, use the (4) 6 inch cake pans.

Keep in mind, all oven’s bake differently. I highly recommend an oven thermometer for oven temperature accuracy!

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag @coveandkitchen — I can’t wait to see what you’ve made!

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