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Fresh Strawberry Cake has layer of rich vanilla cake with strawberries and cream frosting in between. Perfect for birthdays and parties or just a fancy summer dessert treat.
Strawberries are the epitome of spring and summer desserts. Just take a look at our Berry Parfait with Lemon Whipped Cream and Strawberry Pretzel Salad. Both are loaded with berries just like this cake.
Table of Contents
Fancy Strawberry Cake
This Fresh Strawberry Cake recipe starts with a rich, moist vanilla cake that is divided into three layers, and slathered with the most light and fluffy whipped cream and cream cheese frosting, and it’s overflowing with fresh strawberries.
It’s a light yet filling treat that’s perfect for summer. It’s the best Strawberry Cake you’ve ever had!
How to Make Fresh Strawberry Cake
See recipe card below for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
The vanilla cake is dense, almost like a pound cake but fluffier, which is of course perfect for this Strawberry Shortcake type dessert. In the original recipe I found, there were instructions for making a two layer cake, but if this homemade strawberry cake was going to be fancy enough to satisfy my boy, it had to have three layers. I increased the recipe and made a couple of adjustments, which I’ll share in the recipe below.
- Prep. Always, always preheat your oven for even cooking. Start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour 3, 9-inch round baking pans.
- Mix. Combine all of the ingredients as described in the recipe, dry ingredients in one bowl and wet in another. I use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Make sure to carefully follow the measurements.
- Pour. Divide the batter into the three pans. Having a kitchen scale would come in handy here, but you can also just eyeball it. Tap the pans on the counter a few times to release air bubbles. This will result in a flatter top for your cake layers.
- Bake. Slide the pans into the oven and bake for about 35 minutes. The tops should be golden and should spring back when lightly touched. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean with a few moist crumbs. Cool the cake layers in the pans for 10-15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
How to Frost a Fresh Strawberry Cake
The fresh strawberry frosting was positively glorious! With fresh, homemade whipped cream, a little sugar (I use granulated but you can also use powdered sugar) and tons of fresh strawberries, it’s light and fresh and creamy, and the perfect way to balance out the heaviness of the cake. Whipping in some cream cheese helps to stabilize the frosting and keep it from melting too quickly.
Topped with fresh strawberry slices, this Fresh Strawberry Cake is the perfect springtime dessert. It’s got fresh strawberries for real strawberry flavor and a creamy smooth texture.
- Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat whipped cream until stiff peaks form. This will take several misnutes at high speed, but is crucial to stabilizing the frosting. *TIP – chill the metal bowl and whisk in the freezer for 20 minutes to help keep the whipped cream cold. Set the whipped cream in the refrigerator while you whip the cream cheese.
- Beat the cream cheese with sugar and vanilla for several minutes. It should be super creamy and fluffy.
- Add chopped strawberries to the cream cheese, then fold in the chilled whipped cream.
- Make sure your cake is completely cooled before adding the frosting.
FAQs
Yes, you can, keeping in mine that the recipe is for a 3 layer cake so it will make a lot of cupcakes. You can use the slider in the recipe card to change the serving from 12 to 8 to easily cut the recipe by a third if you like. As is, it will make around 36 cupcakes.
As with the cupcakes, you’d have batter left over using the recipe as is. If you use the slider to go from 12 to 8 servings, this will reduce the recipe and make it doable for a baking dish instead of 3 layers.
I recommend using cake flour for this fresh strawberry cake. It will give a lighter, fluffier texture.
No, frozen berries have a lot of liquid and won’t hold up well in the frosting. I recommend using fresh.
You can make just the vanilla cake up to 2 days in advance. Cool, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to frost. I suggest preparing the frosting no more than a couple of hours in advance. If you must make the frosting in advance, you can do so but don’t add the strawberries until just before icing the cake.
This Strawberry Cake should be stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve. The whipped cream strawberry frosting will melt if left out for too long. Keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve, then right back in the fridge after slicing and serving. You can lightly cover it with plastic wrap to keep it moist.
Before you add your chopped berries to the frosting or to garnish the cake, wash them in a water and vinegar solution and dry them really well.
Also, I recommend making the frosting no more than 1-2 hours in advance of serving or the berries will begin to weep and melt the icing. Keep in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve, and don’t garnish until just before serving.
If you are short on time and just want the frosting, you can use a cake mix instead. Keep in mind that mixes tend to be softer and may not hold up as well against the frosting.
Pro Tips
- For best results, keep refrigerated until ready to serve, then place back in the fridge immediately after slicing.
- To give your cake a pink hue to match the frosting, add a few drops of red food coloring.
- To frost the cake, use an offset spatula to smooth it around out.
- Make sure to very gently fold in the whipped cream, or use Cool Whip instead. If your frosting is runny, it’s most often because the whipped cream was not stiff enough to begin with, or was overstirred. You can try to save it by adding some Cool Whip
More Delicious Cake Recipes
- Chocolate Cupcakes with Toasted Coconut Whipped Cream
- Lemon Angel Food Cupcakes
- Coconut Cupcakes with Raspberry Filling
- Strawberry Lemonade Ice Box Cake
- Mississippi Mud Cake
- Chocolate Pudding Cake
Fresh Strawberry Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 4 1/2 cups cake flour
- 3 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons butter room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 eggs + 1 egg white
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon orange extract optional
- 3/4 cup + 6 tablespoons milk
Strawberry Frosting
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened brick style, full fat
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2-3 pints strawberries finely chopped (= about 2 cups chopped strawberries)
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare 3, 9-inch round cake pans by spraying liberally with non-stick cooking spray.
- Sift together cake flour, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar together until smooth and fluffy. Slowly add the eggs and mix well until combined.
- Stir in sour cream, vanilla and optional orange extract, and mix well until combined.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl and add half of the flour mixture. Stir until fully incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl again and stir in the milk.
- Add the remaining flour, and stir until the flour is fully incorporated. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and give it one last stir.
- Divide the batter into 3 prepared, round baking pans.
- Bake in 325 degree oven for about 35 minutes. Cakes are done when tops spring back with a light touch, or a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before turning over onto a plate or baking rack.
Frosting
- In your stand mixer with the whisk attachment, (or with a hand held mixer) beat the heavy cream until stiff peaks are formed. Set aside, preferably in the fridge. (If you have two bowls for your stand mixer, leave it in the bowl, if not, transfer to another bowl before placing in the fridge). *NOTE – use a chilled bowl and paddle to help keep the cream cool.
- Fit the paddle attachment on your mixer and beat cream cheese on high until light and fluffy, scraping the sides a couple of times. Add the vanilla and sugar and beat on medium until fully incorporated.
- Stir in chopped strawberries on low speed. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Gently fold in the whipped cream with a spatula until well combined.
Assembly
- Place the first cake layer on your serving platter and frost just the top with the strawberry frosting (about 1/2″ or so thick). Repeat with the next two layers, then frost the sides with an offset spatula (the long and skinny kind). Smooth top and sides until even, then top with sliced strawberries for garnish, if desired.
Notes
- This cake should be refrigerated until ready to serve. The frosting should be prepared no more than 2 hours in advance. and then refrigerated.
- Make sure to very gently fold in the whipped cream, or use Cool Whip instead. If your frosting is runny, it’s most often because the whipped cream was not stiff enough to begin with, or was overstirred. You can try to save it by adding some Cool Whip.
- You can make this recipe into cupcakes. It will make 36-40 as is. If you only need 24 cupcakes, slide the servings slider to 8 servings and use those measurements. Bake time will vary, but should take approx. 20 minutes.
- For a 9×13-inch baking dish, slide the servings slider to 8 servings and use those measurements. Bake for approx. 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in 2016 and has been updated in 2021 to include tips, notes and answers to frequently asked questions.
Seems delicious! I’m planning to making this cake this weekend for my sons birthday, do you think its a good idea to cover it with fondant for decoration? any tips on that?
I don’t work with fondant so I couldn’t give any tips on that. Sorry!
Hi! Does it have to be cake flour. I read that cake flour is made out of bleached flour. Is it ok to use all purpose unbleached flour? Thank you!
Cake flour is much lighter than regular all-purpose flour so I prefer in this cake. However, here is a guideline for swapping: http://bakingbites.com/2010/11/what-is-cake-flour/
Sorry lol sent in the fridge.not drive lol that’s predictive text
I made this cake and only disappointment I had was doing the frosting .I whipped the cream thick put it in drive did the cream cheese and sugar exc.put cream in and folded it and it went runny..it was a disaster…now cud it be cos I used cheap cream cheese that’s all I can think.all that time I spent doing it feel disappointed now.
I’m so sorry that happened! I actually just made a cake the other day with this same frosting recipe and it turned out great. There are so many factors that could be a part of it and it’s hard to say since I wasn’t there. Could it have been too hot? I know we are having a heat wave in California.
I am making this today in between all my errands. Should I make the icing right before I serve the cake? Or can it sit in the refrigerator for a couple of hours?
As long as it’s in the fridge it should be fine.
I just made this cake. Next time will eliminate the cream cheese (don’t feel it’s needed).
Can u use unsalted butter for this recipe or is regular butter prefferred?
It’s up to you, but generally in baking especially,unsalted butter is preferred. But I use whatever I have on hand.
How many people would this cake serve?
At least 8-12, depending on the size of the slices.
Drool! this sounds so good! wondering how far in advance I can make this cake – how long will the filling last? I need to make something about 2 days ahead. Will it last without getting too soggy or the strawberries going bad? thank you!!
The best thing is to make it shortly before you want to serve it. However, it will last a couple of days in the fridge. It just won’t be as fresh and it’s possible the whipped cream could melt a little.
I am currently making this cake now so I will update you when it’s finished…but I was concerned about one thing. I didn’t have 3 of one size cake pans so I used 2 – 8 inch pans. I noticed how thick/dense the batter was so I hope it comes out okay. What would you suggest for future notice? The pans weren’t filled too high or anything but I am concerned about them baking all the way through
It might take longer, so you’ll just want to bake them until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean. The cake itself is dense, like a poundcake.
Hi Kristin,
This cake was amazing! I actually wish I took it out a few minutes earlier but my family loved this cake. I made it for my dad’s birthday and he is such a plain guy but he adored every bite and said it tasted just like a strawberry shortcake (his favorite dessert). The best part in my opinion is the beautiful and tasty frosting. It really makes the cake. I had not trouble with any parts of the cake and the directions were easy to follow. Wasn’t too sweet for my older dad but still so, so tasty. I have to try some of your other recipes. Would love to send you a photo of it as well.
How butter for the frosting?
There is no butter in the frosting.
We made this today (my five year old wanted strawberry cake after our strawberry picking day and she’s my baker!) It was delicious but I must have done something a big wrong, the icing was not near as pretty as yours, but it did all taste delicious and that’s what matters, right? 🙂
Absolutely! The whipped cream can be difficult to get just right; it can depend on so many variables, like temperature or humidity. But it sounds like you had fun!
Just to reconfirm, the sugar for the icing is also granulated?
Yes, it is.
Loved It! 1 think I will advise is pay attention to the frosting recipe ! It’s vital to it staying erect! For a visual watch Sleeping Beauty ,when the fairy god mothers made the cake. Yep that’s what happened but everyone had seconds? . Thanks for sharing this!
I just read another comment about this cake. The reader says this cake is worth the work and time. How time consuming is it, and how can my 8 year old help?
Hi Kristine, There are a lot of steps, from making the cake and baking it, to making the frosting, which is probably the more difficult. I would let my 8 year old help by cutting the strawberries and making mixing them into the frosting. He could probably handle frosting the cake, although it might not look as pretty. 😉 Love that you’re including your kids in your baking!
Do you have to keep it refrigerated?
Because of the whipped cream, yes, it should remain in the fridge.
Can you stabilize the whipped cream somehow?
Sometimes you can add plain gelatin to help stabilize it, but I haven’t tried that.
I often stabilize whipping cream with instant vanilla pudding mix.
My daughter and I just finished making this delightful cake! It’s delicious and so worth the work and time!!! I would bake this again for a family gathering. Thank you for sharing!
Just made this for a cookout today, turned out well. Only two issues, in the recipe, it states preheat to 325 but then says bake in 300 degree oven. Did you lower the oven down for some reason? In the frosting recipe, there is no vanilla listed in the ingredients list, but in the directions it says to add vanilla. How much did you use? I used almost a full tablespoon (I LOVE vanilla 🙂 and it turned out great. Thanks!!!
Oh, thanks for pointing that out! I’ve updated the recipe. So glad you enjoyed it!!
Hi, what size cake pans did you use ? Thank you !
They were regular 9″ round pans.
Looks soooo good! I keep seeing strawberries at the store and I was looking for something to make with them. I don’t see directions for the frosting though, am I just too distracted by the great pictures? 😀
Ack! You’re right, Jennifer! I forgot the frosting instructions. I must have been the one distracted by the picture!! 😉 They are updated now.
I love that cake on Spiced- I make it all the time. Did you actually adapt the recipe at all?
The ingredients are pretty much the same, I did add orange extract to mine to give the hint orange flavor that I love. I also updated the amounts for a three layer cake.
Can i ask what size round baking pans are best to use?
Mine are 9″, but 8″ will also work.
Hi! How would I adapt this recipe for a half-sheet 2 layer?