Strawberry Cake Recipe
This soft strawberry cake is layered with luscious cream cheese frosting and filled with a rich strawberry reduction. It’s fruity, moist, and perfect for summer celebrations or weekend baking sprees.
With vibrant flavor from fresh berries and a hint of lemon, this soft strawberry cake delivers both texture and taste. It’s a sweet escape into berry-filled bliss with every slice.
Bursting Ingredients Behind the Best Soft Strawberry Cake
- Fresh strawberries – The heart of the cake, these create the rich reduction and bring bright, natural sweetness to every component.
- Lemon zest and juice – Add a citrusy lift, balancing the sweetness and enhancing the fresh berry flavor.
- Cornstarch – Gives body to the strawberry filling and contributes to the cake’s soft crumb.
- Egg whites – Essential for a light, fluffy cake texture without overpowering richness.
- Unsalted butter and oil – A winning combination for both tender texture and buttery flavor.
- Strawberry essence/extract – Intensifies the berry aroma and taste in both cake and frosting.
- Cream cheese – Adds a tangy, creamy contrast that complements the sweet strawberry layers beautifully.
- Icing sugar – Brings the frosting to the perfect smooth and pipeable consistency.
How to Make It: Soft Strawberry Cake Steps at a Glance
Start with the strawberry filling by simmering fresh berries with sugar, lemon juice, and zest until soft, then reduce and thicken with cornstarch. Let it cool completely.
Next, prepare the cake batter. Mix strawberry reduction with milk and food coloring. Cream butter, oil, and sugar, then add egg whites. Stir in the strawberry mix, vanilla, and vinegar. Fold in the dry ingredients and bake until golden and fluffy.
For the frosting, whip butter until light, gradually add powdered sugar, then mix in cold cream cheese and strawberry reduction for a fruity, tangy finish.
Assemble by layering the cakes with frosting and a dam of cream cheese to hold the strawberry filling. Finish with more frosting and decorate with fresh berries.
Tips for Strawberry Cake Success
For the best texture, fold ingredients gently to avoid overmixing. Use room-temperature ingredients for a smoother batter and fluffier result. The red gel food coloring, while optional, really enhances the cake’s visual appeal, especially since baked strawberries tend to mute in color.
Strawberries vary in sweetness, so always taste the reduction before final use—adjusting sugar if needed. Cold cream cheese is key to stable frosting, and a firm type (not spreadable) will hold its shape much better.
If you’re planning ahead, the strawberry filling can be made the day before and refrigerated. It thickens nicely and saves time during assembly.
Keeping It Fresh: Storing Your Soft Strawberry Cake
This cake stores well in the fridge for up to 4 days when covered tightly or sealed in an airtight container. Since it contains cream cheese, refrigeration is essential.
To freeze, wrap individual slices or un-frosted cake layers tightly in plastic wrap and foil, then freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Refrigerated slices are best brought to room temperature before serving to soften the frosting and enhance flavor.
Strawberry Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Strawberry Filling/Reduction
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest zest of one lemon
- 3 tablespoons 22 g cornstarch (cornflour)
- 3 cups 600 g fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
- ¾ cup 150 g white granulated sugar
- ¼ cup 60 g fresh lemon juice
Strawberry Cake
- ¾ cup 195 g strawberry filling/reduction
- ½ teaspoon salt omit if using salted butter
- ¼ cup 60 g milk, at room temperature
- 6 large 225 g egg whites, room temperature
- ½ cup 113 g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2⅓ cups 300 g all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- ¼ cup 25 g cornstarch
- 3 teaspoons strawberry extract
- ½ cup 105 g unflavoured vegetable oil (e.g., canola)
- 1½ cups 300 g white granulated sugar
- 1 drop red gel food colouring optional
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups 335 g cold cream cheese (firm block style)
- 1 cup 225 g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4½ cups 570 g icing sugar (powdered sugar)
- 2 teaspoons strawberry extract
- ¼ cup 65 g strawberry filling/reduction
Instructions
Strawberry Filling/Reduction
- Combine strawberries, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a large frying pan. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring intermittently.
- Mash softened strawberries with a potato masher, then simmer for another 10 minutes.
- Dissolve cornstarch in water, then stir into the strawberry mixture continuously to prevent lumps.
- Simmer until thickened, then remove from heat. You should yield approximately 2 cups.
- Allow to cool by spreading on a dish and refrigerating for 30 minutes, or prepare in advance.
Strawberry Cake
- Preheat fan-forced oven to 160°C (320°F). Grease and line two 8-inch cake tins.
- Sift together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Mix strawberry reduction, milk, and food colouring in a small bowl; set aside.
- In a separate bowl, cream butter, oil, and sugar with a mixer for 3 minutes until fluffy.
- Add egg whites in three additions, mixing well between each.
- Incorporate half the strawberry-milk mixture, along with extracts and vinegar; mix until uniform.
- Fold in half of the dry ingredients using a spatula until just combined.
- Add the remaining strawberry-milk blend, fold gently, then add the rest of the dry mixture. Avoid overmixing.
- Divide batter evenly between tins and bake for 35 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
- Cool in tins for 15-20 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool fully.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat butter until fluffy using a hand or stand mixer (paddle attachment recommended).
- Gradually add icing sugar in three parts, mixing on low to incorporate each batch.
- Add cream cheese, vanilla, and strawberry extract; mix until smooth but not overbeaten.
- Fold in the strawberry reduction gently, and add food colouring if desired.
Assembly
- Optionally trim cake layers to remove caramelised edges and level the tops.
- Place one cake layer on a stand and spread frosting generously on top.
- Pipe a double border around the edge using a 1A round tip to contain the filling, then fill with the remaining strawberry mixture.
- Position the second cake layer atop and frost the top and sides.
- Smooth with a cake scraper and decorate with remaining buttercream and fresh strawberries.
