Strawberry Cake Recipe – Pretty, Pink & Packed with Flavor!

Introduction

Strawberry cake is the perfect celebration of fresh, vibrant berries and eye-catching color. This pretty, pink dessert isn’t just a showstopper—it bursts with naturally sweet strawberry flavor in every bite. Whether you’re planning a birthday party, a spring brunch, or simply want to indulge your sweet tooth, this recipe comes together with simple, wholesome ingredients and creates a cake that tastes as amazing as it looks.

Deliciously Unique Strawberry Cake

What makes this strawberry cake recipe stand out is its use of real strawberries for both color and flavor, making the cake moist, fragrant, and beautifully pink without the need for artificial dyes. The result is a tender crumb layered with fresh berry sweetness—a guaranteed crowd pleaser that’s perfect for any special occasion or even just a family dessert night.

Preparing the Perfect Strawberry Puree

For the best flavor, start by making a simple strawberry puree. Simply blend fresh or thawed frozen strawberries until smooth, then simmer the puree over low heat to concentrate its flavor and reduce excess moisture. This extra step brings out an intense, authentic strawberry taste and helps keep your cake light and fluffy.

Assembling Your Strawberry Cake

Once your cake layers are baked and cooled, you can fill and frost them with luscious strawberry cream cheese frosting or whipped buttercream. To really impress, add sliced fresh strawberries between the layers for extra texture and a burst of tartness. The finished cake will be irresistible—a gorgeous pink centerpiece filled with real berry delight.

Serving Suggestions for a Showstopping Strawberry Cake

Serve generous slices of this strawberry cake adorned with whole or sliced strawberries and a dusting of powdered sugar. Pair with a cup of black tea or a bubbly rosé for a delightful dessert experience. This cake is stunning enough for special celebrations, but its ease of preparation makes it a candidate for weeknight treats as well.

Nutritional Information and Serving Size

This recipe yields about 12 slices of strawberry cake. Each generous serving contains approximately 350–380 calories, depending on the type and amount of frosting used. It’s a perfectly sweet way to enjoy fresh fruit as a dessert treat!

Deliciously Unique Strawberry Cake (Recap)

With its beautiful hue and bold berry flavor, this strawberry cake combines fresh ingredients with classic baking techniques to create a dessert that’s both elegant and delicious. The tantalizing aroma and vibrant color all but guarantee it will become your go-to recipe for birthdays, brunches, and anytime you need a showstopper on the table.

💡Meal Planning Tip: Save this recipe to instantly generate an organized shopping list with every ingredient sorted by grocery store section—making your cake baking and weekly meal planning stress-free!

Instructions

1. Prepare the Strawberry Puree: Blend strawberries until smooth. Transfer to a saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat, stirring often, until reduced to about 1 1/2 cups for the cake and frosting combined. Let cool completely before using.
2. Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pans, or line them with parchment paper for easy release.
3. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
4. Cream Butter & Sugar: In a large bowl, use a mixer to beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3–4 minutes.
5. Add Eggs & Vanilla: Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
6. Combine Wet Ingredients: Add in cooled strawberry puree, sour cream, and milk. Mix just until combined.
7. Combine Wet & Dry: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing just until no flour streaks remain—do not overmix.
8. Bake: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 28–32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
9. Make the Frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, then strawberry puree, vanilla, and salt. Beat until fluffy and spreadable. Add more powdered sugar if needed for desired consistency.
10. Assemble: Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread with frosting, add a layer of fresh strawberries if desired, then top with the second cake layer. Frost the top and sides with remaining frosting and decorate with more strawberries.

Weekly Meal Planning

Strawberry cake is a fantastic treat to schedule into your weekly dessert rotation or for special occasions. Save and schedule this recipe to automatically generate an optimized shopping list that combines ingredients from all your planned meals—ensuring nothing is forgotten and prep is efficient.

Planning Benefits:

• Automatically calculates total ingredient needs for the week
• Sorts your grocery list by store section and avoids duplicates
• Helps prevent overbuying and food waste
• Makes batching desserts (like this cake) with other meals a breeze

Pro tip: Add this cake to your meal plan along with weekday dinners or special brunches—CookifyAI will group overlapping ingredients (like eggs and butter), making your grocery shopping even more streamlined.

Cook and Prep Times

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour (plus time for puree cooling and cake cooling)