Oh my gosh, if you think you know strawberry cake, you haven’t met *my* strawberry cake yet! Nothing beats that bright, sunshine flavor you get when you use actual, fresh, ripe strawberries right in the batter. Forget those pink, artificial mixes—this is the real deal. I’ve finally perfected my very own recipe for the ultimate moist and unbelievably flavorful Homemade Strawberry Cake, made 100% from scratch.
This is the cake I race to make when the first perfect berries hit the market in late spring. It’s dense enough to hold its own but melts in your mouth. Trust me, once you try this approach, you’re never going back to those box mixes. It’s became a non-negotiable tradition in our house!
Why This Homemade Strawberry Cake Recipe Works (E-E-A-T)
Okay, let’s talk science—but in a fun way! I know there are a million cake recipes out there, but this Homemade Strawberry Cake doesn’t just taste good, it *feels* good when you eat it. The secret isn’t one thing; it’s a perfect combo that locks in moisture and blasts that natural strawberry sweetness to the max. When you follow these steps, you’re baking with the care of a seasoned baker, and trust me, you’ll see the difference.
If you ever need a refresher on general baking success, check out some of my favorite tips here: baking tips to make you a better baker.
Achieving Maximum Moisture in Your Homemade Strawberry Cake
The pairing of buttermilk and properly softened butter is non-negotiable for this cake’s tenderness. That slight tang from the buttermilk reacts with the baking soda just right, giving us a beautiful lift without drying things out. Also, please ensure your butter is room temp—not melted! That’s how we incorporate air for that fluffy, yet sturdy, crumb.
Intensifying the Fresh Strawberry Flavor in Your Homemade Strawberry Cake
Lots of recipes cheat and use extract, but that’s just pink imitation flavor, right? We’re using a full cup of fresh strawberry puree right in the batter. This pushes that authentic, summery flavor deep into every slice. The riper your berries are when you puree them, the richer and more vibrant your final cake will taste. That’s where the real magic happens!
Gathering Ingredients for Your Homemade Strawberry Cake
Alright, time to get organized! Baking a spectacular Homemade Strawberry Cake means starting with happy ingredients. Don’t skip reading the instructions about prep, especially with the butter. If you find yourself short on buttermilk, don’t panic! We have a quick fix you can whip up right now; check out my easy buttermilk substitutes guide to keep moving.
Ingredients for the Homemade Strawberry Cake Batter
For the actual cake layers, make sure you grab everything below. Remember, that butter needs to be truly softened—poke it, and it leaves an index-finger imprint, but it isn’t shiny or melty. That’s the key to avoiding a dense nightmare! Here is what you need:
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, pureed (this is crucial!)
Ingredients for the Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
This frosting is light, fluffy, and packed with that same fresh strawberry goodness we used in the cake. It whips up fast, but you need the right amount of sugar and puree to get it perfectly smooth.
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (also softened!)
- 2 cups powdered sugar (make sure it’s sifted if it’s lumpy)
- 1/2 cup strawberry puree for frosting (saved from your initial prep!)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract for frosting
Step-by-Step Instructions for Baking the Homemade Strawberry Cake
Putting this all together is incredibly fast—seriously, you can have a cake in the oven in under 30 minutes! My secret here is staying organized so you aren’t scrambling when it’s time to mix things. I usually organize my bowls before I even turn the oven on. Remember, for the best results on your Homemade Strawberry Cake, check out these speedy baking tricks: simple so tasty cake in 25 mins.
Preparing the Cake Pans and Dry Mix for Homemade Strawberry Cake
First things first: get that oven preheated to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Then, grab those two 9-inch round cake pans. Grease them up really well and dust them with a little flour so the beautiful pink cake doesn’t stick! Now, in a big bowl, whisk together your flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Just get those dry guys acquainted!
Mixing Wet Ingredients and Combining the Homemade Strawberry Cake Batter
Time for the magic mixing! Add that softened butter to your dry mix and beat it until it looks sandy, like coarse crumbs. In a separate spot, whisk your eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla—that’s your wet blend. Add the wet stuff to the dry gradually, mixing until it’s *just* combined. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT overmix here, or you’ll lose that tender crumb! Once combined, gently fold in that beautiful, one-cup strawberry puree. Divide the batter evenly and pop those pans in to bake for 30 to 35 minutes. You know they’re done when a toothpick comes out clean. Let them cool in the pan for ten minutes before flipping them out onto a rack to cool completely. Seriously, they must be totally cool before frosting them!
Making the Strawberry Frosting and Assembling the Homemade Strawberry Cake
While the cakes cool, whip up the frosting! Beat that soft butter until it’s creamy. Now, slowly add the powdered sugar, alternating with your reserved 1/2 cup of strawberry puree and the vanilla. Keep beating until it’s smooth and lovely pink perfection. Once those layers are stone cold, just frost, stack, and admire your incredible work on this Homemade Strawberry Cake!
Expert Tips for the Perfect Homemade Strawberry Cake
Even with a great recipe, sometimes things go sideways, right? Don’t sweat it! I’ve learned a few tricks over the years that save my Homemade Strawberry Cake from disaster. These little details are what separate a good cake from the *best* cake, and I’m sharing them because I want you to have perfect results every single time. I relied on a ton of trial and error to figure these out!
If you need a little extra background on the science behind a beautiful bake, I wrote a whole piece about it here: baking tips to make you a better baker.
Ingredient Temperature Secrets for Your Homemade Strawberry Cake
This is huge for the texture of your Homemade Strawberry Cake. Your eggs and butter absolutely must be at room temperature. When they are slightly warm, they mix with the sugar much better, creating those tiny air pockets we need for lift. Cold ingredients just refuse to emulsify properly, leading to a greasy, sad-looking batter that cracks while baking. Take everything out at least an hour before you plan to start mixing!
Troubleshooting Common Homemade Strawberry Cake Issues
If your cake layers come out dense and heavy, nine times out of ten it’s because you overmixed after adding the flour and puree. When those are in, switch to folding gently with a spatula. That heavy mixing overdevelops the gluten, and suddenly, you have a rubbery cake instead of a moist one. Also, cutting the cake too soon while it’s warm is a guaranteed way to cause sinking right in the center!
Storing and Keeping Your Homemade Strawberry Cake Fresh
This Homemade Strawberry Cake is so moist, it actually keeps really well! Since we used fresh fruit puree, I usually prefer to keep it at room temperature under a cake dome or in an airtight container. It stays wonderfully soft for about three days this way. Seriously, the flavor seems to deepen overnight, which is a bonus!
If your kitchen is super hot, or if you just need it to last longer, you *can* refrigerate it, but you’ll want to let it sit out for an hour before serving. Cold temperatures can firm up the butter in the cake and the frosting. If it feels a little dry after refrigeration, just pop a slice in the microwave for about 10 seconds—it instantly brings that freshness right back!
Variations on the Classic Homemade Strawberry Cake
I love that this Homemade Strawberry Cake is so reliable, but sometimes you need a little twist, right? The structure holds up perfectly to minor tweaks! If you want a brighter, tangier flavor profile, try adding the zest of one whole lemon into your batter along with the puree. It really wakes up the strawberry flavor!
For the adventurous baker, you can easily swap out about half of your fresh strawberry puree for raspberry puree; just be aware that raspberry often results in a slightly darker hue. It tastes amazing, especially with a lemon glaze instead of the full buttercream—you can find inspiration for that kind of brightness here: strawberry lemonade cake. Just don’t mess with the flour or leavening agents, or the cake won’t rise right!
Serving Suggestions for Your Homemade Strawberry Cake
When you finally pull that beautiful pink cake out, what are you going to serve it with? Honestly, this rich Homemade Strawberry Cake is absolutely perfect all on its own, especially with that creamy frosting we made. But if you want to really take it over the top for a special gathering, I have a couple of ideas!
A big scoop of good quality vanilla bean ice cream is non-negotiable for me—the cold creamy texture against the slightly room-temperature cake is divine. Another favorite is a dollop of lightly sweetened fresh whipped cream. If you’re looking for a simple glaze option instead of the full buttercream, I highly recommend checking out my simple white frosting recipe too; you could drizzle that on top for a lighter finish!
Frequently Asked Questions About Homemade Strawberry Cake
I always get so many questions once people try this recipe, and that’s awesome! It means you’re excited about making your Homemade Strawberry Cake. Here are the big ones I hear most often that might help you out before you even start baking!
If you’re feeling adventurous and want to try a fancy version, I have a fun recipe for that, too: strawberry champagne cake.
Can I substitute fresh strawberries with freeze-dried for this Homemade Strawberry Cake?
Oh, that’s a tricky one! You can totally use freeze-dried berries, but you can’t just swap them 1-for-1 for the fresh puree. Freeze-dried are intensely flavored but lack much volume and water. If you want to use them, you need to crush them finely and mix them into the flour *with* the dry ingredients. Then, you must add an extra splash of buttermilk to make up for the missing liquid, otherwise the batter will be way too thick for your Homemade Strawberry Cake!
What is the best way to make strawberry puree for the cake?
For the best texture and color in your cake, you want puree that is smooth but *not* watery. Don’t boil the berries down! Just pulse your fresh, hulled strawberries in a food processor or blender until they look like a thick, vibrant sauce. If it looks runny, you can simmer it gently for just about five minutes to evaporate a little water, but don’t lose all that amazing flavor!
Another thought: can I make this as a sheet cake? Absolutely! Just use a 9×13 inch pan, and you’ll probably need to bump the baking time up by about five to eight minutes. Keep checking it!
Estimated Nutritional Snapshot for Homemade Strawberry Cake
Now, I’m not a nutritionist, so take this snapshot with a grain of sugar! These numbers are just a rough guide based on the ingredients list for one slice of the Homemade Strawberry Cake. Since we’re making this from scratch with all that butter and sugar—because it’s cake, after all!—it’s a treat, not an everyday snack.
Remember, exact amounts for calories and fat will change depending on the brand of butter you use or if you add more puree to your frosting. But here’s the rough idea:
- Calories: 450
- Fat: 22g
- Carbohydrates: 60g
- Protein: 5g
Homemade Strawberry Cake
- Total Time: 60 min
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A simple recipe for a moist strawberry cake made from scratch.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, pureed
- 1/2 cup strawberry puree for frosting
- 2 cups powdered sugar for frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter for frosting
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract for frosting
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the softened butter and mix until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla extract.
- Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Gently fold in the 1 cup of strawberry puree.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the frosting, beat the 1/2 cup butter until creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, alternating with the 1/2 cup strawberry puree and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat until smooth.
- Once the cakes are completely cool, frost and stack them.
Notes
- Use fresh, ripe strawberries for the best flavor in the puree.
- For a stronger strawberry flavor, you can add a few drops of strawberry extract to the batter.
- Make sure the butter for the cake is truly softened, not melted.
- Prep Time: 25 min
- Cook Time: 35 min
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 55g
- Sodium: 250mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 60g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 90mg
Keywords: strawberry cake, homemade cake, fresh strawberry, layer cake, vanilla cake