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slice of strawberry cake
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Easy Strawberry Cake Recipe

This Easy Strawberry Cake Recipe, made from scratch with fresh strawberry puree. No cake mix, no Jello in here! This is filled & topped with the most delicious strawberry buttercream frosting too.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword buttercream, cake, frosting, strawberry
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Decorate 2 hours
Servings 12

Ingredients

Cake

  • cups cake flour
  • cups all-purpose flour
  • cups granulated sugar
  • tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp table salt
  • 1 cup cold butter - cubed 2 sticks
  • 4 large eggs
  • ¾ cup milk or buttermilk
  • ¾ cup strawberry puree or strawberry jam
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • pink food color - optional I used about 15-20 drops of gel

Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

  • 2 cups butter - room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ¼ tsp table salt
  • 7 cups confectioner's sugar
  • ¾ cup strawberry puree or strawberry jam
  • pink food color optional I used about 15-20 drops of gel

Fresh Strawberry Puree (to equal 3/4 cup)

  • cups fresh strawberries about 10-12
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar

Instructions

Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Liberally grease and flour 2 - 8" round cake pans. I prefer Baker's release. Set aside.
  • In a large mixer bowl, stir together the cake flour, AP flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
  • Add the cubed butter and mix until it looks like coarse, moist crumbs.
  • Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
  • In a measuring cup, combine the milk, strawberry puree, and vanilla. Stir until well combined.
  • With the mixer on low, carefully pour the milk/strawberry mixture into the flour/butter mixture, slowly beating until smooth.
  • Add in food color until you reach the desired color. Keep in mind that the color will intensify as it bakes.
  • Divide the batter between the two prepared cake pans.
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the toothpick test comes out clean.
  • Cool completely before removing from the pan and frosting. I like to freeze mine for at least 1-2 hours before decorating as it keeps the crumbs from getting in the frosting.

Frosting

  • Place the butter in a large mixer bowl and beat on high until light and fluffy.
  • Add the vanilla and salt, mix until just combined.
  • Slowly beat in the confectioner's sugar, 1 cup at a time making sure it is completely incorporated each time before adding the next cup.
  • Fold in the strawberry puree or jam.
  • Beat in the food color- if using.

Fresh Strawberry Puree

  • Combine the strawberries and sugar in a small food processor or blender and pulse until it reaches the consistency of thin jam.

Decorate

  • Remove one of the cakes from the pan and place it on a cake plate or cardboard round. You can add a small dollop of frosting underneath to keep it from shifting on the plate.
  • Use a cake leveler or sharp knife to trim off the dome if your cake did not bake flat.
  • Add some of the frosting in an even layer on top of that bottom round of cake. You can also add about 1/4 cup of additional strawberry puree or jam on top of the frosting for additional flavor and visual interest.
  • Remove the second cake from the pan, trim the cake as you did the first layer to make sure it is nice and evenly flat.
  • Place that layer on top of the filling layer.
  • Using an offset spatula, spread a thin coat (this is the crumb coat) of frosting around the whole cake, tops, and sides. You should be able to see through it. I like to freeze the cake at this time to set the frosting and make it easier to work with for the decorating.
  • Once frozen, add another thicker layer of frosting to the top and sides of the cake.
  • Transfer the remaining frosting to a piping bag and decorate as desired. I use a medium open star tip for this one.
  • Top the cake with a single strawberry in the center.
  • Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Notes

*Food color is optional - but recommended as strawberry cake takes on a grey color when the batter is mixed and baked.
Keep in mind that the color of the cake will intensify as it bakes. I added 15-20 drops of gel color in electric pink. It gave the batter a pretty soft pale pink color. Once baked - you can see that it turned very bright and vibrant pink.
This is also true for the frosting - the color will intensify as it sits. But it is far more subtle than in the cake.
This recipe can be made in 3- 6" round pans, 2- 9" round pans, 1 - 10" round bundt, 1- 11x7 baking dish, 1 - 10" springform pan, or 12-18 cupcakes.
Reduce the time for smaller pans or cupcakes - increase for large pans when the batter is deeper and will take more time.  Keep an eye on them as they bake and as always, make sure your toothpick test is clean OR the tops of the cakes spring back when pressed lightly with your finger when checking for doneness.