This is the best fresh strawberry cake made with real strawberries. The secret is adding a fresh strawberry reduction to your cake batter and mixing the rest into your buttercream frosting for a fresh strawberry cake recipe that tastes like real strawberries!
Many strawberry cakes are made with imitation flavors or Jell-O, but not this cake! This uses real fresh or frozen strawberries and lemon to bring out the strawberry flavor. This cake takes a bit more time to prepare because we have to make the strawberry reduction first then make the strawberry cake but I promise its worth the effort!
What's In This Blog Post
Why This Is The BEST Strawberry Cake Recipe
This is definitely one of my all-time favorite cake recipes. I have never worked so long and hard on one recipe. SO many failed attempts and I almost gave up. I tried adding chopped-up strawberries to my vanilla cake recipe, and the cake turned out very wet, dense, brown, and most of the strawberry flavor was gone.
Next, I tried that recipe where you add Jell-O. Let me tell you, that was the weirdest-tasting cake I have ever tried! I don't know how anyone can call that flavor strawberry but if you like it, more power to ya haha!
I also tried grinding up freeze-dried strawberries and adding them to my dry ingredients. That cake turned out a little better, but I still wanted to figure out a way to use fresh strawberries. I finally nailed this recipe using a strawberry reduction (boiling pureed strawberries until they are thicker and have less liquid) and a high-quality strawberry emulsion!
- Fresh strawberry flavor made from REAL strawberries
- No Strawberry Jell-O mix
- No boxed cake mix
- Moist crumb
Fresh Strawberry Ingredients
Strawberry Emulsion is like strawberry extract but very very concentrated. If you can get it ahead of time, it really adds the best strawberry flavor but if you don't have time to order it, using regular strawberry extract is better than nothing! I got my strawberry emulsion from Michaels in the cake decorating aisle.
I'm using frozen strawberries for this recipe because frozen fruit is ALWAYS in season and so much easier to use. If it's strawberry season near you, by all means, use fresh!
Strawberry Reduction Instructions
1. Place your thawed strawberries into a blender and pulse a few times until they are liquid. 
2. Pour the blended strawberries, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt into a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. 
3. Once bubbling, reduce heat to medium-low and slowly reduce until berries begin to break up and the mixture has reduced and looks like a thick paste.
This can take a while. Mine takes between 40-60 minutes! I know this sounds like a long time but low and slow is the best for keeping all the flavor. Just give it a stir every now and then. 
Step 4 – Occasionally stir the mixture to prevent burning. You should end up with about 1 cup of thick strawberry reduction that looks like tomato sauce. Transfer to another container and let it cool before use.
Step 5 – You will use some of the reduction for the cake batter, some for the frosting, and the rest for filling between the cake layers for extra flavor.
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Bring your butter, egg whites, milk, and strawberry reduction to room temperature and prepare the rest of your ingredients. For the best success, use a food scale to weigh your ingredients. Converting this recipe to cups could lead to failure. Read my blog post on how to use a scale for more information.
- Grease two, 8" cake pans with cake goop or your preferred pan release and preheat the oven to 350ºF/176ºC.
- In a separate medium bowl, combine the milk, oil, strawberry reduction, strawberry emulsion (or extract), vanilla extract, lemon extract, lemon zest, lemon juice, and pink food coloring. Whisk it together and set it aside.
Pro-tip – I use Americolor electric pink food coloring to get my beautiful pink color. It may seem like cheating, but if you don't add it, the color from the strawberries will bake out and your cake will turn out gray. - In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set it aside.
- Add room temperature butter to the stand mixer with the paddle attachment and beat at medium speed until smooth and shiny, about 30 seconds.
I'm using my Bosch Universal Plus mixer for this, but you can use any KitchenAid stand mixer or a hand mixer. If you use a hand mixer, you might have to mix for longer. - Gradually sprinkle in the sugar, and beat until the mixture is fluffy and almost white, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the egg whites one at a time, beating 15 seconds between. Your mixture should look cohesive at this point. If it looks curdled and broken, your butter or egg whites are too cold.
You must use egg WHITES for this recipe, the yellow from the egg could turn the inside of your cake peach. - Mix on low speed and add about a third of the dry ingredients to the batter, followed immediately by about a third of the milk mixture, mix until ingredients are almost incorporated into the batter.
- Repeat the process 2 more times. When the batter appears blended, stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. If it looks like ice cream, you did it right!
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. I use a spoon to make a divot in the center so that the cakes bake up flatter.
- Bake cakes at 350ºF/176ºC until they feel firm in the center and a toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs on it, about 30-35 minutes.
- Place pans on top of a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Then flip your cakes onto the racks and cool completely.
- Once cool, wrap each layer in plastic wrap and refrigerate before assembling your cake. Refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours or freeze for up to 1 week.
- If you want even more strawberry flavor (duh, of course I do Liz) spread some of your extra strawberry reduction directly on each layer before filling with buttercream and stacking. Delicious!
I'm using my 
If you need more information on how to frost and fill a cake, check out my how to make your first cake tutorial
Strawberry Buttercream Step-By-Step
- Place the pasteurized egg whites and powdered sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer. Add the whisk attachment and combine ingredients on low, then whip on high for 5 minutes.
You CANNOT use fresh egg whites for this buttercream. Egg whites from a box are pasteurized (like your milk) so they are safe to eat without cooking. - Add in your butter in chunks and whip on high for 8-10 minutes until it's very white, light and shiny. It may look curdled and yellow at first, but this is normal. Keep whipping.
- Add in the strawberry reduction, salt, and vanilla extract, and continue whipping until incorporated.
Pro-tip – If your buttercream looks curdled, it's too cold. Take out ½ cup of buttercream and melt it in the microwave until it's just barely melted. About 10-15 seconds. Pour it back into your whisking buttercream and it will become creamy. - Optional: Switch to a paddle attachment and mix on low for 15-20 minutes to make the buttercream very smooth and remove air bubbles. This isn't required but if you want really creamy frosting, you don't want to skip it.
- Refrigerate the leftover buttercream for up to a week. If you are not going to use buttercream for more than a week you can freeze it for 6 months or more.
FAQ
Either fresh local berries or frozen berries will work for this!
Strawberry jam is just blended strawberries with sugar, so it will not work for this recipe. If you absolutely cannot get fresh strawberries, you can use blended strawberry preserves, but it will be much sweeter. A reduction is needed for this recipe to have the right consistency and amount of strawberry flavor.
You cannot use almond flour, self-rising flour or cake flour for this cake.
If you leave out the emulsion/extract, the strawberry flavor will not be as pronounced. I like to use LorAnn's strawberry emulsion for a really strong flavor or the wild strawberry emulsion from Amoretti.
Yes, this recipe makes about 24 cupcakes.
Yes I have used it under fondant many times. Just be sure to not use cream cheese frosting underneath the fondant, or it will melt.
More Strawberry Recipes
Traditional Strawberry Shortcake
Need more cake recipes? I have so many that are personally tested by me and tried and true for any level of baker.
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Note: measurements are estimated based off the vanilla cake recipe using standard US cake pans and sizes. Measurements used are for 2" tall cake pans only. Your results may vary. Do not overfill cake pans above manufacturer's recommended guidelines.
Recipe
Equipment
- 2 8" cake pans
Ingredients
Strawberry Reduction
- 32 ounces fresh or frozen strawberries thawed
- 4 ounces sugar optional
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 pinch salt
Fresh Strawberry Cake Ingredients
- 8 ounces unsalted butter room temperature
- 10 ounces granulated sugar
- 6 ounces egg whites room temperature
- 4 ounces milk room temperature, whole milk is best
- 6 ounces strawberry reduction room temperature
- 2 ounces vegetable or canola oil
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice fresh
- zest one lemon
- 1 ½ teaspoon strawberry emulsion or extract, I use LorAnn oils bakery emulsion
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon Pink food color I use Americolor electric pink gel
- 14 ounces all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Easy Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
- 4 ounces pasteurized egg whites
- 16 ounces powdered sugar
- 16 ounces unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 ounces strawberry reduction room temperature
Instructions
Strawberry Reduction Instructions
- I recommend making this reduction the day before you're ready to make your cake.
- Place your thawed or fresh strawberries into the blender and blend until smooth.
- Place the strawberry puree, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice into a medium saucepan and bring it to a boil.
- Once bubbling, reduce heat to medium-low and slowly reduce the puree until you have two cups of liquid and the mixture is very thick like tomato sauce. This can take between 40-60 minutes. Occasionally stir the mixture to prevent burning.
- You will use some of the reduction for the cake batter, some for the frosting and the rest for filling between the cake layers for extra moisture. Leftover reduction can be stored in the fridge for up to one week or frozen for 6 months.
Strawberry Cake Instructions
- NOTE: It is SUPER IMPORTANT that all the room temperature ingredients listed above are room temperature and not cold or hot.
- Make sure to take your strawberry reduction out of the refrigerator 1 hour before making your cake so that it comes to room temperature or microwave it for about a minute so that it's warm.
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 350ºF/176ºC.
- Grease two 8" cake pans with cake goop or preferred pan release
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, strawberry reduction, strawberry emulsion, vanilla extract, lemon zest, lemon juice, and pink food coloring.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Add room temperature butter to your stand mixer with the paddle attachment and beat at medium speed until smooth and shiny, about 30 seconds.
- Gradually sprinkle in the sugar, beat until mixture is fluffy and almost white, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the egg whites one at a time, beating 15 seconds in between. Your mixture should look cohesive at this point. If it looks curdled and broken, your butter or egg whites were too cold.
- Mix on low speed and add about a third of the dry ingredients to the batter, followed immediately by about a third of the milk mixture, mix until ingredients are almost incorporated into the batter.
- Repeat the process 2 more times. When the batter appears blended, stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. If it looks like ice cream, you did it right!
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
- Bake cakes at 350ºF/176ºC until they feel firm in the center and a toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs on it, about 30-35 minutes.
- Place pans on top of a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Then flip your cakes onto the racks and cool completely.
- Once cooled, wrap each layer in plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze before assembling your cake.
Buttercream Instructions
- Place egg whites and powdered sugar in a stand mixer bowl. Attach the whisk and combine ingredients on low and then whip on high for 5 minutes
- Place pasteurized egg whites and powdered sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer. Add the whisk attachment and combine ingredients on low, then whip on high for 5 minutes.
- Add in your softened butter in chunks and whip on high for 8-10 minutes until it's very white, light and shiny. It may look curdled and yellow at first, this is normal. Keep whipping.
- Add in strawberry reduction, vanilla extract and salt and continue whipping until incorporated.
- Optional: Switch to a paddle attachment and mix on low for 15-20 minutes to make the buttercream very smooth and remove air bubbles.
Video
Notes
- Make sure all your ingredients (egg whites, milk, butter, reduction) are room temperature or a little warm so that your batter doesn't curdle.
- For the best success, use a food scale to weigh your ingredients. Converting this recipe to cups could lead to failure. Read my blog post on how to use a scale for more information.
- I use Americolor electric pink food coloring to get my beautiful pink color. It may seem like cheating, but if you don't add it, the color from the strawberries will bake out and your cake will turn out gray.
- I'm using my Bosch Universal Plus mixer for this, but you can use any KitchenAid stand mixer or a hand mixer.
- You must use egg WHITES for this recipe, the yellow from the egg could turn the inside of your cake peach.
- I like to use LorAnn oil's strawberry bakery emulsion, but you can also use extract.
- When making your reduction, the goal is to get as much liquid out as possible without burning the strawberries. The mixture should look like thick tomato sauce and will have reduced by half.
- You will use some of the reduction for the cake batter, some for the frosting and the rest for filling between the cake layers for extra moisture. Leftover reduction can be stored in the fridge for up to one week or frozen for 6 months.
- Make sure your frosting is very light and white before adding in the puree. Give it a taste, if it still tastes like butter, keep whipping it until it tastes like sweet ice cream.
- If your buttercream looks curdled, it's too cold. Take out ½ cup of buttercream and melt it in the microwave until it's just barely melted. About 10-15 seconds. Pour it back into your buttercream, and mix until creamy.
Hilda Ochoa says
Thank you 🙏🏻 very much for sharing this recipe! I just finished making it and the cakes are chilling for a little bit! I’ve never made buttercream with egg whites but it seemed super easy and it totally came together like you said! Super excited to put the cake together and taste it! Thanks again for all of your vids and helpful tips! I’ve just began my baking and taking orders and you don’t know how appreciative I am with people like you that share their expertise and knowledge! Thank you 🙏🏻 so much!! Love from California
Rain says
Hi Liz, I just wanted to say thank you so much for posting this recipe! My mom really wanted a strawberry cake for her birthday, but wanted one that I could eat too. I'm allergic to dairy, so I substituted the milk and butter for almond milk and vegan butter. It came out absolutely amazing and everyone who had a piece raved over it. I'm sure it's even better with real butter and milk. Again, thank you!! I hope you have a wonderful day.
Robyn Snyder says
Sorry if you already had this question, there are so many to look through! What do you think about chocolate ganache in the middle? Do you think it would work well?
Elizabeth Marek says
It might overpower the taste of the strawberry a bit, so just keep the layer thin
Shanta Edwards says
Hi Liz,
This was the first time I saw your show and I tried this cake. First let me say, the cake is very good and the icing. The only problem for me is that I got the gray cake. 🙁 I couldn't get the Lorana electric pink so I got what they had in the store which was a nature based powder and it was the biggest mistake ever! I had this beautiful icing, (I actually made a lemon cake to make a strawberry lemonade cake, which is really good), and this beautiful lemon cake and gray strawberry cakes. I was so disappointed I didn't even want my family eating it but the taste was so good, I just asked them to overlook it. Overall, it's a wonderful recipe and pretty easy to follow by and make. I have medical conditions that makes it a longer process for me but I am looking forward to making many more of these cakes in the future. Thanks so much on helping me make my first layered cake!! Would love to send you a pic!!
Elizabeth Marek says
Awww I am so sorry! I know exactly what color you mean, I have made that before haha! See if you can order the electric pink for the next time you make it! A small bottle will last you a long time! If you post the cake to facebook or instagram, just tag me @sugargeekshow ! Or you can join our facebook group sugar geeks if you are on facebook.
Shanta Edwards says
Hi Liz,
Just another quick question. I made the buttercream recipe but I didn't use pasteurized eggs whites but just regular egg whites from the container. Is the cake still ok to eat? I didn't even think about the egg whites not being cooked until now. I've already eaten a piece and my mom. Just don't want my family getting sick if we're not supposed to eat buttercream except with pasteurized eggs.
Elizabeth Marek says
If they are in a container they are most likely pasteurized.
Adriana says
This cake was great. What kind of stand mixer are you using.
Elizabeth Marek says
This is the bosch universal plus mixer
Dnyee says
I have an old recipe that lists 16oz of strawberries for the reduction. This now says 32oz but they other ingredients list the same quantities. Did you change the amount of strawberries suggested for the emulation?
Elizabeth Marek says
Yes I did so that there would be extra reduction to spread between the layers 🙂
Jennifer says
Hubby wanted strawberry cake for his 50th and this hit the spot. Definitely more work than my usual recipe and took some Amazon purchases in the eta of Covid-19 grocery stock. I cut crack on the lemon flavor, just using a little juice and half the extract. I used two 9 inch pans and probably should have cooked a few minutes less because they were just slightly dry. But after a heavy dose of that reduction and buttercream, who cared? Beautiful cake full of strawberry flavor but not too sweet. Same with the buttercream that tasted of melted homemade ice cream.
Melissa says
I'm excited to try this! Can the strawberry reduction be added to either your American buttercream or the stabilized whipped cream recipes instead if I opt for one of those (egg-free) routes?
Elizabeth Marek says
Yes it sure can, just fold it together! Easy peezy
Letisha says
After weeks of research, I'm going to make my first strawberry cake this week! I'm so nervous! One question: I have deep pink Americolor gel, not electric pink. Should I mix with something else to get a brighter pink or just go with my deep pink?
Elizabeth Marek says
Deep pink is more of an orange color. I would use red before I used deep pink
Caleb says
I had a lot of trouble with this recipe. I’ve made some very complex cakes before, and this isn't even a complex cake, but the way the directions are worded are confusing, and could be a lot simpler. I made some technical errors due to the confusing directions. Follow another recipe! I’ve had better strawberry cake before.
Elizabeth Marek says
So sorry to hear that. If you let me know specifically what was confusing, I can try and adjust it to be clearer.
Liz Y Cordero says
Liz you are just Wonderful! Thank you for your hard work and for sharing with us this recipe I’m Making it today and I had try several of your recipes and always are perfect ! Thank you so much God Continues blessings you abundantly as well as your family .
Tisha says
I am a new baker and have started sharing slices of my cakes with my neighbors. This cake is such a hit! I have people messaging me weekly asking if I could please make this again! Just a note to othwr newbies: trust the process ans watch this cake like a hawk to prevent overlooking! The first time I tasted the cake by itself, I was so on the fence about whether I liked it. I kept going though, and completed with filling and frosting and ended up being the best cake I've made to date!
Anna de battista says
I made this cake for my younger sisters bday which is tomorrow btw.shes turning nine!! the instructions were great and easy to follow!turned out amazing. it did seem a little burt. maybe its because I used fan force. can't wait to try it.
Rhonda Aubry says
I decided on your strawberry cake recipe for my niece's 12th birthday cake... I was going to opt for a whipped cream cheese frosting instead of the buttercream...but..after reading the comments on how great the buttercream frosting is (which I'm usually not a fan of buttercream) I'm confused.. can you help me decide? Thanks...
Sugar Geek Show says
Whipped cream cheese frosting would be delicious with it as well!
Pennie Blair says
This was my very first homemade cake and it was DELICIOUS!!! One question. The Cake was a bit dense. Any idea what I did wrong.
Sugar Geek Show says
So glad you liked it! It's a pretty dense cake just from the strawberries.
Janice says
I made this cake twice using a half sheet cake pan. I doubled the recipe and it didnt turn out well. The first time the cake was dry. The second time, it was under cooked in the middle but the perimeter of the cake was done. I baked it 40min. How long should I bake it?
Elizabeth Marek says
You need to keep an eye on the cake and take it out of the oven when it's done baking. Depending on the size of the pan you use, the baking time will vary. Even oven vary from house to house. When you press the center of the cake and it springs back, the cake is done baking. The idea is to take the cake out of the oven right when its baked to preserve moisture. You can also use a baking core (you can get them on Amazon) to use in the center of large cakes to speed up the baking process
KMacias says
Liz,
This was a ridiculously delicious cake! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Definitely going into my box of family recipes. Never making boxed starwberry cake again.
For those trying this recipe for the 1st time, TIME TIME TIME
Do not rush anything and be mindful of every step...
I made the Strawberry reduction 2 days before to have it ready for cake baking day.
Unicorn says
So good
Esca W says
love love love this! So so good, amazing recipe & work!
Do you think it'd work with blueberry for the reduction and emulsion?
Sugar Geek Show says
Thank you! Yeah I think it'd be great with blueberry, let me know how it turns out if you try it 😀
Jayda Helget says
The cake its self was perfectly moist, tasted good, and turned out like it was suppose to, but the lemon in it seemed to overpower it. Made it a second time, cut back on the lemon products and put more strawberry reduction and emulsion and it turned out perfect! We also ended up using the excess strawberry reduction for a nice strawberry filling between layers by cooking it on the stove and mixing in some strawberry jello mix, sugar, and some corn starch mixture to thicken it up, definitely recommend!
Prachi says
Hey Liz, This cake is absolute favourite cake of my family. I have baked it so many times. Every time it came out perfect. Just wanted to know can i bake this cake in bundt pan.
Bozena Iwuamadi says
Can I use chocolate buttercream with this cake?
Sugar Geek Show says
Chocolate and strawberries, yum!
Alicia H. says
Hi Liz,
I made this cake yesterday and OMG it is delicious! This was my very first attempt at making a Strawberry cake as I am a baking newbie. Mine came out really pink even though I followed directions. I didn’t mind. It was pretty and didn’t affect the taste at all. I even tried to decorate it like yours in the video 😉
Everyone said it tasted great and looked so professional. I wish we could add pictures so you can see the results.
Thank you for an amazing recipe! You made me look like a pro on my first try!
Regina says
Hi! I am wondering what the comparison is between this Buttercream recipe and your Easy Buttercream recipe? Texture? Sweetness? Could you add the Strawberry Reduction to the Easy Buttercream recipe and get good results? I like the Easy Buttercream recipe! I have seen other Easy Buttercream recipes but they used a lot more sugar! Thanks so much for your time!!!
Sugar Geek Show says
They are the same recipe! This one is just easy buttercream with strawberry reduction added 🙂