This is the easiest Strawberry Cake with a soft and moist crumb, bursting with fresh strawberry flavor and you will love the strawberry sauce. Watch the video tutorial and see why this is one of our all-time favorite strawberry recipes.

Fresh strawberries add incredible flavor to desserts like our popular No-Bake Cheesecake, Strawberry Pretzel Salad, or Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes. I hope this Easy Strawberry Cake becomes a new favorite for you.

Easy strawberry cake dusted with powdered sugar with strawberry sauce in a pitcher on the side and surrounded by fresh strawberries

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Strawberry Cake Recipe

This strawberry cake is winning in every way: simple ingredients, easy to make, perfect for entertaining, and completely yummy. Everything about this cake is good. This is a crowd-pleasing dessert, but (so you can’t say I didn’t warn you) it disappears fast!

This recipe is based on our wildly popular Blueberry Cake which was an instant hit and continues to be one of the top cakes on our site. Just like with blueberries, fresh strawberries are wonderful on their own but when you bake them into a cake, their flavor is amplified and every bite is loaded with satisfying strawberry flavor.

Fresh Strawberry Cake Video

Part of what makes this such an easy cake is that there’s no frosting or layering required, but the flavor is definitely there, especially when you drizzle every slice with the super simple 2-ingredient strawberry sauce. It will make you want to lick your plate – it’s just THAT good and super versatile. Try it over Dutch Baby Pancakes, Waffles, and Crepes. It’s also delicious over French Toast.

Slice of easy strawberry cake drizzled with strawberry sauce

Ingredients

The ingredients here are pantry staples. This cake is loaded with fresh strawberries inside and out. Between the cake and sauce, you will need almost 2 pounds of strawberries.

The easy strawberry sauce has only 2 ingredients (strawberries and sugar) and comes together quickly in a food processor or blender. Here’s what you will need to make this simple strawberry cake:

  • Eggs – make sure they are at room temperature
  • Granulated sugar – sugar is used for both the cake and the strawberry sauce and you can add sugar to taste if you have very sweet or very tart strawberries
  • Sour cream – adds flavor and richness to the cake
  • Oil – creates a soft and moist crumb. You can use either extra light olive oil or vegetable oil
  • Vanilla extract – we love using Homemade Vanilla Extract for the best quality and flavor
  • All-purpose flour – forms a soft crumb without being too dense or heavy
  • Baking powder – leavening that gives rise to the cake
  • Salt – balances the flavor. We almost always use fine sea salt in our cooking
  • Fresh strawberries – you will need 12 oz for the cake and 16 oz for the strawberry sauce. You can use frozen strawberries for the sauce but fresh strawberries are preferred for the cake.
Ingredients for cake with fresh strawberries

How to Buy Strawberries

Here are some tips when shopping for strawberries. The last one is my favorite. I always smell the strawberries!

  • Color – look for strawberries that are a bright and vibrant red. If they are dull or have a lot of white or green patches, they are either underripe or no longer fresh.
  • Stems – check the stems which should look fresh and green (not brown or dry)
  • Firmness – fresh strawberries should be firm to the touch. If the package is clear, inspect the bottom of the container. Strawberries should not look soft, mushy, or squished/ leaking.
  • Aroma – I always sniff the package of strawberries – it’s the best way to tell if the strawberries will actually be tasty. Good strawberries will smell sweet and fragrant.

Tools for Baking

This recipe comes together fast with simple ingredients and basic cooking tools. For best results, be sure to use an electric mixer to whip the eggs and sugar.

Fresh strawberry cake served with strawberry sauce

Pro Tip: Rinse your strawberries just before using them. Wash under running water and avoid soap or commercial produce wash (these can be absorbed by strawberries and are not recommended according to the FDA). Once rinsed, set on cloth or paper towels and pat dry.

Tips for the Best Strawberry Cake

  • To bring eggs to room temperature – place cold eggs into a bowl of warm water (not hot) for 5-7 minutes, then dry them with paper towels and use them in the recipe.
  • Do not over-mix – This is KEY! Once the flour is incorporated, stop mixing or the cake can become dense.
  • Measure flour correctly – spoon flour into a dry ingredient measuring cup and scrape off the top with a straight edge. Why? Pushing your measuring cup into the flour bin can result in up to 25% more compacted flour. Watch our easy video tutorial on how to measure ingredients correctly.
Strawberry cake dusted with powdered sugar

Common Questions

Can I Substitute Sour Cream?

Yes! You can substitute sour cream with plain Greek yogurt. Whole milk Greek yogurt will yield the best results.

Can I turn this into a 2-layer cake?

This works best as a single layer because it is a heavier cake. For a layered cake, we recommend our Strawberry Sponge Cake.

How to Make it Gluten Free?

A reader shared this: “I used Cup4Cup Gluten-Free Multipurpose Flour. It is expensive but the best I’ve tried so far. Anyway, the cake came out great. We loved it and I’m planning to make it again for Easter. Just wanted to let any possible gluten-intolerant folks know.”

Can I make this Dairy Free?

A reader shared the following: “I completely replaced the sour cream, with whole-fat coconut milk from a can. I mixed it completely before measuring, and to compensate for the added wetness I reduced the oil to about 1/3 cup. It was still a little runny, but the bake was perfect.”

Can I use a different-sized pan?

We have only tested this in a 9″ springform pan. If baking in a smaller pan, bake a little longer or until a toothpick comes out clean. If you experiment with various sizes, please let me know in the comments.

Love Strawberry Recipes?

Strawberries always taste best in summer when they are in season so we like to take full advantage of their flavor and abundance. I also love that they go on sale often in the summer so we can use them for everything from Strawberry Lemonade to Chocolate Covered Strawberries. If you enjoy sweet fresh strawberries as much as we do then you will love these top-rated strawberry recipes:

Slice of easy strawberry cake - one of our favorite strawberry recipes

If you love strawberries, this strawberry cake is a must-try. I’d pass you a generous slice if I could, pummeled with the strawberry sauce of course.

More Easy Cake Recipes

If you love easy cakes like this strawberry cake don’t miss these easy, one-pan cakes that are always crowd-pleasers:

Easy Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Sauce

4.94 from 452 votes
strawberry cake with slice cut out
Easy Strawberry Cake recipe loaded with strawberries. So soft, lightly sweet, moist and bursting with strawberry flavor. Don’t skip that easy and amazing strawberry syrup!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients 

Servings: 10 slices (9″ cake)

Strawberry Cake Ingredients:

Strawberry Sauce Ingredients:

Instructions

Cake Prep:

  • Butter a 9" springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 375˚F. Prepare 12 oz of strawberries for the cake: dice 6 oz of strawberries and slice the second 6 oz into halves.

How to Make Strawberry Cake:

  • In a large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer (or stand mixer), beat together 2 eggs with 1 cup sugar on high speed for 5 minutes or until light in color and thick.
  • Add 1 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup oil, 1 tsp vanilla and beat on low speed until well combined.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together: 2 cups flour, 2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt until well incorporated. With the mixer on med/low speed, add flour mixture to the batter 1/3 at a time, letting the flour incorporate with each addition and continue mixing just until well combined. Do not over-mix. 
  • Pour half of the batter into prepared pan. Top with 6 oz of diced strawberries then spread remaining batter over the top. Cover the surface with 6 oz of halved strawberries (cut-side-down), pressing them down just slightly into the batter. Bake at 375˚F for 45-55 minutes (mine was perfect at 50 min), or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Let cake rest in pan 15-20 min before removing the ring.
  • Run a thin spatula around cake edges to loosen from pan. then transfer to a cake platter. Cool until just warm or at room temperature. To serve, dust with powdered sugar if desired. Drizzle individual slices generously with strawberry syrup.

How to Make Strawberry Sauce:

  • While the cake is baking, make the strawberry sauce: In a blender or food processor, combine 16 oz strawberries and 1/4 cup sugar (or add sugar to taste) and blend until pureed.

Notes

*To measure flour correctly: spoon flour into dry ingredients measuring cup and scrape off the top with a straight edge.

Nutrition Per Serving

368kcal Calories51g Carbs4g Protein16g Fat4g Saturated Fat44mg Cholesterol91mg Sodium293mg Potassium2g Fiber29g Sugar195IU Vitamin A46.9mg Vitamin C90mg Calcium1.8mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
Easy Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Sauce
Amount per Serving
Calories
368
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
16
g
25
%
Saturated Fat
 
4
g
25
%
Cholesterol
 
44
mg
15
%
Sodium
 
91
mg
4
%
Potassium
 
293
mg
8
%
Carbohydrates
 
51
g
17
%
Fiber
 
2
g
8
%
Sugar
 
29
g
32
%
Protein
 
4
g
8
%
Vitamin A
 
195
IU
4
%
Vitamin C
 
46.9
mg
57
%
Calcium
 
90
mg
9
%
Iron
 
1.8
mg
10
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: easy strawberry cake, strawberry cake
Skill Level: Easy
Cost to Make: $
Calories: 368
Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook
4.94 from 452 votes (145 ratings without comment)

Leave a Comment

Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Joan
    July 20, 2018

    I read down through the comments but missed the one about freezing. I think I will try it since it won’t be frozen very long. I will let you know how it turns out. I baked it and it looks perfect.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 20, 2018

      We would appreciate that. Thank you Joan!

      Reply

  • Joan
    July 20, 2018

    I am making this today and freezing it. I am also going to freeze the sauce. I will thaw it out and put the powdered sugar on it on the 9th. What do you think?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 20, 2018

      I would like to hear how this turns out for you. It sounds like you have a great plan and it should work fine.

      Reply

  • Liza
    July 20, 2018

    Hi Natasha! I’ve made this cake 3x now and my family absolutely loves it. So delicious and beautiful! Thank you!!!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 20, 2018

      I’m so happy you all enjoyed this! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!

      Reply

  • Naledi
    July 18, 2018

    Hello Natasha. Can i use strawberries which has been frozen before? Thank you for sharing

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 18, 2018

      Hi Naledi, I haven’t tested it with frozen strawberries so I’m not 100% sure. If I were to try, I would thaw in the refrigerated and drain well before adding them, maybe toss them with 1 Tbsp of corn starch to keep them from being too juicy. I do think it would be easy to substitute frozen for the sauce.

      Reply

  • Susan Stieler
    July 17, 2018

    Natasha, have you ever tried this using a one to one Gluten Free flour?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 17, 2018

      Hi Susan, I haven’t tried that myself but one of my readers shared the following: “”used Cup4Cup Gluten Free Multipurpose Flour. It is expensive but the best I’ve tried so far. Anyway, the cake came out great. We loved it and I’m planning to make it again for Easter. Just wanted to let any possible gluten intolerant folks now.” I hope that helps!

      Reply

  • Tolu
    July 17, 2018

    I came across this today and the way you answered and reply back to almost every comment, even though it’s already been answered before, is pleasant.

    Just dropping by to say well done for that ‘interpersonal skill’!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 17, 2018

      Thank you so much, Tolu! You are so kind to notice! We do our best to make time for those who read our blog and make our recipes. 🙂

      Reply

  • Lisa
    July 14, 2018

    I made this cake for the 4th of July…one word: DELICIOUS! Will definitely make again. So easy to make as well.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 15, 2018

      Thank you for your wonderful review, Lisa!

      Reply

  • Michelle Anderson
    July 14, 2018

    Hi Natasha this cake looks amazing and would love to make it for my dad. Do you know if I can freeze it? I am going to see him in 2 weeks and am doing my baking ahead of time.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 15, 2018

      Hi Michelle, I haven’t tried freezing it but here is what one of our readers said “Just for anyone asking about freezing. I tried it and it wasn’t as good, the strawberries don’t freeze terribly well. It was still good though.” hope this helps 🙂

      Reply

  • Linda Threadgold
    July 13, 2018

    This sounds wonderful! Thank you!
    Can you please tell me whether you think it would work just as well in a muffin form so that I can pack it easily in my son’s school lunchbox?
    Thanks,

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 14, 2018

      Hi Linda! Although I haven’t tried this one of our readers wrote “They came out very nicely as muffins, there was enough batter for 14 muffins and they took exactly 30 mins to cook in my convection oven. I then cooled in the pans on top of wire racks for another 10 mins before removing to wire racks to completely cool.” – Note, she used a convection oven so I would suggest baking until a toothpick comes out clean of wet batter. I hope that helps!

      Reply

  • Gladys Manzo
    July 13, 2018

    What is the best way to store the leftover cake and sauce?
    Thanks,
    Gladys

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 13, 2018

      Hi Gladys, I think the strawberries look and taste the best the same day it is made. It would be safe to leave it covered at room temperature overnight but if you are storing it longer than that, I would refrigerate. You could also refrigerate the sauce overnight and then drizzle right before serving.

      Reply

  • Lori
    July 12, 2018

    I made this today and it was an instant hit when I served at morning tea! The strawberry sauce is so versatile too.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 12, 2018

      I’m so happy you all enjoyed this cake!

      Reply

  • Kathleen Minacapelli
    July 11, 2018

    If baking in a 9″x13″ pan, do you line the bottom with parchment paper? Or just grease and flour?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 11, 2018

      I haven’t made it in a 9×13 pan myself. Some of my readers have reported great results using a 9×13 pan and I can only assume they did use the parchment paper. Anyone that has tried this care to share?

      Reply

      • Jeanne
        July 23, 2018

        Can I use a 10in. Round pan

        Reply

        • Natasha
          July 23, 2018

          Hi Jeanne, that should still work but you will have a shorter wider cake that will probably bake a little faster.

          Reply

  • Barbara Baker
    July 10, 2018

    Can I use any other type of cake pan or make this cake a two layer cake

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 10, 2018

      Hi Barbara, You can definitely make it in a bigger pan. For a 9×13 baking dish, I would probably do at least 1 1/2 times the recipe or it will be a fairly skinny cake.

      Reply

  • Tootie
    July 9, 2018

    Made this today. It is awesome!! Didn’t even put the sauce on it looked so good😀

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 9, 2018

      I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, Tootie!

      Reply

  • Becky
    July 8, 2018

    Looks awesome. Gonna go get all of these ingredients and utensils also👍👍👍

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 8, 2018

      That’s so great, Becky! Enjoy!

      Reply

  • Nancy Carter Doria
    July 8, 2018

    Well, it is strawberry season here in California. So all of my recipes have been with strawberries. This cake is absolutely fabulous and there were no leftovers! In addition I made your strawberry scones by the trays full. I have also frozen them – first laid out on a sheet pan with parchment paper for about 30 minutes in the freezer. The transfer to a freezer storage bag, This way I can have scones ANYtime I like. Love your videos and your recipes. Have a wonderful fay.

    Reply

    • Nancy Carter Doria
      July 8, 2018

      Day — not fay. heehee

      Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 8, 2018

      I’m so glad you have been enjoying our recipes! Thank you for the wonderful review, Nancy!

      Reply

  • Linda
    July 8, 2018

    I made this after seeing it on FBu. It was very good but the prep time, 10 minutes, was not even close (for me anyway). I consider prep time starting from getting out all ingredients, cleaning, hulling, slicing the strawberries, and measuring, mixing and pouring of the cake batter. My prep time was an hour! If I make it again I think I would add a bit more salt to the cake batter and a little more sugar to the sauce. It was definitely good though.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 8, 2018

      Thank you for sharing that with us Linda. 🙂

      Reply

  • Adrienne Anderson
    July 8, 2018

    I will be making one soon, i love trying different recipes. Strawberries are my favorite and my granddaughter i wll have to her help with it
    She has a interest in baking. My family is going to 💘 it too.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 8, 2018

      That’s so great, Adrienne! I love when the kiddos are into baking! Thank you for sharing this with us!

      Reply

  • Ulrike Salzman
    July 7, 2018

    Hi Natasha, I love your cake! I have made the Blueberry Lemon Cake twice already, today is my first try at the Strawberry Cake. I also use half of your batter recipe for the bottom of my Obstkuchen (german fruitcake). It is a hit with the family!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      July 7, 2018

      Hi Ulrike, I would love to hear more about your German fruit cake! Sounds so interesting!

      Reply

  • Mikkel Bræstrup
    July 6, 2018

    Hi again!

    I have it in the own right now – with the cocnut cream – cant wait

    Mikkel
    Denmark

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 6, 2018

      That’s so exciting, Mikkel! Enjoy!

      Reply

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