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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
Common Questions
Yes! You can substitute sour cream with plain Greek yogurt. Whole milk Greek yogurt will yield the best results.
This works best as a single layer because it is a heavier cake. For a layered cake, we recommend our Strawberry Sponge Cake.
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.”
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.”
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:
- Strawberries Romanoff
- Strawberry Sauce
- Panna Cotta
- Strawberry Shortcake
- Strawberry Scones
- Eaton Mess
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
Ingredients
Strawberry Cake Ingredients:
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup light olive oil, or vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour , (*measured correctly)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 12 oz strawberries, hulled
- 1 tsp powdered sugar , for dusting, optional
Strawberry Sauce Ingredients:
- 16 oz strawberries, hulled and halved
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar, or to taste
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
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
Hi Natasha, thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. I have made two of these in one day, one for my grandson who absolutely raved on it. I posted to my fb page and everyone keeps asking for the recipe. I have shared it with just about everyone. You definitely have a winner with this one for sure.
Awww that’s the best! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you so much for sharing that with me and your friends on Facebook!. I’m all smiles!
Making this cake for a birthday. I only have a 10 inch pan. Would you recommend to increase the recipe? By how much
Hi Daniel, I haven’t tested it in a 10″ pan but if you made the recipe as-is, it would still be great, just a shorter cake and it would bake slightly faster. Also, you could increase the recipe by 25% and it would be about the same size. The bake time should be similar but definitely do the toothpick test to check for doneness.
Made this yesterday using 1-1/4c. almond flour and the rest regular – plus subbed Stevia for the sugar. Turned out amazing!! Thanks for a great recipe that can be adjusted for Low Carb & Keto. This is a real winner. Hubby devoured 1/2 the cake before I got a chance to photograph. Now I have to make another one for my Ladies Lunch tomorrow.
Your recipes are amazing. Everything I’ve tried has been a hit.
You’re so welcome, Carolee! I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
I’m looking forward to making this for my son-in-law’s birthday. I buy my strawberries at the farmers market so ounces are difficult to calculate. Can you convert the measurements to cups for me?
Hi Anne, It should be about 2 3/4 cups of whole strawberries.
Just made this for the second time today for Mother’s day! The kitchen smells amazing and it’s delicious. I’ll also be making your creamy mashed potatoes with dinner tonight. I’ve tried several of your recipes love every single one!!!
Thank you for sharing that with me Karyn! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe!
This was absolutely amazing! A huge hit at my house!
That’s so great Toni! I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
Big hit! Everyone loved it! This cake is so moist and delicious. I did add 1/2 tsp of lemon juice to the strawberry puree.
Thank you!
That’s so awesome Michael! Thank you for that awesome review!
Hi Natasha! Love your recipes!
I made the strawberry cake- I may have over mixed? It was delicious- but is it to be like pound cake or typical cake texture? I used honey instead of sugar in the sauce! It was really good. Thank you
Hi Jan, It could also be due to over-mixing the batter. I have found that over-mixing produces a denser cake.
Delicious! Will be making it with other fruit too!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
I’m on the Keto diet – can this be made with Almond or Coconut flour and Stevia for the sugar??
Thanks
Hi Carolee, I haven’t experimented with this myself, but one of our readers wrote “I’ve made this using Almond flour instead of regular flour and it turned out good! I also replaced the sour cream with yogurt and the oil for apple sauce to make it healthier. My family loved it!” I haven’t experimented using any other kind of sweetener so I can’t really advise on that.
Great — thank you. I’ll let you know how it turns out. It looks so delicious as all of your recipes have been so far.
You’re so nice! Thank you!
I don’t make desserts but I’ll be darned if I’m not gonna do this one; who doesn’t enjoy lots of praise?! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I hope you love this recipe!
Can this cake be made in a 9 inch cake pan instead of a springform pan?
Hi Charlotte, if you have a 9″ cake pan with tall walls, that should work. I’ve also had readers report good results using a bundt pan or even a loaf pan. I find it is easiest to remove it from the springform pan. You may need to alter bake times for different sized baking pans.
This is one of my favorite cakes to bake when strawberries are in season. The cake is so good and fluffy it would be great even without the strawberries.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
PERFECT cake for the summer! Great way to use up fresh strawberries!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us Taylor!
This strawberry cake is insanely delish!!! Thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Jessica!
So delicious and fresh – we cant wait to make this cake again!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review Courtney!
What a decadent dessert! This will be perfect for Mother’s Day brunch!
Yes! This will be so perfect for Mother’s day!
Dear Natasha . This is my fifth recipe from your web page. Cake is absolutely delicious 😋 my son ask to make another one tomorrow. Thank you 😊
Aww that’s the best! Thank you for sharing that with me! Don’t you love it when kids actually eat what we moms make!
Hi Natasha. Made this the other day came out perfect. Could I make again and freeze it to be served later?
Hi Becky, 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.
This cake is sooo amazing! Came out delicious and perfect! If we are serving tomorow for guests how should I store it? Refrigerate or keep in room temperature covered?
Hi Anetka! It is best on day one and should be refrigerated if not eaten the same day. I have enjoyed this up to 3 days in the fridge after making it but it has never lasted longer than that :).
Hi
I followed your steps to make this cake. However the batter finally was not as smooth as liquid like shown in the youtube
The texture of the batter is a bit hard in a texture.
Is it because I used plain yogurt and canola oil?
Hi Winnie! I haven’t had that experience but I am always happy to help troubleshoot! Was anything altered ingredient wise? Also, be sure to use our measuring guide to make sure the dry ingredients were measured properly. I hope that helps!
Yes I followed the method to weigh the ingredients
Is it because of the plain yogurt?
Hi Winnie, plain yogurt should work ok. It could also be due to over-mixing the batter. I have found that over-mixing produces a denser cake.
Hi
Yes finally I found it out as well
Mine is over mixing
But the turnout texture that was not bad
All friends love it!!
Thanks your teaching
I will continue to try your receipts!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing that with me!
I was thinking the same thing! I’m hosting mother’s day and this will be perfect addition to my desert menu. Love it!
That will be perfect1 Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
I just made this and it looks wonderful, however after 55 mins it was very brown and the center shakes a little. Took out of over since I didn’t want to burn it hoping it will be done in the center. Has anyone had this problem?
Hi Ree, I’m wondering if maybe you had it set to a convection bake mode? I haven’t had that experience baking in a conventional oven per the instructions so I’m not sure what else it could be.
I made this yesterday, 5/5/19. Prior to turning on the oven I placed a round baking stone on the same rack that I placed the cake on. Reason, I knew this was an extra moist cake & from experience with breads that the stone helps with maintaining a consistent temperature. I too had to cook for 58 mins approx because at 45 min the center was still moist according to the tooth pick. But the overall color was perfect afterwards. Hope this helps.
Interesting! Thanks for sharing your tip!
Hey Natasha..Im going to try this cake for the first time and also make the Shrimp,asparagus with pasta dish for my Sunday meal. I will send a photo update for your approval when done. So far Ive had great success with all your recipes….Thanks!
I look forward to that, Shirley!
Amazing! 🙂 Can I use raspberry or blueberry next time instead of strawberry? To make the sauce as well?
Thank you and keep up the good work! 🙂
That should work great! Thank you for that wonderful review!
I have just come across your recipe for Easy strawberry cake, in it, you call for All-purpose flour and then baking powder ( I think your all-purpose flour is our plan four) we have self-raising flour here with the baking powder in it, can I use that instead of the flour and baking powder.
Hi Teresa, I haven’t tried that substitution so I’m not sure what modifications would have to be made. I think it could work (and let me know if you test it), but also keep in mind that self-rising flour has salt in it so you would want to omit the salt in the recipe.
I just tried this recipe for my boyfriend’s birthday. It was just incredibly delicious! I can’t wait to try your other recipes. Thank you for your amazing work!
That you for that wonderful review! Happy Birthday to him! 🙂