This easy Strawberry Cake has a soft and moist crumb and is bursting with fresh strawberry flavor. You’ll absolutely love it with the irresistible fresh strawberry sauce drizzled over the top. Watch the video tutorial and see why this is my favorite summer strawberry recipe.
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Helpful Reader Review
“This cake is fabulous. I have made it several times and will be printing it to have in my recipe file. Only the keepers get printed. The texture is wonderful – not too light and crumbly, but not overly dense. The sweetness is just right.” – Jayel ★★★★★
Strawberry Cake Video
Easy Strawberry Cake
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. Part of what makes this such an easy cake is that there’s no frosting or layering required, but the strawberry flavor really pops, especially when you drizzle every slice with the 2-ingredient strawberry sauce.
Ingredients for Strawberry Cake
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.
- Eggs – at room temperature
- Sugar – you can adjust sugar to taste if you have very sweet or very tart strawberries
- Sour cream – adds flavor and richness to the cake. You can substitute plain whole-milk Greek yogurt.
- Oil – creates a soft and moist crumb. You can use either extra light olive oil or vegetable oil
- All-purpose flour – forms a soft crumb without being too dense or heavy. You can substitute 1:1 gluten-free flour (it was tested with Cup4Cup Multipurpose Flour).
- Baking powder – leavening that gives rise to the cake
- 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. My best tip for buying strawberries is to smell them – they should have a sweet strawberry aroma.
Natasha’s Tip for Rinsing Strawberies
Rinse strawberries under cool running water just before using them, then pat them dry with a clean towel. Do not wash produce with soap, detergent, or commercial produce wash since it can be absorbed by strawberries.
How to Make Strawberry Cake
- Prep – Butter a 9-inch springform pan (a springform helps with easier release for serving) and line the bottom with parchment paper. Dice half of the strawberries and cut the rest in half.
- Mix Wet Ingredients – Beat the eggs and sugar on high speed for 5 minutes, or until the mixture looks thick, pale, and fluffy. Mix in the sour cream, oil, and vanilla.
- Mix Dry Ingredients and Combine– Whisk the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl, then add them to the batter in three additions, mixing just until combined. Don’t overmix.
- Add batter to the pan – Pour half of the batter into the pan and sprinkle the diced strawberries over the top. Add the remaining batter, then place the strawberry halves over the surface, cut-side down, pressing them in slightly.
- Bake – Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes before removing the ring.
Tips for the Best Strawberry Cake
- To quickly 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 overmix – Once the flour is incorporated, stop mixing so the cake stays soft and tender.
- Measure flour correctly – Spoon the flour into a dry measuring cup and level the top with a straight edge. Watch my easy video tutorial on how to measure ingredients correctly.
To Serve the Cake
Once the cake has cooled to room temperature, dust the top with powdered sugar and serve individual slices drizzled with the strawberry sauce – it’s so good it will make you want to lick your plate! It’s also really good over Dutch Baby Pancakes, Waffles, Crepes or French Toast.
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.
If you love strawberries, this strawberry cake is a must-try. I’d pass you a generous slice if I could, covered with plenty of strawberry sauce, of course.
Strawberry Cake
Ingredients
Strawberry Cake Ingredients:
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup extra light olive oil, or vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour , or 1:1 Gluten Free flour*
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 12 oz strawberries, hulled and divided (6 oz diced and 6 oz halved)
- 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-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 375˚F. Prepare the strawberries for the cake: dice 6 oz and cut the remaining 6 oz in half.
How to Make Strawberry Cake:
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the eggs and sugar on high speed for 5 minutes, until thick and pale. Add the sour cream, oil, and vanilla, then mix on low speed just until combined.
- Mix Dry Ingredients and Combine: In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions, mixing just until no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix.
- Add Batter to the Pan: Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the diced strawberries over the batter, then spread the remaining batter on top. Arrange the halved strawberries over the surface, cut-side down, pressing them lightly into the batter.
- Bake at 375°F for 45 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center, avoiding a strawberry, comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Mine was done at 50 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes before removing the ring.
- To Serve: Run a thin spatula around the edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan, then transfer it to a cake plate. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired, and spoon the strawberry sauce over individual slices.
How to Make Strawberry Sauce:
- While the cake bakes, add the strawberries and sugar to a blender or food processor and purée until smooth. Taste and add more sugar, if needed.
Notes
Oil: Extra-light olive oil or neutral vegetable oil will give the cake the mildest flavor.
Gluten-Free Substitution: You can substitute all-purpose flour with 1:1 gluten-free flour (it was tested with Cup4Cup Multipurpose Flour).
Measuring flour: Spoon flour into the measuring cup and level the top instead of scooping directly from the container.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
Try My Best Strawberry Recipes
If you enjoy sweet summer strawberries as much as we do, then you will love these top-rated strawberry recipes:
- Strawberries Romanoff
- Strawberry Sauce
- Chocolate Covered Strawberries
- Strawberry Lemonade
- Panna Cotta
- Strawberry Scones
- Eton Mess
- Strawberry Pretzel Salad
- Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes
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! 🙂