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

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

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

  • Nina Pesavento
    April 17, 2020

    Just made this with strawberries that were nearing the end of their days in my fridge and it was awesome! So easy, light, and delicious. Not too sweet. Will definitely be making this again this summer. Would make a great hostess gift or backyard BBQ dessert!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      April 17, 2020

      I’m so happy you enjoyed that, Nina. Thank you for sharing that with us!

      Reply

  • Jessica Bruno
    April 12, 2020

    I just made this for Easter today. It’s delicious.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      April 12, 2020

      Thanks for sharing and for giving great feedback, Jessica.

      Reply

  • Amira
    April 12, 2020

    Hi Natasha
    I love your recipes.
    May i use whole milk instead of sour cream?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      April 12, 2020

      Hi, I haven’t tried that substitution but I would be concerned that it would make the batter too thin.

      Reply

  • Pam Wilson
    April 11, 2020

    This was so good ❤️ will definitely make it again. Thank you

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      April 11, 2020

      I’m glad you loved this Pam. Happy cooking!

      Reply

  • Debbie
    April 11, 2020

    Does it need to be refrigerated?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      April 11, 2020

      Hi Debbie, you could leave it at room temperature covered overnight, but refrigerate if keeping longer. I would definitely refrigerate the sauce though.

      Reply

  • Jan Graham
    April 9, 2020

    Did you say that you can replace sour cream for greek yoghurt the strawberry cake recipe also what is all purpose flour, I live in Australia? thank you

    Reply

    • Natasha
      April 10, 2020

      HI Jan, all-purpose flour is a general baking flour. Also, several of my readers reported great results using Greek yogurt. I imagine it would work better with a Greek yogurt that had some fat in it versus fat free.

      Reply

  • Kinga
    April 9, 2020

    Yummy!
    I used fresh raspberries and it came out great!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      April 9, 2020

      So nice to know that and thanks for sharing that with us.

      Reply

    • Ella Idleman
      April 18, 2020

      I used rasberries too instead of strawberries.

      Reply

      • Natashas Kitchen
        April 18, 2020

        Thank you for sharing that with us!

        Reply

  • Connie Townsend
    April 8, 2020

    I love your recipies!!!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      April 8, 2020

      Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me!

      Reply

      • Linda
        July 2, 2020

        Hi can I make pin holes on top of cake n pour sauce over

        Reply

        • Natashas Kitchen
          July 2, 2020

          Hi Linda, we haven’t found a need to make those since it is pretty absorbent but if you do experiment I would like to know how you like that.

          Reply

  • Monica
    April 8, 2020

    I don’t have(I can’t find any flour) flour but I do have a Vanilla cake box and Bisquick. Which one do you recommend to use for this recipe.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      April 8, 2020

      Hi Monica, I haven’t tried it with either of those to advise. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.

      Reply

  • Jessica
    April 4, 2020

    Hello, I have seen many of your videos they look delicious, and l wanted to make some. I got bread flower and I don’t know if that one can work for any tipe of bread or maybe cakes. There are different types of flour. Can you help me up understand the differences between flours, and their uses?

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      April 4, 2020

      Hello Jessica, you may also check out this article that I found online on the Different Types of Flour I hope that helps!.

      Reply

  • Maryana
    April 4, 2020

    Great as always!! Natasha your recipes are amazing

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      April 4, 2020

      You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Maryana!

      Reply

  • Naureen
    March 29, 2020

    Great recipe! My family loved it❤️

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      March 29, 2020

      So happy that your family loved this recipe! Thanks for your great review.

      Reply

  • Joan
    March 28, 2020

    Would it be possible to use frozen strawberries?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      March 28, 2020

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

      Reply

    • Xenia
      June 3, 2020

      Did you try it with frozen strawberries, Joan? I am wondering the same thing, not venturing out much yet for fresh produce.

      Reply

      • Natashas Kitchen
        June 3, 2020

        Hi Xenia, 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 however think it would be easy to substitute frozen for the sauce.

        Reply

  • Ruth Crain
    March 27, 2020

    Thanks Natasha…you’ve added a lift to my day. A much needed smile to this worrisome time in our country.

    Can’t wait for strawberry season to make our delicious cake!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      March 27, 2020

      Aww, thank you for that thoughtful comment! This is one of my favorite cakes. Thank you for stopping by Ruth.

      Reply

  • Nadine
    March 18, 2020

    This cake is amazing! Thank you Natasha for your delicious recipes! One question can we freeze any leftover? Thanks

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      March 18, 2020

      Thank you for your great review, Nadine. 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

      • Galina Nechiporuk
        March 29, 2020

        Would this work with canned peaches?

        Reply

        • Natasha's Kitchen
          March 29, 2020

          I haven’t tried that yet to advise but I imagine it should also work. Please share with us how it goes if you do an experiment.

          Reply

          • Galina Nechiporuk
            March 29, 2020

            I did use canned peaches, turned out as good as with strawberries! Thank you for a great recipe😁

          • Natasha's Kitchen
            March 29, 2020

            Awesome! Thank you for updating us.

  • Stella
    March 15, 2020

    Can I substitute flour with gluten free flour with the strawberry cake?

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      March 16, 2020

      Hi Stella, one of my readers shared the following great review: “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 now.” Let me know if you experiment making this a gluten-free strawberry cake!

      Reply

    • Mary
      April 1, 2020

      Hi ,
      I Don’t have a springform pan. What can I use in place of one

      Reply

      • Natashas Kitchen
        April 1, 2020

        Hi Mary, I recommend a springform because it’s a little taller than most regular cake pans and it’s fairly heavy so it’s a little tougher to remove from a regular pan. If you experiment with another pan I’d love to know how you like that.

        Reply

        • Kateesh
          April 4, 2020

          I don’t have a springform pan either but really wanted to mke this cake. I ended up using a 2 quart glass casserole dish. It actually came out really good. My dish is clear so i will serve out of the dish. It did take a little longer, I was right at 60 minutes baking time.

          Reply

          • Natashas Kitchen
            April 4, 2020

            Thank you so much for sharing that with me.

  • katherine
    March 7, 2020

    hey umm… my cake batter turned out like really really soft cookie dough
    i dont know what happened

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      March 7, 2020

      Hi Katherine, I haven’t had that happen but I am happy to help troubleshoot. Was anything changed in the recipe? Any substitutions or modifications? Also, it may help to review this article on how to measure since we use these techniques. I hope that helps!

      Reply

  • ambika sharma
    March 7, 2020

    Kindly share eggless recipe of strawberry deserts n cakes

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      March 7, 2020

      Thank you for that suggestions Ambika.

      Reply

    • Snowflake23
      March 7, 2020

      Hello. I use Bob’s Red Mill egg replacement in some recipes. It worked great for me with this recipe and I’ve made it with strawberries twice and blueberries once. All times it rose up and kept its shape. No sagging in the middle if you cool it down slowly.

      Reply

      • Natashas Kitchen
        March 7, 2020

        Thank you for sharing that with us.

        Reply

  • Silvia
    March 2, 2020

    Wonderfull, I love it!! We are having it without the sauce and it is delicious. Thanks for sharing this lovely recipe.
    Greetings from Switzerland!
    Silvia

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      March 2, 2020

      You’re welcome. So glad that you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for the great review!

      Reply

  • Daniela
    March 1, 2020

    Hi Natasha! My son loves watching your videos, you are so much fun, and your recipes are impecable 🙂
    Questions: can I use frozen strawberries? If yes, should I thaw them first and slightly cover them in some flour? I have a bag with organic diced frozen strawberries, as they are not yet in season (not the organic ones I mean). Also, if i want to cut down the sugar, how much should I cut without interfering with the chemistry of the cake? Thank you so much!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      March 2, 2020

      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 however think it would be easy to substitute frozen for the sauce.

      Reply

As Featured On

Never Go "Hangry" Again!

Get weekly updates on new recipes, exclusive giveaways plus behind the scenes photos.