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
Have tried and tested a number of your recipes and didn’t disappoint me! Kitchen is my “home” – cooking and baking all day won’t bore me at all!
Thanks for sharing your delish recipes!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing that with me, Mae!
Natasha, I made this cake tonight,and my husband and I just had a piece. I am on for dessert for a party/cookout for 10 for tomorrow. I always like “to practice” something, and this cake passed my husband’s taste test. Delicious! It is a big GO for the small gathering cook out tomorrow. I will make another tomorrow morning! I wanted something strawberry and different than the typical strawberry shortcake. This was it! Thank you for such an easy and great summer recipe!
Hello Karen, that’s a good idea to always test it out before the actual event and I’m glad it turned out pretty great! I hope it becomes a hit tomorrow.
Natasha,
Everyone loved it! 8 of us finished the entire cake, as there were 2 no shows. Our daughter’s family came the next day and polished off our “trial” cake. I do believe we have a new summer favorite during strawberry season. Thanks again for sharing such a great easy delicious recipe!
Hello Karen, that’s so nice to know. I’m happy to hear that the recipe was a huge hit!
Hi Natasha
Can I substitute this recipe with fresh peaches? thank you
Hi Noria, I think it could work. Some of our readers have mentioned wanting to try this with peaches but I haven’t tested that myself. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
I had made this strawberry cake several times now, each time it’s a success thank you Natasha
So happy to hear that, Mandy! Thank you for sharing.
Made this for dessert this evening for dinner with friends. Everyone raved about it! So delicious and light.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Penny!
Looks amazing, can I use frozen strawberries instead of fresh.
Hi Sheela, I haven’t tested the cake with frozen strawberries so I’m not sure how it would bake up, but it would be easy to substitute them in the strawberry sauce topping.
This look divine! Can I make it the evening before I want to serve it? If so, how should I store it?
Hi Danielle! It is best on day one and should be refrigerated if not eaten the same day. I have enjoyed this for up to 3 days in the fridge.
Thank you! I appreciate you taking time to reply. Looking forward to making this! All of your recipes I’ve made (A LOT) have been keepers!
That’s so great, Danielle!
I baked the cake for 40 minutes and was over done. I will try again, cake was good, but probably at 350 instead of 375.
Hi Natasha,
I have been making this cake for over 1 year now, and we all love it every time! I love how the strawberries ooze a little to make the surrounding cake moist and delicious with their juiciness. I can dress it up with powdered sugar, and the strawberry syrup, like you suggest, or keep it simple without anything extra on top, and it is still delicious.
I made this cake yesterday. Afterwards, I was talking with my kids about my mother’s cooking – we all think she is an amazing cook – and my 8-year old daughter said in a very matter-of-factly way, “mom, you’re a really good cook, too.” I never imagined anyone would ever say this about me, because with work, I feel I don’t have a lot of time to dedicate to cooking, but to have my child say this really touched my heart. And it is because of your recipes! Your website is my go-to because I know whatever recipe I try, it will turn out delicious every time. Thank you for making me look like a good cook to my kids 🙂
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Monica! I’m all smiles reading this wonderful comment!
My husband absolutely loved this cake!!! So did I. It’s so easy and not too sweet!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Diane!
The cake looked great and when I checked it with a toothpick after 50 minutes it came out clean…. However, when I cut through the cake after it cooled down the middle was not baked all the way through :(.
Hi Sana! Did you use a different size pan by chance or make any substitutions? If not, it sounds like it could be the oven not baking evenly. Make sure the oven is fully preheated and I would recommend an internal oven thermometer to see if your oven temperature is right. You may need to adjust the temperature or baking time. I hope this helps.
I haven’t made this yet but am slightly confused by steps 4 & 5. In step 4, the ring is removed but in step 5, it says to run a spatula around the rim but, if the ring is removed, what ring are you running a spatula around?
HI Penny, thank you for asking. I didn’t realize I had duplicated the same instruction in 2 steps. I updated the instructions for it to be more clear. I hope you love the strawberry cake!
Once I watched the video, it became clear as I bought a springform pan specifically for this recipe. I had friends for lunch and we all really enjoyed it and they thought the strawberry sauce was “fancy”! Although I was a little thrown by the consistency, (I should have noticed by the pictures that it isn’t a light cake), it really is delightful.
I made this and although I tasted great and everyone loved it I am wondering what I may have done wrong because he top didn’t cook properly. It was gummy except for where there were gaps between the strawberres. I pushed them into the batter as directed. I had to leave it in the oven for well over and hour. Just wondering if you could give me some feedback because I’d make it again except for that!!
Hi Wendy, were your strawberries possibly overly large? Also, make sure your oven is fully preheated. Using an in-oven thermometer helps to check that.
Perhaps it was large strawberries. I’ll check my oven temperature if I try it again. Thanks for the reply.
This was so popular at a get together a few weeks ago, I was asked to make it again for 16 people. I doubled the batch and put it in a 9×13, baked on 350 for 2hrs 15 mins, covering it with foil for the last half hour. It turned out great!!!
Great to hear that it was a hit! Thanks a lot for the review and good feedback.
Recommendations on how this can be made or prepped ahead for the next day?
Hi Jessica, 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.
Love all your recipes…
I’ve made many.. What I need to know is if you can substitute
the sugar with Splenda in this strawberry cake recipe.. We have diabetics in the family and have to bake accordingly.. Thank you..
Hi Betty, good to hear that you and your family have been enjoying my recipes. I haven’t tested this recipe with splenda though to advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
Must eggs be on counter or can we use from refrigerator. Getting ready to make it. Did not see on counter for eggs.
Hi Vergie, they need to be at room temperature or the cake will not rise properly.
Good evening thankyou for swift response
Could i use low fat sugar for this recipes
Hi Laximi, I am not sure I understand the question, do you mean low-fat sour cream or less sugar? I have not tested low-fat sour cream but it may work. One of my other readers used low-fat Greek yogurt and it was a success. Regarding the sugar, the recipe relies on this for the eggs to fluff up nicely and become thick. You’d have to experiment to see what the results are if you want to use less. I hope this helps.
Hi could please put cups measurements in grams please as i would love to make this cake
Hi Laximi, If you scroll down to our printable recipe card, most of our recipes have a metric conversion option on the printable recipe card. We are currently working on adding metric measurements to all of our recipes, but it is taking some time to add them one at a time. Thank you so much for being patient! In the meantime, check out our post on measuring which should help.
If you’re making it for the next day will the sauce still be good or should I make the sauce just before serving ?
Hi Debbie, I usually add the topping before serving so the top doesn’t become discolored and it lasts longer that way.