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! Quick question for you. I may have missed it the post but how long does the strawberry sauce last and should it be kept in the refrigerator?
Hi Angela, You can make this strawberry topping 1 to 3 days in advance, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
I love all your recipes Natasha. Has anyone make this cake using butter instead of oil? Would love to know if I can substitute.
Hi Tina, I haven’t tried it with butter. Some of my readers have omitted the oil and replaced it with apple sauce to make it healthier.
Batter tasted good & was easy to make, but apparently I really don’t like the texture/taste of baked strawberries! Will try with blueberries!
Hi Lily! You may enjoy my blueberry lemon cake HERE.
12 oz strawberries for cake. What is that in measurements 1 cup? Or?
Hi Lynne, not cups. It’s 12 ounces of strawberries weighed, so 3/4 lbs since 1 lb is equal to 16 ounces. If you don’t have a food scale, you may do a quick online search to see how many estimated strawberries that would be. This can differ because of the size of the strawberries. That is why weighing them is the most accurate. You may find this strawberry equivalents and measures article helpful.
Love this! Huge hit! Have made several times! Wouldn’t change a thing! Thank you!
That’s wonderful, Margaret! So glad you loved it.
You are now my first go-to Natasha when I am looking for a recipe. Always great reliable recipes. Thank You so much.
Shelley
You’re so welcome! Thank you! I’m glad you love my recipes.
Can I use non dairy “sour cream” in this recipe? Please reply because it looks so good.
I think you could, but I haven’t tested it to advise the outcome. Let us know how it turns out if you try.
Did you ever try with a non-dairy sour cream or non-dairy greek yogurt?
Hi Brie, one of my readers tried this strawberry cake recipe dairy-free and wrote 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.” I hope that helps
Hello! Could I replace the vanilla with almond extract? Same amount? Or would the vanilla taste better?
Hi Aly, we prefer it with vanilla, but I bet the almond extract may work. If you try it out, I’d love to know how you like it!
I was wondering if I could put the sauce over the whole cake? Do I need to just add it to each piece
Hi Darlene, you can pour the sauce over the entire cake when you serve it. If it sits with the sauce for too long, I worry it will get soggy.
Hello,
Would you please tell me if anyone has made this with an egg substitute?
I would love to try baking it.
Hi Gracie. I have not tested an eggless alternative and did not see a comment from any reader who has. This cake batter is a sponge cake, therefore eggs are very important.
Can you freeze the strawberry cake? It looks absolutely delicious!!!
Hi Lise! 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.
thanks miss Natasha, all your recipes so delicious 😋😋😋
Hi La Sofia! I’m so glad to hear you’re enjoying my recipes! Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
This cake is terrific! Don’t skip the strawberry sauce. Thank you, Natasha, for another wonderful recipe!
So glad to hear that, Erin! Thank you for the wonderful review.
Hi Natasha
This recipe is awesome. I replaced sour cream with Greek yoghurt and it tasted yum.
Without refrigeration how many days will the cake be fine?
Thanks for all the amazing recipes.
Thanks, glad you liked it! It should be refrigerated if not eaten on the same day. I have enjoyed this for up to 3 days in the fridge after making it but it has never lasted longer than that.
Hi Natasha, I of course recognize this cake from my childhood, Charlottka I think it was called ? My mother would usually make it with apples, and I have tried it with peaches – it’s so great , thanks for sharing it with the world, and adding your special touch to it ! I have not been making it much lately to be honest because it is so reach, but it always been my favorite. I wonder if adjustments such as redusing sugar amount would ruin it , have you ever tried using less then a whole cup of sugar ? Also I noticed you use oil instead of butter that I am used to in the original recipe – does it matter which one to use?
Thank you,
Nataliya
Nice to know! I honestly have not tested using less sugar to advise. If you do experiment, please share with us how it goes!
I make it with 1/2 cup of sugar in the batter. I prefer less sugar like most European recipes.
That’s great, thank you for sharing.
Natasha, this cake is everything!
I’m one of those people who sees strawberries on sale and buys two containers…now what?!? Yesterday I was thinking about what to do with them, and came across your recipe. The cake is tender, very moist , full of fruit and gorgeous to look at. My husband came home and immediately asked what that great aroma was. After dinner I brought him a largish piece, to which he said “I can’t eat all of this!” Huh… the next thing I knew there were just a few crumbs left!
I will definitely make this delicious cake again, and might try it in muffin form. Thank you so much!🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
Thank you so much for your lovely review, Cassandra! I’m so glad you’re loving this recipe!
Your strawberry cake is more than awesome. Prime time for fresh strawberries in norther Maine. This is third cake that I have made in the past week. Truly a winner. Thank you.
I’m so glad this is a winner, Vicky! I bet the strawberries are so tasty right now!
I just made it with freshly picked strawberries last weekend. It was a hit! I like the balance of the sweetness from the batter + strawberries and the slight sourness from strawberries. Thanks Natasha! I used a 9-inch square cast iron pan and added toasted almond slices to add some crunchiness.
Yum! That sounds delicious. Thank you for the wonderful review.
Hi Natasha!
I haven’t made this cake yet but I know it’s 5 stars already-ha!
If I wanted to make this cake in a 9×13, is that messing with measurements & time to bake then? Maybe I should double the recipe and adjust the time? OR should I find me a spring form pan? lol…love your bubbly personality!
Hi Ann Marie! 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 parchment paper. I would look at a cake conversion chart to help, based on my research a 9×13 inch pan holds 14-16 cups of batter, essentially the same as 2 9×2-inch round pans. If you use this recipe for the 9×13” pan, the cake layer may be too thin. I hope that helps. Let us know your experiment.
Hi,
I noticed the blueberry cake has corn starch however the strawberry doesn’t. I wanted to make sure this was correct. I love your recipes!
Hi Jessica, that’s right! The cornstarch helps the blueberries stay put, helps with sinking, and does not bleed into the recipe, but you’re welcome to omit it. Several of our readers say it works well without it also.
Natasha, my husbands birthday is today, I asked him what kind of cake he would like. His answer that strawberry one you make. It’s my favourite recipie and I vary it with the seasonal fruits. Besides strawberry I love apricot and then blueberry best. thankyou for a great recipe.
-Also I didn’t have enough sour cream so I added some cottage cheese it worked well
That’s great! Thanks for sharing.
I FORGOT TO ADD THE OIL!
ONCE SPRINGFORM IS REMOVED, CAN CAKE STAY OUT OVER NIGHT? SERVING IT NEXT DAY FOR LUNCH.
Yes, it should be refrigerated if not eaten the same day. I have enjoyed this for up to 3 days in the fridge.