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! 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.