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
I made this for the first time and I nailed it. My family loved the strawberry cake and 1 member don’t really like strawberries. Thank you so much. I love your videos. They help a lot.
I’m so glad they loved it!
Hey again! Thx for sharing this amazing recipe. Although I do have doubt tho. Can we use
Strawberry jam for the cake instead of fresh strawberries? Would be great if you cleared this doubt. Thx
I haven’t tried using jam in this recipe to advise.
Hi Natasha, thank you for this amazing recipe. Everyone loves this… I have made this so many times.
Do you think I can bake this recipe by replacing the strawberries with small seedless grapes?
Thank you!
Hi Brenda! I haven’t tested that so advise but some of my readers have reported using other fruits in this so I assume it would work. Let us know how it turns out if you experiment with it.
So excited to make this! I’m making it ahead for mother’s day, does it need to be refrigerated?
Thanks Natasha! You make delicious recipes, funny videos, and give great ideas!
Hi Marlee! It is best on day one and should be refrigerated if not eaten on the same day. I have enjoyed this for up to 3 days in the fridge. I would keep it in an air-tight container.
I’ve made this many times, it tastes great and it’s always a hit. I have also made the lemon blueberry cake and it’s amazing too. I was wondering-can this be made with strawberries and blueberries?
Hi Anna! That should be fine. Many of my readers have made this with other fruit.
Hey again. I have a doubt. Instead of granulated sugar, can we use caster sugar???
I haven’t tried that yet to advise. If you do an experiment, we’d love to know how it goes.
Hey again. Instead of fresh strawberries, I used strawberry jam. Also, I have a doubt. Instead of granulated sugar, can we use caster sugar???
I haven’t tried those substitutions to advise.
Wow! This cake is the best! I couldn’t get enough of it — especially the sauce, thanks for the recipe.
Glad to hear that you enjoyed our recipe!
What a beautiful cake!! And, of course, it tastes amazing!! Love the chunks of strawberries!!
So glad you love it! Thank you.
I love the fresh strawberries paired with this cake! The strawberry sauce really makes it.
So glad you love this recipe, Katie!
Just planted my strawberry plants. Will make this for sure looks wonderful.
Hi Miriam! They will be perfect for this recipe. I hope you love it.
This cake looks awesomely delicious!! Nice& moist! I shall make it next wknd for our company at the cottage! I’m sure it’ll be a hit!
My mouth is watering!
I hope you love the recipe!
Can the flour in this recipe be changed with almond flour or will it change the consistency of the cake batter
Hi Malissa, I haven’t tested that substitution to know if it would work well. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
Dear Natasha, first of all – THANK YOU, the cake tastes amazing! I followed the recipe to the letter, but there was a small hiccup – some strawberry juice ran out of the cake and got burnt where it leaked. The strawberries were not overly ripe, and I dried them a paper towel after washing. I cut the cake sides off and it’s still delicious – just not as pretty as yours. I’m wondering what I could do differently next time. Sprinkle some starch on the strawberries? Any other ideas? Many thanks!
Hi Elena, I haven’t had that happen, but I’m so glad the cake still tasted amazing! I wonder if some of the berries were just too close to the edges.
Hi Natasha,
My batter was runny and the strawberries on top of the cake sunk into the cake. Any idea why this happened?
Love your recipes
Valerie
Hi Valerie, the batter should be somewhat thick, I hope the video can help visually see the consistency. Was anything possibly substituting, causing it to be more runny? I wish I could be more helpful, without being there it tough to say what went wrong.
Hi can I use frozen strawberries instead and if so how would I substitute… thank you so much 🙂
Hi Isabelle, 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.
Natasha many thanks and I waited to get some fresh strawberries …used frozen for sauce, yummy
You’re welcome, Isabelle!
My batter was a bit too thick for some reason…. I used a scale for the flour so that shouldn’t be the issue. I used Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, maybe I needed to add more? Also used a 8″ cake pan and it took 10-15 min longer to bake. Cake turned out a bit gummy but still pretty good. I find that if I mix in the dry ingredients 1/3 at a time I always end up over mixing…..So I prefer to just dump it all in. The sauce is amazing, definitely elevated the cake. Thanks for this recipe Natasha!
Hi Elaine! I baked this in a 9″ springform pan. If you are baking in a smaller pan, you will need to bake a little longer or until a toothpick comes out clean. Did you use 250g of flour? That would be the measurement. Using too much flour could cause the batter to be too thick however, you’ll see from my video that the batter has a thicker consistency, it’s not thin. Over-mixing the batter will cause the cake to be gummy but adding the flour in 3 steps helps to not overwhelm the batter and also helps the flour incorporate well. Something that could help with this- after each addition of the flour, mix only until most of it is incorporated. Some streaks of dry are fine until the last part of the flour is added. If you mix too much you’ll begin activation of the gluten in the flour and it will cause your cake to be tough/gummy, and not light. I think that substituting sour cream with greek yogurt is fine as long as you use the same measurements. You may also want to use full-fat greek yogurt for extra moisture. I hope that helps.
Thank you for taking the time to troubleshoot for everyone Natasha, it’s a huge commitment! I’m having so much fun trying out your different recipes, thanks for sharing them with the world ❤️
I was wondering if you could include storage info for your recipes, I’ve noticed several people asking. Meal prep is a necessity for families with kids so it’d be helpful to know!
I’m so glad it’s been helpful, Eline! Thank you for that suggestion! We try to include a make-ahead section in most of our recipes on the recipe post.
I made this cake today and it was delicious! But I do have a question: how do you store the cake?
Hi Jazmen! It is best on day one and should be refrigerated if not eaten on the same day. I have enjoyed this for up to 3 days in the fridge. I would keep it in an air tight container
Your recipes are fantastic. Your husband is a very good photographer/videographer and makes everything look so good. Glad I found you on YouTube
Ah, thank you, William. That is very kind. We really do put a lot of effort into our work so I appreciate the feedback.
Hi Natasha!! I’ve made this recipe before (and it’s delicious 😋,) I was wondering if I were to make the batter but just put them in cupcake liners would it work as cupcakes? (Im guessing they would but I was just wondering)
Hi Bernice! I’m glad you love it! I haven’t tested this recipe in cupcake size but you can experiment with it. You may try looking for parchment cupcake liners so they don’t stick. They will also bake faster so you’ll have to keep an eye on them in the oven.