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 This just looked so good so had to try it. Struggled a bit with conversions as I’m Scandinavian and only use metric so not used to oz, cups and all that, Now it’s out of the oven and looks very nice so suppose I’ve done something right. I wondered especially about the oil and how many dl 1/2 cup would be. Thank you anyway for your lovely recipes :-))
Thank you for the wonderful review, Wibeke. We are currently working on adding metric measurements to all of our recipes but it is taking some time as we have 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.
Can I use almond flour instead of regular flour?
I haven’t experimented with this myself, but one of our readers wrote “I’ve made this using Almond flour instead of regular flour and it turned out good! I also replaced the sour cream with yogurt and the oil for apple sauce to make it healthier. My family loved it! Hope this helps 😀”
My 9″ springform leaks – but I looked at some pan conversions – they said a 10″ cake pan could be a substitute so that’s what I used. It worked great and used my 10″ cake pan. It worked great. Loved the cake!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
What about a good old-fashioned Oatmeal Cake with broiled Coconut Topping? Its dense & amazing!
I don’t have anything like that but sounds great! 🙂
I just made this cake. Followed exactly and it turned out exactly like your picture! Delish to boot! Taking some over to a neighbour’s house right now. ( maybe whipped cream in the works too) lol Thank you for posting this recipe 🙂
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me :). I’m all smiles!
D’oh – never mind, just found where to add the eggs!
Oh good! I’m glad you found it 🙂 I hope you love our strawberry cake! 🙂
Hi – in the ingredients list you mention 2 eggs, but in the recipe itself you don’t say where to add them. I’m assuming I add them to the sour cream/oil/vanilla in step 2?
Hi Kim, in the print-friendly recipe, please see step 1 under: “How to Make Easy Strawberry Cake:”
What can I substitute sour cream with? We are dairy free.
Or can it work just without sour cream at all?
Hi Irena, I recall one reader shared their experience with dairy free: “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 have had several readers report great results using plain Greek yogurt.
Hey Natasha!! I love how simple your recipes are. As much as I am tempted to try this recipe my dietary restrictions thrown a spanner. What would you replace eggs with in this recipe?
Hi Shantan, I honestly haven’t tested this with anything else to make it an egg free cake so I can’t make any suggestions without trying it first.
If anyone else has tried to make this egg-free, please share your results and thanks in advance!
2 cuillères à café de poudre à pâte – qu’est-ce-que la poudre à pâte ? merci et bonne continuation
Hi Marie-Christine, Baking Powder is a mixture of sodium bicarbonate and cream of tartar, used instead of yeast in baking.
could this be made in a 9×13 pan?????????? it sounds wonderful!!!!!!! and easy too!!
Hi Betsy! It will work in a 9×13 baking dish, I would probably do 1 1/2 times the recipe or it will be a fairly skinny cake.
Hi Natasha.
I don’t have a cup measure for the flour, so I only work in grams. Could you tell me how many grams that ‘2 Cups 260 grams’ is please? Or do 2 cups equal 260 grams? You can tell I’m not a baker.
The two cups of flour are equal to 260 grams of all-purpose flour. If not using a measuring cup measure out 260 grams of flour. Hope this helps!
Is there a way to make it without flour or alternative replacement?
Hi Heather, I haven’t tried that myself but one of my readers shared the following: “”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.” I hope that helps!
Hi Heather, I’ve made this using Almond flour instead of regular flour and it turned out good! I also replaced the sour cream with yogurt and the oil for apple sauce to make it healthier. My family loved it! Hope this helps 😀
Shirley,
Thank. You so much! I am going to try it this way
Hi!
Just wanted to say THANK YOU for this great, delicious and easy recipe. Gave it to my mother in law for Mother’s Day and she loved it. My husband also tried it and said it was REALLY good. Thanks SO much!!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Nidia!
Hi Natasha this is the BEST cake recipe ever. I buy frozen berries I made this cake with different berries and it taste so good. I really impressed my in-laws. They were asking me for recipes.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, Vicki!
Vicki, when you used the frozen berries, did you thaw them first or just throw them in? Did you cover them in
cornstarch?
I made this cake & strawberry sauce. I sprinkled it with powdered sugar just like & it turned out excellent! My husband enjoyed it. I’d like to post a pic too, but haven’t figured that out yet.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Barbara. If you are a Facebook user you can upload photos to our VIP group here Join the group and share away we’d love to see your creations!
Hi Natasha, your easy strawberry cake, can you freeze it?
Hi Gina, to be very honest, I haven’t tried freezing this cake so I’m not sure how the baked strawberries would hold up.
what is flour is it Self raising or Plain ..no eggs looks nice and easy
We used regular all purpose flour.
How many people would you say this would serve? I make desserts for an old people’s group in our village and would need 16 servings all together. Would you say two of these cakes would do that or 3?
Hi D.A. 8 slices per cake sounds very reasonable. 2 cakes should do it for 16 servings. I hope they all love the cake! That’s so sweet of you to do that 🙂
I can’t wait to make this….. all the ingredients I have or will add to my grocery list….. About 30 years ago a friend made something like this, but with green grapes…. I loved it, tried to duplicate it, total fail….. have you tried this with any other fruit ????
Hi Nancy, I haven’t tried using peaches or raspberries but it works great with blueberries. Click Here for the recipe. Also, one of our readers wrote “Great recipe, simple ingredients, scrumptious result! Very versatile, we tried it so far with strawberries, peaches, plums and apricots/raspberries. Definitely a keeper for us”
Delicious strawberry cake! Easy to make!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Nataliya! Thank you for the wonderful review!