This Strawberry Sponge Cake Recipe is among our all-time favorite strawberry desserts. It is moist with layers of fresh strawberries, and whipped cream cheese frosting.

With the easy video tutorial you can master this fresh strawberry sponge cake in no time.

Fresh Strawberry Sponge cake recipe that is loaded with fresh strawberries and covered with whipped cream cheese frosting then decorated with strawberries and melted chocolate.

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I hope you’re inspired by the topping on this strawberry sponge cake. I couldn’t resist making the Ukrainian-esque strawberry decorations. Looking forward to seeing all of my nieces faces when they see it at Mom’s. They always get excited about my cakes. It’s adorable :).

Loaded strawberry cake recipe with layers of fresh strawberries and whipped cream cheese frosting

I want you to experience this cake and succeed every time so I made a video recipe for you all (WATCH VIDEO TUTORIAL BELOW) This is also one of my personal favorites because:

  1. It is CUTE as can be with old world chocolate and strawberry decor
  2. NOT OVERLY SWEET as is hallmark of my desserts (we love to experience all the flavors of the cake).
  3. It tastes BAKERY QUALITY (I would argue better because it’s homemade!)

Ingredients for Strawberry Sponge Cake Recipe:

It’s almost hard to believe the sponge cakes have only 4 ingredients (flour, sugar, eggs and baking powder). If you have never made a sponge cake, be sure to watch our video tutorial on how to make a sponge cake before you get started. The Whipped Cream Cheese frosting has just 3 ingredients and pairs so well with strawberries

What you’ll need: Two 9″ cake pans, parchment paper, and flour sifter

strawberry-cake-4

This is THE Strawberry Cake!! It calls for 1 1/2 lbs of fresh strawberries & the whipped cream cheese frosting is simple & delicious. | natashaskitchen.com

How to Make Strawberry Sponge Cake Layers: 

IMPORTANT: Watch our video tutorial on how to make a sponge cake before you get started:

Preheat Oven to 350˚F and line bottoms of cake pans with parchment paper (do not grease sides).
1. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer (this is the one I have), beat 6 large eggs with the whisk attachment for 1 min on high speed. With the mixer on, gradually add 1 cup sugar and continue beating on high speed 8 min. It will be thick and fluffy.

strawberry-cake-2

2. Whisk together flour (measured correctly) and baking powder. Sift flour in thirds into the batter, folding gently with a spatula between each addition. Fold just until no streaks of flour remain, scraping the bottom of the bowl to ensure you don’t have pockets of flour hiding at the bottom; do not over-mix or you may deflate the batter.

Strawberry Layer Cake-12

3. Divide batter equally between two prepared cake pans and bake at 350˚F fr 23-28 minutes (my oven took 25 min), or until top is golden brown and springs back when poked slightly. Remove from pan by sliding a knife around the edges. Let cool to room temp then peel back parchment paper. Slice cake layers equally in half (I use this bread knife to slice cake layers).

Strawberry Layer Cake-13Strawberry Layer Cake-14

Strawberry Cake Filling:

Cut strawberries into quarters if large and place them in the bowl of a food processor; pulsing until consistency of chunky applesauce; set aside.

Strawberry Layer Cake-15

Frosting:

1. Beat cold heavy whipping cream on high speed with whisk attachment for 1-2 min until stiff and spreadable then remove to a separate dish.

Strawberry Layer Cake-16

2. In the same mixing bowl (no need to wash it), beat together cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar about 2 min until smooth and lump-free, scraping down a bowl a couple times. Using a spatula, fold in whipped cream.

Strawberry Layer Cake-17

How to Assemble Strawberry Sponge Cake:

(Tip: to keep the cake plate clean, place strips of parchment or wax paper under the edges of the bottom cake layer. After frosting the cake, pull the strips out and you have a clean cake stand). 

1. Place the first layer cut-side-up on your serving dish and spread with 1/3 of the strawberry puree.

This is THE Strawberry Cake!! It calls for 1 1/2 lbs of fresh strawberries & the whipped cream cheese frosting is simple & delicious. | natashaskitchen.com

2. Spread about 1/2 cup frosting on the second cake layer and place it over the first layer so the strawberries and cream are hugging. Repeat with the remaining layers.

This is THE Strawberry Cake!! It calls for 1 1/2 lbs of fresh strawberries & the whipped cream cheese frosting is simple & delicious. | natashaskitchen.com

3. Frost the top and sides with remaining frosting. Decorate the top with melted chocolate (click here for chocolate decorating tutorial).

This is THE Strawberry Cake!! It calls for 1 1/2 lbs of fresh strawberries & the whipped cream cheese frosting is simple & delicious. | natashaskitchen.com

How to Decorate a Cake with Chocolate and Fruit:

These are the designs I made because I wasn’t sure how I would decorate this cake going into it. Remember the Russian nesting doll from Instagram? 😉

Strawberry Layer Cake-4

I cut the little strawberries in half and placed them on each of the chocolate “vines.” Then I put strawberries halves around the base of the strawberry sponge cake. If you can’t find small strawberries; raspberries would work well for the decor also as they are tiny and look cute cut in half.

Cake decorated with fresh strawberries and chocolate designs for how to decorate a cake with chocolate and fruit

Watch How To Make this Strawberry Cake Recipe:

Watch Natasha make this Strawberry Cake Recipe! You will be surprised by how easy it is. If you haven’t already,  to our  and click the bell icon so you will be the first to know when we post a new video recipe.

Must-Try Strawberry Desserts:

Print-Friendly Strawberry Sponge Cake Recipe:

Strawberry Sponge Cake Recipe

4.92 from 202 votes
This is THE Strawberry Cake!! It calls for 1 1/2 lbs of fresh strawberries & the whipped cream cheese frosting is simple & delicious. | natashaskitchen.com
This cake is layer after delicious layer of fresh strawberries, a lightly sweet cream cheese frosting, and moist European sponge cake. It's fantastic and very simple to make.
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 23 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 8 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 8 -12 slices

Cake Layers:

Frosting Ingredients:

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2 packages, 8 oz each cream cheese, softened at room temp
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar

Filling/Decor:

  • 1 1/2 lbs fresh strawberries, 1 lb to blend and 1/2 lb for decor
  • 1/3 cup chocolate chips to melt and decorate the top, optional

Instructions

How to Make Cake Layers: Preheat Oven to 350˚F and line bottoms of cake pans with parchment paper (do not grease the sides).

  • Beat 6 large eggs with the whisk attachment for 1 min on high speed. With the mixer on, gradually add 1 cup sugar and continue beating on high speed 8 min until thick and fluffy.
  • Whisk together flour and baking powder. Sift flour in thirds into the batter, folding gently with a spatula between each addition. Fold just until no streaks of flour remain, scraping the bottom of the bowl to ensure you don't have pockets of flour hiding at the bottom; do not over-mix or you may deflate the batter.
  • Divide batter equally between two prepared cake pans and bake at 350˚F fr 23-28 minutes (my oven took 25 min), or until top is golden brown and springs back when poked slightly. Remove from pan by sliding a knife around the edges. Let cool to room temp then peel back the parchment paper. Slice Cake Layers equally in half.

Strawberry Filling:

  • Cut strawberries into quarters if large and place them in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until consistency of chunky applesauce; set aside.

Frosting:

  • Beat cold heavy whipping cream on high speed with whisk attachment for 1-2 min until stiff and spreadable then remove to a separate dish.
  • In the same mixing bowl (no need to wash it), beat together cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar about 2 min until smooth and lump-free, scraping down a bowl a couple times. Using a spatula, fold in whipped cream.

Assembly:

  • Place the first layer cut-side-up on your serving dish
  • and spread with 1/3 of the strawberry puree.
  • Spread about 1/2 cup frosting on the second cake layer and place it over the first layer so the strawberries and cream are hugging. Repeat with the next layers.
  • Frost the top and sides with remaining frosting. Decorate the top with melted chocolate. I cut the little strawberries in half and placed them on each of the chocolate "vines." Then I put strawberries halves around the base of the cake. If you can't find small strawberries; raspberries would work well for the decor also as they are tiny and look cute cut in half.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Russian, Ukrainian
Keyword: strawberry cake
Skill Level: Medium
Cost to Make: $$
Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen

This is THE Strawberry Cake!! It calls for 1 1/2 lbs of fresh strawberries & the whipped cream cheese frosting is simple & delicious. | natashaskitchen.com

Now go forth and make this strawberry cake! 🙂

4.92 from 202 votes (50 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Wilder
    January 29, 2016

    So I made this cake with frosting and have some concerns. The six eggs, 3/4 sugar vanilla and flour mixture makes a very small batch. Separating the two makes even smaller batches and harder to cut in half. Second, the frosting comes out tasting very much like slightly sweetened cream cheese. I followered your directions to the T still everything comes out the same. And the finished product of the cake batter comes out tasting heavy of eggs. Is all of this normal? Any feedback is appreciated.

    Reply

    • Wilder
      January 29, 2016

      I guess after re-reading everything, it came out exactly how you described it would. Not very familiar with cakes and especially European sponge cake.

      Reply

      • Natasha
        natashaskitchen
        January 29, 2016

        Hello again :). I just replied to your previous comment. Sorry it took me a little bit – I was away at worship practice tonight :). Did your batter, layers and frosting look like my cake in the photos?

        Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      January 29, 2016

      Hi Wilder, if your cake layers are coming out small, it’s very likely that you underbeat your eggs. European sponge cakes rely on the volume of the eggs to rise, thats why it is important to beat the eggs adequately and not overmix the batter or it can deflate. It should not taste like eggs unless the batter was deflated. Did you use the correct amount of whipping cream and sugar in the frosting? It will taste like cream cheese because it is cream cheese based but should not be overwhelming of cream cheese.

      Reply

  • Mary Ann
    January 23, 2016

    This has to be one of the prettiest cakes I have ever seen. And it sounds delicious. Can’t wait to try when strawberry season comes this year!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      January 23, 2016

      Thank you so much Mary Ann! 🙂

      Reply

  • Jerusha
    January 23, 2016

    Hey Natasha
    I tried this cake yesterday and it was soooo good!
    The cake had a wonderful fresh taste to it and it wasn’t very sweet.
    I scraped half a vanilla bean into the batter too

    Thanks 🙂

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      January 23, 2016

      I love the idea of adding vanilla bean to the batter. Yum!! That’s brilliant!

      Reply

  • Syed
    January 20, 2016

    Hi natasha!

    Ur cake was really awesome and the decoration was Nice. I hav a dout u didnt use butter or baking powder to ur cake. Is it not necessary? Also i have only one large cake pan. Can i bake it into a single cake and cut into four?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      January 20, 2016

      Hi Syed, the traditional European sponge cake does not use butter or baking powder. It relies on the whipped eggs to rise. I think that should work fine in a single large cake pan. How large is the pan?

      Reply

      • Syed
        January 20, 2016

        Thank you soo much for ur quick reply. Diameter of my cake pan is 8 inches and the width (side wall) is 2.5 inches. Is it ok or should i bake in two parts? Pls advice me the temperature and time for baking.

        Reply

        • Natasha
          natashaskitchen
          January 20, 2016

          I’m a little concerned about it overflowing. My pans are 9″ and the walls are 1 1/2 inches. It might be too much batter for your pan.

          Reply

          • Syed
            January 24, 2016

            Hi natasha!
            I tried ur strawberry cake recipe and it was really yummy.. Evryone loved it… Thank you soo much..

          • Natasha
            natashaskitchen
            January 25, 2016

            Thank you for sharing your awesome review!

        • Syed
          January 20, 2016

          Ok then i ll bake in two batches😊

          Reply

  • Natallia
    October 28, 2015

    This cake is amazing! I was wondering, do you have any ideas on how to make a chocolate version of this cake? Thank you!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 28, 2015

      Oooh I haven’t thought about turning this one into a chocolate cake, but it does sound like a good idea! 🙂 Usually when making biskvit into a chocolate cake, you add cocoa powder and remove the same amount of flour. So if you add 2 Tbsp cocoa, remove 2 Tbsp flour.

      Reply

  • sara
    October 5, 2015

    Hi Natasha,

    I just came to know about your blog and it is fantastic. I made this cake last week and it was a blast. Everyone in my office at work loved it. I will make it on my birthday too (it’s in 2 weeks) but I have a question. The all-purpose flour seemed to be a little hard, can I use cake flour instead? Is cake flour strong enough to hold the weight of the cake and not to sag?
    Thanks a lot for your recipes. I also found a wonderful recipe of Piroshki in your blog that I am gonna make 😉

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 5, 2015

      Did you sift it into the cake? That really helps with distributing the flour. You can use cake flour, but normally it’s not necessary. Also, it helps if you do not grease the sides of the cake pan before baking.

      Reply

      • sara
        October 6, 2015

        Thanks for your quick response. Yes I did sift the floor and I didn’t grease the sides of the pan. Maybe I need to leave the cake frosted and chilled longer before serving it…

        Reply

        • Natasha
          natashaskitchen
          October 6, 2015

          How long did you bake the cake? I have found that if I bake for 20 minutes, it caves more in the center. It may just need a few extra minutes of baking time.

          Reply

          • sara
            October 6, 2015

            Oh that’s a good point. I think I overcooked it. Thanks Natasha. I will be more accurate about bake time 😉

  • Pooja
    September 16, 2015

    Hi Natasha,
    You have a great blog, recipes and instructions.
    I want to make this cake for my daughter’s birthday. Could I make the sponge a day before and do the filling and decoration the following day.
    Also I had made this sponge recipe from your blog for the pomegranate cake. There was a strong smell and flavor of eggs in the cake. Anything I can do to avoid the egg smell and flavor. Thanks.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 16, 2015

      I would just say to beat the eggs longer and do not set the layers outside to cool. For some reason this (as well as meringue) smells strongly of eggs when it hits outdoor air; I have no idea why, but it does. It also helps to use store-bought white eggs instead of fresh eggs. It can be made in advance the way you are describing. Happy birthday to your daughter!

      Reply

  • Barbara
    September 3, 2015

    Thanks for your quick reply Natasha. Here’s a link to a picture of the cake. Not as pretty as yours, but it sure got gobbled up!

    https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/5SwnqHvOWZpaeUSZPdFMdkMhxbxfisVZywwo3ouNmIg?feat=directlink

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 3, 2015

      I love that you shared a picture! Thank you! Your cake looks delicious and lovely! 🙂

      Reply

  • Dona
    August 30, 2015

    Absolutely delicious! Natasha you hit it out of the park with this recipe! I made it for my mom’s birthday and everyone loved it. It’s one of the easiest and best recipes that I have made!! It’s moist, light and not overly sweet.Thank you!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 30, 2015

      Dona, thank you for the wonderful review and happy birthday to your mom :).

      Reply

  • Barbara
    August 27, 2015

    This looks perfect for a special birthday cake. Just wondering, could I use frozen strawberries to make the puree? I would use fresh for the topping.Thanks!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 27, 2015

      Barbara, yes, that should work just fine 🙂 and you are welcome.

      Reply

      • Barbara
        September 2, 2015

        Hi Natasha, I need to transport this cake very early in the morning. Would it be all right to assemble it the night before? Will the strawberry puree soak into the cake layers and make them soggy? And will the frosting stay soft?
        Thank you!

        Reply

        • Natasha
          natashaskitchen
          September 2, 2015

          You can definitely assemble it overnight without any issues. The cake is a sponge cake so it absorbs liquid well without turning soggy. The frosting will be fine. I do recommend covering the cake in the refrigerator overnight so it doesn’t absorb any food odors and so the frosting doesn’t dry out.

          Reply

  • Alla
    August 23, 2015

    Thank you so much for posting this recipe. I made this cake from your previous post (the one with 12 eggs) and it came out great. I just have one question: when you divide the batter into two pans, how do you make sure that it equal?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 23, 2015

      I use an OXO kitchen scale. It’s so handy. I just weigh the cake pans and make sure they weigh the same amount. Perfect sized layers every time! 🙂

      Reply

  • Yuliya
    August 6, 2015

    In your recipe you say to mix 6 eggs together. Do they need to be separated by whites and yolks by mixing whites first ? This is how I always did this type of yellow cake. I did try to mix them together at the same time, but the cake unfortunately did not raise and was not fluffy, so I assume it was due to not separating whites and yolks. Also, I used a regular mixer while mixing them. Please advise. Thanks.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 6, 2015

      I used to separate them but I found that it is faster, easier and I got more even cake rise when I didn’t separate them. The usual culprit for not rising is if the eggs are not beaten long enough. Your batter should look like what I have in the pictures; thick and fluffy.

      Reply

      • Svjetlana
        February 13, 2016

        I just made this and had to throw away both layers. I was mixing the eggs for almost 10 minutes and they never got like in the picture. They remained yellow, not white and just kind of bubbly. The cake mix never got to a batter like texture and was maybe 5 millimetres thick once it was baked. It also burned the sides because it was too thin. I know I did something wrong I’m sure. Please let me know what I’m doing wrong. I have the toppings ready and no cake batter and it’s too late for me to go get more eggs..oooops

        Reply

        • Natasha
          natashaskitchen
          February 13, 2016

          That seems really unusual to be mixing that long and not get it whipped. Can you tell me what kind of mixer you were using? My sister in law used to have a really old mixer that even on high speed was really slow to mix anything. With a standard electric hand mixer or a kitchenaid stand mixer using the whisk attachment, it shouldn’t take that long and end up just bubbly. Also, yu were just beating eggs and sugar correct? You didn’t have anything extra in the bowl?

          Reply

          • Svjetlana
            February 14, 2016

            Hi,

            Thanks for the reply. I actually sent you an Instagram DM. I used a hand mixer. Did I use wrong eggs (organic brown?) Nothing else was in the bowl, just eggs ands sugar. I actually tried to make another one and the away that batter too. I honestly have no idea what I’m doing wrong. I left the cream cheese frosting and strawberry puree in the fridge over night and I’m going to try again today with a different white cake recipe. I don’t know what else to do.

          • Natasha
            natashaskitchen
            February 14, 2016

            It doesn’t matter if you are using store-bought or organic eggs. As long as your bowl is clean and dry, it should work fine. I’m stumped at this point. I’ve made this cake base (since I use it for most of my cakes) at least 100 times and I’ve never had that issue. Are you certain your bowl was free of oils and not wet? And you’re mixing on high speed? I’d recommend watching one of my videos where I make the cake batter to see how it is supposed to look: (go to the 2:45 spot in the video to see what the eggs and sugar look like: https://natashaskitchen.com/2011/03/06/russian-tiramisu-recipe/)

  • ani
    July 29, 2015

    this cake looks delicious and I want to make it today, but I do not have mixer, will this work without mixer? thanks so much.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      July 31, 2015

      You will need at least an electric hand mixer or you won’t be able to beat up the eggs enough for the cake to work.

      Reply

  • Yelena
    July 16, 2015

    Hi Natasha, I want to make this cake but I need it bigger, do you think it would work if I double the recipie and bake it in 2 12 inch pans? Thanks 🙂

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      July 17, 2015

      I should work fine (how tall are the walls of your cake pan?), except you probably want to mix and bake the layers separately since I don’t think you will fit that many eggs into your mixer. I do have a doubled recipe posted here:https://natashaskitchen.com/2013/01/15/strawberry-layer-cake-recipe/, P.S. the new processes described above with lining only the bottom of the pan works a little better.

      Reply

  • Razana
    July 15, 2015

    Great decoration!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      July 15, 2015

      Thank you Razana, I had fun doing it :).

      Reply

  • Svetlana
    July 12, 2015

    Hey Natasha,
    For some reason my cake was coming out really flat and rubbery. Please let me know what I did wrong?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      July 13, 2015

      There are usually two reasons for the cake not rising: Since it is a sponge cake, it relies on the beaten eggs for volume. Either you didn’t beat the eggs long enough or the batter was over-mixed which could have caused the eggs to deflate. How did your batter look compared to mine in the photos?

      Reply

      • Svetlana
        July 17, 2015

        Hmm, I remember it looking more yellow than white, there was about 1 inch foam on top of the beaten egg mixture and the rest looked runny.

        Reply

        • Natasha
          natashaskitchen
          July 17, 2015

          It sounds like you didn’t beat the egg mixture long enough. It should all be thick and not just foamy. If it’s just foamy, you need to beat your mixture longer.

          Reply

          • Svetlana
            July 17, 2015

            Thanks, I will need to try it again. I think I was too scared to over beat the eggs

          • Natasha
            natashaskitchen
            July 17, 2015

            No problem :). With this method, I don’t think it’s really possible to overbeat the eggs. It seems like the longer the better :). I’ve tested up to 12 minutes on high speed but anything between 6 minutes and 12 minutes really gives you the same result so it’s not necessary to go that far 😉

  • Coco in the Kitchen
    July 10, 2015

    This cake is just so beautiful and looks so delicious, Natasha.
    I have to make it.
    Those strawberries look like homegrown and that chocolate matryoshka is lovely. xo

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      July 10, 2015

      Thanks Coco 🙂 They sure are homegrown. I picked them from my Mom’s large strawberry patch 🙂

      Reply

  • alina
    July 9, 2015

    Hey Natasha,
    First of all, I want to tell you that I love your blog and I get all my dessert recipes from here 🙂
    I just had one question, I tried baking this Strawberry Cake but my cake doesn’t turn out as big as yours. I divided the batter into two but its so thin its impossible to cut it in half to make two more sections. How do you make yours so good and fluffy?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      July 9, 2015

      Did you beat the eggs the recommended amount? The cake really relies on the volume of the eggs to rise properly so you have to make sure your eggs are beat long enough and that you don’t over mix it once the flour is added. I hope that helps!

      Reply

  • Pat Tucker
    July 8, 2015

    OMGoodness, didn’t have round pans and used a 9×13 pan, measured and cut in half for two cakes…then continued and built the cake…I and my family have another favorite recipe. The only thing, I was generous with the icing when building, but had about a cup left over…no problem…had an apple pie and a dollup of icing goes well

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      July 8, 2015

      Thank you for the great review Pat and a great way to use up leftover frosting :).

      Reply

  • Oksana
    July 6, 2015

    I made this cake for my in laws and it turned out soo good! It was the perfect amount of sweetness that went very well with tea. For the strawberries, I added half a banana to add more fruity flavor. On top, I decorated with melted Nutella. The chocolaty flavor of it with the cream cheese frosting was the perfect combo. This is one of my favorite cakes now, really easy to make and really delicious! Thank you! 🙂

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      July 6, 2015

      Oksana, thank you for such a great review and awesome job on improvising :).

      Reply

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