Strawberry Layer Cake Recipe
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This strawberry layer cake is the first dessert of the year; oh and it’s a good one! Tonya (one of the ladies in our church), made this cake for her son’s birthday. While chomping down my second slice; I asked her for the recipe. It was delicious and I’m sharing this goodness with you.
Also, I’ve finally tried the alternate way of making the biskvit cake layers and they turned out perfect (I believe this to be the a more “fool-proof” recipe. Oh and the strawberry/chocolate decorations were ridiculously easy (plenty of oohs and ahhs over the 3D chocolate); see the tutorial here.
Oh oh and one more thing; the beauty of this strawberry layer cake is that you can really easily cut everything in half (6 eggs, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup flour….blah blah) to make a smaller cake and it will turn out just as dang good.
Strawberry Layer Cake Ingredients:
12 large eggs, room temp, divided
2 cups granulated sugar, divided
2 cups all-purpose flour, divided *measured correctly
Frosting Ingredients:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
16 oz cream cheese, softened at room temp
3/4 cup granulated sugar
Filling/Decor:
2 lbs Fresh strawberries (1 1/2 lbs to blend and put inside the cake and 1/2 lb to decorate)
Chocolate chips to melt and decorate the top; optional
Baking strawberry layer cake Layers:
If you’ve never made a European Sponge Cake, watch this video for the basic version and see just how simple it is!
Preheat oven to 350˚F.
1. Grease and line only the bottom of a 9×13″ cake pan with parchment paper (line 2 pans if you have 2). I have found that it’s best not to line or grease the sides of the pan or the cake becomes somewhat miss-shaped.
You will bake your cake layers separately so for each biskvit layer:
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together 6 eggs and 1 cup sugar on high speed for 10 minutes and it will be 3-4 times in volume
3. Sift in 1 cup all-purpose flour and use a spatula to gently fold it in just until well incorporated and no more clumps of flour remain. Scrape from the bottom of the bowl to make sure there aren’t any trapped pockets of flour, but don’t overwork the batter or it will deflate.
4. Transfer your batter to the lined baking pan and bake at 350˚F for 17-20 min or until top is golden and toothpick comes out clean.
(While the first layer is baking, start working on your second cake layer repeating steps 1-3 above). Remove baked cake from the pan by running a thin edged spatula around the sides to loosen it, then let it cool to room temperature before removing the parchment paper.
Strawberry Filling:
Cut strawberries into halves or quarters and place them in the bowl of a food processor; pulse 15 times or until the consistency of a chunky applesauce; set aside
Frosting:
Beat together cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar until smooth (1 min). Add 1 cup heavy whipping cream and beat on high speed until fluffy (3 minutes)
Assembly:
1. Cut each cooled cake layer in half. Place the first layer on your serving dish (this cake is too big and heavy to transfer so put it on the dish you’re serving it on).
2. Spread the first layer with 1/3 of the strawberry puree. Spread just a thin layer of frosting (just a thin layer or you won’t have enough to frost the sides in the end) on the second half and place it over the first layer so the strawberries and cream are hugging. Repeat with the next layers.
So the order from the bottom up is: cake; strawberry; cream; cake; strawberry; cream;cake; strawberries; cream; cake; cream (frost the top and sides with remaining frosting)
Decorate the top with fresh strawberries and chocolate (see chocolate decorating tutorial here
Strawberry Layer Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 12 large eggs, room temp, divided
- 2 cups granulated sugar, divided
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
Frosting:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 16 oz cream cheese, softened at room temp
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
Filling/Decor:
- 2 lbs Fresh strawberries, 1 1/2 lbs to blend and put inside the cake and 1/2 lb to decorate the top
- Chocolate chips to melt and decorate the top; optional
Instructions
Baking the Cake Layers: Preheat oven to 350˚F.
-
Grease and line only the bottom of a 9x13" cake pan with parchment paper (line 2 pans if you have 2). I have found that it's best not to line or grease the sides of the pan or the cake becomes somewhat miss-shaped.
-
You will bake your cake layers separately so for each biskvit layer: in the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together 6 eggs and 1 cup sugar on high speed for 10 min. it will be 3-4 times in volume.
-
Sift in 1 cup all-purpose flour and use a spatula to gently fold it in just until well incorporated and no more clumps of flour remain. Scrape from the bottom of the bowl to make sure there aren't any trapped pockets of flour, but don't overwork the batter or it will deflate.
-
Transfer to lined baking pan and bake until top is golden and toothpick comes out clean 17-20 min.
-
(While the first layer is baking, start making your second cake layer repeating steps 1-3 above)
-
Remove baked cake from the pan by running a thin edged spatula around the sides to loosen it, then let it cool to room temperature before removing the parchment paper.
Strawberry Filling:
-
Cut strawberries into halves or quarters and place them in the bowl of a food processor; pulse 15 times or until the consistency of a chunky applesauce; set aside.
Frosting:
-
Beat together cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar until smooth (1 min). Add 1 cup heavy whipping cream and beat on high speed until fluffy (2-3 minutes).
Assembly:
-
Cut each cooled cake layer in half. Place the first layer on your serving dish (this cake is too big and heavy to transfer so put it on the dish you're serving it on)
-
Spread the first layer with 1/3 of the strawberry puree. Spread a very thin layer of frosting on the second half and place it over the first layer so the strawberries and cream are hugging. Repeat with the next layers. So the order from the bottom up is: cake; strawberry; cream; cake; strawberry; cream;cake; strawberries; cream; cake; cream (frost the top and sides with remaining frosting).
-
Decorate the top with fresh strawberries and chocolate (see chocolate decorating tutorial below)
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Can’t wait to try it! I’ll let you know what the results are!!
I would love to hear. Thanks, Gigi! 🙂
I’ve made the round version of this cake many times. It’s a favorite in our house. Today was my first time to make the 9×13 version. I didnt have enough frosting even if I made the frosting layer thin. I made another half recipe so the cake could look well covered. That was the only flaw with this recipe. Otherwise – super good as usual!
Thank you for sharing, Leah! I’m glad you love this recipe.
Hi Natasha,
Does this recipe not require any baking powder? Thank you, I am so excited to try this.
Hi, the video is for the round strawberry cake that we have posted and we have in recent years started adding a little baking powder just for more consistent results. It will work both ways.
Everyone loved it! One comment, I made 1.5 times the cream cheese frosting and it was about right for how I would make the layers and then frost the outside. Cake was delicious – not overly sweet. Definitely will make it again and use the cake base with the other recipes on this site. Thanks!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Cathy!
Can 100% whole flour be used and if so do you know if any adjustments would need to be made to the layer ingredients?
Hi Alex, I have not tested this to advise. Whole wheat makes your baked goods denser and a lot heavier than all-purpose flour. You’d have to experiment with the ratio.
Hi there. I was wondering does the granulated sugar taste grain like in the frosting? I’ve seen doing this with 10x so what is the difference in taste and texture? Thank you so much..
Hi Kim, that happens if it is not mixed well to dissolve. Follow step 2 in the frosting instructions and avoid this from happening.
Hi Natasha, could I add lemon zest to the batter to male it a lemon and strawberry cake. I really like the lightness of a genoese sponge like this one. Many thanks for any help you can give.
Hi Jayne, that sounds like a good idea but I honestly haven’t tested that to advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
Hi Natasha!
I was wondering if I could use a round pan/ springform pan to bake 2 layers? And if I can, do I need to adjust the time and/or temperature?
Thank you!
Hi Lucy, I have not tested that. You’ll have to experiment. Depending on the size of your pan, you may not need to change the temperature but you’ll need to watch the time.
I used round cake pans! They were 9×9 so I just divided the batter among 4 pans and didn’t cut any layers in half. Also cooked a bit shorter in the smaller pans at 15 min. Cake was a bit taller but turned out great!
Is it ok if we add food color to the cake.my daughter wants to be her cake to be in pink color🤷♀️
Hi Ramya, The frosting isn’t very thick, so I don’t think it could handle very much food coloring without thinning it out. I recommend a gel food coloring and not as much.
Not for frosting ..for cake batter itself and yes i will use gel colors..
Best tasting cake!
Is it possible to make cake layers ahead of time and still have them taste the same?
Hi Tabita, yes, the layers can be made ahead of time!
Wondering if I can color the frosting for the coating on the outside? Considering colorful options for a child’s birthday..
Hello Robin, I honestly haven’t tried that yet to advise. But I think it’s a good idea, if you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes!
Hi. If I’m making this cake for Sunday can I put it together Saturday ?
Hi Kira, yes, making it one day ahead will work, and we store this in the refrigerator if making ahead due to the cream cheese.
Natasha, have you ever made this using frozen strawberries for the filling? Strawberries are not in season now, but I’d love to make this for a friend’s March birthday.
Hi Enid, that would work just fine, but you may need to add just a little bit of sugar if the strawberry purée is very tart.
This cake was absolutely delicious! I made it for my daughter’s 19th birthday this past week. My son is already requesting it for his birthday in March! The only thing I found is that I didn’t have enough frosting. I was able to do the layers which were thin and about 1/3 of the cake. So, next time I would do 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream, 24 oz cream cheese and keep the 3/4 cup sugar. I don’t like my frosting overly sweet. It was probably the best cake I have ever made!
Wow-what a great feedback, Michelle. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us. We really appreciate it!
the cake was delicious with crushed strawberries on top; but the problem I have any I am sure thousands of people now is what topping can I use instead of something with fat…no cream cheese, no whipping cream etc. I have Pancreatitis. I am missing the wonderful whipping cream on the top.. Do you have any ideas what I can put on top that might satisfy??? Please any help would be appreciated.
Thanks for your awesome feedback, Kerry. I haven’t tried any other substitute for the cream. If others have tried something else please feel free to share it with us!
Try whipped coconut cream.
Coconut cream also is high in fat, I wouldn’t sub with that if you have pancreatitis. Maybe nonfat/lowfat Greek yogurt sweetened with honey? I have also seen recipes for whipped Greek yogurt where nonfat Greek yogurt is whipped with a couple tablespoons of cream, like this one: https://theviewfromgreatisland.com/minimal-monday-whipped-yogurt/
I have kitchen aid 5 quartz ..so can i make in single batch?I mean can 1 whip 12 eggs at a time
Absolutely a hit! This cake is super delicious, fun and fluffy! I have made it several times as the original, and also with blackberry, blueberry and raspberry mixed and now with mango. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe!
You’re welcome, Elisa! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
The video that is referenced to watch includes baking powder in the cake mix but this recipe does not include it. Should I include the baking powder?
Hi, the video is for the round strawberry cake that we have posted and we have in recent years started adding a little baking powder just for more consistent results. It will work both ways.
We love this cake! I make it every year for my oldest daughter’s birthday. She will be 6 on Saturday. How do you think this recipe will hold up as cupcakes? I’m planning to fill them with a combo of the strawberries and cream. Thanks!
Hi Sunny, I’m so glad you loved the cake! To be honest I haven’t tried this recipe for cupcakes but it’s a good thought! I’m not sure how much it will stick to cupcake wrappers though.
Does this cake need to be refrigerated or is it ok to sit out?
Hi Michelle, yes, we store this in the refrigerator due to the cream cheese.
16oz of cream cheese….is that by weight or volume? Canadian bakernhere and all of our cream cheese is sold by grams I want to be sure I’ve bought enough!
Hi Allanah, I added metric measurements on this recipe for you. If you click “metric” you will be able to see that in grams.
Thank-you!
I made the cake and it came out really dense and “eggie” tasting. Any ideas on what I did wrong? I didn’t beat the sugar and eggs for 10 mins. Was that my mistake?
Hi Sadie, It’s likely because you did not beat it long enough. Also, if you overblend it, it can become flat because the batter relies on the volume of the eggs to rise and be fluffy. Also, don’t wait to bake it or you may lose volume on the counter.
I have 2 old pan, the bigger one is around 8.5*11 inch.
Can I use that pan for this recipe?
And I’m a total beginner, so not sure about cutting the cake into half. How do you think if I make 3 cake, and stack them, to get a 3 layer cake?
This is the 3rd recipe I’m going to try for my son’s birthday… hopefully this recipe brings me some confidence…
Hi Susan, I think it should fit into two 8.5×11 inch pans if their walls are around 2″ tall. Since I don’t have those same pans and haven’t experimented baking them in smaller pans, I can’t give you exact baking times and you will have to experiment. If you do bake them in 2 smaller pans, the 2 layers will be taller and you will need to bake a little longer.
Hi Natasha,
First, thank you for sharing this recipe and nice tutorial!
I bought today 9*13 inch pan, practiced 3 times. Cake decoration still needs practice, but taste was very good! This recipe is by so far the best one.
Something still need your advice though.
1) the cake is slightly too sweet for me. How much sugar I can reduce, and still keep successful result?
2) when transferring to baking pan, 2 out of 3 times, I found many big dry flour pockets at the bottom of bowl. How to improve?
3) the cake is big and heavy (I didn’t dare to slice it). It always got broken when I tried to stack it on top of another one. Do you have advice or tutorial on how to stack large cake?
4) is it possible to add strawberry flavor also in the cake?
Big THANK YOU again!
Happy New Year! and looking forward to your help!
Hi Susan, it would still work well with 1 3/4 cup sugar in the cake base – possibly even 1 1/2 cups. Make sure when stirring that you scrape from the bottom of the bowl since heavy pockets of flour can sink down to the bottom. I would let the cake layer cool completely to room temperature before trying to stack. I haven’t tried adding strawberry flavor to the base so I can’t say for sure if that would work.
Thank you! 🙂
Hi Natasha,
Is it possible to make a big batch of the cake batter in one time?
Hi Pauline, several of our readers have reported doubling this recipe with no issues.
Update: made this a few days ago for my nephew’s birthday, hit was a bit! I only had one piece, so today I made another for my family. Such a simple dessert, I use two round pans, single batter, but double all the insides. It’s a toss up between a strawberry shortcake and a cheese cake.
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review Charisse!
I made this awesome dessert for my nephew’s birthday, was it a bit. Moist and tasty,not overly sweet like so many cakes. The only problem was I didn’t make one for my family! I will most definitely be making this again. I made two 9 inch cakes, but doubled everything else. Thanks for posting it so that the world could make such an easy dessert with so much flavor.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
Made this tonight and a few comments. I’m in Denver but didn’t know how to adjust recipe for 5000 feet.
I pureed the strawberries too long. Be careful. Mine came out too liquidy. I also whipped the cream cheese too long so it was too runny. Flavor of cake was good but a little too sweet for me. I’ll cut sugar next time.
Horizontally cutting the cake proved a challenge. Difficult to make it level given how thin each cake was. Id like a conversion to a round pan with each cake thicker so it can be divided in two more easily. Plus a round cake is more appealing to me than a sheet cake.
Overall it is a good strawberry cake that I’ll make again.
Hi Natasha,
Could you recommend a frosting that would work well with this cake that would hold up to heat? I’ll be transporting it about 2 hours and may not have fridge space when I get to my destination. Thanks so much in advance!
Hi Lisa, this particular frosting does not hold up well in the heat. The recipe for cupcake frosting is slightly stiffer while still maintaining that cream cheese flavor profile which melds well with this cake. I would suggest keeping it refrigerated as long as possible and transporting it in a cooler if possible, out of sunlight.
Hello! I am having some trouble when making the sponge cake part of the recipe. This is my 3rd attempt at the sponge cake but every time I get a similar result. I followed the recipe, however, after the cake has cooled there is a rubbery bottom. I’ve looked everywhere for advice but I can’t find anything. Please help!?
Hi Epifania, the main culprit of a rubbery bottom is under-beating the eggs and sugar. You should beat it it until when you pull up on the batter, it forms a thick ribbon that stays on top of the batter for a couple seconds as it lands on the top. If it’s watery, it won’t rise properly. I hope that helps. Also, be sure to bake right away in a preheated oven.
Is there any baking powder in this recipe? There is in your European Sponge Video.
Hi Carolyn, we used to never add baking powder and the cakes still rose since they rely on the volume of the eggs as leavening. We added baking powder in recent years for a little more consistent results and to ease peoples minds about having an additional leavening in the cake.
Thanks for responding so quickly. I’m going to make this for my family gathering for Mother’s Day. I’m assuming I can bake the cakes a couple of days ahead and assemble the day of.
Hi Carolyn, yes that will work to make the cake layers ahead and assemble the day of.
Hi Natasha. I am making this cake right now. Is there a reason that the cakes are so sticky? I barely was able to cut them. I assembled the whole cake and it looks fine. Will I be able to cut it tomorrow without sticking and braking the pieces ?? I am afraid. Also, can I put it in refrigerator overnight? Without cover? Thanks.
Hi Elena, I wonder if maybe it is due to high humidity? I would suggest baking an extra 2-3 minutes. I would keep the assembled cake covered in the refrigerator so it doesn’t absorb any other food smells and doesn’t get dry on the outside. I haven’t had any issues with the cake sticking or breaking into pieces after it is assembled and sliced. I hope you love the cake!
Natasha, the cake was delicious and easy to slice. Thank you very much! We actually live in the mountains, no humidity here at all, so I am not sure why it was so sticky in the beginning…:)
Elevation does affect the recipe and may have caused that stickiness! I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
Hi natasha, would this cake hold up well if i make it into 3 cake rounds instead of 2? Meaning i would do 1 and a half of the recipe to get 3 layers. I need a taller cake for a party
Hi Yanna, yes I think that would hold up well, but it might overwhelm your mixer to put in that many eggs. It might work in a larger 6 Qt stand mixer and you would need to increase the mixing time for the eggs and sugar to get the right volume.
Hi Yanna! I haven’t tested that but I think that could work. Since the cakes will be shorter and smaller you will need to adjust the bake time.
The cake video (linked) includes baking powder, but you omitted that in this recipe. Reason?
I found the answer in any earlier response:
natashaskitchen (June 24, 2017):
“Hi Jennifer, I started adding baking powder in the past few years for slightly more consistent results (and because people were concerned the cake wouldn’t work without baking powder, although traditionally this cake relies on the volume of the eggs for leavening). It would be safe to add 1/2 tsp of baking powder to each layer of batter, but the recipe will still work without it.”
I hope you found that helpful!
Can you give me the baking time for an eight or nine inch cake tin please?
Hi Paula, you should check out this round version of the same cake, which would be a good guide to bake times
Hello Natasha,
I just finished baking 6 layers (9×13. All baked perfectly, only thing I did different is add vanilla extract. Thank you very much, very easy. Tastes just like the Hungarian one my mother makes. Will attempt to put fondant on, on Saturday. Cakes are going in the freezer for now. Definitely didn’t take 15-20 minutes to triple, I have kitchen aid professional 600, took about 7 minutes 😉
Hi Maria! That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing that with me! That mixer sounds amazing!
Can I bake a single recipe in a double sized pan and then make a second to still get 4 layers?
I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Hello Natasha, I made this cake a few times now and everyone loves it including myself. Thank you so much for the delicious recipes. Thank you!!!
You’re so welcome! I’m so happy to hear that!!
Definitely a crowd pleaser! Made it for parties and weddings over and over again!!!!! Absolutely gorgeous and amazingly delicious!!!!! Always on my list!!!
That’s Awesome! I’m inspired reading all of your wonderful reviews!
What if my frosting is runny? I used cold heavy whip and the right amount.. should I put it in the fridge then try beating it again?
Hi Oksana, if you beat on high speed with the whisk attachment for a little longer, that can help. Also, be sure it is HEAVY whipping cream which has a higher fat content and beats to stiff peaks easier than plain whipping cream. In the round version of this same cake, we found the frosting is stiffer if you beat the whipping cream separately from the cream cheese and then fold them together.
Made this cake recipe to the T and it worked great! Do be warned though that you really need an egg beater – a regular electric beater took me about an hour for each cake. The chocolate work was very easy and stayed on the cake nicely (did not melt), cake stayed fine at room temp for about 3 hours. For the frosting, I added some craime fraiche instead of cream cheese and cut back a bit on the sugar, it was good.
I’m happy to hear the recipe was a success! Thanks for sharing your helpful review with other readers!
I made this for my husband’s birthday using 9″ cake pans (per your video on sponge cakes) and it was a HUGE hit. My husband said it was the best cake he’s ever eaten!! My IMPOSSIBLE to please father-in-law raved all night – thought it was dulce de leche because it was so moist. Thank you!!!
You’re welcome Lauren! I’m glad to hear the recipe is such a HUGE success. Thanks for sharing your excellent review! 🙂
Why don’t you use butter. What happens if you use some butter?
Hi Priyanka, I have added butter to a similar cake base but it’s more tricky when adding butter since it has to be melted and cooled, added in a steady stream while mixing and baked immediately since it’s at much higher risk of deflating when using butter. This is why I don’t typically use butter in my sponge cakes, and traditionally it is not added to this classic European sponge cake.
Hi. Was just wondering how do you get the cake not so spongy? I know everyone likes it light and airy/spongy but in the Caribbean, we like it denser.
Does adding fewer eggs help? Thanks
Hi Kate, this particular cake is supposed to be airy and spongy. I probably would suggest finding a different recipe that rather than trying to modify this one to be more dense and I am not able to recommend that without testing it myself. Sorry I can’t be more help!
Hi. Awsome recipe. Made it a few times aldready :).
I was wondering if anyone tried using coconut sugar or any other type of sweetner than the processed sugar? I want to make it a bit healthier for the kids :). Thanks
Hi Andreea, I have not experimented with different sweeteners. Maybe someone else has? Thanks in advance, friends! 🙂
Can this cake be frozen?
Hi Denise, I haven’t tried freezing it so I’m not sure how the strawberries would hold up being frozen and then thawed. Sorry I can’t be more helpful. I don’t recall anyone trying that yet.
It freezes beautifully. This is a big hit since I first made it years ago (from Natasha’s recipe) and my friend always freezes it and even enjoys it frozen.
Why is there no baking powder in rectangle version but there is in round version?
Hi Jennifer, I started adding baking powder in the past few years for slightly more consistent results (and because people were concerned the cake wouldn’t work without baking powder, although traditionally this cake relies on the volume of the eggs for leavening). It would be safe to add 1/2 tsp of baking powder to each layer of batter, but the recipe will still work without it.
Hi, I could not find the tutorial referenced
3.Decorate the top with fresh strawberries and chocolate (see chocolate decorating tutorial below)
Sally, the link is little further down in the recipe steps but here is the direct link ?
Is the filling sturdy enough to make a two tiered cake?
Hi Cindy, I haven’t tried that but I do think it could work. My Mother-in-law made an extra tall cake with this (although it wasn’t tiered) and it held up well). Also, I have had a reader share a photo of a 4-tiered cake using this sponge cake so I think it is do-able.
Thank you for the recipe.
How much cheese cream is 1x8oz or 2x 8oz?
Thank you,
Carine
Hi Carine, it is 2x 8oz. Sorry the way I wrote it wasn’t super clear. You need a total of 16 oz cream cheese. I updated the recipe to clarify that. Great question and thanks for asking!! 🙂
Hello! Thank you for your great recipes! I just have a question should I add some sugar to strawberries to me they taste pretty sour specially in winter? And can I make more frosting so I can add more to each layer or this amount of frosting is enough?
Hi Olia, if you want winter strawberries to taste a little sweeter – that would be fine – just add it to taste :). You can make more frosting if you like more. Here is the round version of this strawberry cake and since the cake was smaller, it ended up being more frosting which worked out great 🙂 I hope that helps!
Hi Natasha,
Do you think it’ll still work if I use frozen/thawed strawberries for the filling part?
That would work just fine, but you may need to add just a little bit of sugar if the strawberry purée is very tart.
Hi Natasha,
Can I use glass baking dish?
Tanya, yes that would work, although I prefer metal baking pans for the straighter edges.
Hi Natasha. Lovely recipe. Cake looks even more amazing. So planning to make this for my hubby’s bday day after. I want to do a 4 layer round cake using 2 9 inch cake pans (by slicing each cake into half). Should i stick with the same measurements or cut them in half? If i understand correctly, your recipe is for 2 9×13 pans. Thanks in advance for your early response!
Hi Nitya, for a 9″ round cake, click here for instructions. Enjoy! 🙂
Hi Natasha! My oven is small and I can only fit 1 pan inside at a time. I was wondering how should I proceed considering that. Should I make 1/2 the recipe first and then the other half? Can make the entire recipe and pour 1/2 in a pan and put it in the oven, and the rest of batter can wait until the oven is free? Or will it go bad?
I’m sorry for the bad english, I’m portuguese. Thank you very much in advance!!!
Hi Alice, I would make the first layer and then the second one separately. You don’t want this cake batter to sit at room temperature for 25 minutes or you risk it deflating or having a rubbery base after baking.
Hi Natasha, Do you think I can use a blender to make the strawberry filling? I don’t have a food processor.
Hi Marlene, absolutely! That would work just fine 🙂
Question. Does this recipe only call for eggs, sugar, and flour for the cake?
That’s right, only three ingredients 😋.
What about the baking powder mentioned in the video?
Hi Sharon, I used to not put it into my cakes and this cake was an earlier version. It still works well without it but you can add it if you prefer. I found that the baking powder provides a slightly more level cake.
Hi Natasha,
Would this cake be able to hold another layer as I needed one with more height? And is it ok to ice the outside of the cake with buttercream instead as I think it’ll hold better for decorating? Sorry and one more question is it ok to make the cake the night before? Thank you
Hi! Yes to all of your questions. That should all work well. I hope you enjoy it!
Hi I’m limited on time can I bake the biskvit A few days in advance and then assemble later
Hi Linda, yes absolutely! If you want to make the cake layers a day ahead, you can leave them at room temp, wrapped in a plastic bag with parchment between them, just be sure they are at room temp before covering them up. If you want to make it further ahead of time, store in the refrigerator. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months. 🙂
Hi! I will make this cake for my 2 years old boy, how long can I keep the cake room temperature? Thank you 🙂
Hi Patty, it depends on the temperature you are leaving it in. Since the frosting is dairy based, I wouldn’t leave it at room temp longer than 3 hours or so.
Hi There,
I haven’t made this type of icing before and I am a bit nervous, but it sounds lovely and would love to try it. I am going to double the recipe and do a 12X18 for a party this weekend. Does it spread like butter cream? will it set up/harden like butter cream? Do I whip the whipping cream first.
Hi Michelle, it’s not as stiff as a buttercream and it doesn’t really harden up either. You don’t need to whip the whipping cream first, but you can if you wish to if you wish to get a slightly stiffer frosting. I hope all of you party guests love this cake! 🙂
Hi Michelle, I’m planning to make a 12X18 cake for my mom’s 90th birthday, can you please tell me how your cake turned out and did you double the recipe? TIA
this is my new favorite cake! so delicious!! i made the 9 inch round version. can i use this recipe to make 2 11 inch rounds instead of 2 9×13?
I’m not sure if the baking pans would overflow with two 11 inch round pans. I think it might work if your cake cans are tall enough.
do you think it would work for 2 11 inch pans if i do 1 and a half of this recipe? it would come out to 9 eggs, 1.5 cups flour, etc..
Hi Yana, I think that would work well.
My daughter wants a strawberry cream cake for her 25th birthday on Sunday. Can I use two or three 9 inch round pans for this recipe?
Thank you so much for your help!
I actually have a round version of this cake! Click here for the recipe 🙂
Thank you for your quick response! That’s fabulous Natasha ! Thank you!
We are celebrating on Sunday, how many days in advance can I make the cake? Concerned about it getting soggy.
It doesn’t really get soggy and for max freshness I would make it a day ahead but not much longer than that since there are fresh strawberries in and on it.
It’s a 10 star rating cake recipe
Thanks Rooma! You’re awesome!! 🙂
I made this cake today for my friends surprise birthday party. I am so glad that I chose your recipe, it was the awesome cake I have ever made. The cake was the star of the party. This recipe is going to stay with me forever. No eggy flavour, very soft and moist.
I’m so happy you and all of the party guests enjoyed it. Thank you so much for sharing that with us! 🙂
Can you tell if I want to bake using half of the amounts of the contents of ingredients. Do I still whisk the 3 eggs and sugar for 10 min high speed.
Hi Rooma, I have this cake as a round cake (pretty much half of everything except the frosting). I would recommend following this tutorial.
Can I crumb coat my cake with butter cream frosting also sense I am using fondant on my cake and still use the strawberry filling in the center
Hi Teresa! I think it would work the way you described it. Leet me know how you like it! I’d love to see your cake when it’s done. If you post it somewhere, I hope you tag me #natashaskitchen so I can see it! 🙂
I did this for my friends birthday, she loved it! This is my favorite cake now.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you so much for your awesome review! 🙂
Anyone try this with gluten-free flour?
I haven’t personally but one of my readers shared that she made a biskvit cake (the same as in this one) with GF flour with great results. If you try it, let me know how it goes! 🙂
I just did with bob’s red mill all purpose gluten free flour. (The one for one type). I added 1/2 tsp of xantan gum per cup of flour. So far, the consistency looks identical to the cake when made with wheat flour.
Taste wise, I have not iced it yet but I find it has a tiny but of the GF flour taste. I don’t think it it will be noticeable once the strawberries and frosting are added. I can come back and update once I taste the completed cake.
Yes, do keep us posted! Thanks so much for sharing your details 🙂
This looks delish! Could I potentially divide the batter among 3 8-in round pans? Thanks!
Divide it in 4 round pans; ) I just made it in round pans, and it came out perfectly.
It’s my 3rd time making this cake. It’s everyone’s all time favorite! Thank you Natasha for this supper yummy cake recipe!!!🍰💖
Thank you for sharing Yana! I’m so glad you enjoy the recipe! 🙂
One of my readers shared that they divided it into 4 (9-inch) rounds. It might overwhelm 3 smaller rounds. You should check out this round version of the same cake, which would work better:
I’m afraid the link to the round version does not work…
Ewa, thank you for pointing that out, I got it fixed and you can click here to view the round version.
Disregard post, I have to many tabs open and mixed up the cakes! Sorry! What strikes me odd is there is no salt or vanilla added.
Since it is a sponge cake, you can flavor it any way you like with syrup so the vanilla isn’t necessary and I’ve never used salt in my sponge cake. I’m not sure how common it is to add the salt to classic European sponge cake – I haven’t see it done.
Hi shud I add baking powder n soda in this cake? Pls reply asap
I haven’t used baking soda or baking powder in this recipe. As long as you beat eggs long enough, it will rise just fine. Let me know how it turns out 😀.
Could I make a cake with a hand mixer?
Yes, it may take a little longer to beat but with a good ELECTRIC hand mixer on high speed, it can be done. You could not make this cake with a manual hand cranked mixer. I think you will still have to make it in 2 batches though for it to inflate adequately
I’m terrible at cutting cakes in half. I was going to half the recipe, but can I use 9 inch square pans instead?
Thanks!
To put the recipe into two 9 in. Square pans, use this recipe with square pans instead of round ones: https://natashaskitchen.com/2015/06/30/strawberry-cake-recipe/
I’m having the same issue about the 9-in square pan usage instead. I’d like to do it in 4 layers as well, so should I just half the whole recipe amount?
The link you provided isn’t valid for some reason…
Oh sorry about that. Click here to get to the round version of this cake.
I am making this cake again (4th or 5th time) and I double the frosting, the frosting is not too sweet and that way I don’t have to worry about how much I use. I have also taken to using a flour dusted cookie sheet to move the layers around. Cut the layers, then slide the cookie sheet between them, so easy to move them/stack them that way. The layers were the hardest for me. My young friend is having her 40th birthday and I asked, do you want me to bring the Strawberry Cake and she said “yes, PLEASE!!” … this cake is awesome and it freezes so well, if you eat it semi frozen it’s like an ice cream cake. p.s. this time I’m going to make an attempt to decorate the top with the chocolate and strawberries. I have an idea in my head. I’ll let you know how it turns out. 🙂
p.s. does anyone know of a cake carrier that can fit this cake? I’ve been looking and they all look to short to handle how tall this cake ends up being. Thanks!
Yes! I use a rectangular one by progressive. I have it listed in my shop: https://natashaskitchen.com/shop/
The link was broken, but I picked up a white bin with a flat lid about 6 inches deep and inverted it and used that with a cake board trimmed to fit. Everyone said it was genius and it cost me $6. 😀
Great job improvising Peggi :).
That’s awesome to know that you can freeze the entire cake and eat it semi frozen. Thank you so much for the brilliant idea!! Yes do lt me know how it turns out. I’d love it if you cold post a picture here for me to see it when it’s done! 🙂
Omg I made it for valentines this year. My husband and friends LOVED it!!!!! I also used whole blue berries and puréed raspberries inbetween layers. Omg it was a big hit! Awesome. !! Thanks ever so much Natasha. 🙂 wish I could upload a pic of my cake.
Thank you for such a nice review, looks like you have a new favorite 😀. If you on Facebook or Instagram, feel free to share the photo on my page.
Is the cake suppose to have an egg taste to it?. I whipped the mix until it was three it’s volume. Once you had the fresh strawberries and cream cheese you can’t taste. Mine had a sponge like quality. It wasn’t a straight thru cut more like almost sponge cake like. Am I doing something wrong, maybe over baking? All in all this cake is awesome. Just want to get it right. Making it again tonight for my mom’s church per request. Thank you. 🙂
It sounds like maybe you’re under beating it. Did you beat for the recommended time? You can’t really overbeat the egg mixture but you can underbeat it and that is typically the cause of an overly spongy/eggy cake. I hope that helps!
Hi Natasha, I want over the instructions again and this time I did beat it exactly for 10 mins. What a difference it makes. It doesn’t have the spongy/eggy taste. I am about to make the frosting and decorate it. Lesson learned, always follow directions when beatin for a certain amount of time. Lol. Thank you so much. This is my third in two days. 🙂
Yay!!! I’m so happy to hear that! Once you’ve figured out this cake base, you can make so many different cakes with it. I’m so happy for your success 🙂 Thank you for sharing that with me!
This cake is absolutely delicious! It was gone in a day and my husband keeps asking me to remake it.
That’s a good problem to have! ;). I’m so happy you both love the cake 🙂
I’ve made this cake quite a few times and it is always a big hit!! Thanks for sharing the recipe
That’s so great! Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful review 🙂
Hi there
My daughter wants a pink strawberry cake for her birthday! Just wondering could i add pink/red food colouring to frosting to have it pink instead of creamycolour?
The frosting isn’t very thick so I don’t think it could handle very much food coloring without thinning it out. Although, I re-made this cake into a round version and used a little different method for the frosting (first beating the heavy cream) then folding it back in (still very easy), and I think that frosting is thicker and could handle a little food coloring: https://natashaskitchen.com/2015/06/30/strawberry-cake-recipe/
Thanks for reply. Might try that. Or any other ideas for a pink cake would be greatly appreciated!!
Thanks
Amy
Really lovely, not too sweet. Will be making again
Thank you for the nice review Rumbi 🙂 . This cake is always the first to disappear at the parties.
Wow! Looks fabulous! I’ve recently started baking and have been looking for new recipes.
Next month is my niece’s birthday. Definitely going to try this one.
Thanks Natasha…regards from Bahrain
Anish, welcome to the site :). You are going to love this cake!
Thanks Natasha for the wonderful recipe. I made it on my birthday and put the website of the picture here.
Sara, such a beautiful cake, well done! Thank you for sharing it with me :D.
Natasha, how early can I make cake? If party is Saturday, I make the 2 layers wed evening and make the cake Thursday, is that ok?
Since there’s so much fresh strawberries in the cake, I would highly recommend making it on Friday if you are serving it on Saturday. You can make the cake layers in advance. The cake layers even freeze well.
Thank you! I am to do the cake filling tomorrow. A funny question – can I use a blender (like Nutri Ninja, for ex.) to blend the Strawberries instead of a food processor? Or will it be too runny? I would appreciate a quick response, thanks! I am making the other strawberry cake recipe, had to multiply the round cake recipe by 2.5 to have it fit the 14.5 by 11in pan. 🙂 Baked successfully, just have to cut the layers and do filling tomorrow.
Ksenia, you can use a blender, just pulse it so it won’t turn in to puree :).
Thank you!!
can I use fresh peaches instead of strawberry?
Hm… I think it would taste good but peaches tend to discolor. So yes it would work but it might not be the color you want.
Hello, I want to make this for my Aunt’s birthday. My cousin will be here with her children. Two of them are type 1 diabetics. Would you happen to know the carbs in this so I can tell her for insulin adjustments? Thanks in advance.
Hi Erica, I don’t usually put up nutritional info so I don’t know it off the top, but when I need to research something, my best source: Caloriecount.com – sign in for free and then go to “tools” and then click “recipe analyzer” You can copy and paste your list of ingredients and it spits out the nutrition info. It’s a great tool.
i showed a picture of this cake saying I’m going to make this cake next, and a person said I’ll buy one of those, so the first one of these I made was sold, so I could not even try it, but then I made another because I wanted to try and share it so badly. Well I made it on July 4th weekend and put the middle layer instead of strawberry, I used blueberry for that red white and blue look. It was a score. I took a pic, but can’t seems to post it here. Anyway, this cake Is awesome , anyone who does not like this cake is most likely dead.
Thank you Brian for such an awesome review, your comment made me and my husband laugh :D. I would love to see a picture of it so feel free to share it on my Facebook page.
Wondering if I can do this in 2 round tins? Do I need to alter the recipe at all?
Yes! I just posted a recipe for the round version of this cake. Such good timing! https://natashaskitchen.com/2015/06/30/strawberry-cake-recipe/
I usually bake with e-lrg eggs, I want to half to make 2-9″ round cake, will it make a big difference between x-lrg or large eggs?
Susan, I just posted round version of this cake here. With six e-large eggs, I would recommend 3/4 cup sugar and 1 cup + 2 Tbsp of flour. Hope this helps and I’m sorry for the late reply.
Thank you for posting this recipe! I halved it (used only 6 eggs, 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar) and baked in 9″ round pan. The cake is very fresh and light, everybody in my family liked it.
I was looking for good biskvit recipe for a long time. Now I finally have it. Thank you!
I’m so glad you liked it! I recently remade this as a round cake also. I’ve had so many people ask me about how to turn it into a round cake so I figured it would be helpful to just redo it. I’ll post it soon 🙂
J don’t understand some of your directions. You state not to grease or line the sides of the pans, but the pic clearly shows the sides being lined with paper.
Sorry about that! I am going to be remaking and rephotographing this cake in the next month or so, maybe sooner. I posted this a while back and have since discovered that not greasing or lining the sides of the pan works best.
Hi Natasha,
Any tips on cutting the layers horizontally and then put them back together without breaking? it’s my first time. thank you
Yes, cut around the edges of the cake first, going about 1″ deep (basically score the cake first), then cut deeper and through the cake.
Hi Natasha, Could you please tell me if I can make this cake in a round baked pan? If yes, approximately what size it should be? Thank you.
Yes, it can be done but you will have to adjust the recipe. Cut the cake ingredients in half. You can just make it with half of the eggs and divide the finished batter between 2 round 9″ cake pans. I would probably make 3/4 of the cream and the filling just for good measure 🙂
Hi, Natasha. This cake looks really delicious! I am making a Neapolitan cake for my daughter’s graduation (from 6th grade) in a three tier-cake form. The bottom layer is going to be a 10 in. chocolate cake with Oreo filling and a chocolate buttercream. The middle layer will be an 8 in. basic yellow cake with either Bavarian cream or custard filling with regular buttercream. The top layer, I was going to originally make a strawberry cake, but I think I am going to follow your recipe for the cake and filling and make a just make a strawberry buttercream for the outside of the cake. How do you think it will turn out? I didn’t want too much strawberry. Thanks also for sharing! 😉
This is a sponge cake and the strawbery provides the moisture to the cake to make it a moist cake. Are you planning to leave that part out and just use the sponge cake for the top of your cake? It sounds like a really delicious and elaborate cake you’re making! Are you using a round cake mold? If so, what size? You’ll have to adjust the cake to the size of your cake mold.
Hi i was just wondering you do not use any baking powder at all ?
This cake relies on the volume of the eggs to rise and does not require baking powder. It’s a typical European sponge cake 🙂
This cake doesn’t call for oil, butter, water or milk? I am going to make this for my daughters 5th birthday party this weekend. I am going to make the cake chocolate though…seriously, who doesn’t love chocolate and strawberries?! Do you think adding in the cocoa powder would be okay without altering any of the other ingredients?
When adding cocoa powder, for every tablespoon of cocoa that you add, remove 1 tablespoon of flour. It’s a good idea to either whisk or sift the Cocoa with the flour before blending it in. that is correct – this cake does not call for oil butter water or milk. It gets its volume from the eggs. It’s pretty much the same ingredients that are used to make ladyfingers. This is a European spongecake.
Can’t wait to try it. I have a question. if I make it in 2 9″ pans, can i bake them together and what will be the cooking time?
I was planning to make 2/3rd of the recipe. Will that be ok or should I just make half? I do want a 4 layer cake 🙂
2/3 of the recipe is fine. Bake them together and the baking time and temp should be the same.
I don’t have a stand mixer, will a hand mixer do and give the same result?
Yes, it’s just harder with a hand mixer because you have to stand over it for awhile, but it will still work.
Absolutely amazing! Made it yesterday and it was perfectly moist and soft today. Whole family really enjoyed it, I got so many compliments for making it:) thank you Natasha *hugs*
That’s wonderful! Thanks so much for sharing that with me 🙂
Yes it’s true,,recipes that we have already tried and the result is amazing, I love being able to try this cake recipe, thanks Natashaskitchen your
Amanda, I’m so glad you are enjoying the recipes 🙂
I can’t figure out how to share my pic of the cake I made. Thank you so much for the recipe. My son says it’s the best cake I’ve ever made for him, and I have made him a cake every single year for his birthday. This was his 27th :).
Thank you!!!
There wasn’t a scrap left. His 9 month old daughter thought it was the bomb too!!
I’m so happy to hear that. What an awesome review! Thank you Rhonda 🙂
Can I use regular whipping cream instead of heavy one? I bought the wrong one….:(
I haven’t tried it with regular whipping cream so I’m not sure if the frosting will be too loose or not. That would be my only concern with using the regular cream.
I am wanting to make this cake BUT there is no leavening in the batter ie baking powder or soda. I think this is so that the cake won’t be so high that it can’t be cau in half and stacked on top of each other. Also, possibly the 10 minute whipping of the eggs and sugar??? But to be on the safe side, would you please tell me why there is no leavening in the cake, or salt either. or vanilla.. It appears to be a very bland tasting white cake…
This is the way that the traditional European sponge cake is made. It really has just those ingredients. You can add a little splash of vanilla if you like; I have before. Whipping the eggs and sugar for that long is important since you are relying on the volume of the beaten eggs for the cake to rise.
Looks so light and yummy! How long before serving can I make it? How much time Does it need to soak up the goodness?
Olya, you can make it a day ahead or serve it right away. It will taste great either way :). I hope you’ll love it.
I made this cake for my son’s birthday. It was a big hit! My husband told me this is the best cake I ever made. He asked me to make the same cake for his birthday. Thanks for such a good recipe.
I’m so happy you all enjoyed it. Happy Happy Happy Birthday to your son! 🙂
I ran into this page looking for a good, easy cake to make. Unfortunately, it did not go the way that I thought it would. The cake batter was horrible. When I cooked the batter it turned out like custard. I used the correct ingredients, but maybe not having an electric mixer made a big difference. I would have liked to know what the consistency of the eggs were once they were beaten. Were they more runny? Fluffy? Stiff? For those without an electric mixer, that would have helped a lot in determining if the eggs were the right consistency. Other than that, the filling, buttercream, and chocolate decorations were great! However, it was disappointing to see a beautiful cake go to waste, because the cake batter didn’t go right. Maybe I’ll give this another shot, but with the use of an electric mixer. For right now… I don’t think I am going into the kitchen again.
Oh I’m so sad to hear that. You definitely want to use an electric mixer for this recipe. I can’t imagine how hard it would be to get the eggs to whip without one. Here is a video that I created for the same cake base that I used as a tiramisu. http://youtu.be/26bTgepaEv0 I hope that is helpful!