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Our homemade strawberry cake elevates a box cake mix with fresh berries and flavor all topped with a fresh strawberry buttercream!
Strawberry Cake made easy
This delicious homemade strawberry cake is made easy using one of our favorite shortcuts – A CAKE MIX! Now don’t worry, we took that cake mix base and elevated it to a whole new level!! You won’t even recognize it. 😉
The combination of the moist cake with the creamy Strawberry Frosting is fresh and delicious. The strawberry flavor is very rich. It’s the perfect summertime cake for all of your potlucks, BBQs, and birthday parties.
After frosting this cake, we like to put it into the fridge before serving. It tastes delicious after being chilled, and it makes it easier to cut into slices. Even better – serve it with Vanilla Ice Cream or Whipped Cream and strawberries on the side!
WHY WE LOVE IT:
- That color!!! The beautiful pink color is stunning – perfect for holidays (especially Valentine’s Day) and summer!
- Cake mix shortcut. This cake is made easy but does NOT skimp on flavor. It’s elevated and delicious!
- Berries. There are fresh strawberries in the cake batter and the frosting for extra flavor and freshness!
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 30 minutes
COOK TIME: 25 minutes
Cake
- 1 (15.25-ounce) package white cake mix – Do NOT use the instructions or ingredients listed on the box. Only use the white cake mix and follow the recipe ingredients and instructions.
- 1 (3-ounce) package strawberry gelatin – Use just the gelatin powder – do NOT add water to it before mixing in the recipe.
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour – see How to Measure Flour
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup canola oil – or vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs – room temperature
- 1 cup finely chopped strawberries – fresh or frozen strawberries
Frosting
- ½ cup butter, softened – see How to Soften Butter Quickly
- ½ cup strawberries, pureed – Puree in a food processor or blender. If using frozen strawberries, thaw a bit before pureeing.
- 4½ – 5 cups powdered sugar – sifted
- optional garnish – Top with whole strawberries or Chocolate Covered Strawberries. If using sliced strawberries, don’t add until right before serving.
How to Make Strawberry Cake
- PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line them with parchment paper.
- BATTER. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the box of white cake mix, 1 package of strawberry gelatin, 3 tablespoons sugar, and 3 tablespoons flour.
- In a small bowl, whisk 1 cup water, ½ cup oil, and 2 eggs.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and beat on medium speed for two minutes, until well combined. Gently fold in 1 cup finely chopped strawberries.
- BAKE. Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared pans. Bake the cake layers for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool for 5-10 minutes, then remove the cakes from the pans to a wire rack to cool completely.
- FROSTING. Beat ½ cup butter until light and fluffy. Stir in ½ cup strawberry puree and mix to combine. Add 3 cups of powdered sugar, and mix until combined.
- Add additional powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time, to make a frosting that is spreadable and fluffy, but not runny.
- For a sturdier and pipe-able frosting, add 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar at a time until you reach the desired consistency. If the frosting is too thick, simply add a bit of milk
- DECORATE. Use an offset spatula and spread ¾ cup of frosting in between the cake layers. Use the remaining frosting to cover the sides and top of the cake.
- Tip: Start with a crumb coat (a thin layer of frosting that helps “seal” in crumbs). This prevents crumbs from making an appearance in the second layer.
- Tip: Start with a crumb coat (a thin layer of frosting that helps “seal” in crumbs). This prevents crumbs from making an appearance in the second layer.
Cake Variations
- Cupcakes. Divide the batter into about 24 cupcake tins. Bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes. Watch carefully as bake times vary from oven to oven. Cool and frost.
- Sheet cake. Pour batter into a 9×13-inch pan. Preheat the oven to 325°F and spray the pan. Bake for 32-37 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the center of the cake to check for s few moist crumbs.
- Add a filling. Add a layer of Strawberry Jam or fresh slices of strawberries in between the homemade strawberry cake layers.
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Homemade Strawberry Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 (15.25-ounce) package white cake mix
- 1 (3-ounce) package strawberry gelatin
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup canola oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup finely chopped strawberries
Frosting
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ½ cup strawberries, pureed
- 4½-5 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 8-inch round pans and line them with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the cake mix, gelatin, sugar, and flour. In a small bowl, whisk the water, oil, and eggs.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and beat on medium speed for two minutes, until well combined. Gently fold in the chopped strawberries.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 5-10 minutes, then remove the cakes from the pans to a wire rack to cool completely.
Frosting
- Beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the strawberry puree and mix to combine. Add 3 cups of powdered sugar, and mix until combined. Add additional powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time, to make a frosting that is spreadable and fluffy, but not runny.
- To assemble the cake, spread ¾ cup of frosting in between the cake layers. Use the remaining frosting to cover the sides and top of the cake.
Video
Notes
- The frosting can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a month.
- The cake layers can be wrapped with plastic and stored at room temperature for 1-2 days or wrapped again with foil and stored in the freezer for 2-3 months.
- A fully decorated cake can be covered and stored in the fridge for 1-2 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Store the cake and frosting separately until you’re ready to frost and serve.
Frosting. The frosting can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a month.
Cake. The cake layers can be wrapped with plastic and stored at room temperature for 1-2 days or wrapped again with foil and stored in the freezer for 2-3 months.
A fully decorated cake can be covered and stored in the fridge for 1-2 days.
Store leftover cake in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or freezer for 2-3 months.
This strawberry cake is FANTASTIC! And easy. Thank you so much!
You are so welcome! Thank you for trying it!