This Homemade Strawberry Cake is soft, sweet, and full of fresh strawberry flavor. And luckily, it is an easy cake that feels special enough for birthdays, holidays, or spring and summer gatherings.
This delicious 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 moist, easy strawberry cake layers and a creamy strawberry frosting make it phenomenal.
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!
If you love fruity desserts, try our Strawberry Shortcake or Strawberry Cupcakes.
Why you’ll love it + Why it works:
- Fresh Strawberry Flavor: There are fresh strawberries in the cake batter and the frosting for extra flavor and freshness!
- Easy to Make: Uses a cake mix base for simple prep. This cake is made easily but does NOT skimp on flavor.
- Boosted Flavor: Gelatin enhances the strawberry taste and color.
- Moist Texture: Oil and strawberries keep the cake soft.
- Smooth Frosting: The puree blends into a creamy, spreadable frosting.
Strawberry Cake Ingredients
Cake
- White cake mix (1 package): Provides a simple base for the cake. Do NOT use the instructions or ingredients listed on the box. Only use the white cake mix and follow the recipe ingredients and instructions.
- Strawberry gelatin (1 package): Boosts the strawberry flavor and color.
- Sugar (3 tablespoons): Adds extra sweetness.
- All-purpose flour (3 tablespoons): Helps improve the cake texture. See How to Measure Flour.
- Water (1 cup): Combines the ingredients into a smooth batter.
- Canola oil (½ cup): Keeps the cake moist and soft.
- Eggs (2): Adds structure and helps bind the batter.
- Strawberries (1 cup, chopped): Adds fresh flavor and texture.
Frosting
- Butter (½ cup): Creates a creamy frosting base. See How to Soften Butter Quickly.
- Strawberries (½ cup, pureed): Adds natural strawberry flavor to the frosting.
- Powdered sugar (4½-5 cups): Sweetens and thickens the frosting.
- 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 white cake mix, strawberry gelatin, sugar, and flour.
In a small bowl, whisk 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 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 butter until light and fluffy. Stir 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.
For a sturdier and pipeable 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 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.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Fresh strawberries: Use fresh, ripe strawberries for the best flavor.
- Tendr batter: Do not overmix the batter to keep the cake soft.
- Cool cakes: Let cakes cool completely before frosting.
- Crumb coating: Frost on a thin layer of frosting to help “seal” the crumbs before completely frosting.
- Smooth frosting: Add powdered sugar gradually to control frosting consistency.
- Different baking pan: Bake cupcakes at 350°F for about 20 minutes. Bake in a 9×13-inch pan at 325°F for about 32-37 minutes.
- Add a filling: Add a layer of Strawberry Jam or fresh slices of strawberries in between the homemade strawberry cake layers.
Easy Strawberry Cake Recipe
Video
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.
Notes
- Fresh strawberries: Use fresh, ripe strawberries for the best flavor.
- Tendr batter: Do not overmix the batter to keep the cake soft.
- Cool cakes: Let cakes cool completely before frosting.
- Crumb coating: Frost on a thin layer of frosting to help “seal” the crumbs before completely frosting.
- Smooth frosting: Add powdered sugar gradually to control frosting consistency.
- Different baking pan: Bake cupcakes at 350°F for about 20 minutes. Bake in a 9×13-inch pan at 325°F for about 32-37 minutes.
- Add a filling: Add a layer of Strawberry Jam or fresh slices of strawberries in between the homemade strawberry cake layers.
- 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.
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.
More Like This
Strawberry Cakes
Strawberry Desserts
Strawberry Pie
50 mins
Easy Strawberry Shortcake
20 mins
Frozen Strawberry Dessert
6 hrs 10 mins
Strawberry Cream cheese Bars
1 hr 30 mins
Collections
This recipe was first shared July, 2020.
Is this cake dense? Also, if I make the frosting ahead of time, should I let it come to room temperature before putting it on the cake?
The cake is soft and moist, not dense, with a light texture from the strawberry flavoring. If you make the frosting ahead, let it come to room temperature and give it a quick stir before spreading it on the cake.
Can this recipe be used in a bundt cake pan?
Yes, you can bake this cake in a Bundt pan. The main adjustments are to grease and flour the pan well, and increase the baking time to approximately 40-50 minutes.
This strawberry cake is FANTASTIC! And easy. Thank you so much!
You are so welcome! Thank you for trying it!