Homemade Strawberry Cake
A delightful dessert featuring fresh strawberries, perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 pound fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled
- 2.5 cups cake flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 0.5 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 0.75 cups unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1.75 cups granulated sugar
- 5 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 0.33 cup full-fat sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 0.5 cup whole milk, at room temperature
- 0.5 cup reduced strawberry puree from step 1
- 1-2 drops red or pink food coloring (optional)
- 1 cup freeze-dried strawberries *
For the Frosting
- 8 ounces full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 0.5 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 tablespoon whole milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt to taste
Instructions
Preparation
- Begin by pureeing the fresh strawberries in a blender or food processor. You should have more than 1 cup of puree.
- Transfer the puree to a small saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat until it reduces to 1/2 cup, about 25–35 minutes. Set it aside to cool.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line them with parchment paper, and grease the paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Baking
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar until light and creamy, about 3 minutes.
- Add in the egg whites and beat until well combined.
- Mix in the sour cream and vanilla extract, followed by the dry ingredients.
- Gradually add the milk and mix until just combined.
- Stir in the room-temperature reduced strawberry puree and food coloring if desired.
- Divide the batter into the prepared cake pans and bake for 24–25 minutes.
- Let the cakes cool in the pans for an hour before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Frosting
- Process the freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder.
- In a bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth.
- Add the confectioners' sugar, strawberry powder, milk, and vanilla. Beat until creamy and combined.
Assembly
- Level the cooled cakes, frost between the layers, and cover the sides and top.
- Chill the assembled cake before serving.
Notes
Make the reduced strawberry puree a day in advance to save time. Whisk the dry ingredients well to prevent clumping. Don’t overmix once you add the wet ingredients to keep the cake light and fluffy.