This Fresh Strawberry Cake is the perfect dessert year-round. This strawberry cake is loaded with fresh strawberries in both the cake itself, as well as the frosting. This fresh strawberry cake is perfect for a family get together or any time you find yourself with extra strawberries!
Fresh Strawberry Cake
This Fresh Strawberry Cake is one of my favorite ways to enjoy fresh strawberries. I find myself making this dessert often in the summertime when berries are in abundance, but it’s truly an incredible dessert any month of the year.
This cake is SO easy to whip up and it is always a crowd-pleaser. Even my husband who doesn’t really like fruity cakes LOVED this one! The frosting is light and creamy and brings out all that fresh strawberry deliciousness.
Can I Use Other Berries?
If you are not a strawberry fan, you can easily sub out a different type of berry and change this fresh strawberry cake into a totally different flavor. Some fruits that would work well instead of strawberries are:
- blackberries
- raspberries
- blueberries
- cherries
Cake Texture
This cake is a moist, dense cake. It’s not quite as airy as some versions, but that’s thanks to the fresh strawberries added in. The cake will still puff up in the oven, but you will need to make absolutely sure the cake is done baking or it may fall once it cools.
Fresh Strawberry Cake Frosting
Cool whip and cream cheese serve as the base for this yummy frosting, along with blended fresh strawberries. When making the frosting, you need to make sure both the cool whip and the cream cheese are at room temperature or you risk the frosting separating.
If you prefer, you can use whipped cream in place of the cool whip. Again, just make sure it is at room temperature before mixing.
Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes
This fresh strawberry cake recipe makes an awesome cupcake as well. To convert this recipe into a cupcake, simply pour the batter into cupcake liners rather than the pan. You will need to adjust the cooking time down to baking for 15-20 minutes—just check for doneness before pulling the cupcakes out.
Make it a Chocolate Strawberry Cake
If you are a chocolate lover, this cake also works incredibly well as a chocolate strawberry cake. Just sub out the white cake mix and instead use a chocolate cake mix. Nothing else in the recipe changes.
Looking for more tasty summer desserts like this Fresh Strawberry Cake? Try these!
- Slow Cooker Peach Crisp: Want a warm dessert without having to heat up the house? This is the perfect solution. This peach crisp is SUPER easy to make and you don’t have to turn on a hot oven. Just throw it all in the crock pot and forget about it. Tastes best a la mode!
- Raspberry Almond Fudge Ice Cream Cake: What do you get when you combine fruit, chocolate, ice cream, and a touch of almond? Pretty much the most amazing Summer dessert ever. Everything that makes a delicious, refreshing Summer dessert all in one easy recipe.
- Pink Lemonade Ice Cream Pie: We had this ice cream pie all the time growing up. It is so easy to make and as kids, we LOVED it. We all loved pink lemonade when we were kids (still do) and this was just like Pink Lemonade but in ice cream form and served like pie. WIN. WIN. The sweet and tangy flavors taste just like Summertime – if Summertime had a taste.
- Orange Pineapple Cake: This is another favorite fruity cake but instead of the highlight being berries, this has a more citrus, island-y twist. This is a great one for any island-themed summer parties. So so easy to make and deliciously refreshing.
- Hawaiian Wedding Cake: OK this is called Hawaiian wedding cake but I am 100% sure that no one has had this for their wedding cake in Hawaii. Maybe as a side dish cake? I don’t know. This is another great cake for an island summer party. Light, refreshing, and cool (as in, chilled).
- Raspberry Lemon Cake: This cake is a little bit berry, a little bit citrus. Reminds me of a raspberry lemonade in cake form! Whenever we make this cake for potlucks it ALWAYS gets polished.
How to Make Fresh Strawberry Cake
Ingredients
Strawberry Cake
- 1 box white cake mix dry, unprepared
- 3 oz box strawberry gelatin dry, unprepared
- 1 c. fresh strawberries blended
- 1 c. oil
- 1/2 c. buttermilk
- 4 eggs
Strawberry Cream Frosting
- 16 oz cream cheese softened
- 3/4 c. fresh strawberries blended
- 2 c. powdered sugar
- 1 c. cool whip thawed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Place strawberries in blender and puree well (one pint size package of fresh strawberries was about right for both the cake and frosting).
- Combine cake mix and strawberry gelatin in large bowl.
- Mix in 1 c. blended strawberries, oil and buttermilk.
- Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each.
- Pour into a 9x13 inch pan lined with cooking spray.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.
Strawberry Cream Frosting
- Mix together cream cheese and 3/4 c. blended strawberries until smooth.
- Add powdered sugar. Mix well.
- Fold in cool whip.
- Pour over cooled cake.
- Garnish with additional fresh strawberries if desired.
- Refrigerate 1 hour before serving.
julie says
This cake was amazing! So moist and light – its a new family favorite!!
cara says
i agree i made it and it was so yummy and moist and light!!!
Polly Hada says
Made this for the 4th! While tasty, the cake fell – big time. It puffed up beautifully while baking 35 minutes in a well pre-heated oven. Then fell as it cooled. As I look at your picture in a 9×13 it looks like yours isn’t too high either. Comments?????
Elise says
This is a very moist, dense cake so it doesn’t normally raise as much as a regular boxed cake, but I’ve never had it fall like that either. My guess is it wasn’t quite finished cooking. Did you check it with a toothpick before removing from oven? Sometimes different altitudes can affect cooking times with cake? If you try making it again, I would add a Tablespoon of flour and make sure the cake is cooked completely before removing. P.S. The cake I used in the picture was a little lower than usual because I used some of the batter to make 5 cupcakes. I wasn’t sure when making it if i was going to put it on our blog as cupcakes or a cake. The cake picture turned out better so I used it. But the recipe also makes a great cupcake!
Joyce says
Yummy! I’m so glad that I found this cake for my Bridal Shower Party… 🙂
Shaundra says
My family and I absolutely LOVE this recipe. I made it in a cake Ian last time. Right now I am trying it as cupcakes for a Christmas party. Hope they turn out just as great!
tlrcp says
This cake was absolutely delicious. I’ve made it for work and home and everyone gave it thumbs up and wanted the recipe. One person even said it was the best cake they’ve ever had.
Candy says
I made this and the cake turned out great it was the frosting I had a hard time with. It turned out lumpy…..almost the consistency of ‘curdled milk’. I ended up just using cool whip as the frosting, but any ideas on what I might have done different?
Emily says
I’m so sorry the frosting didn’t turn out, I don’t know what went wrong. If you mix the cream cheese and frosting, then try adding the sugar a little at a time, that might help.
Emily says
Actually Elise just informed me that can happen if both the cream cheese and cool whip aren’t softened/brought to room temperature.
Candy says
Actually that does makes sense because I don’t think they were completely room temperature. Thank you for helping me out!
Connie says
The strawberry cake recipe in your book ” Favorite Family Recipes ” ? This cake sounds delicious !!!
Lisa says
Should the pan be sprayed/oiled before baking?
Emily says
Yes, spray it with some cooking spray. Thanks, I will fix that!
S. Petty in TN says
I made this for an office birthday and we have some pretty snobby food critics at work. They LOVED it. Many said it was the best cake they’ve ever had. One man asked me to email the recipe to his wife.
Megan says
Think this recipe would work for a round layer cake? My daughter desperately wants a pink strawberry cake for her birthday, but it must be round, of course! 🙂
Erica says
It would probably work just fine, just adjust the cooking times for the round cake pans and I think you are good!
Jodi says
I’m going to try this, but replacing half the oil with applesauce
Jodi says
I made this but swapped 1/2 c oil for applesauce and it turned out great. I took some to office and it got inhaled.
Stef says
Do you think I could substitute strawberry preserves for the strawberries and gelatin (and/or other ingredients) somehow?
Erica says
hmmm we haven’t done it that way before but I don’t see why not. The preserves might make it taste a little TOO sweet, but I am not sure.
Susan says
Could some butter be used in place of oil?
Favorite Family Recipes says
You can! When you substitute butter for oil, just make sure you add about 20% more butter. So for this recipe, about a cup and a little under a 1/4 cup of butter.
Thanksgiving questions... says
Is that one cup of cool whip or one container of cool whip?
Echo says
It is one cup of cool whip for the frosting. Thanks for asking!
Suzanne Campbell says
I have this in the oven right now. When you are measuring the strawberries are you just putting the whole berries in the cup to measure or are you blending them and then measuring them? It can vary so much with the size of the strawberries from one cup to the next.
Echo says
That’s a great question. I’m sorry it’s not more clear on the recipe. The strawberries should be blended and then measured. Thank you for asking!
Mimi Oroozco says
I have to say this is the best cake ever ! I just finished making it for my mother-in-law for mothers day, which we will be celebrating with her tomorrow. I made a full sheet cake pan (doubled the recipe) and it baked beautifully and the frosting is amazing. I have yet to taste it tomorrow, but I can already see that its going to be a hit !!
Emily says
So glad you liked it!
Pat says
Where did you get the mixer used for the frosting?
Erica says
The mixer is a Bosch and it can be found here: http://amzn.to/2rUSsFg
Hope this helps!
dezi says
Hello, Erica, Echo and Emily……I was fixing to make your cake here and I realized that different brands of cake mixes are different ounces and I don’t know which brand you are referring to. I am afraid that if I use the wrong brand, it will affect the outcome of the cake. Will you please tell me which brand, or how many ounces of dry mix you are using? Thank you very much.
Favorite Family Recipes says
We usually use Pillsbury brand cake mixes, but really, any cake will mix will work. It shouldn’t affect the outcome. Great question though! Let us know what you think of this cake, it’s one of our favs!
dezi says
Okay, thank you!
Lori says
Can I substitute whipped cream for the cool whip in the frosting?
Lori says
I just made it with whipped cream in place of the cool whip and the topping came out so good. It tastes like a strawberry mousse. Love it!
Favorite Family Recipes says
Absolutely!
Judy says
Can the cake be cooled longer than an hour – or does the cake become mushy?
Favorite Family Recipes says
Yes, it can be cooler for more than an hour. Im my opinion it actually tastes best the next day 🙂
Sarah says
2(8oz) cream cheese? So 16oz?
Favorite Family Recipes says
yes. That is right 🙂
Diane L Hebzynski says
Love his! Made it for Father’s Day…so moist & tasty. Our new family favorite!
Diane Sellers says
What does blended strawberry means? I’m little confused on that step.
Favorite Family Recipes says
You just put them in a blender or food processor. Hope this helps!
Sue-Anne Jones says
It’s really a Cup of oil? Does it matter what kind?
Favorite Family Recipes says
Yes, it is a cup of oil. If you want to limit the oil in the recipe, you can use 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup applesauce. You will want to use a mild-flavored oil so it doesn’t change the taste of the cake. Canola oil works best. Thanks for asking!
Cec says
Can you use frozen strawberries/thawed?
Favorite Family Recipes says
Yes, frozen strawberries will work in this recipe as long as the strawberries don’t have ice/frost built up on them. If they do, be sure to dry the extra moisture with a paper towel before placing them in the blender. Thank you for asking! Great question!
RLS says
I found that 1 cup of oil is just way too much with the 4 eggs.. I will cut that back if I ever make this again.
Also, only 2 cups of powdered sugar left the frosting very runny.
I was not happy with the frosting being so wet.
I bake often and a lot of variety and found the results of this recipe to be too heavy, too oily, and the frosting to be too sweet and runny.
I don’t think you could ever make this into a 2 layer cake or even turn the sheet cake out onto a serving platter because the frosting would ooze everywhere.
Erica Walker says
Sorry this recipe didn’t work out for you. It is supposed to be on the heavier side. It definitely won’t work as a 2 layer cake. Hope this helps!
Beth Pierce says
What a light and fluffy cake for summer! This will be great to serve for the 4th of July! Delish!
Chelsea says
This cake is AMAZING!! So easy and festive and fun! Thanks for sharing!
Stephanie says
My favorite dessert of all time! I used to eat this straight out of the pan with my roommates in college!
Valentina says
Amazing cake recipe! Perfect for summer time!
Becky Hardin says
I love everything about this cake. It’s so amazing!
Carmen says
Hello, I have baked this cake several times-YUM! I would like to make this recipe into cupcakes. Do you know how many it will make? What would the baking time be, and @350 degrees right?
Thanks! Love your recipes!