Best Strawberry Cake from Scratch

4.3
(1,231)

This strawberry cake is easy to make from scratch with strawberry puree and strawberry gelatin. This recipe is worth its weight in gold to me as a caterer. I made this cake for a child's birthday party and it was a major hit! Frost with cream cheese frosting or chocolate ganache for a special treat.

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looking down at a slice of strawberry cake on a plate, garnished with a few strawberry slices
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Prep Time:
15 mins
Cook Time:
25 mins
Additional Time:
10 mins
Total Time:
50 mins
Servings:
14
Yield:
1 2-layer 9-inch cake

This strawberry cake tastes like it came straight from a bakery — but it's surprisingly easy to make at home!

How to Make Strawberry Cake

You'll find a detailed ingredient list and step-by-step instructions in the recipe below, but let's go over the basics:

Strawberry Cake Ingredients

These are the ingredients you'll need to make this top-rated strawberry cake recipe:

· Sugar: This strawberry cake starts with two cups of white sugar.
· Butter: Cream the sugar with two sticks of softened butter.
· Jell-O: You'll need a 3-ounce package of strawberry-flavored Jell-O mix.
· Eggs: Four eggs add richness, moisture, and flavor.
· Flour: This light and fluffy strawberry cake calls for cake flour instead of all-purpose flour.
· Baking powder: Baking powder acts as a leavener, which means it helps the cake rise.
· Milk: Whole milk lends moisture to the homemade strawberry cake.
· Strawberries: Use frozen strawberries to make homemade strawberry purée.
· Vanilla: Vanilla extract enhances the overall flavor of the cake.

How to Make Strawberry Cake From Scratch

Here's a very brief overview of what you can expect when you make this homemade strawberry cake:

1. Beat the butter, sugar, and Jell-O together. Add the eggs.
2. Combine the dry ingredients.
3. Gradually the dry mixture into the wet mixture, alternating with the milk.
4. Add the remaining ingredients and transfer the batter to prepared cake pans.
5. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick comes out clean.

Best Frosting for Strawberry Cake

Top your freshly made strawberry cake with one of these mouthwatering strawberry frosting recipes:

· Real Strawberry Frosting
· Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
· Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

How to Store Strawberry Cake

Cover the strawberry cake and store it in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Can You Freeze Strawberry Cake?

If you want to keep your strawberry cake longer than five days, you can freeze it. We recommend freezing the individual, unfrosted layers. Just wrap the (completely cooled) layers tightly in storage wrap. Follow that with a layer of aluminum foil labeled with the date. Freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise

"Great recipe," raves ejkelsey. "I added a simple strawberry glaze to the still warm layers before chilling. Then I used a strawberry buttercream on top."

"I whipped the egg whites separately and folded them in at the end," says ShamikaC. "I also used fresh strawberries for the purée. Cake came out delicious and moist."

"I have made this cake (this exact recipe) every year since my daughter turned 2," according to twyfordr. "She is turning 13 next week, still asks for it every year, and now she can even make it herself. So sweet!"

Editorial contributions by Corey Williams

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Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 14 servings

  • 2 cups white sugar

  • 1 cup butter, softened

  • 1 (3 ounce) package strawberry flavored Jell-O®

  • 4 large eggs (room temperature)

  • 2 ¾ cups sifted cake flour

  • 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder

  • 1 cup whole milk, room temperature

  • ½ cup strawberry puree made from frozen sweetened strawberries

  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.

  2. Beat sugar, butter, and dry strawberry gelatin together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

    Sugar, butter and dry strawberry gelatin mixed together in a bowl, adding an egg one at a time until well beaten.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  3. Combine flour and baking powder in a large bowl; stir into butter mixture alternately with milk.

    Flour and baking powder stirred into butter mixture, with milk.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  4. Blend in strawberry puree and vanilla.

    an overhead view of strawberry puree and vanilla mixed into cake batter.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  5. Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans.

    Batter divided evenly between pans.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  6. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool cakes on a wire rack for 10 minutes; run a table knife around the edges to loosen. Invert carefully onto a serving plate or cooling rack to cool completely.

    Cakes baked until center comes out clean on a toothpick.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  7. Enjoy!

    looking down at a slice of strawberry cake on a plate, garnished with a few strawberry slices

    DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS 

1,858 home cooks made it!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

393 Calories
15g Fat
59g Carbs
5g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 14
Calories 393
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 15g 20%
Saturated Fat 9g 46%
Cholesterol 90mg 30%
Sodium 233mg 10%
Total Carbohydrate 59g 22%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 37g
Protein 5g 11%
Vitamin C 4mg 4%
Calcium 85mg 7%
Iron 3mg 14%
Potassium 89mg 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.