Complimented by a light and silky cream frosting, this strawberry cake is moist and tender naturally coloured from real strawberries in our homemade strawberry puree.
I just love strawberry cake. I’ve found that most strawberry cake recipes use freeze dried strawberries. Unfortunately, freeze-dried strawberries are not readily available where I live, and are pricey. This made me want to find a more economical way to make a strawberry cake. After several attempts experimenting in my kitchen, here is my homemade strawberry and cream cake recipe.
Why I love this recipe
Made with fresh strawberries This strawberry cake is made without gelatine or freeze-dried strawberries! It is made from using real strawberries in my homemade strawberry puree.
Frosting This frosting my ‘cream cheese’ frosting that doesn’t have any cream cheese in it! This recipe is a great substitute for traditional cream cheese frosting, as it not only compliments this strawberry cake perfectly, but will also go so well with a banana bread or carrot cake. I make this easy recipe whenever I want to quickly whip up a small amount of frosting. Unlike a traditional cream cheese frosting, where you will need to use an electric mixer and a little more time, this frosting recipe only requires a whisk (hooray for less dishes!) and less than 5 minutes to make!
Easy to make With no need for an electric mixer, and only few simple steps, this is such an easy strawberry cake recipe. This is perfect for a beginner baker (I know I’ll be making this with my daughter once she is a little older – she is only 5 months old now) or a seasoned baker who just wants to whip up something quick and delicious.
No butter To add to the previous point, not using butter makes this recipe even more convenient! You won’t need the extra step of creaming or melting the butter first.
What you will need
To make the strawberry sponge cake
- 150g self-raising flour
- 100g caster sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 180g thickened cream
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup homemade strawberry puree
To make the cream frosting
- ¼ cup powdered sugar, sifted
- ¼ cup thickened cream, full fat
- ½ cup sour cream
How to make the strawberry sponge cake?
Preheat your oven to 150°C. Line a square cake pan or round 8-inch cake pan with baking paper.
In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, and salt until evenly distributed.
Add in thickened cream, vanilla essence, eggs, and the cooled homemade strawberry puree. Stir the mixture together with a whisk until combined. Do not over stir, as it will affect the rising of the cake.
Once the ingredients are combined, pour the cake mixture into your lined cake pan and bake for 40 minutes or until the cake feels firm in the center and a toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs on it.
Set aside to cool.
How to make the cream frosting?
In a small mixing bowl, add powdered sugar, thickened cream, and sour cream. Whisk these ingredients together until fluffy. Set aside.
How to assemble the cake?
Carefully remove the cooled cake from the cake pan and remove the baking paper. Place the cake onto a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut the edges of the cake. Transfer the cake onto a serving plate or cake board.
Using a spatula or cake decorating knife, transfer the cream frosting onto the top of the cake. Spread the frosting evenly onto the top of the cake.
How can you tell if your cake is ready?
To know when your cake is ready when the cake feels firm in the center and a toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs on it.
Can you put frozen strawberries in this cake batter?
If you would like some strawberry chunks in your cake, you may add about 100g of frozen strawberries into the cake batter. After making the cake batter as described, fold in the frozen strawberries, transfer the batter into your baking pan, and pop it into the oven immediately.
How long does this strawberry and cream cake keep?
This cake will keep well for up to one week when stored in the fridge, an air tight container. Before eating the chilled cake, you will want to leave it out of the fridge in room temperature for about 30 minutes. This will allow the cake to ‘defrost’, as it tastes best when it is not cold.
Can you use this recipe for cupcakes?
YES! This recipe makes 12 standard cupcakes. Bake them at 180°C for 15 minutes. Alternatively, this recipe makes 24 mini cupcakes. Bake them at 180°C for 10 minutes.
Because all ovens are different, be sure to check that your cupcakes are fully cooked before taking them out. You will know if they are fully cooked if they are firm to touch and a toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs on it.
Can you make a strawberry and cream layer cake using this recipe?
YES you can! This recipe will make one round 8-inch layer of cake. As a guide, to make a 2-layer 8-inch round cake, multiply this recipe by 2. You may either:
- divide the cake batter into 2 and bake in 2 separate cake pans, or
- bake in 1 cake pan, and use a knife to divide the layers after the cake is baked and cooled.
To make a 4-layer 8-inch round cake, multiply this cake recipe by 4. You may either:
- divide the cake batter into 4 and bake in 4 separate cake pans, or
- divide the cake batter into two, bake in 2 separate cake pans, and use a knife to divide the layers after the cake is baked and cooled.
It is important to note that if you are making a layer cake (with 3 or more layers) with this recipe, do not use this cream frosting as it is too light to bear the weight of cake layers above it. This frosting recipe is mainly good to ice single layer cakes. Instead, try replacing it with a cream cheese frosting, buttercream, or chocolate ganache.
Can you cover this strawberry cake in fondant?
You most definitely can. However, as fondant is heavy, do not use this cream frosting or any cream cheese frosting, as they are too light and do not have the structural integrity to hold up the fondant. You may replace the cream frosting with a buttercream, white chocolate ganache, or dark chocolate ganache to ice your cake before covering it with fondant.
Can I make a vanilla cake using this strawberry cake recipe?
As I used to run a wedding cake business, most of my cake recipes can be easily altered to make different flavours.
To make this strawberry cake into a vanilla cake, simply leave out the strawberry puree, and you’ve got yourself a yummy vanilla cake! As you will be making a vanilla cake, increase the vanilla to 1 tablespoon. You may want to use a better quality vanilla flavouring, I recommend using real vanilla beans or vanilla bean paste.
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Strawberry and Cream Cake
Ingredients
For the strawberry cake
- 150 g self-raising flour sifted
- 100 g caster sugar
- pinch of salt
- 180 g heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup homemade strawberry puree
For the cream frosting
- 25 g powdered sugar sifted
- 60 ml heavy cream full fat
- 120 ml sour cream
Instructions
To make strawberry cake
- Preheat your oven to 150°C.
- Line a square cake pan or round 8-inch cake pan with baking paper.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, and salt until evenly distributed.
- Add in thickened cream, vanilla essence, eggs, and the cooled homemade strawberry puree. Stir the mixture together with a whisk until combined. Do not over stir, as it will affect the rising of the cake.
- Once the ingredients are combined, pour the cake mixture into your lined cake pan and bake for 40 minutes or until the cake feels firm in the center and a toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs on it.
- Set aside to cool.
To make the cream frosting
- In a small mixing bowl, add powdered sugar, thickened cream, and sour cream. Whisk these ingredients together until fluffy. Set aside.
To assemble the cake
- Carefully remove the cooled cake from the cake pan and remove the baking paper. Place the cake onto a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut the edges of the cake. Transfer the cake onto a serving plate or cake board.
- Using a spatula or cake decorating knife, transfer the cream frosting onto the top of the cake. Spread the frosting evenly onto the top of the cake.
