Strawberry Filling for Cake (3 Ingredients)

If you're looking for the perfect cake filling this summer, it is gonna be this strawberry sauce! Made with just a few simple ingredients, you'll need just a bit of time over the stove to make this berry sweet cake filling!

I love using this strawberry cake filling in strawberry filled cupcakes or as a vanilla cake with strawberry filling, lemon cake, or chocolate cake with strawberry filling. This is a homemade strawberry filling that is very similar to preserves or strawberry jam, but without the hassle of having to sterilise a whole bunch of jars.

While I say this is a fresh strawberry filling for cake, you could also use it spooned over pie, ice cream or let's be honest, just eat it with a spoon.

If you're looking for a recipe that uses more than just strawberries, try my mixed berry compote!

Ingredients Needed

• Fresh Strawberries: I haven't tested this recipe with frozen strawberries or freeze dried strawberries. You'll want to hull the strawberries and dice them.
• Lemon: you're going to use the lemon for both lemon zest and lemon juice!
• Sugar: just adding a bit of sugar for sweetness. Depending on the strawberries you're using, you may need to add a bit more sugar if your strawberries are a bit tart.

Substitutions and Variations

• If you're looking for a smoother strawberry cake filling, make sure you really dice up your strawberries well before adding to the saucepan! Conversely, if you want a filling with more strawberries pieces you can leave them in bigger chunks!

Step by Step Process

Step 1: Place the diced strawberries, sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently. If it starts to bubble too much then lower the heat.

Step 2: Simmer the strawberry mixture for 25-30 minutes. The strawberries will break down, giving you a thick strawberry sauce. You'll know it's ready when you dip the back of a spoon into the sauce and use your finger to run a line across the back of the spoon. If the line stays visible and sauce doesn't drip down immediately, then it is ready! Take off the heat and let cool to room temperature. Store in a large jar or airtight container and place in the fridge.

I recommend making this delicious strawberry filling at least a day in advance, that way it can really thicken up in the fridge! Use it as a cake filling, as seen below, or to fill cupcakes!

Expert Tips & Tricks

• Tart Filling: If you prefer your strawberry filling to be a bit more tart, you can add just 3 tablespoons of sugar instead of 4.
• Thinner Sauce: Cook it for slightly less time if you want the strawberry sauce to be thinner and more syrupy, use it to top vanilla ice cream, waffles, pie or cheesecake.
• Keep Stirring: Make sure you are constantly stirring over the heat, you don't want it to burn. You may need to lower the heat on the stove so it doesn't boil.
• Filling a Cake: If you're using this as a cake filling, pipe a ring of frosting around the outer edge of the cake before adding the strawberry filling. This will help the strawberry filling not bleed or leak out the sides! I also do a very thin layer of frosting on the cake before adding the ring of frosting, this helps the strawberry filling not bleed into the cake layer below.
• Smooth Filling: To have a smoother filling, and one that cooks faster, make sure you dice up the strawberries into small pieces.
• Let cool: Let it cool in the fridge overnight to make sure it really thickens up before using as a filling.

Recipe FAQs

Storage

Place the cooled strawberry filling a large jar or airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.