This moist strawberry layered cake is made using fresh strawberry purée and freeze-dried strawberries, giving it a naturally pink color. It's then frosted with a strawberry cream cheese frosting and lots of fresh strawberries!
Tell me about this cake!
- Flavor: when my in-laws tried this cake, they said it tasted just like strawberry ice cream! You get the natural strawberry flavor from the reduced pureed strawberries as well as the freeze dried strawberry powder.
- Texture: the cake is very moist and soft with a light and fluffy cream cheese frosting.
- Ease: this cake is best for an intermediate baker. While it isn't technically difficult, there are a few steps in getting that real strawberry flavor!
- Time: you will have to reduce the strawberry puree ahead of time as you want it to be room temperature, so make sure to do that the evening before.
- Would I make this again? 100%! This cake is perfect for spring or summer celebrations.
Making the batter
Before you get started, you'll need to reduce your strawberries. This will give us a thick strawberry puree which packs a lot of flavor and doesn't add too much liquid to the cake. Blend your strawberries together in a blender, then heat them in a small saucepan for about 30 minutes. I would recommend doing this the day before, but if you're short on time you can do it the morning of. To cool it down quickly, spread the puree in a large dish. A thin layer of puree means it'll cool down faster!
While the strawberry puree gives us a lot of flavor, it didn't color the cake as much as I would have liked. That's where freeze-dried strawberries come in! Blend your strawberries into a fine powder, then add into the mix.
Mix all of the dry ingredients together until well blended, as you can see in the second photo above. Add your butter in until it looks like coarse sand. Add your egg whites and your whole egg, one at a time.
Mix together your strawberry yogurt, milk, vanilla extract, almond extract, and strawberry puree. Add it to the bowl in three additions, beating slowly as it is a very liquidy batter.
Pour into your two tins that have been greased and lined. Bake for 25 minutes.
Make the frosting
This cream cheese frosting is made with freeze-dried strawberry powder, giving it that natural pink color and real strawberry flavor.
Make sure all of your ingredients are room temperature. Cream the butter and cream cheese together until smooth.
Mix in the powdered sugar a cup at a time, then add in your strawberry powder. Finally, add your vanilla and salt.
I then decorated the top with fresh strawberries, but I think sprinkles would be fun too!
Frequently Asked Questions
I use European style butter for all my recipes. This means that there is a higher percentage of fat in the butter, giving you a creamier taste. If you use a regular American butter, your cake might be a bit drier!
It is best to do this, but if you don't I have a quick tip to cool it down quickly! Once it has been reduced enough, pour the strawberries into a large tray or tin. Spread the strawberries out so you just have a thin layer - this will allow it to cool down quickly.
This cake is best stored in the fridge because of the cream cheese frosting. It lasts for about 3 days.
If you're based in the US, you can find them at Trader Joes or Target. If you're based in the UK, I found them on Amazon and on Sous Chef.
Other Cakes to try:
Make sure to tag me on Instagram @alpineella and leave a review below if you’ve made this cake! If you want more baking ideas, you can follow me on Pinterest.
Recipe
Strawberry Layered Cake
Equipment
- 2 x 8" cake pans
Ingredients
Cake
- 500 grams strawberries
- 285 grams all-purpose flour
- 170 grams unsalted butter room temperature
- 333 grams granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 4 egg whites room temperature
- 1 egg room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 120 ml whole milk room temperature
- 60 grams strawberry yogurt room temperature
- 50 grams freeze-dried strawberry powder
Frosting
- 226 grams cream cheese room temperature
- 115 grams unsalted butter room temperature
- 480 grams powdered sugar
- 50 grams freeze-dried strawberry powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Reduced Strawberries
- Blend your strawberries in a blender until smooth. Place on a small saucepan over low heat and reduce until you have ½ cup of strawberry puree, stirring occasionally. This took me about 30 minutes. Let cool completely.
Cake
- Preheat your oven to 350°F/175°C. Grease and line two 8-inch cake pans.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix all of the dry ingredients on slow speed until blended. Add in your butter and mix on low until it looks like damp sand.
- Add your egg whites one at a time, and then your whole egg. Beat well after each addition, making sure you scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- In a small jug, whisk together the vanilla extract, reduced strawberries, almond extract, yogurt and milk.
- Slowly pour in one-third of the milk mixture into the mixing bowl. With the speed on low, mix together. Be careful as it may spill! Pour in the rest of the milk in two more additions, mixing slowly after each addition.
- Beat for 2 minutes. Your batter will be liquidy.
- Pour the batter into your pans, it's about 650g per cake tin.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the cake will come out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Take the cake out of the tin and let it cool completely.
Frosting
- Sift your powdered sugar and set aside
- In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, cream together the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
- Add your powdered sugar a cup at a time, mixing on low after each addition, followed by the freeze-dried strawberry powder.
- Add you salt and vanilla, then beat until combined. Use immediately.
Notes
- Butter: I'm using European style butter in this recipe.
- If you're based in Europe and your cream cheese comes in tubs instead of packets, take the cream cheese out and pat down with a paper towel to get rid of excess moisture.
- Make sure you are using freeze-dried strawberries and not just dried strawberries
Anna
Prettiest cake ever!! 💕
Cyn
Yes. I love all things strawberries 😍 thank you for this recipe.
Tara Lampkins
Oh wowzers! I knew this strawberry cake was the real deal when I read that it used freeze dried strawberries in it. I have bookmarked this, and can't wait to explore more of the recipes here. Thank you.
Sue
This cake is the best ever. The cake and frosting both are full of fantastic strawberry flavour. I think it should be served at Wimbledon.