Fresh Strawberry Cake

Last Updated June 29th, 2019 at 01:00 pm by Lisa

Real fresh strawberry cake recipe (no artificial ingredients) made with sweet juicy summer strawberries, and topped with amazing strawberry buttercream frosting!

This strawberry cake has real strawberries in the cake and strawberry preserves in the buttercream with nothing artificial!

This strawberry cake has a little story. While getting my hair done, a homemade strawberry cake was delivered and shared with the customers.

My hairdresser (aka “miracle worker”) friend Tina, offered a piece and of course, I said yes!

It was delicious, and I came home inspired to bake a strawberry cake.

A real strawberry cake with fresh ingredients like real strawberry buttercream.

And this happened…

My niece Kylie (total cutie pie right?) came over, and we love to make sweet things together.

Kylie had the idea to keep the cake as natural as possible and skip the food coloring and jello traditionally used in strawberry cake recipes. I think it was brilliant, and this cake is deliciously natural.

We baked this cake together early one morning, and we tasted and ate so much strawberry buttercream frosting for “breakfast” it was ridiculous!

Now that is what I call being a perfect Aunt, and setting an excellent example.

Fresh Strawberry Storage Tips:

As soon as you get your strawberries home,

1. place the strawberries in a bowl and rinse with cool water and a splash of vinegar (the vinegar cleans the berries but doesn’t leave any taste….really I promise, and I do this all the time!)
2. drain, and place the strawberries in a clean bowl covered with plastic wrap.
3. Store in the fridge for a day or two.
4. The rinsing perks up strawberries and they are clean to eat or use in a recipe straight out of the fridge.

Strawberry Cake Pan Options:

I chose to do a 5 layer cake, for 2 reasons. One, it is pretty. That is good enough. But then consider that 5 layers deliver more strawberry buttercream frosting per bite. Now that is all the reasoning I need.

And that my friends, is how my brain works.
A good strategy for cake eating right?
Of course, you can make this same strawberry buttercream cake in a single cake pan, or a double round. Your choice!

Strawberry Buttercream Frosting Decorating Tip for Your Strawberry Cake:

Spread a thin layer of buttercream frosting on your cake and chill for 30 minutes.

The final coat of buttercream frosting will go on the cake really nicely, and you avoid cake crumbles in your frosting!

This is also known as a “crumb coat”.

Fresh Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting will have you licking the spoon! The strawberry buttercream is absolutely unbelievable.

Your baking efforts will be rewarded with this pretty little 5 layer strawberry cake.

So cute, pretty, and natural,  don’t you agree?

Fresh Strawberries have some surprising health benefits!

• boost the immune system
• help maintain normal blood pressure
• rich in antioxidants
• loaded with vitamin c, potassium, and magnesium

What ingredients do I need to make this Fresh Strawberry Cake?

for the strawberry buttercream frosting

• 4 sticks unsalted butter soft/room temperature
• 6 cups powdered sugar sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 4 teaspoons real pure vanilla extract
• 4 tablespoons heavy cream
• 12 ounces strawberry preserves

for the strawberry cake:

• 1/2 cup strawberries mashed/chopped
• 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour organic preferred or cake flour
• 1 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (or sub milk)
• 1 cup strawberry preserves
• 2 baskets fresh strawberries for decoration on top of cake

How do I make this Fresh Strawberry Cake?

Summer will now never be the same without a slice of Fresh Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting.

Kylie and I had such a fun day baking, tasting, and decorating the strawberry buttercream cake. Kylie, was 12 (now 13),  learned to measure, bake, and frost a 5 layered cake for the first time.

Thanks for all your help Kylie, you did a fantastic job. And Aunt Lisa loves you!

All the Best Dishes,
Lisa
XO

Still looking for amazing dessert ideas? You might love this recipe for S’more Mini Skillet Chocolate Chip Pizookie Cookies…

Or these tropical and tasty Pineapple Coconut French Madeleines

Print Pin Recipe

Fresh Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

Real Fresh STRAWBERRY CAKE recipe (nothing artificial) made with sweet juicy summer strawberries, and topped with amazing Strawberry Buttercream Frosting!

Course Desserts & Sweets

Cuisine American

Keyword cake from scratch, homemade buttercream, strawberry buttercream

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Tips for Buttercream Frosting: Store for up to a week in an airtight container. Before frosting, let come to room temperature and re-whip in mixer until it is light and creamy again. You can freeze buttercream up to 3 months. Defrost overnight, and re-whip in mixer. Adding powder sugar, will thicken the buttercream. Heavy cream will thin it out and makes it easier to spread.

Cake Flour vs. All-Purpose Flour: The main difference between cake flour and all-purpose (AP) flour is the protein content (which becomes gluten). Cake flour is about 8% protein content, while the protein content of AP flour is about 10-11%. When you’re making cakes, use cake flour that’s lower in protein and will result in spongier cakes.

How To Make Cake Flour Substitute at Home Take one level cup of AP flour, remove two tablespoons, and then add two tablespoons of cornstarch back in. 1 cup AP flour – 2 Tablespoons AP flour + 2 Tablespoons cornstarch = 1 cup cake flour. Sift the flour to distribute the cornstarch well before using it in your cake batter. When added to all-purpose flour, cornstarch will inhibit the formation of gluten while also giving structure and lightness to your cake.

Servings 12

Calories 676kcal

Author Lisa Hatfield

Ingredients

for the strawberry buttercream frosting

• 4 sticks unsalted butter soft/room temperature
• 6 cups powdered sugar sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 4 teaspoons real pure vanilla extract
• 4 tablespoons heavy cream
• 12 ounces strawberry preserves

for the strawberry cake:

• 1/2 cup strawberries mashed/chopped
• 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour organic preferred or cake flour
• 1 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (or sub milk)
• 1 cup strawberry preserves
• 2 baskets fresh strawberries for decoration on top of cake

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Make the Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

• In the mixer bowl fitted with paddle attachment, (or hand-held mixer), mix the butter and powder sugar on low-speed until blended.
• Next, increase speed until light and fluffy for another 3 minutes. Add the salt, vanilla, and heavy cream and beat on medium for 1 minute.
• If needed, add a bit more cream to make it smooth and creamy.
• Add strawberry preserves, for “food” color and flavor.
• Keep refrigerated and cool until ready to use. (see notes for frosting storage tips)

Bake the Strawberry Cake:

• Puree strawberries in a blender, or chop finely. Set aside.
• Prepare cake pans. (I used a small 5 layer cake pan set from a craft store.) Lightly coat the pan/s with butter or coconut non-stick spray, dust with flour, and tap out excess. Set aside.
• Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside. 
  
• In a stand mixer, blend butter and sugar until creamed. Next, slowly add in eggs and vanilla.
• With the mixer on low, gently add dry ingredients until just combined then add the buttermilk (or milk) until combined. Do not overmix.
• Add strawberry puree (strawberries mashed/chopped) and preserves by hand using a rubber spatula to combine.
• Divide batter into prepared cake pan/s, spread evenly. The batter is pretty thick. 
• Bake 20 minutes at 375, or until toothpick comes out clean. Bake time will depend on the size of your pans.

Assemble the cake:

• Cool cake, then tap out of pans and spread cake layers with a thin coat of buttercream frosting. It helps to place some buttercream frosting on your cake plate to hold the first layer of cake down. Once each cake layer is frosted and stacked. Run your off-set spatula around the cake side to make it smooth. Chill in fridge for about 30 minutes. Then spread final layer of buttercream frosting, and swirl or coat evenly. 
• Decorate with strawberries cut in half and about the same size. Press into the buttercream frosting, and put one on top of cake.
• Buttercream frosting will melt at room temperature, be sure to keep this cake refrigerated until ready to serve.

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Notes

Tips for Buttercream Frosting: Store for up to a week in an airtight container. Before frosting, let come to room temperature and re-whip in mixer until it is light and creamy again. You can freeze buttercream up to 3 months. Defrost overnight, and re-whip in mixer. Adding powder sugar, will thicken the buttercream. Heavy cream will thin it out and makes it easier to spread.

Cake Flour vs. All-Purpose Flour: The main difference between cake flour and all-purpose (AP) flour is the protein content (which becomes gluten). Cake flour is about 8% protein content, while the protein content of AP flour is about 10-11%. When you’re making cakes, use cake flour that’s lower in protein and will result in spongier cakes.

How To Make Cake Flour Substitute at Home Take one level cup of AP flour, remove two tablespoons, and then add two tablespoons of cornstarch back in. 1 cup AP flour – 2 Tablespoons AP flour + 2 Tablespoons cornstarch = 1 cup cake flour. Sift the flour to distribute the cornstarch well before using it in your cake batter. When added to all-purpose flour, cornstarch will inhibit the formation of gluten while also giving structure and lightness to your cake.

Nutrition

Calories: 676kcal | Carbohydrates: 141g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 186mg | Potassium: 139mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 112g | Vitamin A: 375IU | Vitamin C: 9.7mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 1.5mg

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