Strawberry Cake layers are light, fluffy, springy and spongy!
Quick stove top compote get cooked up while the layers cool!
I am in love with easy recipes and this Strawberry Cake Recipe is exactly that!
Another easy food processor cake mix to add to your favorites list!
My new obsession for the icing is the five times lower sugar recipe for buttercream!
Freeze dried strawberry powder turns it instantly into strawberry buttercream!
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Notes for Success:
A 14 cup capacity food processor is needed to hold all the batter
If you have a smaller food processor you will have to cut the recipe in half
Or simply mix the batter by hand in a large bowl after pureeing your strawberries separately
Weighing your ingredients on a scale is recommended for all baking recipes but this one in particular
Since a little bit too much of flour or even strawberries can make a really big negative difference in the outcome
While I often advocate for frozen berries, in the video I mentioned that fresh strawberries are needed here
Frozen strawberries have their place and that place today is in the compote!
But for the cake batter you will have to use fresh berries, since frozen berries leech too much liquid and will turn your cake heavy and rubbery
There are no egg replacers in this recipe since the pectin in the strawberries do more than enough to help this cake bind together!
Adding anything more would border on heavy and gummy so this recipe is perfect and easy just the way it is!
Additionally I used a drop of pink food color to get this vibrant pink color since just fresh strawberries alone (while it will be pink) it will be very light pink color
Pan Sizes and Baking Times
You can of course bake this cake batter into any size pan(s) you prefer
Rule of thumb for changing pan sizes for any recipe is to fill the pans just a handful more than half way full to give the batter ample room to rise properly
This recipe will make 2 thick 8″ cake layers or 3- 7 ” layers, 24 Cupcakes, 1- 9″ x 13″ layer, 4- 6″ layers or 1 – 12 cup capacity bundt pan
Here is a list of everything I am using for this cake recipe!
14 Cup Capacity Cuisinart Food Processor
Freeze Dried Strawberry Powder
WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO TUTORIAL FOR HOW I MADE THIS CAKE!
Strawberry Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- Plant Milk 1½ cup (350ml) * I use soy milk
- Fresh Strawberries 10ounces (280g) *see notes
- Vanilla Extract 2 teaspoons (10ml)
- All Purpose Flour 3 ½ cup (440g)
- Granulated Sugar 1¼ cups (250g)
- Baking Powder 6 teaspoons
- Salt 1 teaspoon
- Vegetable Oil 18 Tablespoons (270ml)
- 1 Drop Pink Food Color *see notes
For the Strawberry Buttercream:
- 1 Recipe Buttercream
- 1oz Freeze Dried Strawberries
For the Strawberry Compote:
- Fresh or Frozen Strawberries 10 ounces (280g)
- Cranberries *optional ¼ cup (30g)
- Sugar *optional 0-4 Tablespoons
- For the garnish: fresh strawberries optional 6 large
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F
- Grease and parchment line 2-8" cake pans
- First wash the strawberries warm water, then take out their stems
- Place all of the cake ingredients including the strawberries into a food processor and processor until smooth batter (about 1 minute)
- Pour batter evenly between the 2 greased and parchment lined 8" cake pans
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 15 minutes then I like to turn the oven temperature down to 300°F for another 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the cake is springy to the touch when I gently press the center
- While the cake is baking prepare the strawberry compote by cooking the strawberries withe the optional cranberries and sugar in a small sauce pot over medium to high heat.
- bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the berries break down and the sauce starts to thicken (it will thicken more upon refrigeration) cooking for about 20 minutes total
- *If you use frozen strawberries you will have to add about 2-3 Tablespoons of water to help them cook and avoid scorching
- Next prepare the buttercream recipe as per the instructions on that recipe post and then add the freeze dried strawberry powder at the last stage of mixing
- Assemble the cake as shown in the video
Notes
Strawberry cake can be kept at room temperature for half the day but for longer storage refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Cake layers can be frozen wrapped well for up to 2 months
Hi I guess there is a misprint. 10 oz is not 140g.
Thank you for catching that!!
Hi Gretchen!! Do you have any suggestions for a substitute for the dried strawberry powder? Could I process dried strawberries (I think Aldi sells them…) and it serve a close to the same purpose?
Hi Linda, unfortunately not, this recipe is formulated specifically for Freeze dried strawberries which are different from dried strawberries (which If I am correct would be more like a cranberry or a raisin if that is what you are thinking?) In which case that is not going to work. Freeze dried fruit is literally powder when you grind it down
Gretchen! What is the crumb coating on the top? I’m making this and actually just ordered the freeze dried strawberry. (I need to hide my amazon orders from my hubby, I’m getting kind of rediculous!)
LOL! I was able to get freeze dried strawberries from Aldo but I know they are all sort of different so you never know what they are going to have!
The crumble on top was the trimmed off cake tops! *Working on the video edit now~ but it’s going to be several days (probably not til the weekend) but if you need a video reference for the cake batter CLICK HERE for orange cake
And the buttercream is my newest recipe for 5x less sugar BC with added freeze dried powder at the end
The compote can be seen here in this video
*Sorry to send you all over the place, I’m just so backed up with video editing!! It takes soooo long uggh
Hey Gretchen… check your link for the 5x less sugar buttercream. I clicked on it and it took me to Italian vs Swiss buttercream video.
Same for me, wrong link!
Thanks! I just went in to correct it, but I am getting the correct link! The 5X less sugar Apple Buttercream recipe is the link hmm, odd.
At any rate here it is again see if this one works
Thanks! I just went in to correct it, but I am getting the correct link! The 5X less sugar Apple Buttercream recipe is the link hmm, odd.
At any rate here it is again see if this one works
Hi Gretchen I’m a huge fan of your baking, I think your cakes are so great to eat and make for family and friends. I wanted to ask if you have made vegan champagne frosting and if so how would you go about it. Thanks for sharing your treats, I really appreciate learning how to make and eat them. Take care ❤️
Hi! Thank you so much! I do not have a recipe here on my website but I have made before. ONLY wit the American Buttercream recipe though WITH the shortening addition & made with Earth Balance Vegan Butter! LOL So many But.. BUT adding so much liquid to a buttercream recipe is a sure way to disaster! So I would only do it with the key mentions above!
CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE
Thanks for your reply, I really appreciate it.
Hi Gretchen, by any chance do you still have your old strawberry chiffon cake recipe. I am really sad that I lost it. I would be grateful if you could share that recipe with me. 🙏
Hello, I am trying to make this cake but i am not having any luck. I have made it twice and my batter is very thin. I am using the following substitutes: 1) Spelt Flour 1 – 1 in place of all-purpose flour. 2) I am using 1 part Arrowroot, 1 part Baking Soda, and 2 parts Cream of Tarter for Baking Powder. I am using grapeseed oil as my vegetable oil. How long do you mix it in the food processor? Does it get thicker the longer you mix it? I was afraid it would get thinner so i stopped at about 30 seconds. Thank you for your help. I can’t wait to finish this cake!
Hi Aleatha, I can only guarantee perfect results when you follow the recipe exactly as it is written. Making those changes (mainly the flour) without some testing and most likely tweaking of the recipe would be needed so I’m not too surprised it has not worked out
While I have not worked with Spelt flour in any of my recipes and I suspect you have more experience with it than me since you are in fact using it and most likely have in other recipes? What I do know is that Spelt flour doesn’t absorb liquid as easily as other flours do not to mention it is a “heavier” flour due to its whole grain properties compared to all purpose flour
Perhaps why the batter is so thin because it will not absorb the liquid leaving your batter extra runny.
The oil would not play a factor since you can use any oil here and I believe your homemade baking powder would be fine as well
I only let the food processor mix for about 30 seconds as well
Hi Gretchen. The link to the Buttercream in this recipe is for Apple Buttercream. Is this the recipe used for the Strawberry cake?
Yes you can use this recipe for sure, just add 1/2 cup strawberry powder to it at the last stage of mixing.
Gretchen, I’ve made this wonderful cake in the past but I know I did not use the food processor because mine is not the 14-cup. I cannot remember how I mixed it up, Wouldn’t it be okay to mix it in the mixer rather than by hand?
Hi Martha! Yes! Just puree the strawberries separate and then whisk everything together by hand OR with an electric mixer!
For the cake can I use frozen strawberries instead of fresh?
Frozen strawberries will have a huge amount of liquid which will change the texture of the batter *to possibly gummy & raw -like
So it is not advised, however if you must do it- then thaw them out completely and then press out as mush of the water as possible before using them in the batter
Hi! Is it possible to halve this recipe?
I made it as is and ran into some issues due to the batter size and not having big enough equipment.
And yet I loved it! Thank you so much for creating it and sharing it.
Yes! definitely just be careful of your math~ that’s where I always go wrong!!
Gretchen, I LOVE your recipes! I’m going to try this one for my daughter’s 3rd birthday. I’m wondering if I can make a blueberry version for my son’s 7th birthday … would the blueberries have enough pectin ? My kids birthdays are the same week, and I want to make it super special this year since I’ve been following your tutorials. Thanks for all you do !!!
Hi Thanks! I believe blueberry would be fine here, although the color you will end up with could be questionable! LOL Probably Grey with specks of blueberry skins!
I would probably just use this recipe instead~ Lemon Blueberry Cake Loaf