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A beautifully decorated homemade strawberry cake with fresh berries.

Classic Homemade Strawberry Cake

This classic homemade strawberry cake is a delightful dessert featuring moist cake layers bursting with fresh strawberry flavor and topped with a rich, creamy strawberry buttercream frosting.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 12 slices
Calories: 450
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cake
  • 1 lb fresh strawberries, ripe and vibrant
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 cup milk or buttermilk, room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Frosting
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 cups confectioners' sugar
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup strawberry puree from the pureed strawberries
  • ¼ cup finely diced fresh strawberries optional, for texture

Equipment

  • Round Cake Pans (8-inch)
  • Electric Mixer
  • Large Bowls
  • Wire Rack

Method
 

Prepare Cake
  1. Wash, hull, and slice fresh strawberries; puree about 1 cup until smooth, and dice another cup for optional use in frosting or between layers.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare two 8-inch round cake pans by greasing and flouring them or lining with parchment paper.
  3. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
  4. In a large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, which takes about 3-5 minutes.
  5. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then stir in the vanilla extract.
  6. Gradually alternate adding the dry ingredients and milk (or buttermilk) to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined after each addition.
  7. Gently fold in the ½ cup of strawberry puree until fully incorporated into the batter.
  8. Divide the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a wooden skewer comes out clean.
  9. Cool the cakes in their pans for 10-15 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make Frosting and Assemble
  1. While cakes cool, beat softened butter until creamy, then gradually add confectioners' sugar and heavy cream until smooth and fluffy.
  2. Beat in the remaining strawberry puree and optional diced strawberries into the frosting.
  3. Once the cakes are completely cool, level the tops if necessary, then place one cake layer on a serving plate and spread a generous amount of frosting over it.
  4. Place the second cake layer on top and cover the entire cake with the remaining frosting.
  5. Decorate the cake with fresh strawberry slices or whole berries as a garnish.

Notes

For an extra burst of strawberry flavor, you can add a small amount of strawberry extract to the cake batter or frosting. Ensure all ingredients, especially butter, eggs, and milk, are at room temperature for a well-emulsified batter and smoother frosting. You can adjust the amount of heavy cream in the frosting to achieve your desired consistency. When folding in the strawberry puree, be gentle to maintain a light and airy texture in the cake. If you don't have buttermilk, you can make a substitute by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to regular milk and letting it sit for 5-10 minutes.