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This strawberry layer cake is quite possibly The BEST Strawberry Cake recipe you will ever eat. Perfect for Spring (or any time of year!).
Strawberry Layer Cake
If I had my wish, I'd invite every single one of you right into my kitchen this afternoon and slice you up a piece of this best ever strawberry cake.
But, since that's probably not going to happen, I'll just share the recipe, and maybe you can share a slice with a friend one day too.
I've dreamed about this cake ever since my sister-in-law brought one of these from our favorite bakery in Western Kentucky, where it was love at first bite. 🙂 I decided there had to be a Strawberry Cake recipe to make at home, and goodness, I can't even begin to tell you how much I love this slice of strawberrry happiness!
🍴TIP: This delicious strawberry cake recipe is also included in our Celebration Menu Planning Made Easy Set!
Strawberry Layer Cake Ingredients:
- white cake mix
- strawberry jello package
- eggs
- oil
- water
- fresh strawberries
- butter
- powdered sugar
- vanilla
It's not quite homemade since you use a cake mix, but it's close enough (and no one will ever know).
While the cake is pretty darn good, the icing is perfection. When I read through the directions I was afraid it would be a little more challenging than I had time for, but it really was fairly simple, and undoubtedly the best Strawberry Icing I've ever tasted. It's the perfect treat after a special dinner at home (and would be just PERFECT to whip up for Mother's Day!).
So dust off your mixing bowls,
tie on your apron . . .
and get ready to bake.
Your family will thank me. 🙂
{Excuse me while I run and get just one more bite of that cake, then I promise we'll dig right in . . . } 😉
How to make Strawberry Cake:
Mix together cake mix and dry Jello in mixing bowl. Add the 4 eggs, oil, water, and 3/4 cups mashed strawberries. Beat with a mixer until blended.
Grease and flour two 9″ pans and pour mixture into the pans. Bake these for 350 degrees for 27 to 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pans, and then place on wire racks and cool completely.
While the cake is baking, smash 1 cup of strawberries until smooth (you can use a blender if you'd like). Place strawberries in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Continue to cook until mixture is reduced by about half (about 12 to 18 minutes). Remove from heat and cool completely.
Beat your butter with electric mixer until fluffy and add in 1 cup of powdered sugar until blended. Add 2 Tablespoons of cooled strawberry puree and vanilla extract and beat into the butter mixture. Repeat with another cup of powdered sugar, and an additional 2 Tablespoons of strawberry puree. Add in another round of powdered sugar and puree, then one more 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and mix until light and fluffy.
Spread onto the cooled strawberry cake and enjoy!
Strawberry Layer Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 white cake mix I used Duncan Hines
- 3 oz package Strawberry Jello
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup oil
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 3/4 cup mashed fresh strawberries divided
- 1 cup butter at room temperature
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar sifted and divided
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Mix together cake mix and dry Jello in mixing bowl
- Add eggs, oil, water and 3/4 cups mashed strawberries.
- Beat with mixer until blended.
- Pour into two greased and floured 9" pans.
- (Important - be sure to grease your pans well and then flour them, or they will not come out of the pan.)
- Bake for 27-30 minutes at 350°F, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool for 10 minutes in cake pans, then place on wire racks and cool completely.
- While cake is baking, smash 1 cup strawberries until smooth (you may want to use a blender - I used my Pampered Chef chopper and just got them good and smashed.)
- Place strawberries in saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
- Continue to cook until mixture is reduced by about half (for about 12-18 minutes.)
- Remove from heat and cool completely. (I put them in a small bowl in my refrigerator to cool more quickly.)
- Beat butter with electric mixer until fluffy.
- Add in 1 cup powdered sugar until blended.
- Add 2 tablespoons of cooled strawberry puree and vanilla extra, beat into butter mixture until blended.
- Repeat with another cup of confectioners sugar, then an additional 2 tablespoons of strawberry puree.
- Add one more cup of confections and another 2 tablespoons strawberry puree.
- Beat in remaining 1/2 cup confectioners sugar until light and fluffy.
- Spread frosting on cake and enjoy!
Looking for more yummy dishes like this Strawberry Cake?
Be sure to check out our Celebration Menu Planning Made Easy Set.
These plans include AMAZING recipes and a dry erasable grocery list for each week! You'll also get lifetime membership in our private Facebook group, full of other families encouraging one another to make dinner each night together too.
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Cake recipe originally adapted from Kraft.com, and Strawberry Icing Recipe from All Recipes. If you need a little more menu inspiration, go HERE.
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Made this for my family for 4th of July — they went NUTS over it! Such a yummy cake and the fresh taste of strawberries is so good! I halved up a few extra strawberries and put them on top to decorate. So good!
I’m so sorry so many people had all those problems with the recipe. I am going to try to find another one without problems. But thank you all for posting about this recipe. It helps all of us.
Just made this today and it’s wonderful! I didn’t mini cupcakes instead of the round cakes since I was taking it to a gathering and wanted to leave some home with my family. I got 72 mini cupcakes out of it. Definitely going to do this again!
Yayyyy ~ so glad you enjoyed it Crystal! 🙂 Great idea to do mini cupcakes ~ that sounds adorable!
OMG! Just made this and we LOVE it. Yum! Yum! Yum!
The temperature for the oven was not included. Most cake mixes call for 350°. What did everyone else use for this?
Thanks so much for the heads up Keith ~ yes, you’ll want to bake it at 350° for 27 – 30 minutes! 🙂
i finished my cake and realized that i hadn’t put the vanilla in then looked back and its not in the instructions where do u put the tsp Vanilla in i assume it went into the icing since we used a box cake mix
Iam going to make this cake and put sliced strawberries between the two cakes and put cool whip on the cake instead of the frosting and chopped strawberries on top
Does anybody know if there is a strawberry flavored cool whip topping?
I don’t believe there is BUT they do make Strawberry Philly cream cheese You might be able to find an icing recipe for that It can’t be that hard to add strawberry flavoring to Cool Whip with the small bottles of the different flavors you can get at most grocery stores&you could even add some red food coloring& or real strawberries too! Hope this helps!
That’s a good tip, Karen. Thanks!
A version of this cake is my family’s go to cake recipe for pretty much any time we get together.
The differences in the cake recipe are that I use 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup veg oil. I also use 1/2 cup of frozen, sweetened strawberries and juice. (Many times I add a little more. It is quite forgiving.) You can also use raspberry Jello for a similar, but a bit tangier flavor. ( I have been known to use a packet or 2 of sweetened Kool Aid instead of Jello if any vegetarians were in the dinner group.
Bake at 350 for approximately 25 minutes for 9×13 pan, a little less for round layers.
The icing is a little more flexible depending on if I am going to stack layers of cake or use a 9 x 13 inch pan. It is made with 1 stick (1/2 cup) of softened butter, 3-4 cups of powdered sugar, and enough strawberry juice and strawberries to get the consistency you want. The stacked cake requires a stiffer icing , so this is where the adjusting comes in.
The taste is amazing.
I believe that the 1 cup oil should have been 1 cup water and only 1 quarter cup oil.
Most cake box recipes call for that. Way too much oil. It did not rise well.
The frosting had way too much butter In it. Tasted like strawberry butter.
I just made the cake and the layers are cooling. I was shocked that it called for 1 cup of oil. I hope that wasn’t a typo….the layers fell.
It was one cup of oil – it definitely is a VERY moist cake, but you can double check the original recipe over here – http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/sweet-strawberry-cake-118218.aspx
I’m so sorry it didn’t work for you! 🙁
can it be made in a 9 x 13 glass pan and if so at what temp and for how long.
Also if made in two cake rounds how Long do you cook for?
Thanks for your help
Looks Delish I’ll have to give it a try.
I had high hopes for this cake because I love strawberry cake. I’m sorry but this cake and icing is….well…….too put it kindly, not good. It took me almost two hours total. The cake was so short and heavy….may have been better in 8″ pans but I doubt it. The frosting was gross. It had the consistency of butter (thick and greasy)….. because it’s just butter and sugar flavored with strawberries. Nasty. JMHO.
I’m SO sorry Marie!!! I’ve had several friends make it and they’ve been pleased with it, so I hate that you didn’t enjoy it. So sorry!
How far ahead can you make this cake?
I would make it no more than 2 days ahead of time – then refrigerate to keep fresh. Hope that helps Sarah! 🙂
Yum!!!!! So easy too. Can’t wait to try
Is this inspired by the strawberry cake from Dumplins in Murray KY?
Hi Jenny! It’s not, but now I want to head to Murray (love that area of KY!) 🙂
This will be the 2nd year I’ve made this for my birthday and it will be the 3rd year for my mom’s birthday. WE LOVE THIS RECIPE!!! Thanks!
I love it too – I think I’m going to make it this weekend for Valentine’s! 🙂
I really want to try to bake this! I say “try” because baking in Denver at high altitude can be tricky! Anyone make any modifications due to altitude or have any to recommend?! Thx! 🙂
I’m not sure Andee! This post may help though – http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipe/high-altitude-baking.html
I made this tonight and it is awesome!! Next time I will make it a 3 tier cake. The 2 tier was a little flat since it was so moist
So glad you liked it Jordyn!!!
Just made this cake – looks and smells DELISH ! Does it need to be refrigerated ? I make homemade butter icing a lot and I don’t refrigerate it, but this one has the strawberries in it.
Thanks for a great recipe.
Juju
I did end up refrigerating it Juju but don’t think you have to (it just tasted even better cold!) Hope that helps! 🙂
this looks delicious! but I’m confused about the “almost homemade” title , the recipe doesn’t call for any pre-made items, so it’s all homemade. if you really wanted you could title it Strawberry Cake (from a mix). The cake mix just gives you premeasured ingredients. So, this cake IS homemade 😉
You’re right Rosie – I need to rename it! 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing!!!
The cake mix is pre-made. I was thinking it’s more along the lines of “semi-homemade” since some of it is made in the home. 🙂
I just made it with yellow cake mix – buddy Valestro brands which also had a pudding pack it is VERY moist and delicious!
Sounds delicious Aricka!
I also saved the strawberry juice. I pricked holes in the cake after it cooked and poured the juice in the cake layers.
I made this cake the other day. Instead of using vanilla flavoring, I used strawberry flavoring.
Have you made this in cupcake form? Any changes necessary?
I haven’t but I bet they would be delicious! I would just bake for a shortened amount of time – but other than that it should work fine. Yum!
Do you put something between the 2 cake layers? Either some berries or some frosting?
Hi Tana! Sorry – yes I put just frosting between the layers. Hope that helps! 🙂
I made this cake and it is WONDERFUL! So good!
So glad you enjoyed it Shelly!
Laurie, can you use yellow cake mix?
Hi Kelly! I’m afraid the texture might be different? It very well may be just fine, but I’m afraid to tell you incorrectly and then have you waste your ingredients. If anyone tries it with a yellow cake mix, leave a comment to let us know how it works!
I just made this today but with homemade white cake mix and only egg whites. It turned out delicious and the frosting is to die for! My father in law tried it and then he and my son both ate it off a beater.
And the recipe popped up on my FB as I was wondering what to make with the super cheap strawberries from Target. Thank you!
Unless I’m missing it, I don’t see an oven temp. I’m guessing 350, but could you clarify that? This looks amazing and I would like to make it for Easter tomorrow. Thanks.
It is 350 Kat – so sorry to have forgotten that! 🙂
Thanks so much, I’m mixing it up right now!
I’m a JERK… I didn’t use to be until I saw the episode of Everybody Loves Raymond where his mother ( Ramond’s mother, Marie, left the KEY INGREDIENT OUT)… Now, as the mother of four sons – I get it! You ALWAYS *WANT* your babies to come back for the one thing they love the most – Whether it’s your cannolini or your Strawberry Cake! The vanilla goes into the cake and if you wish, into the icing; either way – It’s such a minuscule amount that you’re really *NOT* going to notice a HUGE difference, unless, of course, you’re Gordon Ramsey! Until then – You have the basics – Have fun with it and create it to be your own… The. Give your daughter or son in law the recipe that’s *ALMOST* but not as good as Mom’s! I’m the mother of four son’s! I hope they keep coming back for me to make them their favorites… Until then – Enjoy! With or without the vanilla – This is a good recipe! Have fun with it and make it your own!