Name: Easy Strawberry Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 15.25 ounce box white cake mix ( (use ingredients listed here NOT what is listed on the box) You can also use 16.25-ounce size); 3 -ounce box strawberry jello (you'll use the powder); 1 cup strawberries (fresh or frozen mashed or finely chopped (measured after you chop or mash them)); ¾ cup vegetable oil; ½ cup whole milk (or 2% milk); 4 large eggs (at room temperature); 8 -ounces cream cheese (at room temperature); ½ cup butter (room temperature); 5 to 6 cups confectioners' sugar (sifted then measured, more if needed); 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream (more if needed); ¼ cup strawberries (fresh or frozen, mashed or chopped fine, drained)

Easy Strawberry Cake tastes and looks like a bakery cake, but is easier than from-scratch! It’s full of strawberries in the cake and the icing.

This cake is ‘easy’ because it starts with a cake mix, but don’t worry unless you tell no one will ever know, it tastes homemade. It’s light, tender, moist, and is bursting with strawberry flavor.

Fluffy, moist, studded with strawberries, and easy to whip together, my Easy Strawberry Cake will be your new favorite. There is nothing like a freshly home-made cake with lots of sweet creamy frosting.

EASY STRAWBERRY CAKE

This is my recipe box. Yes, it’s quite large and it’s not the only recipe box I have. This is the box of my family ‘favorites’; I also have a box of recipes that I want to try. And a binder of pretty entertaining and party recipes and tips. And, I have cookbooks.

So many recipes, so little time! One-third of these recipes are for desserts! I know, crazy, it’s my passion.

As well, Strawberry Cake has been one of my favorite desserts for many years. It’s the cake I always wanted my Mom to make for my birthday (or anytime I could persuade her to make it!)

TIPS AND SUGGESTIONS

First, this strawberry cake starts with a boxed cake mix. However, because it has fresh strawberries it tastes homemade.
You can use fresh or frozen strawberries.
For the 1 cup of strawberries, you can mash with a potato masher, hand chop, or chop in a food processor. They add just the right amount of flavor and moisture.
As well, you’ll add a 3-ounce box of strawberry gelatin (Jello is the most known brand) to the batter. If you have strawberry boxed cake mix, you can skip this step. However, adding strawberry gelatin to a white cake mix is a huge strawberry flavor boost.
This cake calls for vegetable oil. It adds moisture and makes the texture amazing. (I haven’t tried reducing the oil amount.)
You can make this into either 2 or 3 layers. It also works well in a 9x13x3-inch baking pan as well as cupcakes.
For a 9x13x3-inch cake, you may want to reduce the amount of frosting. (I don’t, but I love frosting!)

Easy Strawberry Cake. Easy Strawberry Cake tastes and looks like a bakery cake, but is easier than from-scratch! It's full of strawberries in the cake and the icing. This cake is 'easy' because it starts with a cake mix, but don't worry unless you tell no one will ever know, it tastes like homemade.

Cooking times for pan size

I prefer these brands for cake pans: Fat Daddio’s, Wilton, USA Pan Store, and Cuisinart. Various brands are listed below depending on what was in stock at the time I linked them.

two 9-inches round or 9×9 inch square 28 to 31 minutes
two 8-inch round or 8×8-inch square 30 to 33 minutes
three 8-inch round 28 to 30 minutes
9x13x3-inch baking pan, cook 28-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Standard cupcakes take 18 to 20 minutes for standard cupcakes or 10 to 12 minutes for minis. Cool the cupcakes in the tin on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove from the tin and cool on the rack completely.

If you want to accurately test a cake for doneness, I recommend using a cake thermometer. A cake is done when it reaches 210°F in the center. Use caution to not touch the bottom of the baking pan.

Easy Strawberry Cake recipe. dessert. Easy Strawberry Cake tastes and looks like a bakery cake, but is easier than from-scratch! It's full of strawberries in the cake and the icing. This cake is 'easy' because it starts with a cake mix, but don't worry unless you tell no one will ever know, it tastes like homemade.

I prefer it made in three 8 inch layers and iced.

But, if it’s easier in a 9×13-inch pan, by all means, you do not have to stack it.

Easy Strawberry Cake recipe. Easy Strawberry Cake tastes and looks like a bakery cake, but is easier than from-scratch! It's full of strawberries in the cake and the icing. This cake is 'easy' because it starts with a cake mix, but don't worry unless you tell no one will ever know, it tastes like homemade.

June 10, 2018. I updated the recipe for the cake and the frosting. This frosting has the same flavor and ingredients, I made it thicker. The changes are correct in the recipe as written.

EQUIPMENT NEED TO MAKE THIS EASY STRAWBERRY CAKE

I made it for the teachers at my son’s school and baked it in an aluminum 9×13

was much easier to transport and I didn’t have to go back and collect a cake pan.

The beauty of this recipe? Dump all ingredients in the bowl and mix!

I like using the whisk attachment for cakes. I think it incorporates more air into the batter.

Mix it all together and pour into the pan.

Bake, then frost. I frosted it with Cream Cheese Frosting.

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: Melt in your Mouth Strawberry Buttermilk Pound Cake

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Easy Strawberry Cake

Easy Strawberry Cake tastes and looks like a bakery cake, but is easier than from-scratch! It's full of fresh strawberries in the cake and the icing. This cake is 'easy' because it starts with a cake mix, but don't worry unless you tell noone will ever know!

Author: Paula

4.84 from 259 votes

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Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 16 slices

Equipment

electric mixer

Ingredients

Cake

15.25 ounce box white cake mix (use ingredients listed here NOT what is listed on the box) You can also use 16.25-ounce size
3 -ounce box strawberry jello you'll use the powder
1 cup strawberries fresh or frozen mashed or finely chopped (measured after you chop or mash them)
¾ cup vegetable oil
½ cup whole milk or 2% milk
4 large eggs at room temperature

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

8 -ounces cream cheese at room temperature
½ cup butter room temperature
5 to 6 cups confectioners' sugar sifted then measured, more if needed
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream more if needed
¼ cup strawberries fresh or frozen, mashed or chopped fine, drained

Instructions

PLEASE READ POST ABOVE FOR MORE INFO

For the Cake

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray pan(s) with non-stick spray or Wilton cake release.
Add cake mix, eggs, milk, and vegetable oil to a mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer and mix well. Mix in the 1 cup of mashed strawberries and the (dry) strawberry gelatin.
Mix 3 minutes, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl a couple of times.
Divide the batter evenly among layer pans or pour into a 9x13-inch baking pan. Cool the cake layers for 10 minutes in the pan before removing them to a wire rack. Wait until the cake is completely cool before frosting.

For Cream Cheese Frosting:

Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Sift sugar and add one cup at a time to the cream cheese mixture. Add heavy whipping cream and strawberries and incorporate completely.
For a more professional cake, remove the domes from the tops of the cake layers with a cake leveler or large serrated knife.
Place one layer of cake on a serving plate. Spread about 1 cup of the frosting on top in an even layer. Repeat with the next layer of cake and frosting, then top the cake with the final layer of cake (if you have 3 layers).
Frost the outside of the cake. An offset spatula makes it really easy to get an even layer.

Video

Notes

Cooking times for pan size

For 9x13 pan bake 28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
two 9-inches round or 9x9 inch square 28 to 31 minutes
two 8-inch round or 8x8-inch square 30 to 33 minutes
three 8-inch round 28 to 30 minutes

I revised the original recipe ingredients for the smaller size cake mix. It seemed to confuse everyone. However, I'm now including that change below since I have a lot of people asking for that information. This is the wording that I changed. As well, I used 1 cup oil in the original recipe but I prefer 3/4 cup oil instead.

“Please note also the original Easy Strawberry Cake recipe used an 18.25-ounce cake mix. For a long time, you could still get the 18.25 size cake mix, but I have been unable to find it recently. Here are two options for adjustments to the 15.25-ounce, 16.5, or 16.25-ounce cake mix to make it work. Everything else remains the same after these additions.

You can purchase two cake mixes. Use one complete 15.25 package plus measure 3 ounces out of the second cake mix. Likewise, if you have 16.50 or 16.35-ounce box of cake mix, make up the difference with another box of cake mix. Store the remaining for next time.

Use one 15.25 ounce cake mix PLUS add 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon baking powder.”

Nutrition

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Comments

Kris says

05.20.22 at 10:35 am

Hi! If I plan to use the 18.25 ounces of mix, do the wet ingredients increase? Does using the greater amount make much of a difference as far the amount of cake?

- Paula says
  
  05.20.22 at 1:13 pm
  
  Details for the 18.25 are in the Notes of the recipe. You really can’t tell much difference in the larger size after the cake is baked.

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EASY STRAWBERRY CAKE