EASY STRAWBERRY CAKE
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Easy Strawberry Cake with
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. Yep, moist strawberry cake recipe from box. It’s light, tender, moist, and bursting with strawberry flavor.
EASY STRAWBERRY CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
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 it’s my passion.
As well, this Strawberry Cake recipe 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!)
Strawberry Cake recipe tips & 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 a strawberry flavored 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!)
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 for 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 them from the tin and cool them 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.
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.
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. It 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 it into the pan. Bake, then frost. I frosted it with
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You may also enjoy my Pound Cake Series
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.
Easy Strawberry Cake
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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 9×13-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
- For 9×13 pan bake 28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- 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
im not a great cook for starters, but I did make this cake today and it turned out nothing like yours looks, with that said it has to be the best strawberry cake I’ve ever eat. My icing well had its own problems and was to runny…any suggestions on what I did wrong?
It’s probably wasn’t you, strawberries can vary greatly with how much juice is in them which will affect that. You could probably firm it up by just adding more confectioners sugar. Also, sometimes I think the weather (if it’s humid or raining) affects icing as it does with candy making. I’ve never read that to be true, but I know from personal experience that I’ve made icings the exact same way and have them turn out differently. I usually add 1/4 cup confectioners sugar at a time until it is the consistancy that I want. I’m glad it tasted good though!
Wow!! This cake looks absolutely amazing. I would like to make this cake in 2- 9 inch round pans… could you tell me how long I would bake it for?? Thanks! Love your blog btw 🙂
Just made this for my daughter’s 2nd birthday. It was really amazing. It will be our ‘go-to’ birthday cake for my daughter each year. I left out the strawberries in the icing so it was a little more spreadable- and tinted it pink. I decorated with some sprinkles and strawberries on top. It was a HUGE hit! I brought leftovers to school and everyone loved it! Thanks for the recipe!
I am new here and I was an avid cook. Your recipes are so easy and scrumptious looking!! I can’t wait to try the Asian Lettuce wraps ( Atkins diet here ). The grandkids will get the desert recipes I make. Their parents will love that I am making dinners for them again. I got away from any kind of recipes and just almost stopped cooking altogher after my husband died. But, the kids need me to come back to the meals I am famous for making ( my kids are my fans! lol) I am so happy to stumble on your site in an email I got from Recipe Lion. I will check in as soon as I make the wraps and this strawberry cake.
I am so glad you’re here too. Cooking is therapy for me, but I like to keep it easy and quick. I know your kids miss your cooking. There are some dishes that my mom makes that only she can do. I look forward to them every holiday. Can’t wait to here back from you!
What a great looking cake! It looks like it is bursting with strawberry flavor!
Hi Paula,
I am a huge strawberry cake fan, with that said I’ve tried many and this is by far the best I’ve ever tasted! This includes big name cupcake bakeries. I made them into cupcakes and the recipe was quite easy. I will continue to makes these probably, forever! They were a huge hit, my boyfriend must have ate like 5 or 6 the night I made them. Thanks so much for sharing:-)
Following this recipe could you make cupcakes with it?
Yes, you’ll bake cupcakes 18 to 20 minutes at 350 degree F (for a standard size cupcake)
Made the strawberry cake (2-9 in pans), but the strawberry cream cheese frosting turned out very loose. Thinking I should’ve drained chopped berries. Added more cups of confectioners sugar (6 1/2 total) and still not thick enough to spread on layers, but very sweet, HELP! Will adding another 8 oz cream cheese & stick of butter help thicken the mixture?
It will thicken the mixture and make it not as sweet. Also, Refrigerate the mixture 20 to 30 minutes to firm it up. Test it and if it’s still to thin to spread and hold on cake, this is what I’d do. I would cut the cake in cubes and layer one of the layers in the bottom of a pretty glass bowl, top with half the icing and 4 ounces of cool whip. Repeat with second layer of cake, other half of icing and rest of cool whip. Serve it and don’t tell anyone it was supposed to be a layer cake. I flopped on a pound cake, my Amaretto pound cake actually, one time, it was a big mess. I made a trifle out of it and my husband’s family wants me to bring it every holiday now. Let me know how it turns out with the additions.
Hi Sharon,
You could try mixing the cream cheese and butter together while they are still relatively firm from the fridge. This should give you a firm consistency versus a loose liquid one. When the butter and cream cheese are too soft the mixture tends to be loose and liquid like. Maybe cutting the stick of butter and block of cream cheese into cubes prior to mixing will help with the mixing process. And as Paula mentioned, letting it chill helps. Hope this helps.