The Best Strawberry Cake With Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
This Strawberry Cake With Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting is moist, tender, and bursting with fresh strawberry flavor. The whipped cream cheese frosting is light and fluffy with a hint of lemon adding the perfect touch to this delicious cake.
A simple sheet cake is transformed into a show-stopping dessert with the addition of fresh strawberries and rich, creamy frosting. This strawberry cake is light and fluffy, with just the right amount of sweetness.
The fresh strawberries add a pop of color and flavor, making it the perfect summer dessert. Topped with a generous layer of whipped cream cheese frosting, this cake is sure to please any crowd.
Best of all, it’s easy to make, so you can enjoy the results without spending hours in the kitchen. Whether you’re hosting a party or simply want to treat yourself, this strawberry cake is sure to satisfy.
I’ve been seeing some beautiful, bright, fresh strawberries at our local market and it’s so exciting! I just love strawberries Whether you use them in a pie or even a fruit salsa, strawberries are a great way to celebrate the sweet taste of spring.
The minute I saw perfectly plump strawberries at the store, I knew it was time to make one of my favorite cakes.
The fresh fruity flavor of this strawberry cake makes it the perfect dessert for any occasion this spring and summer. It’s definitely going to be on our table this year for our Easter brunch.
Sheet cakes are perfect for a crowd – they are easy to throw together, and they’re big enough that everyone gets the perfect size piece.
Fresh strawberries are diced and folded into both the cake batter and whipped cream cheese frosting giving this sheet cake the perfect infusion of strawberry flavors.
Homemade Strawberry Cake With Buttermilk
This recipe calls for the use of buttermilk; it makes this cake moist and tender. Since I don’t always have a carton of buttermilk on hand, I like to keep a container of buttermilk powder in the freezer ready to go. You will just add the powder to your dry ingredients and then add water in with your wet ingredients. If you’ve never used buttermilk powder, go run and grab some. It’s the perfect solution when you have a buttermilk crisis in the kitchen!
What Frosting Goes With Strawberry Cake?
Any frosting or icing can go with a strawberry cake, it all just depends on what you are looking for! If you want a classic white frosting, then a basic buttercream frosting would be perfect. If you are looking for something a little more unique, then go with this whipped cream cheese frosting.
The whipped cream cheese frosting is the perfect combination of cream cheese and fresh whipped cream – the perfect frosting for a strawberry cake.
I love the use of cream cheese in this frosting because it adds a touch of tanginess to the sweet cream of the frosting. Heavenly 🙂
Here are frosting flavors to go on strawberry cake:
- Vanilla Buttercream
- Strawberry Buttercream
- Cool Whip (if you’re in a pinch)
- Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:
- Cream Cheese
- Confectioners’ Sugar
- Chopped Fresh Strawberries
- Heavy Cream
- Fresh Lemon Juice
Cream Cheese Frosting Directions:
- Beat cream cheese and 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar until smooth; add strawberries and beat until just blended.
- Beat cream and lemon juice at medium speed until foamy; increase speed to medium-high. Slowly add the remaining 1/3 cup sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
- Using a spatula, fold half of the cream mixture into the cream cheese mixture; fold in the remaining cream mixture.
- Use immediately.
Get the full whipped cream cheese frosting recipe below in the recipe card.
Whipped Cream Frosting Tips
When making the whipped cream, be sure to use well-chilled cream right from your refrigerator; room-temperature cream will not incorporate air as well. It’s also a good idea to use a chilled metal bowl. Keeping things as cold as possible will yield you the best whipped cream.
The strawberry frosting uses confectioners’ sugar instead of regular granular sugar. I like to use confectioners’ sugar when making a whipped cream that’s used in a frosting because it contains a touch of cornstarch which stabilizes the whipped cream, preventing it from weeping as it sits.
This Strawberry Cake With Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting can be made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Just remember to set it on the counter to get to room temperature about 30 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!
Tools you’ll need
Strawberry Cake With Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Strawberry Cake
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups cake flour*
- 3 tablespoons strawberry-flavored gelatin
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon table salt
- 1 cup buttermilk*
- 2/3 cup chopped fresh strawberries
- Strawberry Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting – see notes below
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese 1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
- 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar divided
- 3/4 cup chopped fresh strawberries
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream cold
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
Strawberry Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Cream butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy and pale in color – about 3-4 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at time, beating for a few seconds between eggs. Bet n vanilla and lemon juice.
- In a separate bowl, stir together cake flour, strawberry flavored gelatin, baking soda and salt. Add flour mixture to creamed butter mixture and alternate with buttermilk, ending with flour mixture. Blend on low speed until incorporated. Fold in diced strawberries.
- Grease and flour a 9×13-inch baking pan and line with parchment paper. Allow a couple of inches of parchment paper to drop over the edges of the pan. Spray parchment with cooking spray and pour batter into prepared pan. Smooth batter evenly.
- Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 30 minutes. Using flaps of parchment paper as handles lift cake from pan. Turn cake over onto wire rack (carefully remove parchment paper) and cool completely. Spread Strawberry Frosting on top and sides of cake.
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat cream cheese and 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar until smooth; add strawberries and beat until just blended.
- Beat cream and lemon juice at medium speed until foamy; increase speed to medium-high. Slowly add remaining 1/3 cup sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
- Using a spatula, fold half of cream mixture into cream cheese mixture; fold in remaining cream mixture.
- Use immediately.
Nutrition
Find More Strawberry Dessert Recipes Below:
After you devour this yummy strawberry cake…try one of these strawberry desserts!
- Strawberry Twinkie Cake
- Strawberry Cookie Bars
- S’more Strawberry Shortcake In A Jar
- Strawberry Shortcake Dessert Kabobs
- Strawberry Vanilla Bean Cupcakes
- Strawberry Muffins With Fresh Strawberries
Recipe from ezeBreezy – Life Simplified –Recipe adapted from Southern Living
This strawberry cake made from scratch is the perfect summer dessert. Using fresh strawberries, this light and flavorful cake is easy to make. A sheet cake is ideal for feeding a crowd, and the whipped cream cheese frosting is a delicious and elegant finish. This cake is sure to be a hit at your next party or potluck.
Susan B
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An easy dessert to make for the 4th of July!
Yes! I love strawberry desserts all summer long!
This cake come out deliciously! I wanted my icing to be thicker (I didn’t use a mixer though – did everything by hand). Will make at the next family event! Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Can you use strawberry puree instead of the strawberry jello?
Hi Debbie, The strawberry jello gives it that bolder color which might not matter to you. Secondly, it gives the cake a stronger strawberry taste. Even if all that doesn’t matter to you, my biggest worry is the amount of additional moisture the purée would add to the cake vs using the powdered jello mix. The added moisture could affect cook time and cake texture.
If you try the puree let me know how it works out.
Would this work for cupcakes? I’m thinking about the need to spray the parchment paper… whether I’d need to spray the cupcake liners too. (A previous attempt at strawberry cupcakes that used jello in the mix stuck to the liners so badly they were inedible. Looking to avoid that!)
Hi Sarah, Here are some good tips to help stop the cake from sticking to the liners. Watch the youtube video…it has great suggestions. I’m going to use them too! https://www.handletheheat.com/prevent-cupcake-liners-sticking/
I don’t know that it is the jello in the recipe but possibly other factors. The post above should be helpful!
Will definitely be making this cake for my upcoming Memorial Day BBQ! Looks so pretty. Yum!
Iam from austraila and was wondering is cake flour plain flour or self raising flour that you use in your recipie
Sorry, it has taken so long to reply. The difference between cake flour and plain flour is the amount of protein in the flour. Here is an article that can explain it better than I can and can help you measure the flour correctly for the recipe. Hope this helps! https://www.cookinglight.com/cooking-101/essential-ingredients/all-purpose-flour-vs-cake-flour-whats-the-difference
I see buttermilk in the recipe can I use regular milk instead of buttermilk?
Hi Tonya, Here is a link to substitute buttermilk if you don’t have any on hand. http://joythebaker.com/2013/11/baking-101-the-best-buttermilk-substitutes/
Some good ideas…hope this helps!
Susan
Thank You for sharing this. I am going to make my granddaughter’s birthday cake and use this recipe
I hope everyone enjoys it!
Hi! Thank you for sharing such a wonderful recipe! I am making this for a baby shower and wondered if it can be made ahead and frozen before frosting. Wasn’t sure due to the strawberries. Thanks again!
I just found this recipe and made it for my daughter’s birthday party tomorrow. I have not frosted the cake yet. Can I frost it tonight and keep the cake in the fridge, or is it best to do it right before serving. Trying to prepare everything ahead of time.
Sorry, Kim, I just saw your comment. I think you could frost ahead of time and keep in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
Going to try this tomorrow!!
Can you use lemon juice concentrated ? Would you use just half of what’s needed
Hi can u make this cake in two 9 inch pans
Yes, that should not be a problem. Just make sure you have enough icing to put a layer between the cake layers. Also, the bake time will probably be shorter if divided into two pans.
I Followed Everything And The Center Of Mh Cakes Sunk In . I Used 3 6in Pans. Not Sure What Happened
Hi Jasmine, That is frustrating! There are several reasons a cake might sink in the middle. Read this article to see if one of these caused this to happen to your cakes. My guess it’s because you used different size cake pans than recommended which can change the baking time. The article also gives tips to fixing the sunken middle of the cakes. https://chelsweets.com/2020/07/11/why-do-cakes-sink-in-the-middle/ Hope this helps!
This is the very best strawberry cake hands down! I have made it for a lot of holidays and get togethers. The frosting is also the best! I love how light it is and that is doesn’t have freeze dried strawberries. I am not usually a fan of lemon but the lemon in this frosting and cake make it extra special. Thank you for such a yummy recipe! (:
Awesome! Thanks for letting me know how much you enjoy it! Always great to hear positive reviews!
This is the best, moist cake I ever made. I didn’t use the parchment paper and used my glass casserole dish and it came out perfect. Thanks for this recipe, it’s a keeper!!