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
WHILE YOU’RE HERE, CHECK OUT THESE RECIPES.
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
Equipment
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 flavored gelatin 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 powdered sugar (aka confectioners) 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
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are important to you, I recommend calculating them yourself.
What cake mix flavor?
white or yellow
Do you have a vanilla cake recipe?
You can use the cake recipe for this one and frost it however you wish
https://www.callmepmc.com/strawberry-cream-cake/
This cake is DELICIOUS! I made it for my dad’s Birthday last year after he requested a strawberry cake. I’m usually lazy and just use a strawberry boxed cake, but I wanted a more homemade touch and more of a fresh strawberry flavor. This cake did not disappoint. And I’m always a fan of cream cheese frosting!! (I’ll admit I ate quite a bit out of the bowl with a spoon 😉) As for the bakers that said the frosting was too thin, I believe that’s due to the fresh berries as they give off too much liquid. To fix this I just cooked down the strawberries in a pot until some of the moisture was cooked out. I believe this helped immensely! I plan on making this recipe again this week for my dad’s Birthday again! Thanks for the yummy recipe that will become a favorite in my recipe box. 😊
Thanks so much Katie! Hope your Dad enjoys it for many years 😀
My cake mix is 16.25 oz. Do I need to adjust anything to make this recipe work?
Yes, I have it detailed in the post
Post is for 15.25 my cake mix is 16.5??
I have followed your recipe to the letter and have never seen an icing recipe that stays the consistency of liquid. Any thoughts or suggestions would be helpful . I added more powdered sugar hoping to thicken it up. Placed in my fridge and hopefully will thicken up overnight
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
8 -ounce cream cheese at room temperature
1/2 cup butter room temperature
5 to 6 cups confectioners’ sugar more if needed
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream more if needed
1/4 cup fresh or frozen strawberries mashed or chopped fine, drained
I have a very similar recipe from my grandmother I want to try – the only difference is in hers she has only 2/3 cup oil, and does not include any milk. It also says ‘1 package’ of white cake mix which probably referred to the larger size cake mix (or whatever was sold in the 60s!). Thinking yours will just be more moist.
You mention in the recipe to use strawberry jello, does this act as the sugar? It’s The jello powder that is put into the powder correct?
Yes, you put the Jello in the cake in powder form. The cake mix has the sugar.
I am 78 yrs old and have baked this identical cake for at least 50 years…my husband’s request for his birthday always and now my granddaugther asks for it but she wanted cream cheese frosting. Thank you for providing this change. You mention in the text something about the strawberries in the frosting but I can’t find any reference or a post about this. Can you help?
I changed it in the recipe so it’s corrected as written
Hi forgot to ask, if you strawberry cake mix, do you still use the strawberry jello? Thanks for your help.
I haven’t made it with strawberry cake mix, but I’d leave it out. Using strawberry cake mix will alter the taste of the cake a little from the written recipe.
Thanks
Hi used this recipe several times and have gotten good comments. Do you have a chocolate cake recipe using cake mix? If so, would you mind sharing it? Thank you.
I have this chocolate cake that starts with a mix> https://www.callmepmc.com/chocolate-praline-bundt-cake/
and this one doesn’t use a cake mix, but it’s super simple> https://www.callmepmc.com/chocolate-coca-cola-cake-call-me-pmc/
Since the icing is made with cream cheese does the cake need to stay refrigerated?
yes