EASY STRAWBERRY CAKE

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Easy Strawberry Cake with cream cheese frosting 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. Yep, moist strawberry cake recipe from box. It’s light, tender, moist, and bursting with strawberry flavor.

Easy Strawberry Cake

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!)
Easy Strawberry Cake

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.

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

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.

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.

ingredients in bowl

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

ingredients in bowl

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 Cream Cheese Frosting.

WHILE YOU’RE HERE, CHECK OUT THESE RECIPES.

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

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
4.88 from 434 votes
Print Rate
Save To Your Recipe Box
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 16 slices

Ingredients

Cake

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

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

    YouTube video

    Notes

    Cooking times for pan size
    • 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
    Easy Strawberry Cake original version. Make it like this and ignore the top recipe. OR make the top recipe and ignore this part.
    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

    Calories: 574kcal | Carbohydrates: 94g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 116mg | Sodium: 489mg | Potassium: 115mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 75g | Vitamin A: 645IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 140mg | Iron: 1mg

    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.

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    Tried this recipe?Please take a moment to comment letting me know how you liked it & consider giving it a 5 star rating. I love hearing from you!

    677 Comments

    1. 5 stars
      Wow, this cake is absolutely delicious. Made for my husband and he can’t stop eating it. Wonderful and easy to follow directions. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe!!!!

        1. I have tried the cake mentioned and I don’t like it near as well as this cake. Just wondered if possible.

        2. 5 stars
          Hi Paula. I’m about to make the frosting for this cake for us to enjoy tonight. Should I keep the cake in or out of the fridge?

        3. Is the box of strawberry jello supposed to be 3 ounces or .3 ounce?

    2. 5 stars
      This is an amazing strawberry cake. Most requested choice for birthdays. I normally make 4 layers when I bake this cake and cut back on cooking time.

    3. I’m confused with the new and old recipe!
      I’m wanting to make the cake for a friends birthday this week.
      I have a 16ozcake mix but I want to make 3 layers but I don’t want the layers to be too flat, I’m happy to add more flour, sugar and baking powder to make the dry mix up to old 18oz.
      Is the wet ingredients the same with the 16oz and 18oz recipe? You mention that you have reduced the oil from 1 cup to 3/4 cup is this only for the 15/16oz version. Thanks

      1. Choose one and don’t look at the other recipe is my best advice. The cake in the photographs is the old recipe baked in 8-inch pans. The layers are thick.

    4. 5 stars
      Hello, about to make this cake. Can I use whole milk in the frosting if I don’t have heavy cream. Trying to avoid going to the store as this was last minute but I wanted to make my boxed cake better.

      Also if we have strawberry cake you said we don’t need the jello right? Does adding the jello still enhance the flavor even more?

      Thanks
      T

      1. Yes, even if I strawberry cake mix the jello will add great flavor. You can use whole milk in the frosting.

    5. If I can’t find the strawberry jello- do you have any idea if strawberry pudding mix would work well?

      1. Hi Angry! Yes, there is a recipe. You didn’t scroll down far enough. Plus, all you have to do if you don’t want to read the narrative is hit ‘jump to recipe’ right there at the very top of the post and it’ll take you directly to the recipe.

    6. 5 stars
      This is mouth watering and I had one slice right now. I can’t resist and will make it home.

    7. Hi! Planning to bake your strawberry cake recipe in a couple days for thanksgiving (family loves anything strawberry) but will need double the amount so could I just double everything you have listed & be fine?

    4.88 from 434 votes (340 ratings without comment)

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