Strawberry Cake
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This Strawberry Cake has fresh strawberries in the cake as well as the frosting. It’s Grandmother’s favorite! If you are a fan of strawberries, this is a must try!
If you love strawberries, you are going to want to keep reading. This beautiful cake is packed full of them! It starts simply with a white cake mix, add in a box of strawberry Jell-O, and frozen real strawberries. The frosting is full of strawberries, too. That beautiful pink frosting comes from the strawberries themselves.
I originally blogged this recipe almost 4 years ago. This cake recipe comes from my friend, Candi, who has been one of my closest friends for over 20 years. She also happens to be a fellow food blogger. Candi blogs at The Devilish Dish.
I have mentioned before, that I haven’t always loved baking. Now, I dream of recipes I can make when I can’t sleep, or even during church (ha ha — really – see: Marshmallow Cheesecake.) Candi, on the other hand, has always had a love of baking, and she is amazing. This is one of the recipes on her blog that I have always planned to make. Lordy! Why did it take me so long?!?
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Candi calls this recipe Grandmother Mary’s Strawberry Cake. I encourage you to go read the blog post, because it is one of my favorites she has ever written. Her grandmother made this cake every Sunday, because it was her granddaddy’s favorite cake. That right there is love, people.
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Back then, I was browsing through recipes trying to come up with a dessert for my Easter dinner, and I happened upon this one. It was that ah-ha moment we all have. My menu was planned. Somethings about my Easter dinner change from year to year, and some things are always present.
One thing that typically changes is dessert. You know those people that pass on dessert? The ones that are all “I couldn’t eat another bite.” Even those people asked “can I have just a sliver?” (then came back and asked for a second piece!) Nothing like enjoying a great piece of strawberry cake, on the patio, in the sunshine.
But PLEASE don’t wait until Easter to make this fresh strawberry cake!
May I suggest Valentine’s Day? It’s perfect for that pink and red holiday I hold so close to my heart! Sometimes when you slice a strawberry it looks like a heart.
Whether you get that heart shaped strawberry accidentally, or intentionally, it adorns the cake in a way that screams ….. ❤︎ Be My Valentine! ❤︎
Look at all of those strawberries in there! This cake is super duper moist. I know there are people out there that frown upon using cake mixes. But I am here to tell you, if you didn’t tell anyone that this strawberry cake recipe wasn’t from scratch they would never know. Well, until they ask you for the recipe, and they will. So be prepared.
Ingredients in Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Frosting:
- white cake mix
- strawberry gelatin
- frozen strawberries
- flour
- oil and water
- eggs
- butter
- powdered sugar
This cake is fairly simple to make, but know that the frosting isn’t a typical frosting consistency. The first time I made it, it was warm in my kitchen from all of the cooking I was doing, so I kept it in the fridge.
Whenever I make this as a layer cake, I find it easier to do a “crumb coat” and place the cake in the fridge for 30 minutes, before adding the rest of the frosting. Candi’s original recipe calls for a lot less frosting, but I am here to tell you, you’ll want to eat this strawberry frosting with a spoon. I found that the amount I have in my recipe, is perfect to add plenty in between the layers, and to frost the outside of the cake generously. If you choose to make this cake as a 9×13, you won’t need this much frosting. Cut in half and you will have a good plenty.
What is a Crumb Coat?
A crumb coat is a thin layer of frosting that is applied to a cake to seal in stray crumbs before the second layer of frosting is applied. Apply the thin layer of frosting then place your cake in the refrigerator to set up before applying the final coat.
After I frosted it, I decided to add some fresh strawberries to the top. Luckily I took the photos right away. I went to take the cake out to serve it, and you know what happens when strawberries meet sugar right? They become syrupy and perfect for shortcake. Of course, when they are laying on a cake or arranged around the side touching a sugary frosting, they make little strawberry syrup rivers in your frosting. DOH!
So, note to self, if you are placing fresh strawberries on the cake, do it RIGHT before you serve it!
Last week, I had a brilliant idea! What if I made this cake, but baked it in my donut pan? Then what if I glazed those donuts with chocolate ganache? Then…. what if I dusted them with cute sprinkles and dressed them up for Valentine’s Day? Well, I did all of those things, and named them Chocolate Covered Strawberry Donuts! They are CRAZY GOOD, friends.
Here are some more of our favorite strawberry recipes:
Layers of whipped cream, fresh strawberries and graham crackers will have your taste buds going crazy! This no bake summertime dessert may be old fashioned — but it’s completely fabulous!
Out of all of the Strawberry Cake Mix Recipes, this one is hands down my favorite. Who would have ever thought adding frozen strawberries and Strawberry Jell-O to a white cake mix would be this good?!
Time to make the BEST strawberry cake EVER! 
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Strawberry Cake
Ingredients
- FOR THE CAKE:
- 1 white cake mix
- 3 Tablespoons flour
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup water
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 3 ounce package Strawberry Jell-o
- 1/2 cup frozen strawberries thawed, drained
- FROSTING:
- 1 1/2 sticks butter softened
- 3/4 cup frozen strawberries thawed, drained
- 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Grease and flour two 9" round cake pans.
- Combine cake mix, flour, oil, water, eggs and Jell-o in your mixer. I mixed for 2 minutes. Gently fold in frozen strawberries.
- Pour into prepared cake pans and bake for approximately 25 minutes. Use the "toothpick test" to make sure cake is done in the middle.
- Turn out on a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Pre-Pare the Frosting: Combine frosting ingredients until frosting is desired consistency. Add more sugar to thicken, more strawberries to thin. Frost in between layers, and the outside as you would any cake.
- Garnish with fresh strawberries if desired. Don't do this step too far in advance, as they will become syrupy.
Notes
- 1/2 cup frozen strawberries is equivalent to one 10 ounce container of frozen strawberries.
- Reserve the liquid from the strawberries, it's nice to add to the frosting if you feel you need to thin it out as you're making it.
- Original recipe calls for a lot less frosting. This amount was perfect to add plenty in between the layers, and to frost the outside of the cake generously. I did do a "crumb coat" and placed the cake in the fridge for 30 minutes and then frosted the rest. If you are making this cake as a 9x13, you won't need this much frosting. Cut in half and you will have a good plenty.
Nutrition
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-Here is a photo of my friend, Candi and me at a concert the last time I saw her, November 2014 –
It’s never a dull moment when I get to see her! <3
Hi- Can I use fresh strawberries in the frosting, instead of frozen strawberries? thank you!
I think you should be able to, you may want to macerate them first, to give them the texture of the frozen ones, also will give you that added liquid to use to thin the frosting.
My husband loves this cake and requested it for his birthday this year. However, his oldest child has recently gone vegetarian and won’t eat it with Jell-o. Has anyone tried making this with a vegan Jel substitute? Just wondering if that would work.
I love it, too!! I am not sure what Jello has to do with being vegetarian? I have only ever made it the way it’s written, so I cannot guarantee how that would turn out?
I grew up eating this cake, my moms name is Betty so my siblings and I called it Betty’s Strawberry Cake, not sure where mom found the recipe back in the 1970s. I was thinking it was kool aid not jello so I am currently making this cake now I used kool aid. The batter tasted fine.
Maybe your mom’s cake was a variation of this one? We have always loved it with Jello!
It’s your husband’s birthday, cater to him. The kid has a birthday too.
I used Betty Crocker Strawberry Cake Mix , Extra Moist. it was a hit. I served with Cream Cheese icing and Whipped Cream.
Cream cheese frosting is always a good idea in my book! 😉
The frosting on this cake is divine! I cannot wait to make it again.
Hello! I made this cake today, with a few edits. I used 3/4 cup of buttermilk instead of water. I used four eggs at room temperature instead of three and I used a stick of unsalted butter instead of oil. OMG!! This cake was so moist!! I will be making it again.
Happy that you were able to make it your own!
Hi! Did you melt the butter or softened?
The butter is softened.
I have a strawberry cake mix, can I use it instead of white?
You sure can!
How much in ounce or cups do I need for cake flour?
This recipe doesn’t use cake flour. You will find the complete ingredients and instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Have you ever made this in a Bundt pan rather than layers? Other than adjusting baking time, are there any other recommendations?
I haven’t. This cake is VERY moist. I am slightly concerned that it may not come out of the pan well. If you give it a go, will you circle back and let me know your outcome?
There are some really good comments listed here! I haven’t yet made this cake, but please note that I said *yet*! hahaa My question is about the strawberries that go into the batter: Are they cut up at all? If not, I’m just wondering how well they get distributed… Thanks!
They are in the sauce, so I guess it’s best to say they aren’t really firm, and they blend in nicely!!