Easy Fresh Strawberry Cake (video)
This simple tasty cake is bursting with strawberry flavor in every bite and is super easy to make. All it takes is 4 ingredients and 15 minutes to prepare. 
With strawberry season coming up, there is no better way to enjoy strawberries than in this delicious dessert. There are large chunks of strawberries in every bite of this soft and fragrant yellow cake. It’s also not too sweet, which makes it a great everyday treat.
Why this recipe is so great:
- It’s all about the strawberries. There are so many strawberries in this cake, a whole pound to be exact, which is what makes it so fabulous. The star of the show is the fruit and the cake is secondary.
- This made-from-scratch recipe is easy as can be. All you need is 4 ingredients and 15 minutes of prep time. The cake is delicious and loaded with fruit.
Ingredients you’ll need:
- Eggs
- Granulated sugar
- All-purpose flour
- Strawberries
- Vanilla extract (optional
How to make fresh strawberry cake:
(the ingredient amounts are listed in the printable recipe card further below)
- You start by combining the sugar, eggs, and vanilla (if using).
- Beat for about 3 minutes until pale.
- Sift in the flour.
- Gently mix until combined.
- Fold in the strawberries.
- Spoon the batter into a greased 9″ round baking dish. Top with a few more strawberries and bake for 30 minutes.
Expert tips:
- Use room temperature eggs. Room temperature eggs whip up and rise more easily, which is especially important in this recipe.
- Beat your eggs and sugar well. Because there are no leavening agents in this recipe, make sure you take the time to beat your eggs and sugar very well to incorporate as much air as possible. This is what gives the cake its structure.
- Gently fold in the sifted flour. You want to be gentle when mixing in the flour, so you don’t deflate all the air that was incorporated into the batter while beating your eggs. For best results, use a rubber spatula and an over-and-under motion to mix.
FAQ:
- Can you make this strawberry cake in advance? It’s best to make this cake the day of. Because of the large amount of fruit in it, the cake tends to get soggy the next day.
- How do you store leftover fresh strawberry cake? You can store this cake covered up at room temperature for a day or in the fridge for up to 2 days. But again, it’s best to enjoy this cake fresh the day of.
You might also like:
- Homemade Strawberry Shortcake
- Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream
- Strawberry Pretzel Salad
- Nutella Stuffed Strawberry Muffins
- Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
This cake’s texture is similar to a coffee cake, and it’s even better served with a side of whipped cream. It’s loaded with chunks of delicious and juicy ripe strawberries, which is the predominant flavor. This cake is truly effortless to make and delightful to eat.
Did you make this recipe? Please kindly leave a comment with your star rating below.
Print
Easy Fresh Strawberry Cake
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 30 min
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8-10
- Category: dessert
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
This simple tasty cake is bursting with strawberry flavor in every bite and is super easy to make.
Ingredients
- 6 oz (~3/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp (5ml) vanilla extract (optional)
- 6 oz (~1&1/3 cups) all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1lb fresh strawberries, cut in half or quartered depending on size (reserve a few half pieces for topping)
- whipped cream for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F and grease a 9″ round cake pan or pie plate.
- Beat the eggs and sugar (and vanilla if desired) using an electric mixer on medium speed for about 3 minutes (or until pale in color)
- Using a rubber spatula, gently stir in the sifted flour just until the batter is combined and smooth.
- Fold in the strawberries and spoon the batter into the prepared baking pan. Top with a few strawberry halves.
- Bake for 5 minutes at 400F. Then lower the temp to 350F and bake for another 30-35 minutes or until golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cool to just warm or room temperature. Serve with whipped cream if desired.
Notes
This cake is best enjoyed fresh the day of. Because of the natural juices from the strawberries, the cake tends to get soggy the day after.
You can cover and store this cake at room temperature for a day or in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 165
- Sugar: 19.3 g
- Sodium: 22.3 mg
- Fat: 1.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 33.6 g
- Protein: 3.9 g
- Cholesterol: 55.8 mg
Recipe inspiration from Laylita.com
My husband and I love this recipe! Now that it’s plum season, do you think we could substitute them for the strawberries?
Yes, I don’t see why not OR you can use this recipe instead https://www.littlesweetbaker.com/plum-cake/ Enjoy and let me know if you have any further question!
Why does the 5th ingredient have a line through it?
Hi Carol, my apologies if you are seeing that but there should be no line through any of the ingredients.
Hi Lily,
The Easy Fresh Strawberry Cake is fantastic and very easy to make.
I couldn’t stop eating it.
I will be making another one today, so I have it for the rest of the family.
Lois
Hi Lois, thank you for your kind words. I’m so happy you like it that much:) Enjoy!
Can I double and use a 9 x 13 pan?
Yes, you can:) Enjoy!
Can you use frozen strawberries?
It’s not recommended for this recipe. Fresh is much better.
hi dear , can we replace the strawberries to blueberries or any other berries?
Yes, you can use blueberries or any other berries. Enjoy!
It looks very nice. Does it not need some fat like butter or oil?
No, this basic sponge cake gets its fat from the egg yolks. Give it a try and see for yourself. Trust me, you will not be disappointed:)
My husband loved this cake. Its perfect for springtime, it was light and fresh. Thanks Lily I’m becoming a big fan of your recipes!
Hi Tanya, nice to meet you and thank you for your kind words – much appreciated!
This cake was really delicious.
Will be making again.
Thank you and so glad you liked it!
Hi could I make this batter and leave in fridge till the next morning then bake it ..I have company coming at 10 for coffee and thought this would be great to serve also
No, because this cake relies on the air beaten into the batter for lift, I strongly do not recommend making the batter in advance. You can make it the night before or even better, my crumb cake recipe or sour cream coffee cake is excellent with morning coffee.
Does this cake need to be refrigerated after baking?
Hey Judy, you can cover and store this cake at room temperature for a day. Any longer than that, it should be refrigerated.
Trying this recipe today! As a novice baker, I’m really only used to sweet cakes, so I’m a little confused as to why my batter is so tart. I followed the recipe to a tee, will the juices from the berries sweeten the cake more or is it just not a sweet sugary cake at all?
Hi Mackenzie,
It’s not a very sweet cake. If your berries are nice and sweet, then it balances out. If your berries are tart, then the cake can be a bit tart. You can sprinkle a few tablespoons of sugar on top of the batter before baking or dust with powdered sugar to make the cake more sweet. I hope that helps and enjoy your Easter long weekend!
I made the recipe doubled and used a Bundt pan and it came out so deliciously dense! I do think my strawberry chunks were a bit too soggy and large (the batter was a little underdone where the top berries were) but it was even more delicious when heated up a little! I also made your walnut cinnamon banana bread and the bread came out so beautiful I had to take a few photos of it that I wish I could link here!
Mmm…strawberry bundt cake, great idea! I would love to see photos of the banana bread you made. You can email them to lily@littlesweetbaker.com if you wish. Thank you for your lovely comment. Stay safe and happy baking!
Why no Baking powder in this cake?
You need it when making cakes from
Scratch.
Not for this recipe because part of the simplicity of this cake is that you are using the eggs instead of leavening agents to help it rise. That’s why you beat the eggs for 3 minutes or until pale to incorporate as much air as possible in your batter.