This strawberry cake recipe is one of those desserts you’ll be proud to show off. Not only is it absolutely beautiful with layers of cake, cream, and strawberries, but it tastes amazing too!
There’s a reason I call it Heavenly Strawberries ‘n Cream Cake. 😉
With fresh strawberries, homemade whipped cream, and a light pound-cake-type texture, Strawberries ‘n Cream Cake is the perfect strawberry dessert.
Strawberries are one of my favorite foods, especially since there are so many yummy recipes you can make with them. I make all kinds of strawberry desserts, from Strawberry Rhubarb Pie to Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes, but I wanted to try something lighter this time.
Why You Need to Make This Strawberry Cake
I found this strawberry cake recipe from Taste of Home and it was an instant hit with both family and friends alike.
One of the best parts about this Heavenly Strawberries ‘n Cream Cake is it’s perfect for all sorts of occasions. You can make it as a barbecue dessert mid-summer or as a special birthday cake. It’s beautiful enough to rival any perfect store-bought cake, but it tastes so much better because this cake is homemade.
Yes, even the whipped cream frosting is homemade! It complements the strawberry flavor perfectly.
However, don’t let any of that intimidate you. It may look like a fancy-schmancy dessert but it is oh-so-easy to put together!
But let’s stop talking and get down to make this beautiful treat from scratch, shall we?
Ingredients:
- large eggs
- sugar
- lemon juice
- vegetable oil
- all-purpose flour
- salt
- heavy whipping cream (more if you want to decorate) – make sure to get the heavy variety.
- confectioners’ sugar or powdered sugar
- vanilla extract
- sliced fresh strawberries – frozen will not work for this recipe. You want them to be fresh, real strawberries.
How to Make Strawberry Cake
First, separate the eggs carefully and put the egg whites in your large mixing bowl. Be careful not to get any yolk into the egg whites or the cake won’t turn out right.
If you have a stand mixer or electric mixer, you definitely want to use it for this step. Let the egg whites sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes while you work on the next step (this helps them whip up better.)
Preheat the oven to 325°.
In another smaller bowl, whisk the egg yolks until slightly thickened.
Gradually add ¾ cup of sugar, whisking well until thick and lemon colored.
Slowly pour in the lemon juice, oil, and water.
In yet another bowl, mix the flour and salt together. Then add it to the yolk mixture
You’ll get a lovely yellow cake batter that should be free of any lumps.
Stir until mixed. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to remove any potential lumps.
Set the yolk mixture aside.
Now we’ll go back to the egg whites. Beat the egg whites on low speed and quickly move to medium speed…
…until soft peaks form.
Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high speed until glossy peaks form.
See? Glossy high peaks.
Take a couple of big spoonfuls of the egg whites and gently fold into the yolk mixture.
Add the entire yolk mixture into the remaining egg whites and very gently fold in. It only took a few seconds on the lowest speed with my mixer.
Pour into Round Cake Pans
Gently spoon into an ungreased tube pan
; smooth the top.
Bake at 325° for 35-45 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. It was closer to 45 minutes for me. The top should be nicely browned.
Do not under bake this cake or it will fall. You can double check this by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake and see if it comes out clean. If so, you should be good!
Immediately invert the pan upside down onto drying racks and let it cool completely.
Make the Whipped Cream Frosting
Now it’s time to make the icing. It’s slightly sweet but not overly so. It pairs perfectly with the cake and strawberries!
Put your mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes; this helps the cream whip up better.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the heavy cream on medium-high until it begins to thicken.
Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla; beat until stiff peaks form.
Put Together the Strawberry Layer Cake
Run a knife around the sides and center of the pan and remove the cake.
Slice the cake into three horizontal layers. It doesn’t have to be exact, so don’t worry if your line is a little uneven like mine.
Place one layer on a serving plate and top with some of the whipped cream icing.
Thinly slice a couple cups of strawberries.
Arrange a thin layer of strawberries over the whipped cream. This is a great step for a child to do if you have a helper in the kitchen. 😉
Repeat the layers. Spread whipped cream over the sides and top of the cake and arrange the strawberries as you desire.
I used the entire 16 oz container of whipped cream to frost the cake, so I made another batch so I could add a few swirly decorations.
You don’t have to decorate though it’s really easy. I used a simple decorating bag and large decorator’s tip. It’s not nearly as hard as one might think. (Tip: do a practice swirl or two on a plate oer paper towel before you try on the cake if you’re unsure. )
And that’s how you make this beautiful Heavenly Strawberries ‘n Cream Cake!
Serve and ENJOY!
Make sure to refrigerate any leftovers so the whipped cream frosting doesn’t melt.
FAQs About This Strawberry Cake Recipe
Can I make this cake gluten free?
If you are avoiding gluten, you’re in luck! You can easily make this cake gluten free by subbing out the all-purpose flour for a gluten free flour – I like this brand.
How should I store this cake?
Due to the whipped cream topping, this cake should be stored in the fridge, where it will last 2-3 days. It will keep best in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic.
Can I use frozen strawberries instead of fresh?
Unfortunately, no. The water content in frozen strawberries is much higher than fresh berries, and will leave your cake a mushy mess. While there are plenty of recipes you can use frozen berries in, this is not one of them.
More Desserts to Try
- Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes
- The Best Irish Cream Cake with Real Whipped Cream and Bailey’s
- Homemade Apple Crisp
- Pink Velvet Cupcakes
Strawberries ‘n Cream Cake
With fresh strawberries, homemade whipped cream, and a pound-cake-type texture, Strawberries ‘n Cream Cake is the perfect strawberry dessert.
- Prep Time: 45 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 mins
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 6 eggs, separated
- 1 ½ cups sugar, divided
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 ¾ cup flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 16 oz carton heavy whipping cream (more if you want to decorate)
- ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 cups sliced fresh strawberries
Instructions
- Separate the eggs and place the egg whites in a large mixing bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. (This helps them whip up better.)
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks until slightly thickened. Gradually add ¾ cup of sugar, whisking well until thick and lemon colored. Beat in the lemon juice, oil. and water. Combine the flour and salt and add to the yolk mixture.
- Beat the egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining (¾ cup) sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high until glossy peaks form. Fold a fourth of the egg whites into yolk mixture. Then add the entire yolk mixture into the remaining egg whites and gently fold in. (only a few seconds on lowest speed of mixer.)
- Gently spoon into an ungreased tube pan; smooth the top. Bake at 325 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. The top will be nicely browned. Immediately invert the pan; cool completely.
- **For the whipped topping**
- Put your mixing bowl in the fridge to chill; this helps the cream to whip up better.
- In a large bowl, beat the heavy cream until it begins to thicken. Add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla; beat until stiff peaks form.
- Run a knife around the sides and center of the pan; remove the cake. Split into three horizontal layers. Place one layer on a serving plate; top with some of the whipped cream and sliced strawberries. Repeat.
- Top with the remaining cake layer; spread remaining whipped cream over the top and sides of the cake. Arrange berries on sides and top of cake.
- Keep refrigerated.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 403
- Sugar: 34g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Carbohydrates: 51g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 145mg
© Living Well Mom. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words and link back to this post for the recipe.
Lala says
Looks pretty fab-tabulous! Never even thought to cut up an angel food cake to make layered cake….genius!
Erika says
Thanks, Lala.
Rose Marie Doyle says
HI, Erika!
Seems that you are doing great with your online recipe share. I’m a former stay at home mom of 12 and follower of Jesus Messiah. I’ve been doing something similar to your cake for many years, using a cake mix baked in a 9×13 pan and split once. I also, sugar the strawberries that have been sliced in a food processor, and allow them to juice out before spreading/pouring them over the cake middle and top, underneath a layer of whipped cream.. It’s a lazy version, but I would NEVER trade out the homemade whipped cream for a commercial substitute. It’s a tradition/expectation when my grown family gets together for Easter.. I must admit, your cake is far more beautiful than mine:-)
Erika says
Thanks, Rose! Your version sounds delicious too. I may have to try that.
Jennifer says
Hello great recipe!! Thank you for sharing. Can I make this in two 9′ cake pans instead?
Erika says
I don’t see why you couldn’t, Jennifer. Good luck! I’d love to know how it turns out if you get a chance too. Thanks for reading!
Bea says
I made this cake today for guests from the UK. I love the easy recipe, but do u think using cake flour instead would make it fluffier? My husband ate 2 big pieces, he liked the fact that it was not sweet. Thank you for the successful ending to the dinner.
Erika says
I’m glad to hear it was a big hit, Bea! Thanks for letting me know. You could use cake flour, but the cake is supposed to be a denser pound-cake texture.
Maria says
Hi would like to know instead of using vegetable oil u can substitute olive oil
Erika says
No, the olive oil has a different flavor and would alter the cake. While I have not tried it myself with this particular cake recipe, you could try coconut oil (though some would say that too has a distinct flavor, but I often use coconut oil in baking and it works/tastes great.)
Linda says
Looks like a great recipe..but I could not help but notice there is no baking powder or baking soda included in the recipe. Is this an oversight or does the method of incorporating the eggs compensate for the omission of baking powder or soda? Is it okay to add some?
Erika says
It’s a pound cake, so there’s no need for baking soda or baking powder. It’s meant to be denser. And so yummy! 🙂 I would not add any as it would completely change the chemistry of the cake.
Deborah Lindaberry says
Can not get the Ham and scalloped potato recipe. I click on make and it goes to a strawberry shortcake recipe. How can I get the reciep I want????
Eulonda Rivera says
Is this cake flour or plain flour
Erika says
This is regular flour
Theresa @DearCreatives says
Yes please! I need to purchase a pan like that, stat!
sandi b says
Do I have to use lemon juice. I don’t like the taste of lemon in pound cake.
sandi b says
Hi, I haven’t received an answer about not using lemon or substuteing another liquid. Please let me know as I want to make it today. Thanks. Sandi B
Cassandra Eastman says
This look so delicious! You did an incredible job decorating! I can’t wait to make this for my family 🙂
Ashley says
This looks delicious. Could you substitute the strawberries for blackberries?
Momwith3boys says
What a beautiful recipe, we are going to make this on Friday for our woman’s group. It will be an allowable treat, the Strawberries help weight loss
http://recipetoloseweight.blogspot.com/2014/04/lose-weight-with-strawberries-how-one.html
JJ Caraway says
I can’t wait to try this cake, it is beautiful and I bet it does taste awesome.
Lindsay N. says
This looks so good! My fiance loves strawberries and I bet he’s love this cake.
Winnie says
It’s an amazing cake!!
We loooooooooove strawberry and lucky us we also have here great frozen ones.
I wish I could grab that slice and eat it 🙂
Erika says
Thanks, Winnie!
Learn about Whiskey BBQ Beef Jerky says
I’ve just seen this cake and it’s soooooooooo delicious looking!!
I love it!
Kristen says
Hi, very excited to make this cake but no luck finding a 20 in tube pan. Any idea???
Nik says
I jsually make strawberr cupcakes for Valentine’s Day, but I wanted to try something different this year. This recipe definitely caught my eye! I was wondering if I vpuld possibly use a cream cheese frosting instead of whipped cream (I never really liked whipped cream).
Erika says
I don’t see why not. It wouldn’t be as light and fluffy as the original would be, but I’m sure it would still taste delicious. Good luck!
niki says
The recipe said flour but didn’t specify all purpose or self rising so which is it. I just baked the cake and used all purpose flour and the cake didn’t rise very much or at least not what l expected. I’m afraid to ice the cake thinking l should have used self rising flour. Can you please answer asap. Thanks
Christie says
I tried making this cake today. It definitely doesn’t look like your cake. Is yours an angel food cake or pound cake?
Erika says
It’s more of a pound-cake texture. Did your egg whites whip up enough? That’s an important part.
diane says
How did you slice this cake with out it breaking apart and how many inches wide to cut it
Siobhan Sentry says
Hi,
When I added the flour to the egg yolk mixture it turned into like a dough rather then a mixture, it’s like there was too much flour I used 1 3/4 cup as stated is it possible my eggs were too small?
Thanks,
Siobhan
Erika says
That is possible. I always use large eggs. Next time you could try an extra yolk. Good luck!
Sharon Blough says
Has anyone made this is 2 or 3 cake pans? I don’t have a 20 inch pan and wondered if I could just layer it that way.
Phyllis @VerifiedMom says
OMG this looks so good! I have got to give it a try! Looks like it would be a great summer time recipe!
alli says
Hi! I am making this cake Thursday and I just wanted to know if you had a special trick to getting the strawberries to stick to the side of the cake successfully? It’s the only thing that intimidates me and I was just wondering if you have any tricks. Thanks!
Erika says
Make sure you slice the strawberries thinly and you shouldn’t have any issues. The whipped cream frosting will hold them up quite nicely. Good luck and enjoy!
theresa krier says
hi i am new to your site, this looks amazing, will be making this for mothers day, thanks
Erika says
I’m glad you stopped by, Theresa. Have fun making it!
Jami says
Made this tonight after berry picking this weekend. Family LOVED it! Thank you very much! 🙂
Erika says
I can’t wait to go berry picking! So glad your family enjoyed it, Jami!
kathy says
Made this weekend and it was a hit, thankyou very much
Erika says
Great! I’m glad to hear it.
Alisa says
Will this taste just as good made a day before?
Erika says
Yes, it will. The whipped cream may not look as nice though. I recommend making the cake and refrigerating it, wrapping it tightly so it doesn’t dry out. Then the next day, whip the heavy cream and “frost” the cake and add the strawberries.
Alisa says
I’ve made this cake many times. Always a hit!!!
Aya says
Hey am doing the cake now was wondering why i t didnt rise at all it has no baking powder is this normal?
Erika says
The egg whites make it rise. They can be finicky – even a hit of egg yolk in them and the cake will not rise. (I used up 2 dozen eggs once trying to make an angel food cake!)
I’m sorry it didn’t work out! And I apologize I took so long to respond.
janie davis says
This looks wonderful. How do you keep the sliced strawberries from bleeding all over the cake? I recently made a similar design chocolate cake. Although it was delicious, it was sitting in a puddle of strawberry juice after sitting in the fridge overnight.
Erika says
Hi, Janine. I would guess that really ripe strawberries would be prone to do that and/or if they were washed and not dried well. I would recommend picking not-too-ripe-and-juicy strawberries and drying them well before using them. Hope that helps! Thanks for stopping by!
Phen Williams says
True story – I literally drooled down my top looking at that first photo! I am still salivating. Sorry if that’s TMI, but WOW, that photo is amazing.
I will be making this tomorrow, thought I doubt I will be able to make it look as pretty as yours. For weight loss reasons, I’m trying to increase my intake of virgin coconut oil (I know that sounds odd, but it’s meant to be better for weight loss as it’s a medium chain fatty acid that’s digested directly, rather than being sent to the liver like oils and stored as fat). Do you think this recipe would work with melted coconut oil instead of vegetable oil?
Nerusha says
Hi..
I recently made this… but it was a disappointment… It was very sour… but i followed exactly the measurement you have.. but i halved the recipe.. Where did i go wrong? 🙁 :'(
Erika says
I’m sorry to hear that, Nerusha. What part was sour? The cake itself or the whipped cream?
sumiyah says
would the texture and everything still be there if i used 2-3 round cake pans tomorrow when i make this? Also is your tube pan 20 inches TALL or WIDE? either would seem so huge to me… anyway i plan on getting a tube pan, but i wanna make this cake first!
sumiyah says
I made the cake yesterday and my husband really liked it and he’s not really into cake! So nvm about my first question but if you could still answer my question about how big your pan is please?
Erika says
I used a 12″ tube pan. Glad to hear your husband loved this!
Dora says
I have made this cake a couple times now! It is so delicious!
Erika says
Thanks, Dora. I love to hear that!
Whitney says
I did the recipe perfect & the dough came out like cookie batter. May want to add 2 cups of water verses 2 tbsp. It’s not that sweet so good for diabetics. I did not know it was a pound cake recipe. But good at the end. I decided to make cream cheese frosting with my cake & add blueberries. It was a one time only make though because it was too much of a reminder of angelfood cake. Usa.
Erika says
Cream cheese and blueberries sound delicious. Great idea!
MUI HOANG says
I tired your recipe the other day and It was yummie!!! I shared it with my family and friends and they all LOVED IT! the cake was yummie and moist!! I will be baking this again!!!! thank you so much for sharing your wonderful yummie creation!
Jess says
I’m planning to make this this weekend for a sweet seven year old’s birthday party. I need to modify so that it’s Gluten free. Since it’s more of a pound cake texture, I’m thinking this will work out okay. Has anyone tried this with this recipe?
Neet says
Why do people always want to change the recipe? That is where the problems come in. There is a chance that you have to try a recipe more than once to get it to come out the way it was intended. Most of the people on this site have gotten it right. Some of you wanting to change the recipe will probably have some problems. Keep in mind the oven temps as well. If you bake often then you know that that is a factor as well. Happy baking.
Gee says
I have never heard or seen a 20″ tube pan. I’ve only used 10 & 12″ pans. What other size pans can be used for this recipe. I am anxiously waiting for a response.
Thanks,
Gee
Erika says
Hi Gee, you can use a 10 or 12″ tube pan for this recipe. The 20″ was a typo. Thanks so much for pointing this out!
Erika
Cheri says
I made this cake last night for a friend’s birthday. We all know that things on Pinterest don’t always come out as perfect as they look, but this DID! This cake is so beautiful and I can’t wait for her to see it in an hour.
Sandi B says
.Erica,I’ve tried to get a response to my question a couple of times, please answer. Do I have to use lemon juice? Can I just use water? I really don’t like lemon juice in pound cake Thank you in advance. Sandi B
Brittany says
How many egg whites?
Erika says
The recipe calls for 6 full eggs, Brittany. I’ve never tried it with just egg whites. You’d need to experiment and see what works.
Sharlice says
Hi Erika!!! I made this cake today, the recipe is fairly easy. I did run into a similar problem as one of the ladies above, my batter was really thick!! I added just a little more water and once I added the egg whites it thinned out. Very good cake. Thanks for sharing!!! ????
Erika says
I’m glad to hear you loved it, Sharlice. Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
Donna Buckalew-Wagner says
Hey, if you like this cake, get the Organic Horizon or Pure dairy whipping cream, it makes it really heavenly, and you won’t be putting all those preservatives in your body, and no aftertaste either from the Mono-diglyceriedes. Any Whipping Cream that has the mono-dyglycerides in it are going to be a lot less creamy, and d for you. Horizon, and Pure Dairy..Only At lbertsons, and I’m trying to get Smith’s food King to get it, they carry the Milk and Half’nHalf but won’t carry the whipping cream that doesn’t have that nasty diglycerides. here’s a big difference, and no aft taste, and it will not turn watery on you, which makes this cake only eatable in one day, or it turns to mush…
Erika says
Great idea! Thank you, Donna!
Holly says
In the printable recipe, it calls for a 20″ tube pan. I’m guessing that’s a typo 🙂
Diana says
I think I messed up in the egg whites. I mixed it by hand and it was not that foamy white fluff u had in the pic. What advice can u give me to make that better? Thanks!
Erika says
Oh that’s a bummer! I would mix it longer and faster if you can. Do you have a mixer? Even a hand mixer is better than by hand. I’ve never been successful at beating egg whites without a mixer – my arm gets too tired!
Good luck, Diana!
Graciela says
Hi, I’m from Mexico, Thank you for sharing, it looks delicious, I’ll try to do this recipe for next weekend as a birthday gift for my own birthday….. gracias !!
Erika says
Happy early birthday to you, Graciela! I hope you love this cake!
Janelle says
If you follow the recipe exactly as it is written you will have a beautiful and delicious dessert you can be proud of. Don’t take shortcuts, don’t add more or less then suggested. It is worth every minute of time spent on it. My mother requests this cake each year for her birthday (today is the third time I’ve made it and she turns 89 today!).
Janelle says
It’s worth every minute.
Lauren says
Hello, I am making this cake and after checking on it after 35 minutes, the top of it had started to crack. I feel like I was a little too hesitant on the smoothing part. What might have gone wrong?
Jenna says
This turned out great! I’ve made it twice now, both times successful, but both times it turned out different. And I’ll tell you why: the egg size!! I used large eggs as suggested in the comments and the egg yolk mixture had the consistency of cookie dough almost, which made “folding” in the egg white mixture more like “aggressively mixing to combine”. The car too 50 min to bake and turned out more like a pound cake. Still moist and delicious though! Then the next time I used jumbo, literally the biggest I could find, and it turned out just like the pictures on this page. You might be able to add more water to the yolk mixture, but that’s a question for the woman who posted the recipe 🙂
Karen White says
This family favorite has become the go-to cake for birthdays for the past couple of years. Always wonderful. Here are my tips: I slice and sugar the strawberries several hours before. This softens the berries in a pleasing way and produces a kind of strawberry syrup. My cakes never seem as tall as the picture, so I only slice it horizontally once. My biggest tip is to make this the day before and to chill in the fridge so the whipped cream frosting can set. This prevents possible sogginess and collapse. Thank you for this amazing recipe!
Erika says
I love hearing how your family loves this! Thanks for your tips too, Karen.
Janelle Ehret says
I’ve made this cake a couple of times and it’s very impressive both in looks and taste. I didn’t have a tube pan so I used 3 9” cake rounds. I’m thinking the tube pan would make it lighter, but there were no complaints—only compliments!
Ferrie Sutherland says
I can’t wait to try this cake. But I do have a question. Will the sliced strawberries bleed all over the cake? I’ve had that problem on another cake that I decorated with freshly sliced strawberries.
Erika says
Hi Ferrie, choose strawberries that are ripe but not overly ripe – that will help prevent extra juices from bleeding all over. I wouldn’t recommend using defrosted frozen strawberries either because they tend to have a lot of juice. Hope you enjoy!