Looking for a delightful dessert that’s easy to make and bursting with the taste of fresh strawberries? Try this recipe for Easy Fresh Strawberry Cake! Perfect for any occasion, this cake combines a light and fluffy texture with the sweet and tangy flavor of ripe strawberries.
To make this cake, you’ll need just a few simple ingredients: fresh strawberries, cake mix, eggs, and oil. Start by preparing the strawberries – wash, hull, and slice them. Then, blend them in a food processor until smooth. In a mixing bowl, combine the strawberry puree with the cake mix, eggs, and oil. Mix until well combined. Pour the batter into a greased cake pan and bake in the oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Once the cake is baked and cooled, you can frost it with your favorite frosting – cream cheese frosting or whipped cream are both great choices. For an extra touch, you can decorate the top of the cake with fresh strawberry slices or a dusting of powdered sugar. Serve and enjoy this Easy Fresh Strawberry Cake at your next gathering or as a special treat for yourself!
Gathering the Ingredients
- Strawberries: You will need fresh strawberries to make both the cake and the frosting. Look for ripe, juicy strawberries that are bright red in color.
- All-Purpose Flour: This is the main dry ingredient used to make the cake batter. Make sure you have enough on hand for the recipe.
- Baking Powder: Baking powder is used to help the cake rise and become fluffy. Double-check that you have enough in your pantry.
- Salt: A pinch of salt is added to the batter to enhance the flavor of the cake.
- Unsalted Butter: You will need softened unsalted butter to make both the cake and the frosting. Make sure to take it out of the fridge ahead of time to let it come to room temperature.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar is used to sweeten both the cake and the frosting.
- Eggs: This recipe calls for eggs, which help bind the ingredients together and add moisture to the cake.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is used to make the cake moist and tender. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can easily make your own by adding a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to a cup of milk.
- Vanilla Extract: A touch of vanilla extract is added to enhance the flavor of the cake.
- Whipped Cream: Whipped cream is used to make the frosting light and fluffy. You can use store-bought whipped cream or make your own from heavy cream.
Once you have gathered all of these ingredients, you will be ready to start making your delicious Easy Fresh Strawberry Cake.
Preparing the Cake Batter
To make the cake batter for the Easy Fresh Strawberry Cake, you will need to gather a few key ingredients: all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, unsalted butter, strawberry gelatin, milk, eggs, vanilla extract, and fresh strawberries.
First, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. This will ensure that your cake does not stick to the pans and will come out easily.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Cut the cold butter into small cubes and add it to the dry ingredients. Use a pastry cutter or your fingers to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. This step is important for creating a light and fluffy texture in the cake.
Next, in a separate bowl, mix together the strawberry gelatin and boiling water until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Add in the milk, eggs, and vanilla extract and whisk together until well combined.
Tip: You can use strawberry-flavored gelatin mix to enhance the strawberry flavor in the cake.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to a dense and tough cake. Gently fold in the chopped fresh strawberries, being careful not to crush or mash them.
Once the batter is ready, divide it evenly between the prepared cake pans. Smooth the tops with a spatula to ensure an even surface. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.
Assembling and Decorating the Cake
Once the strawberry cake layers have cooled completely, it’s time to assemble and decorate the cake. Follow these steps to create a beautifully decorated cake:
- Using a serrated knife, level the tops of each cake layer to ensure an even surface for stacking.
- Place one cake layer on a cake stand or serving platter. Spread a layer of strawberry frosting evenly over the top.
- Stack the second cake layer on top of the frosted layer and repeat the process with the frosting. Do the same with the remaining cake layers, stacking them on top of each other and frosting each layer.
- After the final cake layer is stacked, spread a thin layer of frosting over the top and sides of the cake to create a crumb coat. This will help trap any loose crumbs and provide a smooth base for the final layer of frosting.
- Chill the cake in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to allow the crumb coat to set.
- Once the crumb coat is set, remove the cake from the refrigerator and apply a final layer of frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Use a spatula or offset spatula to smooth the frosting and create a clean finish.
- If desired, you can decorate the cake with fresh strawberries. Slice some strawberries and arrange them on top of the cake in a decorative pattern. You can also add a few whole strawberries on the sides of the cake for an extra touch.
Once the cake is assembled and decorated, it’s ready to be served and enjoyed! The combination of the moist strawberry cake layers and the sweet strawberry frosting will surely impress your guests.
