Easy Strawberry Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Easy Strawberry Cake combines fresh strawberries with a boxed cake mix for a cake that’s a cinch to throw together but tastes completely homemade! Pair strawberry cake with cream cheese frosting for the ultimate summer dessert!

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The Mr. and I bought a lovely old home almost six years ago. It was the middle of winter, and we were all rosy cheeks and hot chocolate with our dandy new furnace keeping us nice and toasty.

Well, it turns out Winter eventually ends, and somewhere at the end of May comes this wretched thing called “I feel like I’m breathing in sweat and my thighs are sticking together!” I think the weather man calls it “humidity”. Whatever. Same thing.

It just so happens right around the same time this “humidity” thing comes around, I transform from my usual upbeat, cheery self into a sweaty, grouchy hag. I always thought I was good at roughing it. I loved camping when I was a kid. Surely, I’d be fine without air conditioning.

I was wrong. It wasn’t long before we were calling up the professionals and begging them to save us from the heat. It had to be done…if not for the sake of my miserable self, at least for the sake of my marriage.

Now we enjoy cool, crisp, precisely 71 degree air that’s pumped from a magical box in our backyard. Air conditioning comes with several benefits including increased positivity, extreme optimism, and the ability to turn on the oven and bake a cake in the middle of the summer.

And when you’ve got a cake as good as this Easy Strawberry Cake, you’re definitely going to want to fire up the oven.

How to Make Strawberry Cake with Jello

This strawberry cake starts with a boxed mix, but have no fear, the flavor is anything but boxed! The cake is light and fluffy and dotted with bits of fresh strawberries. It’s full of sweet, tart flavor and has the cheeriest bright pink color.

And, thanks to cake mix and strawberry jello, you can whip this up in a jiffy. All you need is some fresh strawberries on top to impress the pants off everyone who tries it.

To make the cake:

1. Whisk together a yellow cake mix, strawberry jello, flour, baking soda, and sugar.
2. Add in the vegetable oil followed by the eggs.
3. Finally, stir in the fresh strawberries and strawberry puree. That’s it! Your cake is ready to go in the oven. 

You can have this strawberry cake mixed up and ready to go in 20 minutes flat!

Strawberry Layer Cake vs. Strawberry Sheet Cake

I am usually a sheet cake kind of girl (see this Carrot Sheet Cake), but I really love to make this recipe as a strawberry layer cake. The bright pink color just looks so lovely as a layer cake. That said, you can absolutely convert this to a sheet cake recipe. Here are the approximate baking times you’ll need for different pan sizes:

• 2 8 inch round cakes: Bake 27-32 minutes
• 2 9 inch round cakes: Bake 25-30 minutes
• 1 9 x 13 inch sheet pan: Bake 35-40 minutes
• 24 cupcakes- Bake 20-23 minutes

TIP: With any layer cakes where you need to remove the cake from the pans in order to serve, I recommend cutting a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan. Grease the pans, layer with parchment paper, then grease and flour the parchment and sides before filling the pans.

Can I make this strawberry cake into cupcakes or a bundt cake?

Yes! We actually have recipes for each of these! Check out these amazing Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream and this gorgeous Strawberry Bundt Cake.

What Frosting Goes with Strawberry Cake?

I will serve strawberry cake with cream cheese frosting forever and ever, amen. I just adore the tanginess of an amazing cream cheese frosting against the sweet strawberry cake. 

I also love this cream cheese frosting recipe. It’s the same one I use for Carrot Sheet Cake. It’s not too sweet, and it definitely allows the cream cheese flavor to shine!

That said, I know a few weirdos friends who love pairing strawberry cake with buttercream frosting. Feel free to switch it up if that’s what you prefer. Here is my favorite buttercream frosting recipe. 

I prefer to make a naked strawberry cake, partly because I’m lazy, and partly because I love the way the pink color peeks through. You can frost it completely if you prefer. This great tutorial shows you how to frost a layer cake. 

To decorate a strawberry cake,  you can  layer it up with fresh strawberries for a rustic look, or slice fresh strawberries and layer them in rings on the top of the cake. Both versions look lovely!

Tips For Making Easy Strawberry Cake + Common Questions

Do I need to refrigerate strawberry cake?

The short answer is no, but I do recommend refrigeration, because it will keep longer in the fridge.

How to store strawberry cake:

Wrap any cooled, unfrosted cake layers in saran wrap and store at room temperature or in the fridge. 

Place frosted strawberry cake in the fridge and allow the frosting to harden for 20-30 minutes then loosely wrap with saran wrap. If the cake is sliced, press saran wrap over the exposed sides to keep it from drying out, or cover with more frosting. 

How long does strawberry cake last?

The cake will keep for at least 3 days and up to a week if stored in the fridge. 

This is my absolute favorite cake for summer, and maybe of all time. (Don’t tell The Best Chocolate Bundt Cake I said that!)

I’m not the only one who loves it though. When my previous coworkers celebrated birthdays, they always requested this cake. When I need something impressive for a summer potluck, I make this cake. It’s a favorite of many of my friends and for good reason. Whether you’re lucky enough to have A/C or not, this cake is definitely worth turning on the oven!

More Strawberry Recipes You Might Enjoy

Strawberry Rhubarb Ice Cream Floats

Strawberry Rhubarb Fool

The Ultimate Strawberry Bacon Goat Cheese Grilled Cheese

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Sweet Lemon Dressing

Bumbleberry Pie

Strawberry Lemonade

Strawberry Prosecco Slushie

Easy Strawberry Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This easy strawberry cake is bursting with fresh strawberry flavor and layered with a dreamy cream cheese frosting. This one is always a crowd pleaser!

4.6 from 37 votes

Print Pin

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 40 minutes mins

Servings: 14

Calories: 547kcal

Ingredients

 

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For the cake:

• 1 box white cake mix (no pudding added)
• 1 box strawberry Jello (3 oz)
• 1 Tablespoon scant flour
• Pinch baking powder
• 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup strawberry puree (See note)
• 1/2 cup fresh strawberries (finely diced)

For the frosting:

• 16 oz cream cheese (at room temperature)
• 1/2 cup butter (at room temperature)
• 2 – 2 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
• Pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 8 or 9 inch round cake pans. (You can also cut parchment paper into circles the size of the pan, grease, place the parchment circle, and grease again to guarantee the cake will pop out easily!)
• In a large bowl whisk together cake mix, jello, flour, baking powder, and sugar. Add oil. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in strawberry puree and fresh strawberries and beat.
• Pour into greased and floured baking pan or pans and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Let the cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then carefully remove from pans and allow to cool on a wire rack. Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

For the frosting:

• In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, about a 1/2 cup at a time, beating after each addition. Continue to add the sugar until the frosting is thick but spreadable and as sweet as you like it. Stir in the salt and vanilla. Frost immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

• To make the strawberry puree, place about 1 cup of whole strawberries in a blender or food processor and blend until liquidy.
• To bake in a 9 x 13 inch pan, simply grease and flour the pan, add the batter and bake for 33-38 minutes or until top springs back with touched.

Course Cake, Cupcakes & Frosting

Cuisine American

Keyword easy strawberry cake, homemade strawberry cake, strawberry cake, strawberry cake recipe

Nutrition

Calories: 547kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 457mg | Potassium: 107mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 45g | Vitamin A: 707IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 124mg | Iron: 1mg

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