Strawberry season is here in Kentucky! Every year we make a trip our local strawberry patch and enjoy picking ripe, juicy, red strawberries straight from the patch. It’s a fun time with the twins and it always sets the tone of summer approaching. We’ll head home with a ton of fresh strawberries and, besides jelly, I’m always trying to find ways to use all of the strawberries we pick.
Something I always make this time of year is a fresh strawberry cake. It’s a decadent, sweet dessert that everyone loves and I’m able to use a bunch of the fresh strawberries we have on hand this time of year. Don’t let that fool you though. I make this cake all year round as it can be made with fresh or frozen strawberries. Just know the cake will be extra tasty when you use fresh, sweet smelling strawberries.
Another nice thing about this recipe is that it can be used with just about any cake pan you would like. I have made this cake the following ways:
I’ve made many cakes in my short time here, and there’s not many recipes that are so versatile. It’s nice to have a recipe that will work for whatever type of cake you’re needing to make.
Speaking of which, have you ever made mini bundt cakes? I borrowed a pan from a friend for our Mother’s Day Tea Party and it made the cutest cakes. Anything is cuter when it’s miniature, right? I actually just ordered a pan for myself so I can make them more often. Check it out here.
You may be wondering where this recipe came from. Well, wonder no more! This recipe is from the one and only Martha herself. Isaac’s granny has made this cake too many times to count and we can never get enough of it. Years ago I asked her for the recipe and I’ve been making it ever since. It’s always requested for birthdays and Easter and it’s also great to take to friends as a gift. It’s basically the best cake ever for this time of year.
4 eggs
2.5 C sugar
1 C canola or vegetable oil
3 C cake flour (all-purpose flour is fine too)
2 1/2 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
2 C pureed strawberries (frozen strawberries can be used if fresh aren’t an option)
1/4 C strawberry gelatin mix
1/4 C strawberry liqueur (more strawberry puree can be used in place of this)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix eggs, sugar, and oil. Add in flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda and mix well. Add in pureed strawberries, gelatin, and liqueur. Slowly mix in, scrape sides of the bowl, and then beat for two minutes. Pour batter into prepared pan(s). Bake bundt or tube pans for about an hour or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cool for a few minutes in the pan and then turn cake out onto a cooling rack. Cover with a lightweight towel. Cool completely before putting icing on.
*If using mini cake pans your cooking time will be about 25-30 minutes.
*If using round cake pans your cooking time will be about 35-40 minutes.
Icing options for strawberry cake:
*This icing is good to simply pour over a cake, you will have leftover icing to dollop onto individual servings
4 oz cream cheese (softened)
1 stick butter (softened)
1 t vanilla
1 C strawberry puree
7-8 C powdered sugar
Beat butter and cream cheese until soft and creamy. Mix in vanilla and strawberry puree. Add in powdered sugar 2 cups at a time until you reach the desired consistency and is smooth.
*This recipe is good for layered cakes but doesn’t have a strong strawberry flavor
2 sticks butter
pinch of salt
1/2 t vanilla
1 T strawberry extract
3 T strawberry puree
3 1/2 C powdered sugar
Beat butter until creamy. Mix in salt, vanilla, strawberry extract and strawberry puree. Add in powdered sugar slowly, mixing well and scraping down the sides as you go.
*This recipe is good for layered cakes or pouring over bundt cakes. It has a nice, fresh strawberry flavor but takes a little bit more time to make. I always double this recipe if using on a layered cake.
1 C pureed strawberries
1 C butter
1 C powdered sugar
1 t vanilla
2 1/2 C powdered sugar
Place strawberries in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring often until puree is reduced by at least half, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely.
Beat butter until light and fluffy. Mix in 1 cup of powdered sugar until just blended. Mix in 2 tablespoons puree and vanilla until just blended. Repeat with 1 cup powdered sugar, followed by 2 tablespoons puree two more times. Beat last 1/2 cup powdered sugar into mixture until just blended.
*This recipe is great to whip up fast and pour over mini cakes
1 C powdered sugar
4-5 T milk
1 t vanilla
1 t strawberry extract
Put all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour over cakes and top with chopped strawberries.
How’s that for options? However you make this cake it is sure to be enjoyed by all. A good tip to remember, when garnishing any cake with fresh strawberries be sure to wait to add the strawberries until the last minute. Strawberries need to be refrigerated and if left out on the cake they will sweat and moisture will build up on the cake. So make it pretty and serve it, then remove any strawberry garnish.
This cake is best eaten within a day or two. If you use the cream cheese icing the cake will need to be refrigerated. All the other icings are good to be left out as long as it’s only for a day or two.
I hope you all enjoy making and eating this cake! But first, head to your local strawberry patch and make a memory with your family.
Jerry Marsh Farms, Alabama (2016)
VanMeter Family Farm, Kentucky (2017)
