How To Add Strawberries To A Cake Mix

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

The one thing that sets this strawberry cake autonomously from others? Reduce fresh strawberry puree down and add to the best white cake concoction.

This strawberry block completely blew me abroad. Afterward years of mediocre from-scratch strawberry cakes, my expectations were pretty low. Information technology was fourth dimension to gustatory modality examination my efforts. Bitter into the first pastel pink forkful was the moment of truth…

I cried tears of joy. Or were those bodily tears because I but dirtied every dish with all this strawberry cake recipe testing?

Let'south get down to business organization. Lookout me make the recipe below:

I find it challenging to pack existent strawberry flavor into block without the crutch of fake strawberry flavoring. My goal was to create a strawberry layer block made entirely from existent strawberries. We're talking strawberries inside the cake and in the frosting also. With the assistance of freeze-dried strawberries, I tackled strawberry frosting. I'll become to that beneath. But for strawberry cake? Things take e'er been pretty lackluster in the flavor and texture section.

Strawberry Cake Problems

Chopping up strawberries and folding into block batter works, but and so you're only eating vanilla cake with chunks of strawberries.
Pureeing strawberries and folding into cake batter has potential, but the texture is always off. In that location's also much liquid. How about calculation more flour to brand up for that liquid? Then your block is too dumbo. And the flavor is e'er lacking.
Strawberry jam could piece of work, but I prefer to start with real strawberries.

So how can we pack real strawberry season into cake batter without calculation too much liquid? REDUCE THE STRAWBERRIES DOWN. Ding ding ding! We have a winner.

How to Pack Real Strawberry Season into Cake

Puree fresh strawberries.
Reduce down on the stove.
Permit absurd.
Stir into block batter.

Puree 1 pound of ruby ruddy strawberries. You'll need a food processor or blender for this stride and once more when you make the frosting.

Take that strawberry puree and reduce it down on the stove. This, my friends, is where all the magic happens. Like I mention above, you want a lot of concentrated flavor within a little corporeality of liquid.

You'll begin with 1 cup of hot pink puree and reduce down to 1/2 cup. Later on thirty minutes, information technology will be very thick and very ruddy. Add together this thick and highly concentrated strawberry flavor to your block batter, instead of the thinner strawberry puree.

The reduced strawberry puree will go into the block batter. No need to strain the seeds first — they disappear when the cake is baked. Since the reduced strawberry puree needs to completely cool downwardly, I advise getting started the day before. Just let the reduced strawberry puree sit in the fridge overnight and make the cake batter the post-obit twenty-four hours.

Strawberry Cake Batter

The block batter starts from my white cake. This vanilla flavored cake proved to be the best jumping off point for a strawberry cake. I kept the majority of the recipe the aforementioned, but I removed some of the moisture ingredients to make room for ane/2 cup of reduced strawberries. The cake is light, springy, soft, and fluffy.

The reduced strawberry puree volition tint the cake concoction a lovely pastel pinkish and, if yous want, you tin add a pocket-sized drop of pink or red nutrient coloring to burnish that hue. Not necessary, of course. (I added a teeny drib.) Await a velvet-y and slightly thick cake concoction.

No artificial strawberry flavor.
Nothing from a box.
Only pure strawberries.

The Strawberry Frosting

You tin can taste the fresh strawberry flavour in the baked cake, but the flavor is Actually brought out when you combine it with strawberry frosting. Like strawberry cake, strawberry frosting has always left me feeling a fiddling defeated. Fresh strawberries were the issue. The frosting would always curdle from the added moisture. And no amount of fresh strawberries could get me the strawberry flavor I craved. Instead of settling for artificial strawberry flavor, I took a fox from Emerge'southward Candy Addiction: strawberry grit! Grab some freeze-dried strawberries, grind them up, and toss it into the frosting.

(I actually added freeze-dried strawberries to cake batter as i of my test recipes. This was an atrocious determination and an epic neglect. The cake was atrocious. Texture, sense of taste, and appearance. Only… no. But freeze-dried strawbs are a YES for frosting!)

Where to buy freeze-dried strawberries? They're more than commonly constitute than you recollect. I always find freeze-dried strawberries in my regular grocery store in the dried fruit alley. Wegmans, Giant, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Amazon, and Target each conduct them.

Instead of a thicker strawberry buttercream, I used my silky foam cheese frosting recipe. Tossed in the freeze-dried strawberry "grit" and milk and was left with a frosting and then pink, Barbie would be jealous!

Permit's Review

The tricks to bootleg strawberry cake and frosting made with real strawberries? (ane) Reduced strawberry puree in the block batter and (2) freeze-stale strawberries in the frosting. Have fun baking!

Clarification

The one thing that sets this strawberry cake apart from others? Reduce fresh strawberry puree downwardly and add together to the best white block batter.

2 and ane/2 cups (285g) cake flour (spoon & leveled)
2 teaspoons baking pulverization
ane/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt
three/4 cup (ane.5 sticks; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 and 3/4 cups (350g) granulated sugar
5 large egg whites, at room temperature
one/3 loving cup (75g) sour cream or obviously yogurt, at room temperature
ii teaspoons pure vanilla excerpt
1/two cup (120ml) whole milk, at room temperature*
1/ii cup reduced strawberry puree (see notation)*
optional: 1-2 drops red or pink food coloring

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

1 cup (about 25g) freeze-dried strawberries*
ane 8-ounce cake total-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 loving cup (i stick; 115g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
three cups (360g) confectioners' sugar
1–2 Tablespoons milk
ane teaspoon pure vanilla extract
salt, to taste

Make the reduced strawberry puree and let it to cool completely. See note. Y'all can make information technology a few days ahead of time and shop it covered in the refrigerator or cover and freeze information technology for up to 3 months. Thaw earlier using in the recipe.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease and lightly flour ii ix-inch cake pans.
Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and common salt together. Fix aside.
Using a handheld or stand up mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat out the butter and sugar together on loftier speed until polish and creamed, most 2 minutes. Scrape downwardly the sides and upward the bottom of the bowl with a safe spatula equally needed. Beat in the egg whites on loftier speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Then trounce in the sour cream and vanilla extract. Scrape downwardly the sides and upward the bottom of the basin as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients until just incorporated. With the mixer still running on low, slowly cascade in the milk *only* until combined. Do not overmix. Whisk in 1/2 loving cup of reduced strawberry puree, making certain at that place are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The concoction will be slightly thick. Stir in nutrient coloring, if desired. (I utilize 1 small drop.)
Pour batter evenly into cake pans. Broil for around 24-25 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it is done. Allow cakes to absurd completely in the pans set up on a wire rack. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.
Make the frosting:Using a blender or food processor, process the freeze-dried strawberries into a powdery crumb. You lot should have effectually 1/2 cup crumbs. Prepare aside. In a big basin using a mitt-held or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk zipper, trounce the cream cheese for 1 minute on loftier speed until completely smooth and creamy. Beat in the butter until combined. Add the confectioners' sugar, strawberry powder, 1 Tablespoon milk, and vanilla and crush on medium-high speed until combined and creamy. Add one more than Tablespoon of milk to slightly thin out, if desired. Gustation, so add a compression of salt if needed. Yields about 3 cups of frosting.
Gather and frost:Outset, using a big serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. Discard (or crumble over ice foam!). Place i cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with frosting. Top with 2nd layer and spread the remaining frosting all over the superlative and sides. Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes before slicing. This helps the cake proceed its shape when cut– it could slightly fall apart without time in the fridge.
Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for five days.

Notes

Make Ahead Instructions: The cake layers can be baked, cooled, and covered tightly at room temperature overnight. Likewise, the frosting tin be prepared so covered and refrigerated overnight. Calorie-free it sit down at room temperature to slightly soften for 10 minutes before assembling and frosting. Frosted cake or unfrosted cake layers can be frozen up to 2 months-3. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature earlier decorating/serving.
Cake Flour: I strongly suggest using cake flour in this recipe. Information technology's sold correct next to the all-purpose flour in the baking aisle. And you use it a lot in my recipes!
Whole Milk: If needed, buttermilk works in its identify. I don't recommend a lower fatty milk.
Where to Purchase Freeze-Stale Strawberries? I always notice them in my regular grocery store in the dried fruit aisle. Wegmans, Behemothic, Trader Joe'due south and Target carries them. Go on your optics peeled– they're more commonly constitute that you lot think! Do not apply the chewy/gummy dried strawberries. You demand FREEZE-dried strawberries which grind into a powder. If you lot can't notice them anywhere, simply leave them out of the frosting and add some other 1/2 cup of confectioners' sugar.
Reduced Strawberry Puree: puree 1 lb of rinsed and hulled strawberries. You should have a little over 1 cup. Stirring occasionally, simmer the puree over low-medium heat until you're left with i/2 cup or a trivial over 1/two cup. This takes at to the lowest degree 25-35 minutes, simply could take longer depending on your pan or how juicy your strawberries were. *Practise not add sugar or anything to the puree or reduced puree– it'due south just pure strawberries. I always make the reduced puree the solar day earlier so it has plenty of time to cool down. I cover and place in the refrigerator overnight. Utilise 1/2 cup in the cake. Allow to cool completely before using in cake concoction. Brand sure it's room temperature when adding to the concoction. You can make the reduced puree ahead of time and freeze for upwardly to 3 months. Thaw, bring to room temperature, then use in the recipe. Discard whatever leftovers or spoon on ice foam/yogurt/add to smoothie. Yum! You lot tin can apply frozen strawberries, but they will take longer to reduce fifty-fifty if you lot thaw them first.
nine×thirteen Inch Cake: Simply pour the batter into a greased and lightly floured 9×13 inch pan and bake for xl minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the heart comes out clean.
Cupcakes: Fill cupcake pans ii/three full with concoction. Bake for 20-22 minutes. Makes 2 and ane/2 dozen cupcakes. For xiv-xv cupcakes, follow my strawberry cupcakes recipe, which is adapted from this strawberry cake.
Food Coloring: If you want, you can add 1-2 small drops of pink or red food coloring for a lovely pink shade to the baked cake. I add together 1 small drib of pink gel nutrient coloring.
No Cream Cheese in Frosting: If yous'd like to skip the cream cheese in the frosting, use my strawberry buttercream recipe instead. You'll have enough for a thin layer of frosting, only you can one.5x the recipe for a thicker layer.

Keywords: strawberries, pink