The Best 1-Layer Strawberry Cake
Soft, moist 1-layer strawberry cake made from scratch with real strawberry sauce and topped with fluffy strawberry frosting—easy, fresh, and delicious.
Ingredients
STRAWBERRY CAKE:
- 3 cups organic all-purpose flour
- ½ cup salted butter, softened (You can use unsalted butter, if desired + add 1/2 tsp of salt to batter)
- 1 cup organic cane sugar
- 1 ½ tsps baking powder
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, at room temp.
- 1 cup cooled strawberry sauce (See Blog Post for ingredient details)
- ¼ cup buttermilk or milk
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
STRAWBERRY FROSTING:
- 4 cups organic powdered sugar
- ½ cup salted butter, softened (You can use unsalted butter, if desired)
- ¼ cup cooled strawberry sauce
- 1-2 Tbsps milk
TOPPING:
- Rainbow sprinkles, optional
- Fresh sliced strawberries
Instructions
TO MAKE THE BUTTERMILK:
- If making a dairy-free version: In a bowl or measuring cup, add together your favorite milk (I use unsweetened Almond milk) and 1 Tablespoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, stirring and allowing it to sit for 5-10 minutes until it thickens. For a regular option, just substitute milk with regular cow's milk or heavy cream.
TO MAKE THE STRAWBERRY CAKE:
- Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease (w/ butter or spray) and line the bottom with parchment paper of a 9-inch round cake pan. NOTE: For greater ease, you can use a 8 to 9-inch springform pan as well so that you can remove it more easily once baked.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cornstarch, and cinnamon until combined. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add together the sugar and softened butter, mixing by using a hand-mixer on medium-high speed, until combined and it becomes "fluffy". Add in the oil, vanilla, cooled strawberry sauce followed by the eggs, one at a time, mixing until smooth.
- Add in the buttermilk followed by the dry ingredients, mixing everything together until well combined, smooth, and lump-free, about 2-3 minutes.
- Pour/scoop batter into prepared pan, spreading everything around for a perfect evenness.
BAKE THE CAKE:
- Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until the center of the cake comes out clean when tested with a toothpick or butter knife.
- Once done, remove the cake from the oven and let cool completely (about 1-2 hours) before carefully lifting it from the pan. NOTE: To best remove, I recommend gently turning your cake over and "shake" out of pan, flipping it back right side up once until cake stand or platter.
TO MAKE THE STRAWBERRY FROSTING:
- Simply beat the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer (or using a hand-mixer) on medium-high speed, until smooth and pale. Add in the powdered sugar, cooled strawberry sauce, and milk, continuing to mix on medium-speed until you reach the desired consistency----smooth and fluffy. NOTE: Add more milk (1 tablespoon at a time if too thick) or powdered sugar (for more thickness).
- Once the cake is fully cooled, generously spread the strawberry frosting atop the cake and along the sides, until fully covered. Add rainbow sprinkles and fresh strawberries, if desired.
- To serve, slice cake and top with your favorite ice cream or whipped cream and enjoy!
Notes
- STORAGE: Keep leftover cake tightly wrapped using plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 5 days. To store frozen (frosted or unfrosted), simply tightly wrap and cover cake and freeze for up to 2-3 months. To serve, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bring to room temperature.
- FLOUR: You can always just use cake flour for this recipe.
- MAKE AHEAD: You can always bake this cake the night or day before and let it cool, tightly wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use. When ready to serve, let cake sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour, whip together the glaze, add your favorite topping, and serve each slice!
- GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: To make this cake entirely gluten-free, simply substitute the flour with a great Gluten-Free flour option like Bob's Red Mill's GF 1-to-1 baking flour or All-purpose flour. If using any other flour, ensure that it has Xanthan Gum included or add 1 teaspoon in with any flour that doesn't. For the remaining ingredients, just make sure that they are GF-friendly and you use arrowroot starch which is very GF-friendly.
- SALTED VS. UNSALTED BUTTER: You can always substitute the salted butter with unsalted butter. When doing so, you can omit the salt as an ingredient.
