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moist strawberry cake

(7 ratings)
Blue Ribbon Recipe by
Mary Ann F
San Diego, CA

I was inspired to bake Wanda Harrison's "Mama Seward's Strawberry Cake" from scratch using fresh ingredients since I did not have boxed cake and frozen sweetened strawberries on hand. My family and friends enjoyed the end results and I hope you do too.

Blue Ribbon Recipe

This is the ultimate strawberry cake. It's made with fresh, juicy strawberries and a deliciously sweet, creamy strawberry frosting. The cake is fluffy and tender with bits of fresh strawberries throughout. On top, the creamy strawberry frosting is the perfect complement to the cake. There are even more bits of fresh strawberries in it that add texture and flavor. There's a little prep work for strawberry cake, but it's worth it!

— The Test Kitchen @kitchencrew
(7 ratings)
yield 12 serving(s)
prep time 30 Min
cook time 35 Min
method Bake

Ingredients For moist strawberry cake

  • MACERATED STRAWBERRIES
  • 1 lb
    fresh strawberries
  • 1/2 c
    sugar
  • 1/2 tsp
    salt
  • CAKE
  • 2 1/4 c
    all-purpose flour
  • 1 c
    sugar
  • 3 1/2 tsp
    baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp
    salt
  • 1 box
    small strawberry gelatin (3 oz)
  • 1 c
    macerated strawberries (including syrup)
  • 1 c
    vegetable oil
  • 1/2 c
    milk
  • 3 lg
    eggs
  • FROSTING
  • 1/2 c
    drained macerated strawberries
  • 1/4 c
    unsalted butter
  • 3 c
    confectioners' sugar
  • 1 tsp
    pure vanilla extract or strawberry extract

How To Make moist strawberry cake

Test Kitchen Tips
We used a potato masher to mash the berries. At 40 minutes, we began to check the cake every 5 minutes. In total, ours baked for 55 minutes.
  • Sliced strawberries in a bowl with sugar and salt.
    1
    PREPARING MACERATED STRAWBERRIES: Wash and remove stems before thinly slicing. Place in a bowl and mix with 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
  • Plastic wrap covering the bowl of strawberries.
    2
    Cover and allow to sit for a minimum of 30 minutes.
  • Mashing macerated strawberries.
    3
    Once macerated, use a fork to smash the berries.
  • Setting aside 1/2 cup of drained strawberries.
    4
    Set aside a 1/2 cup of drained strawberries for the frosting. Save the remaining berries and syrup for the cake.
  • Flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
    5
    CAKE: Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9 X 13 cake pan. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
  • Gelatin, oil, milk, and eggs added to the bowl.
    6
    Add gelatin, oil, milk, and eggs. Mix together.
  • Mixing in macerated strawberries.
    7
    Add 1 cup of macerated berries with syrup and beat for 2 minutes in the mixer.
  • Batter poured into a baking dish.
    8
    Pour into pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick is mostly clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting. If you have any remaining syrup you can simply pour it over the cake.
  • Butter, confectioners' sugar, strawberries, and extract mixed for frosting.
    9
    FROSTING: Cream together the butter, confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup of well-drained strawberries, and vanilla or strawberry extract. If the frosting is too runny, you can gradually add more sugar to get a thicker consistency.
  • Frosting the strawberry cake.
    10
    Frost cake and enjoy!
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