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Made with a doctored up cake mix, this easy strawberry cake is a great make-ahead dessert for summer! Bursting with strawberries and topped with cream cheese frosting, this pretty pink cake is sweet, tangy, and totally delicious.
If you saw my post on the famous TikTok cinnamon rolls with heavy cream, you know that TikTok is totally a source of inspiration for me these days.
I recently had a video pop up on my FYP of someone making a strawberry cake using a cake mix. I didn’t love their method, but I loved the idea!
So I decided to turn to my own archive of cake recipes and figure out how to tweak some existing recipes to make a fun and simple strawberry cake.
The result is this pretty pink cake that is bursting with pieces of fresh strawberries. It’s fun, it’s pretty, and it’s so delicious!
MY EASY STRAWBERRY CAKE RECIPE
If you’ve been reading MBA for a while, you’ve probably picked up on the fact that while I love making from-scratch cakes – like the best chocolate cake, banana cake, or strawberry shortcake – I also really love finding ways to dress up a simple cake mix.
Cake mixes are great. Everyone is at a different level of skill in the kitchen, and for some people, cake mixes are their first introduction to baking.
And even for people like myself who bake almost daily, sometimes you need to throw a dessert together really quickly. Using a cake mix can totally help with that!
I have used my doctored cake mix recipe to make so many different kinds of cakes and cupcakes, from easy pineapple upside-down cake to pistachio pudding cake.
I really love my easy strawberry cupcakes, so this year I decided to do a twist on that recipe with this easy strawberry cake.
I made this cake for family and neighbors and every single one of them was obsessed with this cake. It disappeared so fast, I knew I’d have to make another one right away!
Luckily it’s so simple to make, throwing another one together takes minimal effort.
HOW TO MAKE STRAWBERRY CAKE
This easy strawberry cake is perfect for summer. Not only is it a great way to use those summer strawberries, but this cake is best served cold. It’s a refreshing sweet bite on a hot summer day!
Ingredients you’ll need
This recipe is inspired by my doctored cake mix, but I tweaked the ingredients a bit this time around.
Some of the main ingredients are:
- White cake mix: I decided to use a white cake mix for this recipe instead of a yellow cake mix. I used a Pillsbury mix for this cake, but you could give a homemade white cake mix a try if you like.
- Strawberry jello mix: Instead of pudding mix, I decided to use a box of strawberry jello mix. Not only does it add extra strawberry flavor to the cake, it also makes it a pretty pink color. Who could resist that?
- Fresh strawberries: The best part of this cake is all of the strawberries in it! This recipe uses a full pound of strawberries so you get fruit in every bite.
Other ingredients you’ll need for the cake are:
- Softened unsalted butter
- Milk
- Vegetable oil
- Eggs
If you forget to set out your butter ahead of time to soften, get my tricks for how to soften butter quickly!
This cake is also topped with a simple cream cheese frosting, which pairs perfectly with the moist, fruit-filled cake.
Making this cake
To make the strawberry cake, start by whisking together the cake mix and the jello mix in a large bowl.
Add the softened cubed butter and use your stand mixer or a hand mixer to work the butter into the dry mixes.
Add the mix and oil, mixing until combined, then add the eggs one at a time, making sure to mix well after each addition. Finally, use a spatula to gently fold in the diced strawberries.
Bake this cake in a 13×9-inch pan. Once it is baked, let it cool to room temperature before frosting it.
To make the cream cheese frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter together for about 5 minutes to thoroughly combine.
With your mixer on low speed, gradually add the powdered sugar, followed by the vanilla. Mix on medium speed for another 5 minutes to make the frosting super smooth and creamy.
Frost the cake and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
STORAGE AND SERVING
This cake is best served cold and is actually even better the second day, so I highly recommend making it the night before you plan to serve it.
That’s right, it’s a great make-ahead dessert!
Simply cover the cake and keep it refrigerated until right before you plan to serve it.
Before serving, I like to decorate the top with more strawberries. After all, you can never have too many strawberries, and they make the cake look so pretty!
This easy strawberry cake recipe is everything you will want from a cake this summer. Moist, cool, and packed with strawberry flavor – it’s absolutely perfect!
Easy Strawberry Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 15.25- ounce box white cake mix I used Pillsbury
- 1 3- ounce box strawberry jello mix
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature and cut into cubes
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 4 eggs
- 1 pound fresh strawberries washed, stemmed and cut into small pieces
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ½ pound powdered sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For Topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cake and jello mixes. Add in the cubed butter and use a hand mixer or stand mixer to work the butter into the dry mixes. Pour in milk and oil and mix on low speed until fully incorporated. Add in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Fold in the chopped strawberries.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 38-40 minutes. Place cake on a wire rack and allow it to cool completely before frosting.
- Once the cake has cooled to room temperature, prepare the frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream together cream cheese and butter until well combined, about 5 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula as necessary.
- With the mixer on low, gradually add the powdered sugar until thoroughly incorporated and smooth. Add vanilla and mix to combine. Turn the mixer to medium speed and mix for approximately 5 more minutes, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula as necessary.
- Frost cake and place the cake in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. If desired, top with fresh strawberries just before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I have made this strawberry cake twice now, and my large family loves it! I used 2- 9″ cake pans to create a two layer cake and drcorated it with cut up fresh strawberries. In both instances I used it as a bithday cake and it was beautiful and delicious. It is now a family favorite, Thank you for sharing this recipe.
This cake is delicious, I made it for my daughter for her birthday and the whole family loved it! It is the best cold and the next day!
My husband cannot have sugar and his favorite cake for his birthday is the strawberry box mix. I made this one using a sugar free yellow cake and frozen strawberries because of the time of year. It was amazing. I also made them in cupcakes and mini loaves and they took about 35 minutes but worked out perfect. Since he hates cream cheese I made the frosting from the cupcake recipe using swerve as well. Turned out awesome.
I have a cake mix, which says to add 3 eggs and 150ml water.
Your recipe says to oil eggs etc.
Do I still add the 3 eggs and 150ml according to my cake mix packet as well as your other ingredients.
Or can I follow the instructions on my cake mix bag, still adding the jello powder and folding in strawberries?
Thanks in advance
Hi Rebecca – Assuming your cake mix is a 15.25 ounce mix, just follow the instructions in the recipe card, ignoring what the box says. Hope this helps!
Happy baking –
Jamie
How far in advance would you suggest making this? Hosting a big party and making this but still want it to taste good! Trying to knock things off the to do list beforehand as much as possible.
Hi Sally – This cake actually tastes best if it’s made the day before, so I would definitely make it the day before the party! Hope you enjoy!
Jamie
I made this recipe but instead of a 9 x 13 pan, I made cupcakes. Unfortunately they sunk horribly in the middle I will cover up with frosting. They do taste good though.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your feedback, Gloria! Happy baking –
Jamie
Made this cake today and smells and looks delicious! Only thing is the top was starting to burn at about 30 mins in. I have the temp at 350 f. on the middle rack. Moved it to the bottom to avoid further burning. Hope this helps!
Thanks for sharing, Amira! Happy baking –
Jamie
Love this recipe! How do you think it would turn out as a layer cake in 2 round pans? 6, 8 or 9 inch pans?
Hi Joan – I think you could certainly bake it in 9-inch pans for a layer cake. If you give it a try, I’d love to know how it turns out. Happy baking!
Jamie
@Joan, I have made baked it in round cake pans,
No worries enjoy
Thanks so much for this yummy recipe, can’t wait to try it!
Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting, Carmen! Happy baking!
Jamie
This Strawberry Cake sounds so good and easy to make. I’ll make it soon.
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, Deb! Happy baking!
Jamie