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The Strawberry Velvet Cake That’ll Make You Forget Red Velvet Exists
I have a tiny confession. For the longest time, I thought “velvet” cake only came in one flavor: bright, almost chemical-looking red. It was fine, I guess. But it never really wowed me.
It always felt like it was more about the color than the actual taste. A bit of a letdown, if I’m being honest.
Then one day, the idea of a STRAWBERRY velvet cake popped into my head. Not with artificial flavoring, but with real, actual strawberries. A cake that was soft and tender, with a beautiful, natural pink hue and a cream cheese frosting that just makes everything better.
So, I messed around in the kitchen for a while. There were some… interesting results at first. But what I landed on is honestly pretty amazing, and it’s way easier than it looks.
This isn’t just a vanilla cake dyed pink. This is the real deal. Let’s make a cake that actually tastes as good as it looks.
What You’ll Need
Here’s the rundown of ingredients. It might look like a lot, but most of it is probably hanging out in your pantry already.
For the Strawberry Cake:
- 1 cup (about 150g) fresh or frozen strawberries
- 2 ½ cups (300g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (360ml) vegetable oil
- 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 oz (226g) full-fat block cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 1-2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream (if needed)
The Tools for the Job
You don’t need a professional kitchen setup, I promise. Just some basic stuff.
- Two 9-inch round cake pans
- Parchment paper
- Electric mixer (stand or hand mixer)
- Mixing bowls
- Sifter or fine-mesh sieve
- Rubber spatula
- Blender or food processor
- Wire cooling rack
- Offset spatula for frosting (or just a butter knife, no judgment)
Pro Tips From My Kitchen Disasters
Learn from my mistakes! These little things make a huge difference.
- The Strawberry Puree is Key: You need to reduce the strawberry puree on the stove. I know, it’s an extra step and it sounds annoying. But if you don’t, the extra water will make your cake gummy. Just simmer it until it’s thick like tomato paste. It concentrates the flavor and makes the cake perfect.
- Room Temperature Everything: I’m serious about this. If your eggs, buttermilk, and butter are cold, they won’t mix together properly. You’ll get a lumpy batter and a dense cake. Just set them on the counter for an hour or so before you start. It’s worth the wait.
- Don’t You Dare Overmix: Once you combine the wet and dry ingredients, mix *just* until you don’t see any more flour streaks. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, and you’ll go from a tender, velvety cake to a tough, rubbery one. Be gentle!
- Sift Your Dry Stuff: Sifting the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt might feel like a pointless, dusty step, but it’s not. It gets rid of any lumps and aerates everything, which is fancy talk for making your cake lighter and fluffier.
How to Make This Awesome Cake: Step-by-Step
Alright, let’s break it down. We’ll do the cake first, then the frosting while it cools. Simple.
Part 1: The Strawberry Velvet Cake
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour your two 9-inch cake pans. I like to also trace the bottom of the pan on parchment paper, cut it out, and place it in the bottom. It guarantees the cake won’t stick.
Step 2: Let’s handle the strawberries. Toss them in a blender or food processor and blitz until you have a smooth puree. You should have about ½ to ¾ cup of puree.
Step 3: Pour that puree into a small saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat. Keep stirring so it doesn’t burn. You want it to reduce by about half, until it’s nice and thick. This takes about 10-15 minutes. Set it aside to cool down completely.
Step 4: In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Just give it a quick whisk to combine everything. This is your dry mix.
Step 5: In a separate, medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk, vinegar, and vanilla extract. Now, whisk in your cooled strawberry puree until it’s all one beautiful pink color.
Step 6: Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients. Using your mixer on low speed, mix just until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, and give it one last quick mix. Remember, don’t overdo it!
Step 7: Evenly divide the batter between your two prepared cake pans. Pop them in the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Step 8: Let the cakes cool in their pans on a wire rack for about 15 minutes. Then, carefully run a knife around the edge and flip them out onto the rack to cool completely. And I mean *completely*. Don’t even think about frosting a warm cake unless you want a melted, soupy mess.
Part 2: The Cream Cheese Frosting
Step 1: In a large bowl, use your electric mixer to beat the softened cream cheese and softened butter together on medium speed until it’s super smooth and creamy. No lumps allowed.
Step 2: Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Mixing on low at first will prevent a sugar explosion all over your kitchen.
Step 3: Once the sugar is mostly incorporated, add the vanilla extract and the pinch of salt. Now you can turn the mixer up to medium-high and beat for 2-3 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Step 4: If your frosting feels a little too thick, add a tablespoon of milk or cream and mix again. If it’s too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar. You’re the boss here.
Part 3: Putting It All Together
Step 1: Place one of your completely cooled cake layers on a plate or cake stand.
Step 2: Scoop a generous amount of frosting onto the center of the layer (about 1 to 1.5 cups) and spread it evenly to the edges.
Step 3: Carefully place the second cake layer on top. Use the rest of the frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake. You can make it smooth and perfect, or you can go for those rustic, swoopy lines. Both are delicious.
Step 4: For a little extra flair, you can top it with fresh strawberry slices. I recommend chilling the cake in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before slicing. This helps everything set up for clean, pretty slices.
Possible Substitutions and Variations
Don’t have something? No worries. Baking is flexible.
| Ingredient | Substitution | Quick Note |
|---|---|---|
| Buttermilk | 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice | Let it sit for 5 mins to curdle. |
| All-Purpose Flour | Cake Flour | Use 2 ¾ cups. Makes it even softer. |
| Vegetable Oil | Melted coconut oil or any neutral oil | Flavor might change slightly. |
Want to mix it up? Try adding a ½ cup of mini white chocolate chips to the batter. Or add a little lemon zest to the frosting for a strawberry-lemonade vibe. So good.
Nutritional Info and Other Good Stuff
Just a heads-up, this is a cake. It’s meant to be a treat, so the numbers reflect that. This is an estimate per slice, assuming you cut the cake into 12 slices.
| Nutrient | Estimated Amount per Slice |
|---|---|
| Calories | ~550 kcal |
| Fat | ~30g |
| Carbohydrates | ~65g |
| Protein | ~5g |
For different diets: To make it gluten-free, you can try a good 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour blend. For a dairy-free version, use a dairy-free buttermilk substitute (like almond milk with lemon juice), a plant-based butter, and a dairy-free cream cheese for the frosting.
Pairing Suggestions: This cake is amazing with a simple cup of coffee or black tea. Or just a big glass of cold milk. Let’s not overcomplicate a good thing.
Leftovers and Storage
If you somehow have leftovers, you need to store this cake in the refrigerator because of the cream cheese frosting. It will get sad and melty at room temperature.
Just put it in an airtight container or cover it well with plastic wrap. It’ll stay fresh and delicious in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can even freeze individual slices wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and then foil for up to a month.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1. Help! My cake isn’t very pink. What did I do wrong?
Ans: First off, you probably did nothing wrong! The color of this cake depends entirely on the color of your strawberries. Some batches are just paler than others. It will still taste amazing. If you absolutely need a brighter pink, you can add a drop or two of red or pink food coloring to the batter, but I honestly love the natural, subtle color.
Q2. Why did my cake turn out dense and dry?
Ans: This is usually one of two culprits. The first is overmixing the batter after adding the flour. Remember, mix just until combined. The second is overbaking. Ovens can be weird, so start checking your cake a few minutes before the recipe says to. The second a toothpick comes out clean, take it out!
Q3. Can I bake this in a 13×9 inch pan instead?
Ans: Absolutely. It works great as a sheet cake. Just pour all the batter into a greased and floured 13×9 inch pan. The baking time will be similar, around 30-35 minutes. Just do the toothpick test to be sure. It makes frosting way easier, too.
Q4. Is this just a Red Velvet Cake with strawberries?
Ans: Nope! While they share the “velvet” name, which just refers to the soft, tender crumb, they are different. Traditional Red Velvet has a distinct, mild chocolate flavor from a small amount of cocoa powder. This cake’s flavor is all about bright, fresh strawberry.
Wrapping Up
So there it is. A Strawberry Velvet Cake that’s tender, packed with real fruit flavor, and not nearly as complicated as it sounds. It’s pretty, it’s delicious, and it’s a fun change from the usual.
Honestly, the best part is seeing the look on people’s faces when they take a bite and realize it’s not just a pretty pink cake.
I really hope you give it a try. And if you do, I’d love to hear about it! Did you like it? Did you change anything? Leave a comment below and tell me how it went. I love hearing about your kitchen adventures.
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