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Strawberry Cake Recipe for a ‘Alice in Wonderland’ Celebration

Celebrate a whimsical slice in Wonderland with a delightful strawberry cake that would make even the Cheshire Cat grin wider. This enchanting dessert is decorated with fresh strawberries, which makes it a visual and culinary delight. Serve each slice with a mischievous smile, and watch as guests disappear into a world of sweet fantasy, just like Alice following the Cheshire Cat’s mysterious allure.

This Fresh Strawberry Cake is the perfect dessert year-round. Loaded with strawberry flavor in both the cake itself as well as the frosting, it’s perfect for a family get together or anytime you find yourself with extra berries!

Bowl of fresh strawberries and a baking dish with decorated Fresh Strawberry Cake.

This Fresh Strawberry Cake is one of my favorite ways to enjoy fresh strawberries. I find myself making this dessert often in the summertime when berries are in abundance, but it’s truly an incredible dessert any month of the year. It’s very similar to strawberry shortcake but with even more strawberries in the cake batter and the fluffy frosting on top. This cake is SO easy to whip up and it is always a crowd-pleaser. Even my husband who doesn’t really like fruity cakes LOVED this one! The frosting is light and creamy and brings out all that fresh strawberry deliciousness.

Ingredients in Fresh Strawberry Cake

Take some help from the store with this recipe! Grab a box of cake mix and that takes a lot of the work out of a homemade cake. Here’s what you need:

FOR THE CAKE:

  • White cake mix – one box dry, unprepared cake mix. This flour mixture has all of the dry ingredients you need (baking powder, salt, all purpose flour, etc.) and it so much easier than baking from scratch.
  • Strawberry gelatin – one 3-ounce box dry, unprepared mix
  • Fresh strawberries – one cup of strawberry puree, blended using a blender or food processor.
  • Vegetable oil – one cup
  • Buttermilk – half a cup. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own! Just add one tablespoon of white vinegar and enough milk to make one cup.
  • Eggs – Four large eggs. Crack each large egg, one at a time and use the paddle attachment to incorporate each egg on low speed until completely mixed together.

FOR THE STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

  • Cream cheese – 16 ounces, or two packages of cream cheese, softened to room temperature.
  • Fresh strawberries – blend another ¾ cup of fresh strawberries into a strawberry puree, either with a food processor or blender. blended
  • Powdered sugar – about two cups, sifted and measured. Set aside some extra if you want a bit thicker frosting.
  • Cool Whip – one cup. If the tub has been in the freezer, make sure to thaw in the refrigerator before mixing into the stand mixer. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl to get all the yummy goodness mixed in.
Ingredients to make Fresh Strawberry Cake including strawberry jello, oil, cool whip, powdered sugar, cream cheese, milk, eggs, white cake mix and fresh strawberries.

Can I Use Other Berries?

If you are not a strawberry fan, you can easily sub out a different type of berry and change this fresh strawberry cake into a totally different flavor. Some fruits that would work well instead of strawberries are:

  • Blackberries
  • Raspberries
  • Blueberries
  • Cherries
  • Huckleberries

Cake Texture

This cake is a moist, dense cake. It’s not quite as airy as some versions, but that’s thanks to the fresh strawberries added in. The cake will still puff up in the oven, but you will need to make absolutely sure the cake is done baking or it may fall once it cools.

Pink Fresh Strawberry Cake frosted and decorated with strawberries and blueberry.

Fresh Strawberry Cake Frosting

  • Cool whip and cream cheese serve as the base for this yummy frosting, along with blended fresh strawberries.
  • When making the frosting, you need to make sure both the cool whip and the cream cheese are at room temperature or you risk the frosting separating.
  • For extra pink color, whisk in a drop or two of red food coloring.
  • If you prefer, you can use whipped cream in place of the cool whip. Again, just make sure it is at room temperature before mixing, and whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks.
  • You can make this more of a buttercream frosting by substituting one cup of unsalted butter in for one of the 8-ounce packages of cream cheese. Strawberry buttercream is so yummy on this cake as well!
  • Frost the cake using an offset spatula.
Plate of Fresh Strawberry Cake slice with strawberries and a blueberry.

Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes

This fresh strawberry cake recipe makes an awesome cupcake as well. To convert this recipe into a cupcake, simply pour the batter into cupcake liners rather than the pan. You will need to adjust the cooking time down to baking for 15-20 minutes—just check for doneness before pulling the cupcakes out. Cool on a wire rack before frosting.

Make it a Chocolate Strawberry Cake

If you are a chocolate lover, this cake also works incredibly well as a chocolate strawberry cake. Just sub out the white cake mix and instead use a chocolate cake mix. Nothing else in the recipe changes.

Disney Strawberry Cake

Fresh Strawberry Cake

This Fresh Strawberry Cake is a great summer dessert, loaded with fresh strawberries in both the cake and frosting! Perfect for a family get together.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 12
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Ingredients
  

  • 1 box white cake mix dry, unprepared
  • 3 oz box strawberry jello dry, unprepared
  • 1 cup fresh strawberries blended
  • 1 cup oil
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 4 eggs
Strawberry Cream Frosting
  • 16 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 3/4 cup fresh strawberries blended
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 cup cool whip thawed

Equipment

  • 9×13 Glass Pan

Method
 

  1. Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place strawberries in blender and puree well (one pint size package of fresh strawberries was about right for both the cake and frosting).
    A clear Blendtec blender jar filled with blended strawberries sits on a white kitchen countertop. Fresh whole strawberries and a pink towel are in the background, set against a white subway tile backsplash.
  2. Step 2: Combine cake mix and strawberry gelatin in large bowl.
    A clear glass mixing bowl filled with a light pink powder sits on a white surface. A metal whisk is placed beside the bowl, and part of a pink cloth is visible in the corner of the image.
  3. Step 3: Mix in 1 c. blended strawberries, oil and buttermilk.
    A glass mixing bowl sits on a white surface, containing a vibrant pink batter. A metal whisk lies next to the bowl, indicating that the contents have been recently mixed. The background features a faint glimpse of a pink cloth and scattered pink powder.
  4. Step 4: Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each.
    A glass mixing bowl filled with pink cake batter topped with a cracked raw egg. The bowl is on a white surface next to two whole eggs and a whisk. A pink cloth with a strawberry on it is visible in the upper left corner.
  5. Step 5: Pour into a 9×13 inch pan lined with cooking spray.
    A rectangular white baking dish is filled with a smooth, pink batter. The dish is placed on a light surface, and part of a folded pink cloth is visible in the top left corner.
  6. Step 6: Bake for 30-35 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.
    A baking scene with a rectangular strawberry cake in a white baking dish, halved strawberries and blueberries on a wooden cutting board, a blue-handled knife, a bowl of pink batter, and several whole strawberries on the side.
Strawberry Cream Frosting
  1. Step 1: Mix together cream cheese and ¾ c. blended strawberries until smooth.
    A glass mixing bowl filled with light pink whipped cream sits on a white marble surface. A metal whisk with remnants of the whipped cream lies next to the bowl. A pink oven mitt can be seen in the upper left corner.
  2. Step 2: Add powdered sugar. Mix well.
    A top view of a mixing bowl with a pink batter and white powder, possibly confectioner's sugar, being added. Nearby are a whisk, a bowl with more white powder, and a pink cloth with three strawberries on it. The scene is set on a white surface.
  3. Step 3: Fold in cool whip.
    A clear mixing bowl filled with light pink whipped frosting sits on a marble surface. Part of a container with a blue label and a textured pink cloth are visible near the bowl, along with some fresh strawberries.
  4. Step 4: Pour over cooled cake.
    A white ceramic dish filled with pink creamy dessert is on a white surface. Next to it, a wooden cutting board holds sliced strawberries and whole blueberries. Whole strawberries are placed on the right, and a pink kitchen towel is partially visible on the left.
  5. Step 5: Garnish with additional fresh strawberries if desired.
    A white rectangular dish filled with pink strawberry-flavored dessert is decorated with slices of strawberries arranged in flower shapes. Each "flower" has five strawberry slices forming petals with a blueberry in the center. Whole strawberries are nearby.
  6. Step 6: Refrigerate 1 hour before serving.
    A slice of pink strawberry cake topped with white frosting, garnished with sliced strawberries and a blueberry, displayed on a white plate. Surrounding the plate are fresh strawberries, a gold fork, and a white bowl filled with strawberries on a pink cloth.

Notes

  • This fresh strawberry cake recipe makes an awesome cupcake as well. To convert this recipe into a cupcake, simply pour the batter into cupcake liners rather than the pan.
  • You will need to adjust the cooking time down to baking for 15-20 minutes—just check for doneness before pulling the cupcakes out. Cool on a wire rack before frosting.
  • If you are a chocolate lover, this cake also works incredibly well as a chocolate strawberry cake. Just sub out the white cake mix and instead use a chocolate cake mix. Nothing else in the recipe changes.

Frequently Asked Questions about Fresh Strawberry Cake

Does a cake with fresh strawberries need to be refrigerated?

Yes! Store this cake in the refrigerator to help the whipped frosting keep its shape. The heat will melt and break the whipped cream if it’s kept out for too long. Plus the berries will stay fresher longer when refrigerated.

How long do fresh strawberries last in a cake?

It is best served immediately! The cake needs refrigeration because it contains whipped cream and cut strawberries. It will last for about 1 to 2 days.

How do you keep strawberry cakes from getting soggy?

If refrigerated properly, the cake shouldn’t get soggy for at least the first couple of days. After that, however, the berries will cause the cake to become soggy.

Interested in more Disney Recipes?

On the left, there are stacked trays of tea sandwiches, perfect for an 'Alice in Wonderland' celebration. On the right, an animated scene from "Alice in Wonderland" features Alice and the Mad Hatter pouring tea. The combination suggests a whimsical tea party setting.

From a yummy Dole Whip recipe to a Tea Sandwich recipe for an Alice in Wonderland-themed celebration, these recipes will transport you to the Disney Parks and movies. Check out Disney foodie favorites on our recipe page!

This post originally appeared on Favorite Family Recipes.

Author

  • Echo Blickenstaff

    Echo lives in Pleasant Grove, Utah with her husband, Todd, who works in advertising, and her four kids: two girls and two boys. She deploys her accounting degree as the blog’s resident problem solver. In her time outside the kitchen, Echo loves to get away from the phones and busy schedules and spend quality time with the family. Anywhere’s great – but getting out into nature in the mountains or on the beach – is the best kind of getaway.

Echo Blickenstaff

Echo lives in Pleasant Grove, Utah with her husband, Todd, who works in advertising, and her four kids: two girls and two boys. She deploys her accounting degree as the blog’s resident problem solver. In her time outside the kitchen, Echo loves to get away from the phones and busy schedules and spend quality time with the family. Anywhere’s great – but getting out into nature in the mountains or on the beach – is the best kind of getaway.

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