Unbelievably moist, made with two whole jars of strawberry jam (one for the cake and one for the cream cheese frosting), this strawberry cake will make a strawberry cake lover out of anyone. This recipe started as a happy accident in my own kitchen and will be a birthday tradition for many years to come.

A close up of a piece of strawberry cake on a plate.

This recipe is…

Looking for ways to get creative with yellow cake mix? We’ve got you. Our 9 DELICIOUS yellow cake mix recipes include a variety of out-of-the-box cookie, cake, quick-bread, and muffin recipes.

The Story Behind This Recipe

Here’s a little story about a strawberry cake that shouldn’t have worked.

My husband, who doesn’t really care for sweets, had a birthday quickly approaching. I asked our girls (5 and 2) what they wanted to make him. Their response was a unanimous (and unwavering) “strawberry cake!” Cake day rolled around and I grabbed the nearest gluten-free box cake mix (a new to me brand, Cup4Cup). I followed the instructions on the package, though I swapped melted butter for the oil (I do this for all box mixes), and put the ingredients out for the girls to add to a bowl. I also grabbed a jar of strawberry jam and let Gray, our oldest, spoon some in for the strawberry flavor. I turned my back for mere seconds and when I went back …the whole jar of jam was in the mix. Y’all, 15+ ounces of jam. Knowing the cake probably wouldn’t set but that Austin wouldn’t care either way, I showered the girls in “thank you!”s and finished whisking it up. Wanting to give the cake its best chance in the oven, I poured it into a half sheet pan (to maximize surface area) and popped it in the oven.

Then, a miracle happened. The cake actually set! Amazed, I got to work on a quick strawberry frosting. Cream cheese felt right and, as Gray hadn’t steered us wrong on the cake, I also added another whole jar of strawberry jam. The strawberry cream cheese frosting is soft and luscious in the best way.

Once the cake cooled, the frosting was spread over the top and then the 2nd miracle happened …my husband LOVED IT. Truly. Said it’s the best cake he’s ever had and went on to snack on it for days. A birthday tradition in our home is born!

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

You’ll need a handful of ingredients for the cake itself and for the strawberry cream cheese frosting. All ingredient substitutions are listed below, and exact ingredient amounts can be found in the recipe card.

Ingredients for the best strawberry cake with cream cheese frosting sit in a variety of bowls on a marble countertop.

For the Strawberry Cake

  • Cup4Cup Yellow Cake Mix – we chose Cup4Cup yellow cake mix for this recipe. It’s the BEST gluten free cake mix we’ve come across. If you can’t find it (or just want to use a different brand), though, you absolutely can. Just be sure to adjust the ingredients below (milk, oil, and eggs) to match what your cake mix calls for.
  • Whole milk
  • Melted butter – any neutral oil of choice will work here. Butter and avocado oil are our favorite options!
  • Eggs
  • Strawberry jam
  • Freeze-dried strawberries – these are for garnish and are totally optional!

For the Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

  • Cream cheese
  • Butter
  • Powdered sugar
  • Vanilla extract
  • Strawberry jam

How to Make Strawberry Cake

This cake is incredibly easy to make! Keep in mind that your baking time may differ slightly if you’re using a different yellow cake mix. Here’s how you’ll pull it together:

All of the wet ingredients for strawberry cake in a large glass bowl.
A stick of butter, a block of cream cheese, and vanilla extract in a large glass bowl.
Strawberry cake in a cake pan after baking in the oven.
Strawberry cake batter being whisked together in a large glass bowl.
A large bowl of cream cheese frosting with strawberry jam being mixed in with an electric hand mixer.
A full strawberry cake in a cake pan.
Strawberry cake batter being poured into a cake pan.
Strawberry cream cheese frosting in a large glass bowl being mixed with a hand mixer.
A full strawberry cake in a cake pan.
  1. Prep – preheat the oven to 325°F, and generously grease a 13×18 “half sheet pan” (or line it with parchment paper).
  2. Whisk together the wet ingredients – in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, butter, and strawberry jam until combined.
  3. Add the cake mix – add the Cup4Cup cake mix to the bowl with the wet ingredients, and whisk until smooth. Pour the batter into the sheet pan.
  4. Bake – bake the cake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
  5. While the cake is baking, make the frosting – add the cream cheese, butter, and jam to a large bowl. Beat on high using an electric hand mixer until creamy and combined. Add the powdered sugar to the cream cheese mixture one cup at a time and beat to combine.
  6. Let cool, then frost – once the cake is baked, let it cool completely, then frost with the strawberry cream cheese frosting. Sprinkle crushed freeze-dried strawberries over the top, serve, and enjoy!

Recipe Tips and Tricks

Use a different flavor of jam – looking for a raspberry cake? Use raspberry jam! ANY flavor of jam that you love would be a great swap for the strawberry jam in both the cake and cream cheese frosting.

Let cool before frosting – let your cake cool completely before spreading the frosting on. Frosting a still-warm cake will cause the frosting to start to melt and slide right off the cake.

Make a different cream cheese frosting variation – we’ve got several different cream cheese frosting recipes that will knock your socks off. The chocolate chip (think: chocolate-covered strawberry) and peanut butter (think: PB&J) variations would be REALLY yummy on this strawberry cake too.

How to Store

Because of the cream cheese frosting, you’ll want to store any leftover cake in the refrigerator. Stored in the fridge your strawberry cake will keep for up to a week.

A full strawberry cake in a cake pan.
Can I use this batter for cupcakes?

Yes! You can absolutely use this strawberry cake batter for cupcakes. Pour the cupcakes into parchment-lined cupcake tins and bake at 325°F for 25 minutes.

Can I freeze this?

Yes, you can definitely freeze any leftover cake. My recommendation would be to cut the cake into slices and place each slice (not touching) on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan. Place the sheet pan in the freezer to freeze for a couple of hours – this will allow the frosting to freeze so that you can wrap the individual cake pieces! Then, pull the sheet pan out, wrap each slice in parchment paper, and place them in a freezer-safe bag in the freezer until you’re ready to enjoy.

What’s the best frosting for strawberry cake?

The strawberry cream cheese frosting accompanying this cake recipe is our recommendation for sure. It’s perfectly sweet with a tiny bit of tang from the cream cheese! The combo is absolutely delicious.

If you’re looking to get really creative, you could top your strawberry cake with homemade lemon curd for a strawberry lemonade spin.

When should you frost a cake with cream cheese frosting?

The cake frosting rule of thumb applies to this recipe too! It’s best to wait to frost your cake until the cake has completely cooled so that the frosting doesn’t start to melt and slide down the cake!

Two small white plates, each with a piece of strawberry cake and a fork.

Strawberry Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

4.70 — Votes 10 votes
By Cassy Joy Garcia
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Servings: 24 Servings
Unbelievably moist, made with two whole jars of strawberry jam (one for the cake and one for the cream cheese frosting), this strawberry cake will make a strawberry cake lover out of anyone.

Ingredients  

For the Cake

For the Frosting

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 325F. Generously grease a 13×18 "half sheet pan" or line with parchment paper).
  • In a large bowlwhisk together the eggs, milk, melted butter, and strawberry jam until combined. Add the Cup4Cup cake mix and whisk until smooth. Pour the batter into the sheet pan.
  • Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  • While the cake is baking, make the frosting. Add the cream cheese, butter, and jam to a large bowl. Beat on high using an electric hand mixer until creamy and combined. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time and beat to combine.
  • Once the cake is baked, cool completely, then frost. Sprinkle crushed freeze-dried strawberries over the top, serve, and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

  • We chose Cup4Cup yellow cake mix for this recipe. It’s the BEST gluten-free cake mix we’ve come across. If you can’t find it (or just want to use a different brand), though, you absolutely can. Just be sure to adjust the milk, oil, and egg ingredient amounts to match what your cake mix calls for.
  • If you’re using a 9×13 cake pan, bake for 45 minutes.
 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 436kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 84mg | Potassium: 127mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 50g | Vitamin A: 266IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 1mg

Additional Info

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 24 Servings
Calories: 436
Keyword: cake, cream cheese frosting

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20 Comments

  1. Hello! Has anyone tried making this recipe as egg free? I normally sub applesauce, buy worry that my cake might be too wet. Thoughts?

    1. Great question, Alicia! We haven’t tried it with applesauce, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work! Let us know if you end up trying it!

  2. I noticed the vanilla extract is included in the description but not in the recipe. Do you know how much?

  3. I made it with Duncan Hines Butter Yellow Cake mix, and it turned out great. Just adjusted the times/measurements per recipe notes. Mine needed a total of 45 mins, but I think it had to do with the pan I used.

    I hindsight, I think I’d try fully creaming the butter & cream cheese before adding the jam. My frosting still had those little little visible specs of butter that didn’t get fully creamed. Overall though, super yummy & moist – especially user-friendly for those of us who tend to shy away from baking!

    1. Thanks so much for letting us know that this recipe worked with that cake mix! We’re so glad you enjoyed it!

  4. Looks amazing! And a good one to make with kids. Can you cut the sugar in the frosting by half or a third?

  5. Hi! Is there butter in the frosting? It’s mentioned in the instructions but not in the ingredient list. Thank you!

    1. Could this cake be baked as cupcakes instead? Recommended cooking time?

    2. Yes! We haven’t tested the exact timing but 325°F for 20-25 minutes should be good.

    3. Thank you! I made this cake and it was delicious and refreshing right out of the fridge. The frosting was “softer” than expected but I think that’s normal considering the amount of jam. It does make a lot so it’s perfect for freezing.

  6. I saw this in your IG stories and have been looking forward to this recipe! I just bought this mix on Amazon and can’t wait to make this for Easter! I’ll have to report back after we try it ❤️

    1. We haven’t tried it, but I don’t see why not, Janet! Be sure to adjust the egg, milk, and oil amounts to match the package instructions of the mix you’re using. Same with the baking temperature and time!

    2. Oh no! I don’t have a half sheet pan. Could I use a 13×9 and increase bake time?

    3. Yes, April! I did that this weekend. Baking time is 45 minutes!