Strawberry Birthday Cake Recipe

Active Time:

53 mins

Total Time:

2 hrs 46 mins

Servings:

There's only one proper way to celebrate turning another year older: by enjoying a classic strawberry birthday cake. And this strawberry birthday cake recipe is truly something to behold. Made with simple ingredients, like cream cheese and vanilla bean, and topped with fresh strawberry halves, this dessert is a surefire crowd-pleaser.

Juicy strawberries perfectly combine with rich cream cheese icing to create a confection that's worth a second serving. There is no denying that strawberries are delicious when devoured directly from the plant, but they are downright scrumptious when paired with a moist and fluffy cake. And with less than an hour of hands-on time, you'll be in and out of the kitchen in a flash.

Learn how to make strawberry birthday cake, and give this recipe a try at your next celebratory occasion. We guarantee you won't regret it.

Ingredients for Strawberry Birthday Cake

A tender vanilla cake is filled with a rum-infused strawberry compote, and coated with a tangy cream cheese frosting for a layer cake you'll want to make year-round. To make strawberry birthday cake, you'll need:

For the vanilla cake:

Butter: Gives the cake its rich, buttery crumb.
Granulated sugar: Sweetens the cake.
Large eggs: Binds the batter.
All-purpose, soft-wheat flour: Gives the cake its structure.
Baking powder: Leavening agent to give the cake its rise.
Table salt: Enhances the overall flavor.
Whole milk: Adds moisture for a tender crumb.
Vanilla bean: For depth of flavor.
Shortening: Greases the pans before coating with flour for an easy release.

For the strawberry compote:

Vanilla bean: Adds a floral quality to the strawberry compote.
Fresh strawberries: The base of the compote, fresh strawberries cook down until jammy.
Granulated sugar: Sweetens the mixture.
Rum: A boozy touch to complement the flavors in the mix, but feel free to leave out, or swap with a splash of lemon juice, if preferred.

For the cream cheese frosting:

Cream cheese: The creamy, tangy base for the frosting.
Butter: Adds richness and stability to the frosting.
Powdered sugar: Sweetens and thickens the frosting.
Vanilla extract: Adds a third dose of vanilla to the cake to really bring that flavor home.

You'll also need halved strawberries for garnishing the cake.

What Are Vanilla Beans?

Vanilla beans are long, narrow pods filled with tiny back vanilla bean seeds, which are packed with an intense and aromatic vanilla flavor. A chef favorite, vanilla beans are often cut open and scraped into custards, ice creams, baked goods, and beverages. The empty pods can be infused into sugar or used to make homemade vanilla extract.

If you can't find vanilla beans in your local market, vanilla bean paste can be a nice alternative. More economical, vanilla bean paste is made of a combination of pure vanilla extract, vanilla bean seeds, and a thickening agent. It offers the same potent flavor of vanilla beans, along with flecks of real vanilla bean seeds, ready to use from the jar at any time.

Southern Living Ultimate Vanilla Pudding scraping the seeds from the vanilla bean pod — Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

How To Make Strawberry Birthday Cake

While there's a bit of prep involved in making the vanilla cake layers, strawberry compote, and cream cheese frosting, you'll be wowed by the results when you take the first bite of this fruit-forward beauty. Full instructions are below, but here's a brief recap before you get started:

Step 1. Prepare cake batter: Beat butter until creamy. Gradually beat in sugar to combine. Beat in eggs one at a time until smooth. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beating until smooth after each addition. Cut vanilla bean and scrape out seeds; stir into batter.
Step 2. Divide between pans: Divide batter evenly between two greased and floured round cake pans.
Step 3. Bake and cool: Bake until a wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes, then transfer from pans onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 4. Make the compote: Cut and scrape out vanilla bean seeds. Place bean, seeds, fresh strawberries, and sugar in a saucepan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until strawberries are soft. Remove from heat. Discard vanilla bean and stir in rum. Cool completely.
Step 5. Make the frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter until creamy. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until fluffy. Stir in vanilla extract.
Step 6. Stack and decorate: Halve cake layers horizontally using a serrated knife to make 4 layers. Top first layer with half of the strawberry compote. Top with another layer of cake, and top evenly with some frosting. Top with a third layer, and the remaining compote. Top with final cake layers and spread more frosting over top and sides of cake to coat. Chill until firm, then coat with remaining frosting.

Strawberry Birthday Cake Variations

To change up this strawberry birthday cake, consider these variation ideas:

Flavor the cake: Swap the vanilla bean for vanilla extract or paste, orange or almond extract, or other desired flavorings. Add zest or spice to the cake layers for additional complexity.
Mix-ins: Stir berries, white or dark chocolate chips, chopped nuts, sprinkles, and more into the cake batter before baking.
Strawberry compote: If needed, you can swap the strawberry compote with strawberry jam and fresh, sliced strawberries. You can also add other types of fruits to the strawberry compote, including sliced rhubarb, other types of berries, and more.
Frosting: Change up the cream cheese frosting by swapping with an airy Italian or Swiss meringue frosting, fresh whipped cream, or mix things up with a chocolate buttercream.
Garnishes: Give the cake a festive touch by coating partway up the sides with sprinkles, chopped nuts, toasted coconut, or other garnishes. Color some of the frosting pink and use to pipe rosettes or a border around the top of the cake for a pretty finish, or spread the frosting smooth and create a border of fresh sliced strawberries around the bottom or top of the cake.

Our Tips for the Best Strawberry Birthday Cake

For the best strawberry birthday cake, keep these tips in mind:

Cream until fluffy: Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy for a cake with a light, tender crumb.
Don't overmix: Avoid overmixing the batter, which could cause the cake to become dense or rubbery.
Divide batter evenly: Weigh or measure the batter when portioning into pans to ensure even layers.
Avoid overbaking: Bake just until a wooden pick comes out clean and cool on a rack to keep the cake moist.
Chill before frosting: If you have time, chill the cake layers in the refrigerator or freezer until cold before frosting. This will help keep the cake from sliding while stacking.
Create a frosting border: To keep the strawberry compote in place, pipe a ring of frosting along the edge of each cake layer, then spoon the compote into the center.

Can I Make Strawberry Birthday Cake Ahead?

Make this cake as far in advance as you like to take it off your birthday party to-do list. To make components of strawberry birthday cake ahead:

Freeze the cake layers: Bake and freeze the cake layers up to two months in advance. Make sure to wrap well in plastic wrap before storing, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator before frosting and decorating.
Prepare the filling and frosting: Prepare the filling and frosting up to three days in advance. Store in airtight containers in the refrigerator, and bring to room temperature when ready to use.
Stack and chill: Fill and frost the cake, chill until firm, then wrap and refrigerate up to one day ahead of serving. Bring to room temperature before serving, or serve slightly chilled.

How To Store Leftover Strawberry Birthday Cake

Store leftover slices of strawberry birthday cake well-wrapped or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. You can also freeze the cake, ideally in individually-wrapped slices for quick thawing, for up to two months. Bring to room temperature before serving or serve slightly chilled.

More Celebratory Layer Cake Recipes You'll Love

When it's time to celebrate, nothing brings everyone around the table faster than an over-the-top layer cake. These classic cakes might be just what your party menu needs:

Editorial contributions by Katie Rosenhouse.

Ingredients

Vanilla Cake:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 3/4 cups all-purpose soft-wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. table salt
1 cup milk
1 vanilla bean
Shortening

Strawberry Compote:

1 vanilla bean
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh strawberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. rum

5-Cup Cream Cheese Frosting:

2 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 (16-oz.) packages powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Additional Ingredient:

Garnish: fresh strawberries, halved

Directions

Cream butter and sugar:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
Add dry ingredients to butter mixture:

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition, stopping to scrape bowl as needed.
Add vanilla bean seeds to batter:

Split vanilla bean lengthwise, and scrape out seeds. Stir seeds into batter; reserve bean for another use.
Pour batter into pans:

Pour batter into 2 greased (with shortening) and floured 8-inch round cake pans with 2-inch sides.
Bake cake layers:

Bake at 350°F for 30 to 34 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely (about 1 hour).
Make the Strawberry Compote:

Split 1 vanilla bean lengthwise, and scrape out seeds. Stir together vanilla bean and seeds, 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh strawberries, and 1/2 cup sugar in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until strawberries are soft and mixture is slightly syrupy. Remove from heat; discard vanilla bean. Stir in 1 Tbsp. rum. Cool completely (about 30 min).
Make the 5-Cup Cream Cheese Frosting:

Beat 2 (8-oz.) packages softened cream cheese and 1/2 cup softened butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add 2 (16-oz.) packages powdered sugar, beating until fluffy. Stir in 2 tsp. vanilla extract.
Assemble cake:

Using a serrated knife, slice cake layers in half horizontally to make 4 layers. Place 1 layer, cut side up, on a cake plate or serving platter. Spread with half of Strawberry Compote. Top with another cake layer; spread with about 3/4 cup Cream Cheese Frosting. Place another cake layer on top of frosting; spread with remaining compote. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread 1 1/4 cups frosting on top and sides of cake to create a thin coat of frosting.
Finish frosting before serving:

Chill cake 30 minutes. Spread top and sides of cake with remaining frosting. Store in refrigerator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a store-bought cake mix for strawberry birthday cake?

If preferred, you can swap the homemade cake layers for ones using a store-bought cake mix. Proceed with the rest of the recipe as written.
Can I use frozen strawberries for strawberry birthday cake?

You can substitute frozen strawberries for the filling if needed. Thaw before using as directed.
What's the best substitute for vanilla beans?

If you can't find vanilla beans, substitute with vanilla bean paste for little flecks of vanilla bean throughout, or vanilla extract.