Strawberry Pound Cake

Y’all, my Strawberry Pound Cake recipe has gone viral more times than I can count. It’s simply the best- no lies detected. It’s perfectly moist and luscious with fresh strawberry flavor in every single tender bite. And don’t even get me started on my strawberry glaze! You will eat it by the spoonful whenever folks ain’t watching. This strawberry pound cake has got it all, and I can guarantee you won’t go looking for another recipe after you try this one. Trust!

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Fresh Strawberry Pound Cake Recipe with Strawberry Glaze poured over it

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Strawberry season is a fave around these parts. If you look at my site, you will see a ton of recipes that do my fave fruit justice. But I gotta say, this might be my fave. When I first shared this strawberry pound cake recipe years ago, it went viral. I get it! Just look at this masterpiece. Folks couldn’t get past the fact that a strawberry cake could be made even better in a bundt package. And I went hard in the paint making sure it tasted as good as it looks. Now you can see what all the hype is about when you make it.

What is a Strawberry Pound Cake?

A strawberry pound cake is a traditional Southern pound cake made with strawberries. Simple as that. Folks serve it different ways however. You will find recipes with chopped up berries in the batter or you may find it similar to mine, where the strawberries are pureed to add additional flavor, moisture and color to the batter.

The Lowdown on the Best Strawberry Pound Cake Recipe

Cuisine Inspiration: Southern Classic with a Fruity Remix
Primary Cooking Method: Baking
Dietary Info: This is your classic sugary, gluten and dairy filled dessert but it can be adapted for dietary restrictions boos
Key Flavor: Dense, Moist, Tender, and Sweet with Juicy Strawberry Vibes
Skill Level: Intermediate

Ingredients You’ll Need to Make this Fresh Strawberry Pound Cake

Bowls of strawberries, butter, flour and eggs to make a strawberry bundt cake recipe

For The Cake:

  • Fresh Strawberries: Don’t even play around. Grab a pint of the best looking strawberries you can find! Save a few for the strawberry bundt cake because they do double duty in the glaze.
  • Butter: Room temp unsalted butter will add richness and flavor giving that tender crumb we love in a pound cake.
  • Granulated Sugar: Regardless of how sweet the berries are, they still need a bit of sweetening up. It’s a cake boos! Embrace some sugar.
  • Eggs: These are gonna give your cake structure. Bring them to room temp before adding.
  • Flour: Flour helps stabilize our strawberry pound cake batter. We sift it to make it a bit lighter.
  • Salt and Baking Soda: A teaspoon of salt and half a teaspoon of baking soda balance out the sweetness and gives a nice lift.
  • Buttermilk: Creamy buttermilk always tenderizes a cake making it super soft and moist.
  • Vanilla: It adds warmth and a bit of an aromatic note.
  • Strawberry Extract: While I make this ingredient optional, this can help boost that berry flavor especially if your strawberries aren’t the best.
  • Pop of Color: A little red food coloring if you’re feeling fancy.

For The Glaze:

  • Strawberry Puree: These were the extra berries we saved. It enhances the color so much in the end.
  • Powdered Sugar: It gives our glaze a nice and smooth topping for our strawberry pound cake recipe.
  • Vanilla: Gotta add a bit of this to balance the strawberries and provide a bit more complexity to the flavor.
  • Citrus : I love adding a bit of acid to anything. Use lemon or lime here. It brightens the flavor so much y’all.

How to Make Strawberry Pound Cake

Step 1: Make the Puree

  1. Kick things off by hulling and giving those strawberries a good rinse. Whiz them up in a food processor or blender until theyโ€™re smooth. Snag 2 tablespoons and set them aside for your glaze later on.
  2. Pop that strawberry puree on the stove and let it simmer down for 15-20 minutes. Youโ€™re aiming for a ยฝ cup of thick, concentrated flavor. Then let it chill until it gets to room temp.
A collage of strawberry puree being made with fresh strawberries being added to a food processor then being thickened on the stove

Step 2: Mix Up the Batter

  1. Preheat the oven 325 degrees and grease your 12-cup Bundt pan using your fave nonstick method.
  2. In your mixerโ€™s bowl, mix the butter for 2 minutes on high. Gradually add in the sugar and let them mingle until the mix is pale yellow and fluffy. It might be a bit crumbly but that’s cool.
  3. Add the eggs, one by one. Don’t throw them all in at once!
  4. Turn down the speed to low and carefully add the flour in two parts, followed by the salt and baking soda. Go chillmode hereโ€”no overbeating.
  5. Pour in the buttermilk, strawberry puree, vanilla, strawberry extract, and food coloring if youโ€™re using. Mix until just right then pause.

PRO TIPS: Make sure you don’t forget to scrape the sides of the mixing bowl as needed to make sure all the ingredients are in the mix. And also turn your mixer speed down to low when adding in your flour and final wet ingredients. We don’t want to over-activate the gluten making a tough cake in the end.

A collage of cake batter being mixed in a stand mixer then strawberry puree being added until it turns smooth and pink

Step 3: Bake it Up and Make the Glaze

  1. Pour that batter into your greased up Bundt pan and let it bake for 70-80 minutes. You’re looking for an almost clean toothpick with just a few crumbs as your clue that’s it’s ready.
  2. Let the cake chill on a wire rack in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then flip it out onto a serving plate.
  3. When the cake is room temp, whisk together the strawberry puree you set aside, powdered sugar, vanilla, and a bit of lemon or lime juice.
  4. Once you have the consistency you like, dust a little powdered sugar on top of the cake (if you want) then pour the glaze on top. Give it 10 minutes to set and serve it up like a boss.

PRO TIP: Make sure you give your glaze a test run before you add to your cake. Add a spoon to the glaze and let it run down the side. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar. Too thick? A splash more citrus juice will do the trick.

A collage of a strawberry pound cake recipe being added to a bundt pan then baked and a strawberry glaze being mixed up

How to Serve Pound Cake with Strawberries

Close up on Fresh Strawberry Pound Cake recipe with strawberry glaze on white background

Recipe Substitutions

  • Strawberries: If fresh strawberries aren’t looking too hot, frozen can work. You will need to thaw them and drain them completely. And I mean drain completely y’all. Dry them super well before making your puree so your batter isn’t watery and weighed down. If you find them to still be a bit watery, just reduce the buttermilk by about a tablespoon or two to cut down the liquids.
  • Butter: No unsalted lying around? Grab salted and just leave the salt out.
  • Buttermilk: I know folks don’t usually have buttermilk lying around so just make it at the crib. Just add a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to a cup of milk and let it sit for about 5 minutes until it curdles. Then use it in the recipe. You can also thin out plain yogurt with a bit of milk as well and sub here.
  • Strawberry Extract and Food Coloring: You can omit both of these, and the cake will still be awesome.

Recipe Additions and Variations

  • Gluten Free: Use a 1:1 baking gluten-free flour blend that you trust as a sub for the all-purpose flour here. Just make sure it has xanthan gum in it. The texture will be slightly different, just keep that in mind.
  • Vegan: This will require a bit of testing on your part since I didn’t test this here. But in theory, you can replace the butter with vegan sticks, make your own vegan buttermilk with vinegar or lemon juice and oat milk, and replace the eggs with a vegan egg version. If you do try this out, let me know how it works and what changes you made in the comments.
  • Strawberry Shortcake Remix: Slice this baby open like I do in my Strawberry Shortcake Pound Cake, and add fresh whipped cream and berries. So fun!
  • Chocolate Covered Strawberry Vibes: Instead of using the strawberry glaze, cover the strawberry pound cake recipe with my chocolate ganache. It’s fantastic for Valentine’s Day.
  • Booze it Up: For my adults, hook this batter up with a nice liqueur like Grand Marnier or Amaretto. Just a 1/4 cup will add a lil’ something something.

Expert Tips and Tricks

  • Use Room Temp Ingredients: Don’t try to stick cold butter and sugar into a mixing bowl y’all. Make sure that butter is softened so it becomes creamy, light and fluffy. Make sure the eggs and buttermilk are at room temp too to ensure a smooth batter and great texture.
  • Don’t Overmix: Don’t nobody want a tough cake! And the more you mix, the more you are guaranteeing just that. Chill out boos.
  • Grease that Pan: If you want a clean release, you better grease that bundt pan super well. You can either use non-stick baking spray, shortening and flour (the old school way), or even my homemade cake release.
  • Don’t Glaze Until the Cake is Cool: If you glaze too early, that glaze will melt and slide right on off your cake.

How to Store a Strawberry Bundt Cake Recipe

  • Fridge: To keep it fresh, place the strawberry bundt cake in an airtight container, and let it chill in the fridge. It’s best to store it there to preserve the freshness so it won’t spoil. We used fresh fruit so we gotta keep an eye on it. It should keep for about 5-6 days.
  • Freezer: If you want it to last longer, freeze it by making sure itโ€™s tightly wrapped, and it will stay for up to 3 months.
  • Serving Again: When serving it up, make sure you bring your slices back to room temperature so it gets all soft and delish like you first made it.
A strawberry pound cake recipe cut open with the inside revealed

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use frozen strawberries in this Strawberry Pound Cake recipe?

While this recipe works best with fresh strawberries, you can definitely sub in some frozen strawberries. Just be prepared for some additional work. You must dry those babies out as much as humanly possible once they are thawed. If you leave them super watery, the cake just won’t be the same. That water will weigh your batter down and make it super dense.

Do I have to sift the flour in this Strawberry Pound Cake recipe?

Yep I definitely suggest doing it. Because this batter has the addition of so many liquid components, I selected an all-purpose flour because it has heft. But because it is much sturdier than a cake flour, sifting will help lighten the cake a bit. Don’t skip this step if you can help it.

How do I know when my cake is done baking?

The good ole toothpick trick boos. Insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean or even with just a few moist crumbs, pull that baby on out. It’s ready.

How do I select great strawberries for a Strawberry Pound Cake?

When picking strawberries, they should be a nice bright red color. When you feel them, they should be pretty firm and plump too. Avoid any that are damaged and bruised with wilted or brown caps.

Enough chit chatting. You ready to find out why this strawberry pound cake goes viral? Get to baking.

A slice of strawberry pound cake recipe on a white plate with a silver fork

Other Amazing Strawberry Dessert Recipes

*Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating and leave comments below!*
 
Fresh Strawberry Pound Cake Recipe with Strawberry Glaze poured over it

Fresh Strawberry Pound Cake Recipe

This Fresh Strawberry Pound Cake Recipe is perfectly dense, but so moist, with wonderful pops of fresh strawberries and a delicious strawberry glaze.
4.42 from 401 votes
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Resting Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Course: Dessert
Servings: 16 servings

Ingredients

For The Cake

  • 1 pint fresh strawberries (this is for glaze below as well)
  • 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 3 cups granulated sugar
  • 5 large eggs room temperature
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour sifted
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp strawberry extract optional
  • 1/2 tsp red food coloring optional

For The Glaze

  • 2 tbsp strawberry puree reserved from cake
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp pure lemon juice or lime juice

Instructions

For The Cake

  • Remove the stems and wash strawberries thoroughly. Next add strawberries to food processor or heavy duty blender and puree until smooth. Remove 2 tablespoons of puree and set aside for glaze later on.
  • Then add strawberry puree to a small pot over medium heat and reduce the puree for 15-20 minutes or until you have ยฝ cup left. It should be pretty thick. Cool puree down to room temperature and set aside.
  • Next preheat oven to 325 degrees and prepare a 12 cup Bundt pan with nonstick method of your choosing.
  • In your mixer bowl, add butter and beat for 2 minutes on high speed. Slowly add in sugar and beat on high speed for an additional 4 minutes until very pale yellow and fluffy, might be a bit crumbly.
  • Next, add eggs, one at a time, combining well after each addition and scraping down the sides of your bowl as needed.
  • Turn your mixer down to its lowest speed, and slowly add flour in two increments, then add salt and baking soda. Be careful not to overbeat.
  • Lastly, add buttermilk, the cooled strawberry puree, vanilla extract and strawberry extract and red food coloring if using and mix until just combined then stop.
  • Pour cake batter into the Bundt pan and bake for 70 to 80 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
  • Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes then invert cake on serving plate.

For The Glaze

  • Once cake has cooled to room temperature, whisk together 2 tablespoons of the strawberry puree, powdered sugar, vanilla and lemon or lime juice until smooth and thick, but pourable.
  • Use your spoon to test this by seeing how it runs down the side of the spoon. If too thin, adjust with powdered sugar and if too thick, add a bit more juice until consistency is perfect. Glaze top of cooled cake and let set for 10 minutes then serve.

Video

Notes

How to Store Your Cake
  • Fridge: To keep it fresh, place the cake it in an airtight container, and let it chill in the fridge. It’s best to store it there to preserve the freshness so it won’t spoil. We used fresh fruit so we gotta keep an eye on it. It should keep for about 5-6 days.
  • Freezer: If you want it to be last longer, freeze it by making sure itโ€™s tightly wrapped, and it will stay for up to 3 months.
  • Serving Again: Make sure you bring your slices back to room temperature so it gets all soft and delish like you first made it.

Nutrition

Calories: 430kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 223mg | Potassium: 112mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 54g | Vitamin A: 455IU | Vitamin C: 17.9mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1.5mg
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Filed Under:  Cake, Dessert and Baking, Mother's Day, Oven, Spring Recipes

Comments

  1. Hey Jocelyn,
    This is a fantastic cake! I followed your instructions and opted to use the strawberry extract (McCormickโ€™s is not artificially flavored in case anyone might wonder) and a skootch of red gel. Beautiful and delicious. Thank you for sharing.

  2. I made this cake for the 1st time the other night and it turned out amazing. It is actually the first cake I ever made from scratch. It turned out wonderful and now I have a new Daddy Daughter date night project.

  3. Cake came out beautiful! Very tasty and moist! Thank you. You’re my go to!! I absolutely love your recipies. Id love to show you a picture!

    1. Hooray! Email me a picture and I will share in my newsletter!

  4. The recipe calls for “pure” lemon juice. Do you mean the one in the squeeze bottle, lemon extract (because both have “pure” in front of the name or is fresh lemon juice ok?

  5. Hi the cake sounds amazing and I’m about to make it and will post again. I can def figure it out because I bake enough to get the gist but the directions & responses about the puree are a little ambiguous. Is there a way to repost the recipe with clarity or add some footnotes? The recipe never specifies how many whole strawberries to get the puree for the icing.

    1. Hi Nancy, I will add some additional notes on the puree.

    1. I just add fresh strawberries without the stems to a heavy duty blender or food processor and pulse until completely smooth.

  6. Iโ€™ve made this cake twice now, and itโ€™s so moist and delicious each time! A beautiful cake!

  7. Iโ€™ve just made this strawberry bundt pound cake for Easter, and it is so moist and bursting with flavor! One of the best! Will definitely make this again!

  8. I’ve read this a few times and am still confused. Hope you can clarify for next time. I used a pint of strawberries to make the puree for the cake and reserved 2 tsp for the glaze (as is listed in the ingredients). However, then I got to the glaze instructions and saw again to puree strawberries and use 2 TBS in the glaze. So am I puree another set of strawberries (if so, about how many?) but not cooking them (?), and using 2TB or 2 tsp for the glaze. It’s really a gorgeous cake and tasted great before heading to the oven. Thanks!

  9. Iโ€™m with Gee. Strawberry purรฉe is unclear. Do we save 2 Tbs of the purรฉe we made for the cake and use for the glaze or start over with the purรฉe with for the glaze?

4.42 from 401 votes (293 ratings without comment)

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