Pioneer Woman Strawberry Cake Recipe

Pioneer Woman Strawberry Cake Recipe is made with fresh strawberry puree, strawberry gelatin, cake flour, butter, and eggs. The result is an ultra-moist, fluffy, and vibrant pink cake topped with a rich, tangy strawberry frosting. It is the perfect show-stopping dessert for spring gatherings or birthday parties and serves 12-16 people.

Try More Recipes:

• Pioneer Woman Zucchini Pineapple Bread
• Pioneer Woman Zucchini Carrot Bread
• Pioneer Woman Zucchini Brownies

💕 Why You Will Love This Strawberry Cake:

• Unbelievably Moist Crumb: This cake is ultra-moist thanks to the added fat from the buttermilk and the moisture from the fresh strawberry puree. It stays tender and delicious for days without drying out.
• Vibrant Pink Color: The recipe uses strawberry gelatin, a classic technique that not only boosts the strawberry flavor but also gives the cake a gorgeous, uniform, vibrant pink color that is perfect for any celebration.
• Balanced Strawberry Flavor: The combination of natural puree and the punchy gelatin flavor ensures that the strawberry taste is pronounced and fresh, not just subtle or fake.
• Best Cream Cheese Frosting: The cake is topped with a rich, tangy cream cheese frosting that also contains strawberry puree. This perfect blend of sweet, tart, and creamy is the ideal contrast to the fluffy cake.

🍓 Pioneer Woman Strawberry Cake Ingredients

For the Cake:

• 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberry puree (about 12 oz of strawberries)
• 1 box (3 ounces) strawberry gelatin
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (or whole milk)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Strawberry Frosting:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 block (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup strawberry puree (or jam)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

🥧 How To Make Pioneer Woman Strawberry Cake

1. Prep fruit and oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Puree 1 1/2 cups of fresh strawberries until completely smooth.
2. Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. Cream butter and sugar: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the strawberry gelatin powder until combined.
4. Add eggs and wet ingredients: Beat in the eggs one at a time. In a small bowl, whisk together the strawberry puree, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Add the liquid mixture and the flour mixture to the butter alternately, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix until just combined.
5. Bake: Pour the batter evenly into the two prepared pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Cool completely: Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
7. Make the frosting: Beat the softened butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until fully combined. Stir in the strawberry puree and vanilla extract.
8. Assemble: Once the layers are fully cooled, spread a layer of frosting between the cakes and frost the entire cake. Garnish with fresh strawberries.

💭 Recipe Tips

• Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure your butter, cream cheese, and eggs are all at room temperature. This allows the ingredients to blend into a smooth emulsion, resulting in a lighter, fluffier cake texture.
• Strawberry Gelatin is Key: The gelatin powder serves two purposes: it gives the cake a necessary flavor punch and provides that vibrant, artificial pink color that is signature to this classic recipe.
• Don’t Overmix the Batter: Overmixing will develop the gluten in the flour, resulting in a tough, dense cake. Stop mixing as soon as the last streaks of flour disappear.
• Cool Before Frosting: It is crucial that the cake layers are completely cool before frosting. If they are even slightly warm, the butter and cream cheese in the frosting will melt, causing the frosting to slide off the cake.

🍧 What To Serve With Strawberry Cake?

This vibrant cake is rich enough to stand alone serve it simply with a side of fresh strawberries and a hot cup of black coffee or tea for an extra treat, serve individual slices with a dollop of fresh whipped cream or a small scoop of strawberry sorbet.

🎚 How To Store Leftovers Strawberry Cake?

• Refrigerate: Because the frosting contains cream cheese and butter, the cake must be stored in the refrigerator. Store it in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
• Freeze (Unfrosted): The unfrosted cake layers can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and then foil and frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before frosting.

Why You Shouldn’t Reheat It:

• Frosting Will Melt: The cream cheese and butter in the frosting will melt quickly under heat, causing the frosting to slide right off the cake and create a gooey mess.
• Cake Will Dry Out: The cake itself is best served at room temperature. Reheating it will dry out the edges and compromise the moist, fluffy crumb.

How to Serve Leftovers:

1. Serve Chilled: Because of the cream cheese frosting, the cake must be stored in the refrigerator.
2. Bring to Room Temp: For the best flavor and softest texture, remove a slice (or the whole cake) from the refrigerator about 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving. This allows the butter in the frosting and the sponge itself to soften to a perfect eating temperature.

FAQs

More Recipes:

• Pioneer Woman White Chocolate Bread Pudding
• Pioneer Woman Zucchini Bread
• Pioneer Woman Rum Balls

Strawberry Cake Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 slice (1/16 of cake)

• Calories: 460 kcal
• Total Fat: 22g
• Saturated Fat: 13g
• Cholesterol: 105mg
• Sodium: 280mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 63g
• Dietary Fiber: 1g
• Sugars: 48g
• Protein: 5g

Pioneer Woman Strawberry Cake Recipe

Recipe by Imen DridiCourse: Desserts, Brunch, BreakfastCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Beginner

Servings

16

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

35

minutes

Calories

460

kcal

Pioneer Woman Strawberry Cake Recipe is made with fresh strawberry puree, strawberry gelatin, cake flour, butter, and eggs. The result is an ultra-moist, fluffy, and vibrant pink cake topped with a rich, tangy strawberry frosting. It is the perfect show-stopping dessert for spring gatherings or birthday parties and serves 12-16 people.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberry puree (about 12 oz of strawberries)

• 1 box (3 ounces) strawberry gelatin

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 cup cake flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened

• 2 cups granulated sugar

• 4 large eggs

• 1/2 cup buttermilk (or whole milk)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• For the Strawberry Frosting:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

• 1 block (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

• 4 cups powdered sugar

• 1/4 cup strawberry puree (or jam)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

• Prep fruit and oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Puree 1 1/2 cups of fresh strawberries until completely smooth.
• Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking soda, and salt.
• Cream butter and sugar: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the strawberry gelatin powder until combined.
• Add eggs and wet ingredients: Beat in the eggs one at a time. In a small bowl, whisk together the strawberry puree, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Add the liquid mixture and the flour mixture to the butter alternately, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix until just combined.
• Bake: Pour the batter evenly into the two prepared pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Cool completely: Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• Make the frosting: Beat the softened butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until fully combined. Stir in the strawberry puree and vanilla extract.
• Assemble: Once the layers are fully cooled, spread a layer of frosting between the cakes and frost the entire cake. Garnish with fresh strawberries.

Notes

• Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure your butter, cream cheese, and eggs are all at room temperature. This allows the ingredients to blend into a smooth emulsion, resulting in a lighter, fluffier cake texture.
  Strawberry Gelatin is Key: The gelatin powder serves two purposes: it gives the cake a necessary flavor punch and provides that vibrant, artificial pink color that is signature to this classic recipe.
  Don’t Overmix the Batter: Overmixing will develop the gluten in the flour, resulting in a tough, dense cake. Stop mixing as soon as the last streaks of flour disappear.
  Cool Before Frosting: It is crucial that the cake layers are completely cool before frosting. If they are even slightly warm, the butter and cream cheese in the frosting will melt, causing the frosting to slide off the cake.