This single-layer Strawberry Whipped Cream Cake is soft, moist, and lightly flavored with freeze-dried strawberries—just enough for a gentle berry note without being too sweet. It’s topped with a fluffy whipped cream cheese frosting and a handful of fresh strawberries for an easy, feel-good dessert that’s perfect for spring days and casual get-togethers.
Spring baking means one thing: berries, and this Strawberry Whipped Cream Cake has everything I love in a spring dessert: moist, fluffy, and lightly flavored with real strawberries thanks to freeze-dried strawberries in the batter. It’s topped with whipped cream cheese frosting and fresh, juicy strawberries, making it the kind of cake you want to make on repeat.
I've made this cake five times in the last two weeks. I really can't get enough of it! From tea time with friends, to family barbecues, this cake has been around, and everyone who has tried it, has loved it! One of the biggest compliments is that it's lightly flavored and not too sweet, which is perfect for a spring or summer cake.
For fresh seasonal bakes, try my Lemon Blueberry Mascarpone Cake, Raspberry Almond Cake, Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake, and Mini Berry Cakes.
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♥ Why You'll Love This Recipe
Freeze-dried strawberries - No need to puree fresh strawberries. This recipe uses freeze-dried fruit that can be found all year! For more recipe with freeze-dried strawberries, try my Vanilla Cake with Strawberry Frosting or Strawberry Banana Cake.
Single layer - I love a good single layer cake. They're low maintenance. Just one pan and no need to layer and frost and an entire cake.
Perfect crumb - the crumb of this cake is so light, airy, and tender. But also fluffy and moist.
Not too sweet - The cake and frosting are perfectly sweetened, so it's not overwhelming. I've had a lot of taste testers and they absolutely love that it's not filled with sugar.
Light frosting - The whipped cream cheese frosting is adapted from my Vanilla Almond Cake. It's not heavy or overwhelming. It's light, tangy, with just the right amount of sweetness.
Spring & summer - this is THE cake to make if you're looking to impress, especially with fresh fruit on top!
📝 Ingredient Notes
A full list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions are located in the recipe card at the end of the post.
Strawberry Cake
Flour: This cake uses cake flour for the best crumb. Cake flour has less protein content, so it yields a softer, fluffier cake.
Egg whites: Leaving out the yolks and only using the whites creates a softer, fluffier texture and more delicate crumb.
Sour cream: Since we're leaving out the egg yolks in the cake, we add sour cream as a fat and this creates a moist cake. You can use full fat Greek Yogurt as a substitute.
Freeze-dried strawberries: I like to buy mine from Aldi since it's one of the only grocery stores that carries it most of the time, but Amazon is a good option too. Make sure to pulse them to a powder and then weigh.
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream Cheese: Full-fat block cream cheese. Make sure it's cold out of the fridge.
Heavy Whipping Cream: Make sure it's very cold and that your bowl is also very cold.
See recipe card for quantities.
🍴Special Equipment
Kitchen Scale: It's so important to use a kitchen scale for accurate results.
Springform Pan: You'll need a 9 inch Springform pan.
Mixing bowls: I love using glass Mixing Bowls when making batters and doughs.
Mixer: You can use a stand mixer, or a handheld mixer to make the cake and frosting.
𓎩 Step-by-Step Instructions
A few instruction photos to help you nail this recipe every time.
Step 1
Add the butter and sugar to a large bowl and beat together using a handheld mixer, for about 2-3 minutes until light and smooth. Add the egg whites and beat for another 2 minutes until it's all mixed in.
💡 Hint: Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature. If they're cold, you risk over mixing, which can lead to a dense and gummy cake.
Step 2
Then add the sour cream and vanilla extract and beat for another minutes.
🎩Trick: Sift your dry ingredients. This will avoid any clumps and yield to a smooth batter.
Step 3
Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and freeze dried strawberries, and mix for 30 seconds.
Step 4
Before it's fully combined, pour in the milk and mix for about 30 seconds. If you see streaks of flour, just fold the batter a couple times with a spatula. You don't want to over mix this batter.
Step 5
Pour the cake into the prepared pan and bake for 23-28 minutes. Depending on your oven and the type of pan you use, it could go up to 30 minutes.
Make frosting: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (you could use a hand mixer), beat cream cheese until smooth, about a couple minutes. Add the salt, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar and beat until completely combined and smooth, with no visible lumps.
Pour in the cold heavy whipping cream and beat until the frosting has thickened up, about a minute. When removing the whisk or beaters, the frosting should keep its form and not be runny at all! Stop once you reach this firm stage.
Frost and top with fresh strawberries.
💬 FAQ
For the cake itself, stick with freeze-dried strawberries. They pack flavor without adding moisture, which keeps the cake fluffy. Fresh or frozen berries will make the batter too wet and may weigh it down.
You'll typically find them near the dried fruit and raisins in the grocery store aisle, but I have found that a lot of the grocery stores I frequent don't always carry freeze-dried strawberries. Aldi seems to be one of the only ones that does. I have also had great luck buying them off Amazon.
Because of the frosting, store in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
Over mixing the batter is one of the top reasons your cake ends up with a gummy or chewy texture. This is why it's important to start out with room temperature ingredients because cold ingredients will prevent the batter from getting properly incorporated, and you'll end up over beating, which can lead to too much air in the batter. Make sure to properly weigh your ingredients so you're not adding too much flour.
💡Pro Tips
Measure Flour Correctly - As always, with any recipe, use a kitchen scale, as it is the best form of measuring your ingredients. If you don't have a kitchen scale, fluff your flour, scoop flour with a spoon into a measuring cup and level off.
Room temperature ingredients - It is crucial that all cold ingredients come to room temperature before making this recipe. I've tested this recipe so many times, and a couple of those times I did not have room temperature ingredients and the results were not that great. This step is VERY important.
Sift - Make sure to sift your dry ingredients into the batter.
Don't over mix: When you're beating in the egg whites, don't over mix. Just a couple minutes until it's smooth. When adding the dry ingredients, do not beat too long. Just 30 seconds, then add the milk and another 30 seconds. If flour streaks remain, fold a couple times with a spatula.
Line pans: Prep your pan with parchment paper at the bottom, and grease your pan to make sure the cakes come out in one piece.
Don't over bake: Start checking the cake at 23 minutes to ensure you don't over bake.
❄ Storage
Room temperature - This cake can be stored unfrosted in an airtight container at room temperature.
Refrigerator - Once frosted, the cake must be stored covered, in an airtight container for 4-5 days. Let come to room temperature before eating.
Freezer - Unfrosted, you can wrap the cake in saran wrap, then aluminum foil and place in the freezer for 2-3 months. Defrost in the fridge over night.
📖 Recipe Card
Strawberry Whipped Cream Cake
Equipment
- 1 9 inch springform pan
- electrical hand mixer
Ingredients
Strawberry Cake
- 6 tablespoon (84 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 3 large egg whites room temperature
- ¼ cup (65 g) sour cream room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1⅓ cup (157 g) cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 25 grams ground freeze dried strawberries (measure after grinding)
- ⅓ cup (80 g) milk room temperature
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz. full fat, block of cream cheese cold, straight out of the fridge
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- 1 cup (238 g) heavy whipping cream
Garnish
- fresh strawberries
Instructions
- Before you begin: It is very important that all your cold ingredients come to room temperature before starting on this recipe. Otherwise, they won't mix well and you'll end up with a gummy, dense cake.
Strawberry Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ and grease and line a 9 inch springform pan with parchment paper (a 9 inch round pan works too).
- Add the butter and sugar to a large bowl and beat together using a handheld mixer, for about 2-3 minutes until light and smooth. Add the egg whites and beat for another 2 minutes until it's all mixed in. Then add the sour cream and vanilla extract and beat for another minutes.6 tablespoon unsalted butter, ¾ cup granulated sugar, 3 large egg whites, ¼ cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and freeze dried strawberries, and mix for 30 seconds. Before it's fully combined, pour in the milk and mix for about 30 seconds. If you see streaks of flour, just fold the batter a couple times with a spatula. You don't want to over mix this batter.1⅓ cup cake flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, 25 grams ground freeze dried strawberries, ⅓ cup milk
- Pour the cake into the prepared pan and bake for 23-28 minutes. Depending on your oven and the type of pan you use, it could go up to 30 minutes.Once baked, let cool before frosting.
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (you could use a hand mixer), beat cream cheese until smooth, about a couple minutes. Add the salt, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar and beat until completely combined and smooth, with no visible lumps.4 oz. full fat, block of cream cheese, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 cup powdered sugar
- Pour in the cold heavy whipping cream and beat until the frosting has thickened up, about a minute. When removing the whisk or beaters, the frosting should keep its form and not be runny at all! Stop once you reach this firm stage.1 cup heavy whipping cream
- Top the cake with frosting and fresh strawberries. Keep cake refrigerated.fresh strawberries
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