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9×13 Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

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4 from 2 reviews

This 9×13 Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting features a moist, tender cake infused with fresh and freeze-dried strawberries, layered with a luscious cream cheese frosting that is equally bursting with strawberry flavor. The recipe uses a homemade strawberry reduction sauce to deepen the strawberry taste in the cake and a strawberry powder from freeze-dried strawberries to add an extra berry punch to both the cake and frosting. Perfect for spring and summer celebrations or any time you crave a fresh, fruity dessert.

Ingredients

Strawberry Reduction Sauce

  • 1 pound fresh strawberries (reduced down to ⅔ cup, 160-170g)

Dry Ingredients

  • 1 oz (28g) freeze dried strawberries
  • 2 ½ cups (300g) all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup (28g) cornstarch
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients

  • ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
  • 1 ¾ cups (347g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (100g) vegetable oil
  • 5 large egg whites (room temperature)
  • ½ cup (114g) sour cream
  • ½ cup (113g) milk (whole milk recommended)

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 8 oz (226g) full fat cream cheese (room temperature)
  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
  • 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2-3 cups (227–340g) powdered sugar
  • 1 oz (28g) freeze-dried strawberries

Instructions

  1. Make Strawberry Reduction Sauce: Wash and hull fresh strawberries. Blend or puree the strawberries until smooth to yield about 2 cups of strawberry puree. Pour this puree into a medium saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 25–30 minutes until the mixture thickens and reduces to about 1 ⅓ cups, coating the back of a spoon. Let cool to room temperature. You will need ⅔ cup (163g) of this reduction for the cake batter.
  2. Prepare Cake Batter Dry Ingredients: Preheat the oven to 350º F. Grease a 9×13 inch pan or line it with parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and freeze-dried strawberry powder made by pulsing the freeze-dried strawberries in a high-speed blender or food processor until finely ground.
  3. Cream Fats and Sugars: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and vegetable oil on medium speed using an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.
  4. Add Wet Ingredients: To the creamed mixture, add the egg whites, sour cream, and milk. Beat them on medium speed. The batter may appear curdled at this stage.
  5. Incorporate Strawberry Reduction and Dry Ingredients: Add the ⅔ cup cooled strawberry reduction sauce to the wet ingredients and mix gently. Gradually add the dry flour mixture and mix just until combined, taking care not to overmix.
  6. Bake the Cake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes if using a metal pan, or 44-47 minutes if using a glass pan, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely before frosting.
  7. Prepare Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting: Pulse freeze-dried strawberries in a blender or food processor to create a fine powder; set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese and unsalted butter on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Add vanilla bean paste, salt, and 2 cups of powdered sugar. Beat on low speed for another 1-2 minutes, scraping sides, until combined.
  8. Adjust Frosting Sweetness and Add Strawberry Powder: Taste the frosting and add up to 1 more cup of powdered sugar if additional sweetness is desired. Finally, beat in the freeze-dried strawberry powder on medium speed until fully incorporated.
  9. Frost the Cake: Spread the strawberry cream cheese frosting evenly over the cooled cake. Optionally, serve with additional fresh strawberry puree on the side for extra fruity flavor.

Notes

  • Using room temperature ingredients like butter, cream cheese, egg whites, sour cream, and milk helps ensure a smooth batter and frosting.
  • Freeze-dried strawberries are essential to provide concentrated strawberry flavor without adding moisture.
  • Be careful not to overmix the batter once the flour is added to keep the cake tender.
  • The strawberry reduction sauce can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for convenience.
  • If you prefer a lighter frosting, start by adding 2 cups of powdered sugar and add more gradually to taste.
  • Make sure the cake is completely cooled before frosting to prevent the frosting from melting.

Find it online: https://yumntasty.com/9x13-strawberry-cake-with-strawberry-cream-cheese-frosting-recipe/