The secret ingredient in this recipe for Fresh Strawberry Cake with Cream Cheese Icing is cream cheese which makes them rich, moist, and decadent!
I love playing around with ingredients and when I made my Best Ever Blueberry Cake Recipe, I added cream cheese to the batter which came out great so I thought it was a great start for this recipe. If strawberries are your thing and you have too many to know what to do with, try Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes with Whipped Cream Frosting.
Why this recipe works:
- The thick, rich batter keeps the strawberries from sinking.
- The cream cheese and sour cream give the cake a creamy tang of flavor that works well with the sweetness of strawberries.
- The lemon zest adds extra freshness and depth of flavor to the cake.
- The buttery creaminess of the cream cheese glaze is the perfect finish to the cake.
I use a food processor for this recipe, but a mixer will work just as well.
Making this cake is super simple – Here’s how to do it:
In a small heatproof bowl, soften the cream cheese and butter together in the microwave until very soft, but not completely melted.
In a food processor, mix all of the ingredients (except the strawberries) until just combined being careful not to over mix). Then add the strawberries.
Fold in the strawberries and add them to a greased mini loaf pan or muffin pan.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Allow to cool completely before adding the glaze. Drizzle with the glaze.
Let the glaze set and the cakes cool completely before serving. 
It’s that easy!
Baker’s Tips:
- When baking with sour cream It’s vital to use full-fat sour cream. Low fat and fat-free sour cream liquefy when heated.
- Be careful not to over mix the batter: When in doubt – try mixing by hand with a wooden spoon. Over mixing will result in a tough dense cake.
- You can substitute sour cream in this recipe with buttermilk or make your own by mixing 1 ½ teaspoons of lemon juice with ½ cup of whole milk.
- This cake batter will be very thick; be quite gentle when you fold in the strawberries so that they don’t get damaged.
- Want to make one big cake? Use an 8-inch springform pan and bake for 40 – 50 minutes.
- Variation – substitute the strawberries with blueberries, blackberries or raspberries. You can also use orange zest instead of lemon
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Let's Make Fresh Strawberry Cake with Cream Cheese Icing
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup cream cheese
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- ½ cup butter melted
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 cup fresh strawberries diced
- For the Drizzle:
- ½ cup cream cheese softened
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 cup confectionery sugar
- 3-5 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375/190C
- Grease a brownie/bar pan and set aside. (If you do not have a brownie pan, a muffin pan can be used in its place).
- In a small heat-safe bowl, soften the butter and cream cheese together in the microwave until very soft, but not completely melted.
- In a food processor, mix all of the ingredients (except the strawberries) until combined. Clean the sides with a rubber scraper and mix a few seconds more to mix any remnants into the batter.
- Remove the blade from the food processor and fold in the strawberries.
- Using an ice cream scoop, fill the sections equally (with one scoop in each section).
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a cake tester, comes out clean, and the tops are nicely browned.
- Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- For the Drizzle:
- In a mixing bowl whisk together the butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract.
- Add in more milk as needed 1 teaspoon at a time until it is the desired consistency.
- Once the cakes have cooled for ten minutes, drizzle with the glaze and serve.
Nutrition Information:
Update Notes: This post was originally published on Jun 11, 2014, but was republished with an updated step by step instructions and tips in May of 2018.
shamas ahmed says
a nice and delicious recipe I have a question are we used the buttercream and the cheese cream both for the frosting.??????
Erren Hart says
Yes, there is cream cheese in both.
Kathy Gallagher says
Where is the cream cheese for the frosting? You have listed a drizzle but the title of the recipe says cream cheese frosting! It’s very confusing because in the instructions you say to use a brownie pan.
Erren Hart says
I apologize for any confusion. The recipe for the Fresh Strawberry Cake with Cream Cheese Icing does not include a traditional cream cheese frosting. Instead, it features a delicious drizzle that complements the flavors of the cake. The drizzle adds a touch of creaminess and tanginess to enhance the overall taste. While it’s not a traditional cream cheese frosting, it provides a delightful twist to the cake. If you prefer a cream cheese frosting, you can certainly use the cream cheese frosting recipe from my red velvet cupcakes recipe or any other cream cheese frosting recipe of your choice. Feel free to customize the cake according to your preferences. Enjoy!
Lara says
I have made your blueberry cake multiple times – rave reviews all around! Couple of questions about this recipe (as I had a request to make the blueberry one with strawberries so am excited about this recipe: How much lemon zest do you add (it’s mentioned but I don’t see it in the ingredients)? Do I need to add any salt? Lastly, could I sub strawberries for your blueberry one as well? 🙂 Thanks so much in advance!
Erren Hart says
Hi Lara, it’s one tablespoon of lemon zest and a half teaspoon of salt. You can definitely sub the strawberries in the blueberry cake but keep in mind strawberries are very wet so it can change the consistency. I’d coat them in a tablespoon of flour first.
Barbara says
Amazing!Thanks so much!
Dee says
Thank you for posting some recipes based on the 6 portion mini cake pan. I bought one for Christmas baking, didn’t use it. Having this one recipe will help me make any of the bread/cake recipes I love. Love your blog.
Erren says
Thanks so much Dee! I hope you like the recipe!
Erren says
Hi Rita, so sorry for the late reply! I was away and I am just catching up. How did it go?
Rita Williams says
Just bought a 1/2 flat of strawberries and started looking for a “new” recipe. This is the winner. Going to make them in the morning. My “brownie pan” has 12 squares and they look a little smaller than yours. Thinking it should work perfect. Will let you know how I do…
Erren says
Sorry, Stephanie and thank you for letting me know about the missing info! It’s fixed now!
Stephanie says
No problem. That’s how I made my drizzle and it was amazing. Loved this recipe and shared with a friend who also loved it!!!
Stephanie says
What is your drizzle recipe??
dina says
they are so cute and super yummy!
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you so much for your positive feedback! We’re thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the recipe. The natural strawberry flavor and the indulgent frosting do make a delightful combination. We hope you come back to try more recipes in the future!