Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Frosting
The cake gets its flavor from cooked-down berries. The frosting has another hit of strawberry, so you can taste it even in a bite from the middle.
This is one of the recipes in my next Eat Different cookbook. It makes 12 squares in one pan, with strawberry purée in the batter and finely ground freeze-dried berries in the frosting.
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The recipe · 12 squares
Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Frosting
From my cookbook in progress, Eat Different: Safe Foods for Neurodivergent Minds.
Cooking battery 3/3. A baking project with a purée, batter and frosting. Let the cooling breaks do some of the waiting for you.
- Hands-on
- 25 min
- Total
- 150 min
- Makes
- 12 squares
Times are estimates. Hands-on time is included in the total. Allow 30–36 minutes in the oven and enough time for the purée and cake to cool completely. Cooling time varies; the total allows about 90 minutes for cooling.
Tools: Blender, small saucepan, measuring cup, bowls, mixer, 9-inch square cake pan, parchment and a skewer or cake tester
Texture and flavor: Soft cake with strawberry flavor throughout and a smooth buttercream topping. Finely ground freeze-dried berries keep larger fruit pieces out of the frosting.
Ingredients
- 8 oz hulled strawberries
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp fine salt
- ½ cup softened unsalted butter
- 1¼ cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ cup softened butter for frosting
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ½ oz freeze-dried strawberries, ground
- 1–2 tbsp milk for frosting
How to make it
- Blend fresh strawberries, then simmer the purée until reduced to ⅓ cup. Cool. Heat oven to 350°F and grease and line a 9-inch square pan.
- Whisk flour, baking powder and salt. Beat ½ cup butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then vanilla and the reduced purée. Add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with milk.
- Spread into pan and bake 30–36 minutes, until a tester comes out clean. Cool completely.
- Beat frosting butter with powdered sugar, strawberry powder and enough milk to spread. Spread on cooled cake.
Make it work for you
Easier: Measure the ingredients and line the pan before starting. Make the strawberry reduction first, then take a break while it cools.
Sensory swap: Grind the freeze-dried berries finely for smooth frosting without fruit pieces. Sift the powder if you prefer an even finer finish.
Storage: Cover and refrigerate the frosted cake. For longer storage, wrap individual portions and freeze. Let a chilled slice soften briefly before serving.
Ingredients and allergens: Contains wheat, eggs and milk. Check packaged ingredients for any additional allergens and cross-contact information.
Why reduce the strawberries?
The batter needs the cooked-down purée measured at ⅓ cup. Start with the full 8 ounces of hulled berries, blend them and simmer until reduced. Measuring the finished reduction keeps extra liquid from changing the batter. Let it cool before adding it to the butter and eggs.
A smooth frosting, with room to choose
The frosting uses freeze-dried berries rather than more fresh purée. Grind them finely so the strawberry flavor spreads through the buttercream. Add the milk a little at a time, stopping when it is easy to spread. Wait until the cake is completely cool before frosting it.
Plan around the cooling breaks
This is a cooking battery 3/3 recipe because there are several stages. The waiting gives you natural stopping places: after reducing the berries, after baking, and before frosting. Clear one space for the ingredients and one for the finished pan. If today is a smaller-project day, try the no-bake strawberry cheesecake cups instead.
More food that fits your day
Find your next doable meal in Eat Different.
My first Eat Different cookbook has 60 recipes for neurodivergent adults, with sensory swaps and easier options. This strawberry cake is a look at the next cookbook I am working on.
See the book and editions →Try another recipe
Read about safe foods and changing food preferences.
Food handling: FDA: Refrigerator storage and food safety.