This strawberry snack cake is a single layer strawberry cake using freeze dried strawberries and topped with a strawberry cream cheese frosting. It's a quick and easy cake to make and no need to worry about strawberries being in season.
I made this strawberry snack cake with freeze dried strawberries because I didn't want a complicated recipe that required you to cook strawberries, and baking with them can create too much moisture and often times a cake thats too dense. This cake is light and airy, and the strawberry cream cheese frosting adds the perfect richness to the strawberry flavor.
For more strawberry recipes, try my strawberry crumble cookies or my strawberry cinnamon rolls.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Single Layer: An easy one to make in any small pan and no need to do any fancy frosting or piping.
- Freeze Dried Strawberries: I purposely made this recipe using only freeze dried strawberries bc you can always find them at the store and they're always in season.
- Easy to Make: This cake is so simple and quick to make!
Ingredient Notes
Full ingredient measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
- Butter: I always use salted butter in my baking, but unsalted is fine too.
- Sugars: You will need granulated sugar for the cake and powdered sugar for the frosting.
- Flour: I generally use cake flour when baking cakes, but all-purpose or a 1:1 ratio gluten free flour will work great too.
- Buttermilk: You can also use regular milk, or a dairy free milk if needed.
- Freeze dried strawberries: You will use these for both the cake and the frosting.
- Cream cheese: I highly suggest using Philadelphia cream cheese.
Step by Step Instructions
- Step 1: In a medium bowl cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and beat again for another 2 minutes.
- Step 2: Add the dry ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk, in three parts, starting and ending with the dry ingredients.
- Step 3: Crush freeze died strawberries into small pieces and some powder, and fold into the cake batter. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan.
- Step 4: Bake for about 27-32 minutes or until a light golden brown around the edges, and a toothpick comes out clean from the middle. Set aside to allow to cool.
- Step 5: In a medium bowl beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add in the vanilla, powdered sugar and strawberry powder and beat again until smooth.
- Step 6: Top the cooled cake with the frosting and add extra crushed up freeze dried or diced fresh strawberries on top.
Expert Baking Tips
- Cakes will have the best results if made with room temperature ingredients. I like to pull my eggs, buttermilk, cream cheese and butter out of the fridge about two hours before I start baking.
- When crushing the strawberries for the cake I preferred to have little pieces through out the cake vs having it in a powder like you do for the frosting.
- I like to spray and line my pan so it's easy to pull out of the pan after baking.
FAQ
Yes, you can double this recipe and make it into a 2 layer 8 or 9 inch round cake.
This recipe has only been tested with freeze dried strawberries. If you want a simple cake with fresh strawberries I would suggest my Vanilla Strawberry Cake.
Storing & Freezing
Strawberry snack cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days while remaining fresh. You do not need to store it in the fridge.
You can store the whole cake, or individual slices wrapped tightly, in the freezer for 2-3 months. Just pull out and allow to thaw before eating.
Other Popular Recipes to Try
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Strawberry Snack Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- ½ cup (113.5 g) butter room temperature
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
- 1½ teaspoon (1.5 teaspoon) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt
- 1¼ cups (175 g) cake flour all-purpose will work also
- ½ cup (120 g) buttermilk room temperature
- ½ heaping cup (15 g) freeze dried strawberries crushed into small pieces
For the Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 4 oz (113.4 g) cream cheese room temperature
- ¼ cup (56.75 g) salted butter
- ½ cup (12 g) freeze dried strawberries blended up to become a powder
- 1¼ cup (150 g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
Instructions
To make the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 325 F, and spray and line an 8 or 9 inch round or square baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and beat again for another 2 minutes.
- Add the dry ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk, in three parts, starting and ending with the dry ingredients.
- Crush freeze died strawberries into small pieces and some powder, and fold into the cake batter. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for about 27-32 minutes or until a light golden brown around the edges, and a toothpick comes out clean from the middle. Set aside to allow to cool.
- In a medium bowl beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add in the vanilla, powdered sugar and strawberry powder and beat again until smooth.
- Top the cooled cake with the frosting and add extra crushed up freeze dried or diced fresh strawberries on top.
Sandy
I love this easy single layer cake! The dried strawberries give a good flavor to this cake as well as the frosting!
Bailey
The perfect easy snack cake!! Love that it’s just freeze dried strawberries but you still get an amazing strawberry flavor .