Celebrate strawberry season to the fullest with this decadent Strawberries and Cream Bundt Cake from scratch!! This show stopping dessert features a traditional moist and buttery sour cream cake with an epically tender crumb. Divided into two layers, this lusciously golden cake is first brushed with a strawberry syrup. It is then layered with a cloud like whipped cream cheese filling and a fresh, sweet strawberry sauce. Lastly, to top it all off, it is generously dusted with powdered sugar and garnished with fresh berries. Easy to make, using simple ingredients, this crowd pleasing dessert is perfect for your next summer BBQ or picnic!!
Looking for a way to use up that bounty of strawberries in your kitchen? I've got you covered. This easy strawberry bundt cake is the perfect way to celebrate spring or summer and has quickly become one of my favorite desserts!! It is perfectly moist and dense but still tender and soft, just like a bundt cake should be. And, it is the ideal canvas to showcase fresh, juicy, summer strawberries!!
Perfect for any occasion, this impeccable cake is sure to dazzle your guests with its unique flavors. They'll love sinking their teeth into the rich, scratch made vanilla infused bundt cake, the inviting pillowy mounds of tangy whipped cream cheese, and the delectable fresh strawberry fruit filling. All come together to deliver the perfect bite. Whether you're feeding a crowd or looking to satisfy your sweet tooth, this cake has it all. Bursting with strawberry flavor, one bite will keep you coming back endlessly for more.
Craving more strawberry recipes? Try my Strawberry Crumb Cake, Easy Strawberry Crunch Cookies, or Strawberry Lemonade Bundt Cake Recipe with Strawberry Glaze!!
Jump to:
- Why you'll Love This Recipe
- Ingredient Notes
- Substitutions and Variations
- Step by Step Instructions - Vanilla Bundt Cake
- Step by Step Instructions - Strawberry Sauce and Whipped Cream Cheese Filling
- Step by Step Instructions - Assembling the Strawberries and Cream Bundt Cake
- Expert Baking Tips
- Recipe FAQs
- Storage
- More Cake Recipes
- 📖 Recipe
- Reviews
Why you'll Love This Recipe
- Soft and tender vanilla cake - No artificial flavors here!! This buttery strawberries and cream bundt cake is super rich, and made from scratch without the use of box strawberry cake mix or instant pudding mix. It has a moist, perfectly tender thanks to sour cream!!
- Elegant and easy to make - This show stopping strawberry shortcake recipe uses simple ingredients and comes together quickly.
- Perfect for any occasion - This cake is perfect for celebrating Easter, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, or any special occasion.
- Bursting with strawberry flavor - Fresh, juicy strawberries fill the center of this cake making it the perfect dessert for strawberry lovers!!
Ingredient Notes
Here a few notes on the ingredients used to make this deliciously summery Strawberries and Cream Bundt Cake:
- Fresh Strawberries - The star of the show!! I recommend using fresh strawberries to make the strawberry sauce. Not only is it the perfect way to celebrate, strawberry season, but they hold up better than frozen.
- Cake flour - I like using cake flour to achieve a light and fluffy crumb. Cake flour has a lower gluten content than all purpose flour which helps to create tender baked goods. You could use all purpose instead of cake flour but know that doing so will result in a cake with a denser crumb.
- Unsalted butter - Butter provides fat and richness. Creaming the butter with the sugar until evenly distributed is important because it helps add air to the batter. The air bubbles expand helping to leaven the batter. If you do not take the time to properly whip the butter and sugar together to develop enough air, it will result in a dense and heavy cake.
- Sour cream - Because sour cream contains extra fat content, it helps make this cake extra moist and rich.
- Heaving whipping cream - For best results, make sure the heavy cream is cold prior to whipping. Also, do not substitute it for any other type of cream as it will not thicken.
- Cream cheese - Cream cheese adds a little decadence and a slight tang to the whipped cream and pairs perfectly with the sweet strawberries. The cream cheese must soften to room temperature prior to whipping.
- Balsamic vinegar - Balsamic vinegar pairs beautifully with strawberries and helps to enhance their flavor. If you do not like balsamic vinegar, you can replace it with an equal amount of lemon juice.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
Bundt cakes are simple to make and so versatile. There are endless possibilities when it comes to utilizing different flavors. Although I love this cake as is, there are many different ways you can customize it to make it our own. Here are a few substitutions and variations to consider:
- Use different berries. Switch out the strawberries for another type of summer fruit. Blueberries or raspberries would be delicious options.
- Lemon blueberry bundt cake - Add fresh blueberries to the cake batter and top the cooled bundt cake with a tangy lemon glaze!!
- Make a different whipped filling. No cream cheese? No worries. For the whipped vanilla cream cheese filling, you could simply leave out the cream cheese and make a whipped vanilla filling instead. Or switch it up and use mascarpone in place of cream cheese for a sweeter and creamier filling.
- Use greek yogurt. If you don't have sour cream on hand, you can use whole fat greek yogurt instead. Although whole fat greek yogurt has a lower fat content than sour cream, it will still give your cake a moist and airy crumb.
- Add the perfect pairing. For added decadence, you could serve this cake alongside a strawberry, creamy vanilla or vanilla bean ice cream.
- Strawberry extract - To up the strawberry flavor, add ½ to 1 teaspoon of strawberry extract to the cake batter.
- Glaze - Instead of slicing the cake in half, leave it whole and drizzle it with a cream cheese icing, a lush vanilla glaze, or a creamy white chocolate glaze.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you happen to try any from the list above or add your own spin with new ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!!
Step by Step Instructions - Vanilla Bundt Cake
Made with simple ingredients and a few easy steps, this impressive strawberry bundt cake is perfect for brunch or your next backyard BBQ!! Here is how to make and bake this deliciously moist Strawberries and Cream Bundt cake:
Before you start, preheat the oven to 350 F. Prepare your bundt pan by either spraying with a non stick baking spray or butter and flour.
Step 1: Cream butter and sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar at medium low speed until combined. Increase speed to medium and continue to beat until pale and fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl.
Step 2: Add eggs and vanilla extract. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract with the last egg.
Step 3: Mix in wet and dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed gradually add the flour mixture alternately with the sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat until just combined after each addition, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl.
Step 4: Bake! Spoon batter into the prepared pan, and smooth the top with the back of a spoon or offset spatula. Firmly tap the pan on the counter to release any air bubbles. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake springs back to touch. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Finally, invert cake onto wire rack and cool completely.
Step by Step Instructions - Strawberry Sauce and Whipped Cream Cheese Filling
Step 5: Make the strawberry sauce. Place clean and sliced strawberries in a bowl and add granulated sugar, balsamic vinegar, and vanilla extract. Stir to combine. Allow strawberry mixture to sit at room temperature for 45 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes. Drain strawberries and reserve the syrup to drizzle on cake layers. Mash strawberries, leaving small chunks.
Step 6: Make the whipped cream cheese filling. In a bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat cold whipping cream until stiff peaks form. In a second large bowl, beat softened cream cheese, sifted powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. Using a rubber spatula, fold whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture, being careful not to deflate the whipped cream.
Step by Step Instructions - Assembling the Strawberries and Cream Bundt Cake
Step 7: Assemble. Using a serrated knife or cake leveler, slice cooled bundt cake in half. With a pastry brush, brush the cut side of the bottom half with the reserved strawberry syrup if desired.
Step 8: Using a 2 oz ice cream scoop or ¼ measuring cup, dollop 3 mounds of the whipped cream cheese filling on top of the strawberry syrup. Spread to the edges of the cake.
Top tip: To make leveling the bundt cake easier, after letting the cake cool completely, place it in the refrigerate until you are ready to assemble. This will help make the cake easier to handle during assembly.
Step 9: Top filling with half of the strawberry sauce.
Step 10: Garnish. Place top half of cake, cut side down on top of the sauce. Garnish with powdered sugar and fresh berries if desired.
Expert Baking Tips
- Properly measure your flour - For best results, I recommend weighing your flour. If you do not have a food scale, start by first fluffing your flour. Fluffing will create air between the flour particles and it will no longer look compressed. Next, spoon the flour into a measuring cup and level it off using the back of a butterknife. Avoid directly scooping into the flour with a measuring cup. This will add more flour to the recipe resulting in a dense, rubbery cake.
- Don't over-mix. Over mixing the cake batter once the flour has been added promotes more gluten formation resulting in a dense, dry cake. Only mix until you no longer see streaks of flour or sour cream. After adding and mixing the last batch of flour, I like to gently fold the cake batter using a rubber spatula. This ensures that all of the flour is evenly combined and that there is no flour lingering at the bottom of the mixing bowl.
- The best way to grease your bundt pan. To prevent the cake from sticking to the pan it is important to properly prep your bundt pan. This can be achieved in two ways. Option 1 - generously grease the pan with butter and sprinkle with flour, tapping out any excess of flour. Option 2 - use a baking spray that contains flour. I like using Baker's Joy. Spray in short strokes as you turn the pan, making sure to not let the oil pool in the bottom of the pan.
- Use room temperature ingredients. Room temperature ingredients create a harmonious emulsion and ensures that the ingredients mix together easily. Allow your butter, eggs, sour cream, and milk come to room temperature two hours prior to baking.
Recipe FAQs
Bundt cakes have a thicker batter and are usually dense with a tight crumb. Regular cakes have a thinner batter and fluffy crumb. Because of this, they do not posses the structure to be baked in a bundt pan.
Bundt cakes should only be left to cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. This time allows the cake to cool enough where its still warm but won't fall apart. Also during this time, the sugar is still in a liquid state. By allowing the cake to cool in the pan for longer than 10 minutes, the sugars will harden causing the cake to stick to the pan.
After cooling your cake for 10 minutes, place a cooling rack on top of the cake while it is still in the pan. Using two pot holders (one for each hand) or a dish towel, invert the cake (flip the cake over) unto the cooling rack. If the cake does not easily release from the pan once flipped, gently tap and shake the pan until it comes out.
The cake and strawberry sauce can be made a day ahead. The whipped cream cheese filling can also be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container however, it is best made the day of serving. If making ahead, I recommend not assembling until the day it is served.
It is best to use fresh strawberries rather than frozen. Frozen berries are too soft and hold too much water.
Storage
This cake is best served the same day it is made. The cream cheese filling does not hold well for a long period of time once the strawberry sauce is added. The juices will start to break down the filling. If prepping before hand however, the cake can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container while the strawberry sauce and cream cheese filling can be stored separately in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
The fully assembled strawberry bundt cake does not freeze well and is best served the same day. However, it can be refrigerated for 1 to 2 days.
More Cake Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Best Strawberries and Cream Bundt Cake
Equipment
- 1 12 cup Bundt pan
Ingredients
Vanilla Bundt Cake
- 3 (375 g) cups Cake flour sifted
- ½ teaspoon Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 (227 g) cup Unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 ½ (500 g) cups Granulated sugar
- 4 large Eggs room temperature
- ¾ (180 g ) cup Sour cream room temperature
- ¼ (60 g) cup Whole milk room temperature
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla extract
Strawberry Sauce
- 1 pound Strawberries hulled and sliced
- ¼ (50 g) cup Granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
Whipped Cream Cheese Filling
- 1 (240 g) cup Heavy whipping cream cold
- 4 ounces Cream cheese softened at room temperature
- ¼ (30 g) cup Powdered sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Vanilla Bundt Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit and spray a 12 cup bundt pan with nonstick baking spray.
- In a large bowl, sift the cake flour. Whisk in baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt. Set aside.3 (375 g) cups Cake flour, ½ teaspoon Baking powder, ½ teaspoon Baking soda, ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt
- In a small bowl, combine sour cream and milk and mixed until combined. Set aside.¾ (180 g ) cup Sour cream, ¼ (60 g) cup Whole milk
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium low speed until combined, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl. Increase speed to medium and continue to beat until pale and fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes.1 (227 g) cup Unsalted butter, 2 ½ (500 g) cups Granulated sugar
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla extract.4 large Eggs, 1 tablespoon Vanilla extract
- With the mixer on low, add flour mixture in three additions alternating with sour cream mixture (in two additions), beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix each addition until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Spoon batter into prepared pan and smooth the top with the back of a spoon or offset spatula. Place a kitchen towel on the counter and firmly tap pan on top of the towel to release any air bubbles.
- Bake for 50 to 55 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the cake springs back to touch. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert cake onto wire rack to cool completely.
For the Strawberry Sauce
- Wash, hull, and slice the strawberries and place in a medium size bowl.1 pound Strawberries
- Add the granulated sugar, balsamic vinegar, and vanilla extract. Toss to combine.¼ (50 g) cup Granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon Balsamic vinegar, ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
- Let the mixture rest at room temperature for 45 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes to dissolve the sugar.
- When ready to use, drain strawberries, reserving the syrup to drizzle on the bundt cake layers during assembly if desired. Using a fork or potato masher, mash strawberries leaving some chunks behind.
Whipped Cream Cheese Filling
- Place mixing bowl and whisk into the freezer for 15 minutes to chill.
- When ready to make the cream cheese filling, pour cold cream into cold mixing bowl and whip on high until stiff peaks form. Set aside.1 (240 g) cup Heavy whipping cream
- In a separate bowl, beat softened cream cheese, sifted powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.4 ounces Cream cheese, ¼ (30 g) cup Powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- Using a spatula, fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture, being careful not to deflate the whipped cream.
Assembly
- Place the cooled bundt cake on a cutting board or a sheet of parchment paper. Using a serrated knife or cake leveler, carefully cut the bundt cake in half horizontally. Remove the top half and set aside.
- Place the bottom half of the cake on a serving plate and brush with half of the reserved strawberry syrup.
- Using a 2 oz ice cream scoop or a ¼ cup measuring cup, scoop three large dollops of whipped cream filling and place on top of the bottom half of the cake. Using the back of a spoon or an offset spatula, gently spread filling to the edges of the cake.
- Spoon ½ of the strawberry sauce on to the whipped cream cheese filling. Place the top of of the cake cut side down on top of the strawberry sauce. Garnish with powdered sugar and fresh strawberries. Serve with extra whipped cream and strawberry sauce.
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