Strawberry Pound Cake

Name: Strawberry Pound Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 70 min
Ingredients: 2 sticks unsalted butter softened at room temperature (1 cup unsalted butter softened at room temperature); 1 cup + 1 tbsp granulated sugar; 4 large eggs; ¼ cup sour cream; ¼ cup milk; 2 tsp vanilla extract; 2 cups all purpose flour; 2 tsp baking powder; ½ tsp salt; 1 and ½ cups diced strawberries

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By:

Madeline

Updated: April 29, 2024

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This decadent Strawberry Pound Cake recipe reminds me of a slice of buttered toast with strawberry jam. It is the perfect summer dessert.

Side view of a loaf of strawberry pound cake with a slice cut off

Make-ahead

Beginner-friendly

You’ll Learn: How to keep stawberries from sinking

Worth It: It builds a freezer stash for stress-free meals later

Bonus: Simple swaps to match what’s in your pantry

A Family Favorite

Growing up my grandmother always had at least half a pound cake in the fridge with a thin layer of vanilla icing on top. It was thick, buttery and the perfect snack after school or work.

This strawberry pound cake reminds me of those days with my family. The simple even ratio of butter, flour, sugar and eggs results in a cake that is denser than most others, but not as sweet.

Why you’ll love this recipe

Fresh strawberries at their best – The diced strawberries add texture and flavor that is not present in a standard pound cake. They melt into the batter slightly as they are cooking creating a flavor that is reminiscent of a slice of buttered toast with strawberry jam.
Spring favorite – this recipe tastes like Spring! It is fresh and bright without being too sweet. It’s the perfect spring treat.
Twist on a classic recipe – pound cake is a classic recipe, and with the addition of strawberries, it’s a delicious update on this dessert staple.

Slice of strawberry pound cake on a cooling rack

Why is it called pound cake?

Pound cake gets its name from the simple ingredient ratio of one pound each of butter, sugar, flour and eggs. This strawberry cake is made in a loaf pan so I have reduced the ratio to be closer to a half pound of each.

Serving Suggestions

This recipe makes a rich, dense and buttery cake that is perfect when served with a cup of coffee of tea. The strawberries add a bright and sweet flavor to the cake.

Serve it on its own or with homemade whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I like to buy some extra strawberries to chop and serve on top of the cake.

To serve with more Spring desserts, make these lemon blueberry scones and this mixed berry cobbler.

Love strawberry flavor? Try a batch of these soft and chewy strawberry cake mix cookies.

Ingredients

Unsalted butter – since this is a baking recipe, you want to be sure to use unsalted butter
Granulated Sugar – this recipe uses just enough sugar to sweeten the cake without making it too sweet
Large eggs – allow your eggs to get to room temperature for the best results
Sour cream – a sour cream pound cake is so moist and delicious. You could also use greek yogurt
Milk – milk helps keep the cake from drying out and makes it creamy
Vanilla extract – a little vanilla extract enhances all of the great flavors. You could also use almond extract, but it will create a strong almond flavor, so only do this if you love that almond taste.
All purpose flour – to make this gluten free, you can substitute your favorite one to one gluten free flour
Salt – a pinch of salt strengthens all of the amazing flavors in your cake
Fresh strawberries – the hero of the show is your fresh strawberries! Get the best berries for you can find for this recipe.

Ingredient substitutions

This recipe is pretty straightforward and there aren’t a lot of possible substitutions, but you can use different types of fruits. During cherry season you could pit cherries and cut them into pieces.

Make a delicious orange or grapefruit pound cake by first zesting the citrus fruit and mixing that in with the batter. Then, serve each slice with some of the citrus fruit sections.

It is best to use fresh strawberries for this recipe. If you cannot find them fresh, use 1/2 cup of freeze dried strawberry slices.

If you do not have a loaf pan, you could also make this recipe in a bundt pan. With a bundt cake pan, just watch closely as it bakes because the baking time may change.

Make a simple strawberry glaze

If you want to add even more strawberry flavor to this strawberry cake recipe, make a strawberry glaze to pour on top. Blend fresh strawberries in a blender or food processor to make a simple strawberry puree. You could add a dash of strawberry extract if you would like to take it to the next level.

Take 3 tbsp of the puree, 1 tbsp of milk and mix it with 1 cup of powdered sugar. Pour the glaze over top of the fully cooled cake and serve. The puree will create a nice pink color without needing red food coloring.

You could also blend the puree with cream cheese for a frosting instead.

Step by step assembly of a strawberry cake recipe

How to make strawberry pound cake

Step 1: Preheat oven and prepare loaf pan

To begin, preheat oven to 325F and line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper or spray it with a nonstick spray. Be sure to use a larger loaf pan because 8.5 x 4.5 loaf pans are too small for this recipe.

Step 2: Mix cake batter

Then, mix butter and sugar together until smooth and fluffy with an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. This will create the tender crumb for your cake. Mix in eggs one at a time and then mix in the sour cream, milk, and vanilla extract.

Next, in a separate large mixing bowl combine all purpose flour, baking powder, and a half teaspoon salt. Mix dry flour mixture into wet ingredients.

Step 3: Fold in strawberries and bake

Finally, pour batter into the prepared pan. Pour diced strawberries on top and gently mix them into the top half of the batter with a spoon. This will prevent all of the strawberries from sinking to the bottom.

Bake at 325F for 70 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling wire rack. Allow loaf to cool completely before slicing.

Above view of a strawberry cake recipe with slices cut

Storage, reheating and freezing

Allow the cake to cool completely. Then, tightly wrap in plastic wrap or transfer to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 7 days.

I like to reheat this strawberry cake to have with coffee or tea. Reheat one slice at a time on a piece of foil in a toaster oven or on a skillet on the stove top in a bit of melted butter.

Can I freeze this strawberry pound cake? Yes! Just bake, cool completely and freeze it whole. It will be good in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw in the fridge or on the counter before cutting into slices.

Check out these other summer dessert recipes

Photos by Ella from Alpine Ella.

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