This strawberries and cream bundt cake is a rich and delicious dessert. Much like a typical pound cake, the cake has a sweet and buttery flavor. Highlighted with fresh strawberries, this recipe has the flavors of springtime. A cream cheese glaze elevates this cake to the next level. It's perfect for Easter dessert or a treat for a loved one.
A traditional pound cake is one of my favorite desserts any day of the week. There's something about the rich, buttery flavor that has me going back into the kitchen for slice after slice. This recipe elevates your traditional cake to the next level. With the addition of strawberries and cream cheese frosting, you've got an even more luscious dessert.
Why you'll love this recipe
Taste & Texture: As I mentioned, this strawberries and cream bundt cake is a moist and dense cake that is full of buttery flavor with highlights of strawberry. The cream cheese frosting is optional but the cake stands alone without any garnish.
Level of Difficulty: This is an easy recipe that requires only one bowl. I love bundt cakes because they come together so quickly. We bake the cake on a low temperature for a long time—80 minutes. But the cake is ready once it's inverted out of the pan.
Key ingredients and why we use them
- Strawberries: Look for strawberries that are bright red from top to bottom and that have no blemishes on the skin. Make sure you dice the strawberries finely for this bundt cake.
- Butter: Quality butter is a must in this recipe. My favorite brands of butter are Grassland, Fall Creek, Lurpak, and Plugra.
- Brown Sugar: Feel free to use dark or light brown sugar in this recipe. Brown sugar isn't used in a traditional pound cake. However, I like the depth of flavor added to this cake by the molasses in the brown sugar.
- Milk: I typically use whole milk when baking, but feel free to use 2% or 1% milk as well. I would not recommend skim-milk because it has no fat.
Frequently asked questions
How do I prevent my bundt cake from sticking to the pan?
Your best defense against your cake getting stuck in the pan is good preparation. Make sure you coat your pan thoroughly with nonstick baking spray. Baking spray includes flour and is a must for pan prep. I like to use the Baker's Joy brand. This article also has some good tips and tricks to prevent your cake from sticking.
What does it mean to "cream" your butter and sugar?
Recently my husband was baking some cookies and he asked me what it meant to cream ingredients together. I laughed for a moment and then realized this was a great question! Creaming is when you mix together room temperature butter with sugar until the mixture is well blended, fluffy and pale yellow. It's typically the first step in making cookies and cakes that use the creaming method. In a pound cake—that has no leavening agents—creaming alone gives the cake its rise.
Can I use canned frosting as a glaze?
Caned frosting is one of those things I avoid like the plague when baking. Most people won't know if you doctor up a boxed cake mix with lemon zest or an extra egg. Someone can always spot the unmistakable taste of canned frosting. The one instance in which I will use canned frosting is for a glaze on a cake. If you pop one cup of the frosting into the microwave for 15-20 seconds, you will have a pourable glaze. Glaze is used in smaller quantities so no one will know your little secret!
HEATHER'S HELPFUL HINT
When glazing your cake, leave it on your wire rack and place a sheet of waxed paper underneath. The waxed paper will catch the extra drips so your frosting doesn't pool on the plate. This will elevate the final presentation of your cake!
Step-by-step: how to make this strawberries and cream bundt cake
1. Using an electric mixer, cream butter on medium speed for one minute. Add brown and white sugar, and continue to cream on medium speed for 4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time., mixing on low only until incorporated. You will need to scrape down the sides of the mixer to ensure that all ingredients are well combined.
2. With the mixer on low, alternately add the flour mixture and milk in thirds. Mix until just combined. Fold in the strawberries by hand.
3. Spread the batter into bundt pan and bake for 80 minutes. Halfway through baking time, remove pan and cover with tented aluminum foil to prevent over-browning. Test for doneness with a toothpick that should come out clean. Allow cake to cool for 15 minutes on cooling rack. Invert cake and allow to cool to room temperature.
4. If glaze is desired, microwave cream cheese frosting in microwave in 15-second increments for 45 seconds. Pour warm glaze over the cooled cake.
Recipe variations
There are a number of different ways to switch up this recipe according to your taste!
- You could easily swap out the strawberries for another type of fruit. I'm thinking that peaches would be absolutely delicious!
- If you're not a fan of the cream cheese frosting, this cake is delicious on it's own. You could also opt to serve it with whipped cream on the side. This is what I show in some of the pictures!
- I'm a fan of this strawberry lemonade pound cake recipe. You can't go wrong with the lemon cake and strawberry topping—it sounds delicious!
Try these other bundt cake recipes
Did you make this recipe? First, let me say THANK YOU for giving it a try! Please leave us a rating and leave any feedback in the comments section at the bottom of this post. I always love to hear your thoughts and ideas on what went well — and what didn’t — with a recipe! Be sure to check out some of our other recipes linked below!
Recipe Card
Strawberries and Cream Bundt Cake
Equipment
- bundt pan with 10-14 cup capacity
Ingredients
- 1½ cups unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs room temperature
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups diced strawberries
- ½ cup cream cheese frosting optional for glaze
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of your oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit 20 minutes before baking your bundt cake. Spray pan thoroughly with baking spray and set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, cream butter on medium speed for one minute. Add brown and white sugar, and continue to cream on medium speed for 4 minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time., mixing on low only until incorporated. You will need to scrape down the sides of the mixer to ensure that all ingredients are well combined.
- With the mixer on low, alternately add the flour mixture and milk in thirds. Mix until just combined.
- Fold in the strawberries by hand.
- Spread the batter into bundt pan and bake for 80 minutes. Halfway through baking time, remove pan and cover with tented aluminum foil to prevent over-browning. Test for doneness with a toothpick that should come out clean.
- Allow cake to cool for 15 minutes on cooling rack. Invert cake and allow to cool to room temperature.
- If glaze is desired, microwave cream cheese frosting in microwave in 15-second increments for 45 seconds. Pour warm glaze over the cooled cake.
Notes and Tips
- In this recipe, I used my Nordic Ware Rose Bundt Pan. However, you will be fine with any 10 -14 cup capacity bundt pan.
- To ensure that your cake does not over-brown, remove it from the oven halfway through and cover with aluminum foil.
- For the milk, feel free to use whole, 2%, or 1% in this recipe.
Jan
Can you bake this in a 9X13 pan
Heather | My Sweet Precision
Hi Jan! While I haven't tested the recipe in a 9 x 13 pan you definitely can go ahead and do this. Here's what I would recommend... make sure you don't overfill the pan so the cake has room to rise. I'd aim for 1/2" to 1/4" of space at the top. Leave the oven temperature the same but you will need to adjust your baking time. At 40 minutes I'd check for doneness and continue to do so at 10-minute increments. When the toothpick comes out clean, you're set! I'd love to know how this turns out for you!