This fresh strawberry pound cake will take your taste buds straight to strawberry fields.
It exudes ripe berry goodness in every tender and perfectly moist bite. And the strawberry glaze is the most delicious finishing touch.
Trust me, this beautiful, easy-to-make bundt cake recipe is ideal for your next get-together.
Why You’ll Love This Strawberry Pound Cake
I have a deep love for strawberry cakes. They’re bright, sweet, fruity, and often pretty in pink.
But that’s not all there is to love about this strawberry pound cake with fresh strawberry glaze!
Tender and Moist: This cake boasts a melt-in-your-mouth texture thanks to the sour cream. Add milk and fresh strawberries, and you’ll find no dryness on your fork.
Loaded with Fresh Strawberry Flavor: You’ll fold ripe, fresh strawberries right into the batter. So even with a simple dusting of powdered sugar, it’s plenty fruity. But with the glaze, too? It’s a strawberry party!
Perfect Summer Dessert: This strawberry pound cake is the perfect summer dessert for picnics, barbecues, and garden parties. It’s satisfyingly sweet without being overwhelming. And you can even make it ahead!
Ingredients
As much as I love the quick prep of cake mix desserts, this recipe is 100% from scratch.
But don’t worry! It’s a cinch to recreate.
- Butter- Cakes need fat for structure and tenderness. And butter is ideal because it also adds a deliciously rich flavor.
- Sugar- Granulated sugar for the cake and powdered sugar for the glaze.
- Eggs- For retaining moisture in the cake and giving it structure to rise.
- Flour– Consider flour the main building blocks of the cake. This recipe uses all-purpose flour.
- Leavening Agents– Pound cakes are pretty weighty, so you’ll need both baking powder and soda to get the best rise.
- Salt– Highlights the flavors in the cake and balances the sweetness.
- Sour Cream and Milk– For mega-moisture! You’ll also need milk for the glaze.
- Vanilla– For a touch of richness. You need it for both the cake and the glaze.
- Strawberries– The star of the show! Choose fresh, ripe berries for the most delicious taste.
- Lemon– Just a little zest to add some brightness.
How To Make a Strawberry Pound Cake
If you’ve ever tried any bundt cake recipes, you’ll know the trickiest part is getting the pan ready.
Bundts are notorious for sticking, which is why you’ll need to grease the pan very well!
Other than that, this is no more complicated than any other cake recipe!
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, grease a 10-inch bundt pan with plenty of butter and add a light dusting of flour. Tap out any excess, then set it aside.
2. Make the batter. Mix the wet and dry ingredients separately, then very gently mix until the batter is smooth. Mix in the diced strawberries and lemon zest last.
3. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
4. Cool, then glaze. Let the cake cool for about 10 minutes to set up. Then invert it onto a wire rack. While the cake cools, mix the glaze ingredients until smooth and drizzle over the cake.
5. Set and serve. Let the glaze set for 30-60 minutes, or pop the cake in the fridge for 15 minutes. Then slice, serve, and enjoy!
Tips for the Best Strawberry Pound Cake
Want the perfect cake every time? Read these handy tips:
- Use room temperature ingredients. Cold ingredients don’t mix as well as room temp. So be sure to get the ingredients out of the fridge about 30 minutes early.
- Pick the right strawberries. Choose in-season, sweet, deep red strawberries. They impart the most flavor.
- Don’t use frozen fruit. Sorry, but frozen strawberries have a ton of excess moisture. And the flavor isn’t great. So, stick with fresh for the best results.
- Mix the dry ingredients on low speed. If you’re using a stand mixer or electric mixer, make sure it’s on low. Or better yet, mix the dry into the wet by hand. And stop mixing as soon as there are no more streaks of flour.
- Is your baking powder fresh? It lasts about 6 months, then begins to lose potency. When in doubt, check it. Mix 2 teaspoons of baking into very hot tap water. If it fizzles, it’s good. If not, buy a new one.
- Toss the strawberries with flour. This ensures the berries don’t fall straight to the bottom of the pan. So, you get strawberries in every bite.
- Grease your pan well. I know I said it already, but it’s important! Make sure you get into all the nooks and crannies.
Recipe Variations
You can serve this with the glaze or with a light dusting of powdered sugar. Either way, it’s a hit!
But if you want to really jazz it up, try one of these fun recipe variations!
- Try a new fruit! The beauty of this recipe is that it easily translates to other fruits. Mangos, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, pineapple- you name it.
- How about a chocolate-covered strawberry pound cake? Add chocolate chips to the batter and top it with this chocolate glaze.
- Make it colorful. If the cake isn’t red or pink enough for you, add some food coloring to the batter.
- Switch out the extracts. Try it with almond extract, lemon extract, or strawberry extract instead of vanilla. The strawberry extract will really boost the fruity flavor.
- Turn it into a shortcake. Skip the glaze, and serve it with whipped cream and fresh berries.
How To Store and Freeze
Whether you want to make this ahead or just have leftovers, it’s very easy to store.
That said, it depends on how it’s finished.
For example, if the cake is glazed, it’s best to store and eat it as soon as possible. The longer it sits, the more the glaze will soak into the sponge.
As for freezing, it’s best to do so without the glaze, as it will likely crystalize after thawing.
Here’s what you need to know:
To Make Ahead: Make and bake the cake as instructed, but do not add the glaze. Instead, let it cool, then double-wrap it in plastic wrap and store it at room temperature for 2-3 days. Glaze before serving.
To Store: Transfer leftover slices to an airtight container with parchment between each piece. Store at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To Freeze: Double wrap the cold, unglazed cake in plastic and then a layer of foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Freeze leftover slices on a tray until solid, place them in an airtight container, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw on the counter, unwrapped, for 30-60 minutes.
More Strawberry Desserts
Strawberry Fluff
Strawberry Cheesecake Lasagna
Strawberry Pie
Strawberry Crunch Cake
Strawberry Cobbler
Strawberry Pound Cake
12
servings20
minutes1
hour10
minutes556
kcalThis fresh strawberry pound cake will take your taste buds down to strawberry fields. It’s tender, moist, and drizzled with a dreamy strawberry glaze.
Ingredients
- For the Cake
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, diced
zest of 1 lemon, optional
- For the Strawberry Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons strawberry puree (blend fresh strawberries until smooth)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons milk or water, as needed for consistency
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175°Celsius). Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan or two loaf pans.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Alternate adding the dry ingredients to the butter mixture with the sour cream, milk, and vanilla, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Gently fold the diced strawberries and lemon zest (if using) into the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s). Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top of the cake is browning too quickly, tent it with aluminum foil.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- In a small bowl, whisk the powdered sugar, strawberry puree, vanilla extract, and enough milk or water to achieve a pourable consistency.
- Once the cake is completely cooled, drizzle the strawberry glaze over the top. Allow the glaze to set before slicing.
- Enjoy the strawberry pound cake as is, or serve with fresh strawberries and whipped cream for an extra special treat.
Notes
- Don’t use frozen fruit. Sorry, but frozen strawberries have a ton of excess moisture. And the flavor isn’t great. So, stick with fresh for the best results.
- Grease your pan well. Make sure you get into all the nooks and crannies.
This strawberry pound cake is delicious! I did not make any changes to this recipe except added more flour for our high altitude (3 tablespoons). I will make this cake again! Thank you!
So glad you liked it, Sidney! In my opinion, you can never go wrong with strawberry desserts. They’re some of my favorites.
How could I use a boxed cake mix instead of the ingredients listed. I have a lot of cake mixes to use up
Hi Nancy!
It’s not always easy to do a simple swap, especially with a bundt cake, as they’re designed to be a little firmer, where cake mix sponges are often very soft.
If you’d like to try, check out the Paula Deen Strawberry Cake recipe, though I can’t say for certain how it’ll come out as a bundt. It’ll likely need to bake for 45-55 minutes.
Here are a few other recipes that use cake mixes:
Funfetti Cake Mix Cookies
Cake Mix Cookie Bars
Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies
Tres Leches Cake with Cake Mix
Cake Mix Banana Bread
Hope this helps 🙂