Strawberry Bundt Cake is tender, moist and full of fresh strawberry flavor. The cake is flavored with a concentrated strawberry reduction, and the glaze gets its color and extra taste from freeze-dried strawberries and strawberry preserves. This impressive bundt is easier to make than it looks and is ideal for parties or special occasions.
Why you’ll love Strawberry Bundt Cake:
- Double strawberry flavor – The cake itself is infused with a strawberry reduction, and the glaze adds a second layer of concentrated strawberry taste.
- Tender and moist texture – A mix of butter and a touch of oil with sour cream keeps the crumb soft and plush while the exterior browns slightly.
- Looks spectacular with minimal effort – A bundt pan makes this dessert ready for a celebration without complicated decorating. The patterned pan plus glossy pink glaze looks elegant out of the oven.
Ingredient overview:
The complete recipe with exact amounts and step-by-step directions appears in the recipe card below. Use the ingredient list to prepare before you begin.
- Fresh strawberries – Use fresh berries for the reduction. Frozen berries would need to be fully thawed and strained, which changes the water content and can affect the cake texture.
- Freeze-dried strawberries – These provide concentrated flavor and bright color in the glaze.
- Butter and vegetable oil – Butter for flavor and oil for added tenderness.
- Eggs – Large eggs at room temperature.
- Milk and sour cream – Use room-temperature full-fat sour cream for best texture; 2% milk works well.
- All-purpose flour – Spoon and level or weigh for accuracy to avoid a dense or dry cake.
Substitutions & variations:
Sour cream – Full-fat plain yogurt can be substituted in a pinch, though sour cream is preferred for richness.
Other fruits – I can’t guarantee substitutions because fruits vary widely in water and sugar content. If you want a fruit variation, consider recipes developed for that fruit.
Fresh berries in the batter – I don’t recommend adding whole fresh berries to this batter without testing. They may sink or add too much moisture and alter texture.
How to make Strawberry Bundt Cake:
Step 1: Make the strawberry reduction. Puree the fresh strawberries in a food processor, then simmer the puree until it reduces to a thick, concentrated paste. This reduction delivers deep, fresh strawberry flavor to the cake without adding excess liquid.
Make-ahead tip:
Prepare the strawberry reduction a day ahead and refrigerate it in an airtight container. It keeps well and makes assembly quicker the next day.
Step 2: Start the cake batter. Cream the softened butter with oil and the sugars until fluffy. Beat in the eggs two at a time, then add vanilla and water. It’s normal if the batter looks slightly separated at this stage.
Step 3: Finish the batter. Mix in the sour cream to bring the batter back to a smooth consistency. Whisk the cooled strawberry reduction into the milk, then add the dry ingredients to the batter and pour in the strawberry milk. If you want a more vivid pink color, add a small amount of red food coloring.
Step 4: Bake. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-cup bundt pan thoroughly with shortening and dust with flour to prevent sticking. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 55–65 minutes. A skewer inserted into the center should come out with moist crumbs but no wet batter. Let the cake rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert it onto a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Step 5: Make the glaze and finish the cake. While the cake cools, whisk together powdered sugar, freeze-dried strawberry powder (pulverize the freeze-dried strawberries to a powder), strawberry preserves, a bit of water, and vanilla until smooth. Pour the glaze over the cake when it is slightly warm—about 30 minutes after removing it from the pan—so the glaze sets attractively on the surface.
Serving and storing:
Allow the glaze to set for 10–20 minutes before slicing. Any extra glaze can be drizzled over individual slices. Store the cake in an airtight container: at room temperature for 2–3 days or in the refrigerator for 3–4 days. Cold storage often helps maintain moisture.
Expert baking tips
Oven thermometer – Ovens can run hotter or cooler than the set temperature. An oven thermometer helps ensure accurate baking temperatures and more consistent results.
Kitchen scale – Weighing ingredients gives the most consistent results, especially for flour.
Freezing – You can freeze the whole cake or individual slices. Wrap slices in parchment and plastic, and wrap a whole cake tightly in plastic and then foil. Freeze up to 1–2 months and thaw in the fridge overnight (whole cake) or on the counter for a couple of hours (slices).
Special tools:
- Bundt pan – A 10-cup bundt pan is recommended.
No bundt pan?
Divide the batter between two 9-inch loaf pans or bake in a 9×13 pan with taller sides. If you prefer smaller portions, use muffin tins for any remaining batter.
More strawberry recipe ideas:
Desserts & Baking
Homemade Strawberry Shortcakes with Fresh Strawberries and Whipped Cream
Cheesecake
Classic Strawberry Cheesecake
Bars
Strawberry Oat Crumble Bars
Desserts & Baking
Strawberry Chocolate Cake
If you make this cake, please leave a comment and rating!
Double Strawberry Bundt Cake
Ingredients
For the strawberry reduction
- 2 3/4 cups + 3 tbsp fresh strawberries, rinsed and dried (about 425 g)
For greasing the pan
- Shortening
- All-purpose flour
For the cake
- 1 cup salted butter, softened (226 g)
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil (26 g)
- 2 cups granulated sugar (420 g)
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed (64 g)
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup water, room temperature (80 g)
- 1 cup full-fat sour cream, room temperature (240 g)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled or weighed (390 g)
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp milk, room temperature (I used 2%, 105 g)
- Strawberry reduction (from the first step)
For the strawberry glaze
- 1 bag freeze-dried strawberries (36 g), pulverized to powder
- 2 tbsp strawberry preserves (35 g)
- 2 cups powdered sugar (230 g)
- 1–2 tbsp water (15–30 g), to thin the glaze as needed
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the strawberry reduction: Puree the fresh strawberries until liquid. Simmer the puree over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until it reduces to a thick paste. You are aiming for roughly 105 grams of concentrated reduction. Watch carefully toward the end and weigh as needed so it doesn’t overcook.
- Prep and heat: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 10-cup bundt pan with shortening and dust with flour, making sure all crevices are coated.
- Start the batter: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter on high for about 30 seconds until creamy. Add the oil and beat until incorporated. Add granulated and brown sugars and beat on high for 2 minutes. Add eggs two at a time, mixing on medium until combined. Stir in vanilla and water. Mix in sour cream until the batter smooths out.
- Finish the batter: Whisk the cooled strawberry reduction into the room-temperature milk to create a thick pink milk. Add flour, baking powder and salt to the batter and mix on low until nearly combined. Pour in the strawberry milk and mix until just combined. Fold any remaining streaks by hand.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Bake 55–65 minutes. A skewer should come out with moist crumbs but not raw batter. An internal temperature near the center should be around 208°F. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then loosen the edges and invert onto a rack to cool completely.
- Make the glaze: While the cake cools, whisk powdered sugar with pulverized freeze-dried strawberries, strawberry preserves, vanilla and 1–2 tablespoons of water until smooth and pourable. Adjust water to reach desired consistency.
- Glaze and serve: Pour the glaze over the cake when it has cooled for about 30 minutes so the glaze sets nicely. Let the glaze set 5–20 minutes before slicing. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3–4 days or at room temperature for 2–3 days.
Nutrition
Estimated per slice: Calories 698 kcal; Carbohydrates 106 g; Protein 8 g; Fat 28 g; Saturated fat 15 g; Sugar 74 g; Sodium 375 mg. Use this as an approximation.