Strawberry Cake (Doctored Cake Mix Recipe)

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video

Oh how we love a big slice of strawberry cake, and today's moist & delicious easy strawberry cake from a mix is sure to become a new favorite.

Moist and Delicious Strawberry Doctored Cake Mix Recipe

We have a couple of fabulous scratch strawberry cake recipes that we love, but sometimes you need a tried and true doctored cake mix recipe that you can whip up in a flash & that is guaranteed to please a crowd. THIS is that recipe!

Why we Love It!

There are many reasons to love this Strawberry Cake Mix recipe! It has been one of our most popular doctored cake mix recipes over the years. Here are just a few reasons why:

  • Great strawberry flavor from strawberry jello as well as strawberry puree!
  • Easy to Make, and consistently delicious thanks to the cake mix.
  • Tastes amazing with so many fillings and frostings (from sliced strawberries and whipped cream, to cooked strawberry filling, strawberry buttercream, and more!)
  • Works well for sheet cakes and cupcakes 
  • Perfect strawberry dessert to celebrate birthdays, baby showers, picnics, potlucks, and more!

Benefits of a Strawberry Cake Mix Recipe

We have tons of favorite scratch cake recipes in our Recipes section (homemade strawberry cake, strawberry pound cake, strawberry shortcake cake, etc.) and we have tons of fantastic doctored cake mix recipes too!

The plus of doctored cake mix recipes like today's easy strawberry cake is convenience and consistency- no matter how many cakes you've baked before.

Even with the added ingredients, this strawberry cake can be put together quickly.

The addition of extra ingredients to the white cake mix, like strawberry jello and especially real strawberries (whether frozen or fresh) give it the edge over a box of strawberry cake mix. It has the flavor and texture of a from-scratch recipe.

Slice of three layer strawberry cake from cake mix on a plate, next to two fresh strawberries.

How to make an Easy Strawberry Cake

Although you can easily find strawberry cake mixes at most grocery stores, we prefer to use white cake mix and then add a nice flavor boost from both pureed strawberries as well as strawberry jello.

  • This cake has received rave reviews over the years and we hope that you enjoy it too!
  • To make this recipe, prepare three 8 inch round pans by greasing, flouring, (and we also like to add circles of parchment to the bottom of each pan). 
  • Next, add all of the ingredients including the white cake mix, strawberry jello, flour, eggs, vegetable oil, milk, and mashed strawberries/strawberry puree. (By the way, I love that this recipe calls for real strawberries rather than just the jello. It really does make a difference in the strawberry flavor)!
  • Now, it's just a matter of dividing the batter between the pans and baking! 

FAQs

Once my strawberry cake layers have baked, whether I'm working with cake mix or scratch cake layers, I remove them from the oven, allow to cool (in the pans) on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes, and then flip them out, wrap with plastic wrap, and then with foil

Next, into the freezer they go! Freezing the layers while they are still warm adds a noticeable boost in moisture. It's a myth that freezing cake layers somehow results in a less flavorful or moist cake.

We've been doing this for 20 years now! It really does make such a difference. We've frozen cake layers for up to three months and they still taste as fresh as the day they were made, as long as they are properly wrapped. I've even popped freshly baked, wrapped layers in the freezer for just a few hours when I'm in a time crunch!

When the cake layers are ready to thaw, simply place the layers, still wrapped, on the countertop and allow them to come to room temperature (or at least partially thawed if you prefer to assemble while the layers are firm). Keeping the layers wrapped will ensure that the condensation forms on the foil rather than the cake itself.

There are so many options when it comes to pairing fillings and frostings with strawberry cake. Here are just a few of our favorites:

Cream Cheese Frosting  

Strawberry Buttercream

Vanilla Buttercream

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Strawberry Whipped Cream Cheese Filling

This easy strawberry cake only needs to be refrigerated if you are using a perishable filling or frosting (For instance cream cheese frosting, sliced strawberries, and homemade whipped cream, strawberry puree, strawberry preserves, etc.)

If you do need to refrigerate the cake because of the fillings or frostings, we recommend removing it from the refrigerator two hours before serving so that the the cake has time to warm and soften for best flavor and texture.

It's safe to say that this easy strawberry cake is always a good idea, and is sure to please any crowd! Make sure to check out our other Cakes with Fruit as well as favorite birthday cake designs!

More Strawberry Cakes

If you're looking for more delicious Strawberry Cakes, don't miss these recipes! Also, keep in mind that this versatile strawberry box mix recipe works well for strawberry cupcakes(cake mix) too! 

Enjoy the Recipe

Keep this moist strawberry cake mix recipe in mind the next time you are looking for birthday cake recipes, a baby shower cake, bridal shower cake, or just in the mood for a strawberry dessert!

Yield: 15-20 servings

Strawberry Cake- Doctored Cake Mix Recipe

The BEST Strawberry Cake (doctored cake mix) Recipe by MyCakeSchool.com!

This easy Strawberry Cake from cake mix is fluffy, tender, and delicious. It uses real strawberries and strawberry jello for a delicious boost of flavor.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Additional Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 box white cake mix ( 15.25 oz) (432g)
  • 1 small box ( 3 ounce) (85g) strawberry Jello
  • 3 Tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 4 eggs
  • ¾ cup vegetable oil ( I used canola oil)
  • ½ cup milk
  • ¾ cup pureed ripe strawberries (You can substitute with frozen strawberries)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees, grease and flour three 8 inch round pans or two 9 inch round pans
  2. Put all ingredients into your mixing bowl and mix on low speed until the ingredients are blended. Then increase speed to medium and mix for approximately 2 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl mid way through.
  3. The pureed strawberries should be well blended into the batter.
  4. Bake for 30 min. or until tooth pick comes out clean.

Notes

This recipe works for easy strawberry cupcakes also!

Freezing: The strawberry cake mix layers can be baked in advance and frozen for up to three months. Individually wrap each layer in plastic wrap followed by foil. When thawing, keep wrapped for 30-45 minutes at room temperature before unwrapping and thawing to desired amount for assembling and decorating.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

The maximum upload file size: 8 MB. You can upload: image. Drop files here

313 Comments

  1. Hi again, just one more question...I plan to make the basket weave piping around the sides of the strawberry cake...would the creme cheese frosting allow me to do that, or is the vanilla buttercream your suggestion? Is that the fluffy crusting buttercream that you used? Another possibility would be for me is to use the cream cheese as a filling and then use the buttercream for piping the sides? But I'm unsure how both flavors taste together with the strawberry cake. What do you think? I really want to try to use the cream cheese frosting because you (and others) have raved about it. But I do have some basket weave to do. But I don't want to prepare a great tasting cake, and then I mess up when it comes to picking the right frosting (s) to set it off...your professional opinion is really needed! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks!!

  2. Hi ladies, if possible (and only if possible) :o) , may I have an answer by tomorrow for my above request? This cake is due on friday. Thanks! Also, have you ever tried ganache as a filling with this? Just curious how that would taste. I absolutely love your ganache recipe, but it doesn't mean it matches every cake! Thanks!

  3. Hi Terri- I'm sorry that we missed your follow up question!

    Our cream cheese frosting recipe is soft-- It is great for fillings, swirls on cupcakes, or simple textured designs of frosting the cake (for instance a ridged or stucco look, or simple piping (I've done vertical stripes with a star tip for instance).

    However, for a basketweave design, you will have better luck with a more stable consistency. I would use either buttercream....or if you are going to be making the cream cheese frosting to use as a filling, you could make vanilla buttercream and then add a bit of your cream cheese frosting to it for a mild cream cheese frosting flavor. --

    The third choice is one that I haven't tried-- but CakeCentral's Decorator's cream cheese frosting has always gotten good reviews for flavor & piping.

    http://www.cakecentral.com/recipe/4153/decorators-cream-cheese-frosting

    (Also, I have never tried ganache filling--but chocolate and strawberries are a good flavor combination!) -- Hope this helps!!

  4. Hi Melissa! Thanks for your suggestions! I mixed the buttercream with the cream cheese froating, and it was a huge hit!! Thanks again! One more question...I notice all of the strawberry cakes I have seen pretty much use white cake as a base, as opposed to strawberry cake. Would you know why? I was just curious what the strawberry cake mix is used for...thanks so much!! You guys have bailed me out time and time again in crunch situations!!!! :)

  5. Hi ladies, just curious about the question I asked above...why is it that I always see strawberry cakes use a white cake mix? What do mostpeople use for the strawberry box cake mix? I was just really curious+ thanks again!!!

  6. This was AMAZING, and I am not a fan of doctored mixes! I was very pleased with the density - not heavy but perfectly firm. I topped cupcakes with chocolate panache and it was a hit. Thanks so much for sharing, I plan to try the scratch 2 recipe next.

    (P.S., My 7 year old bit into an unfrosted cupcake and exclaimed, "OMG! Where has this been all my life?!")

  7. Hi there, I would love to try this recipe but I'm confused about the Strawbery JELLO. The Strawbery JELLO I have in my groceries contains Gelotin, the kind that if you add water it becomes Jello. Is the the box you use????

  8. Hi Cristina, Yes, that is what the box looks like. It is added to the mixing bowl as a dry ingredient, do not follow directions on the Jello box.
    Hope you like the recipe

  9. Strawberry cake turned out delicious! New fave cake! Barely had enough to make cake balls because we were all eating the cake......