Strawberry Butter Cake

This strawberry butter cake is gooey, packed with strawberry lemon flavour, and surprisingly easy to make! The strawberry filling bakes right into the batter creating a gooey filling. The cake batter comes together in one bowl and uses melted butter so no electric mixer is necessary. It’s like a cross between strawberry lemon bars and cheesecake. 

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Why you will LOVE this recipe:

• Gooey: The filling is gooey and tastes like a cross between a cheesecake and a custard-like filling.
• Easy: The cake and filling are very easy to make. The filling bakes right into the cake.
• Buttery: The cake crust is buttery and zesty.
• Strawberry: Fresh strawberries are mashed and added to the filling for flavour and colour.

Lemon cake batter base

Lemon zest and sugar are rubbed together, making the cake batter ultra fragrant and zesty without the need for any lemon extracts. Just rub the lemon and sugar together until moistened and fragrant.

The cake batter is made in one bowl (no electric mixer needed) and melted butter is used so it's super buttery and easy to mix. Just whisk together the wet ingredients, add the dry right into the same bowl, and mix.

The gooey strawberry filling

The filling tastes like a gooey strawberry cream cheese filling. It has mashed strawberries added in for strawberry flavour and texture. They're mashed with a potato masher or you can use a fork too.

Flavour variations

This strawberry butter cake is based on my gooey lemon butter cake recipe which is a twist on a traditional St. Louis butter cake.

Check out my lime butter cake version!

Make ahead & storage

For the best gooey texture, I recommend serving the cake slightly warm. You can rewarm the cake for a gooey texture as well!

For a firmer texture, chill the strawberry butter cake for a few hours or overnight (like you would a cheesecake). Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

This strawberry butter cake will keep well in the fridge (store in an airtight container or cake carrier) for up to 3 days. You can freeze slices in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Wrap them in parchment paper to prevent them from sticking in the freezer.

Key ingredients

Full steps and ingredients in recipe card below. But read through these for all the tips you will need for success!

Cream cheese: Full fat, brick style cream cheese will give you the best results. Don't use low fat cream cheese, it won't set.

Lemons: Lemon zest gives the cake batter a fragrant lemon flavour. You will need the lemon juice as well to brighten up the strawberry filling.

Powdered sugar: This helps sweeten and give the filling a gooey consistency.

Strawberries: You will need fresh strawberries for this recipe. Mash them with a potato masher.

All purpose flour: Weigh the flour to get the most accurate results. If you don’t have a scale, measure properly by stirring the bag and spooning gently into a measuring cup. Scrape the excess off the top with the flat edge off a knife without packing it into the cup.

Step by step cake batter

Step 1 - Preheat oven to 340°F (170°C). Grease the bottom and sides of an 8” or 9” round springform pan with a piece of cold butter. Add a round of parchment paper to the bottom. See notes for if you don’t have a springform pan.

Step 2 - In a large bowl, combine sugar and lemon zest. Rub the sugar and zest together with your fingers until fragrant and the sugar looks pale yellow.

Step 3 - Add melted and cooled butter, salt, egg, and lemon juice. Whisk until completely combined and smooth. 

Step 4 - Sift flour and baking powder right into the same bowl. Fold just until no more dry streaks remain and a thick batter forms. 

Step 5 - Transfer batter into prepared baking pan and spread out to an even layer. 

How to make the filling

Step 1 - Mash strawberries with a potato masher. Measure ⅓ of a cup and set aside. 

Step 2 - Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice, egg yolks, cornstarch, and salt in a large bowl. Beat together until smooth. Scrape down the bowl and beat again. You can use a wire whisk for this. 

Step 3 - Add mashed strawberries and mix again. 

Step 4 - Pour the filling over the cake batter and spread it out to the edges. Bake in preheated oven for 45-55 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the middle is puffed. The middle will be jiggly when done. If you see it browning too quickly, tent the top with a piece of aluminum foil. 

Step 5 - Let cool for 10 minutes before releasing the sides of the pan or lifting out the cake. Slide it onto a serving plate and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve at room temperature for extra gooey-ness or chill for a firmer texture.

FAQ

Check out these other recipes:

Happy baking!

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📖 Recipe

Strawberry Butter Cake

Mary

This strawberry butter cake is gooey, packed with strawberry lemon flavour, and surprisingly easy to make! The strawberry filling bakes right into the batter creating a gooey filling. The cake batter comes together in one bowl and uses melted butter so no electric mixer is necessary. It’s like a cross between strawberry lemon bars and cheesecake.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 45 mins

Total Time 1 hr

Course Baking, Cake, Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12 people

Equipment

• nine inch springform round baking pan

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

Cake Batter

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 lemon zested
• 1 cup butter melted and cooled
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
• 2 ¾ cup flour
• 2 ½ teaspoon baking powder

Filling

• 4-5 large strawberries
• 8 oz cream cheese softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 ½ teaspoon cornstarch
• ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
• 4 tablespoons powdered sugar

Makes: 9inch9 x 9inch round

Instructions

 

Cake Batter

• Preheat oven to 340°F (170°C). Grease the bottom and sides of an 8” or 9” round springform pan with a piece of cold butter. Add a round of parchment paper to the bottom. See notes for if you don’t have a springform pan.
• In a large bowl, combine sugar and lemon zest. Rub the sugar and zest together with your fingers until fragrant and the sugar looks pale yellow.
  1 cup sugar, 1 lemon
• Add melted and cooled butter, salt, egg, and lemon juice. Whisk until completely combined and smooth.
  1 cup butter, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 large egg
• Sift flour and baking powder right into the same bowl. Fold just until no more dry streaks remain and a thick batter forms.
  2 ¾ cup flour, 2 ½ teaspoon baking powder
• Transfer batter into prepared baking pan and spread out to an even layer. Set aside.

Filling

• Mash strawberries with a potato masher. Measure ⅓ of a cup and set aside.
  4-5 large strawberries
• Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice, egg yolks, cornstarch, and salt in a large bowl. Beat together until smooth. Scrape down the bowl and beat again. You can use a wire whisk for this.
  8 oz cream cheese, 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 large egg yolks, 1 ½ teaspoon cornstarch, ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
• Add mashed strawberries and mix again.
• Pour the filling over the cake batter and spread it out to the edges. Bake in preheated oven for 45-55 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the middle is puffed. The middle will be jiggly when done. If you see it browning too quickly, tent the top with a piece of aluminum foil.
• Let cool for 10 minutes before releasing the sides of the pan or lifting out the cake. Slide it onto a serving plate and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve at room temperature for extra gooey-ness or chill for a firmer texture.
  4 tablespoons powdered sugar

Video

Notes

If using a regular non-springform pan:

If using a regular round pan, line the bottom and sides with parchment paper to be able to lift it out easily.

How to tell the cake is ready:

 

The edges will be set and golden brown, and the middle will be puffed up. If you see any bubbles around the middle, that's a good sign that it's ready. If the middle isn't puffed and the edges are getting too dark, tent the top with aluminum foil to prevent burning, lower the temperature, and keep an eye on it. 

 

For an ultra gooey texture, I recommend serving the cake when it's slightly warm at room temperature.

 

For a firmer texture, chill the cake for a few hours or overnight (like you would a cheesecake). Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

 

Storage:

 

The cake will keep well in the fridge (store in an airtight container or cake carrier) for up to 3 days. You can freeze slices in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Wrap them in parchment paper to prevent them from sticking in the freezer.

Keyword gooey butter cake, strawberry gooey butter cake, strawberry lemonade cake

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