A Quick Strawberry Dessert
We love enjoying cake topped with fresh fruit in the springtime, but we don’t always have time to prepare a delicious and beautiful cake from scratch. This strawberry shortcut cake topped with fresh strawberries and whipped cream frosting is an easy dessert that can be made in no time. The sweet strawberry filling is what makes this shortcut cake so moist and a must try!
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Ingredients
Our strawberry shortcut cake is inspired by the flavors of a classic strawberry shortcake. It’s a fluffy yellow or white cake with strawberry filling and whipped cream frosting.
Duncan Hines Yellow Cake Mix: For the fluffy cake, we use Duncan Hines yellow cake mix, but you can also use white cake mix if you prefer.
Strawberries and Sweetened Condensed Milk: To make the strawberry filling, you’ll need either fresh or thawed frozen strawberries and sweetened condensed milk. Sometimes frozen strawberries are cheaper, so I like to use them when I can.
Whipped Cream: This cake is topped with whipped cream frosting, which can be made with heavy whipping cream and the sweetener of your choice. If you prefer the taste of Cool Whip or just want to save some time, you can use that instead of making your own whipped cream.
Fresh Strawberries: The top of this cake is garnished with sliced fresh strawberries to add more strawberry flavor and a pop of color to the cake.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
Follow the instructions on the box of cake mix: The first step in preparing the strawberry shortcut cake is baking the cake. Follow the baking instructions written on the box of cake mix to ensure that your cake turns out nice and fluffy.
Add vanilla pudding mix to the cake: One tried and tested trick we like to use when preparing a cake from a box mix is adding vanilla pudding mix in with the dry ingredients. This makes the cake more moist when it’s baked.
Use a blender or food processor to make the filling: An easy way to make the filling is to use a blender or food processor. This is especially true if you are using frozen strawberries.
All you need to do is throw the strawberries in, add the sweetened condensed milk, and blend/process until smooth. Just be sure to thaw the strawberries first if using frozen.
Poke holes with a wooden spoon: Use the handle end of a wooden spoon to poke holes in the cake before adding the strawberry filling.
Chill the cake: After adding the strawberry filling to the cake, you’ll need to chill the cake for about an hour to let the filling soak into the cake. Cover the cake with tin foil or saran wrap before placing it in the fridge to chill.
Making The Whipped Cream Frosting
To prepare the whipped cream frosting, all you need is a mixing bowl, heavy cream, and sugar. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, whip the heavy cream until light and fluffy with stiff peaks.
After the cake and filling have been chilled, use a spatula to apply the whipped cream to the cake, covering it completely.
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Recipe FAQ’s
There are many different versions of strawberry shortcut cake, but a shortcut cake uses a box cake mix as a “shortcut” to make the baking process shorter and easier.
I like to cut my strawberries into flat slices that are easy to lay on top the cake. Then, I chop up strawberries and add more strawberry chunks to fill in any gaps. You can decorate or garnish the top of your cake with as many or as few strawberries as you like.
Yes! I prefer making our own whipped cream, but if you want to make your strawberry cake with cool whip frosting, you definitely can!
I would not recommend using canned whip cream to create a frosting because it melts so quickly and would not maintain its shape and thickness as a layer on your cake. To avoid a runny mess, don’t use whipped cream from a can to frost your strawberry shortcut cake. However, if you choose to top an individual slice of cake with some Reddi Wip before eating, you’d be ok.
Strawberry Shortcut Cake
March 5, 2022Equipment
- Mixer
- 9"x13" Pan
- Blender
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE
- 1 box yellow cake mix (We use Duncan Hines Moist Yellow Cake mix)
- 1 cup water
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- ⅓ vegetable oil
- 1 box instant vanilla pudding mix 3.4oz box
FOR THE FILLING
- 3 cups strawberries
- ¾ cup sweetened condensed milk
FOR THE TOPPING
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 8-10 strawberries for garnish
Instructions
FOR THE CAKE
- Preheat the oven and grease a 9"x13" pan. Prepare the yellow cake mix according to the instructions on the back of the box. Add the instant pudding mix into the batter and mix until fully combined. Follow the instructions for baking on the box.
- Remove the cake from the oven and immediately poke holes all over the cake using the end of a wooden spoon. Make sure you do this while the cake is still warm.
FOR THE FILLING
- Make the strawberry filling while the cake is in the oven. In a blender, combined the strawberries and sweetened condensed milk until smooth.
- After poking holes in the cake, pour the filling evenly over the top of the cake, making sure all of the holes are filled in. Cover and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least an hour.
TOPPING & GARNISH
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the heavy whipping cream and sugar. Whip together until stiff peaks form.
- Remove the cake from the refrigerator. Spread a thick even layer of whipped cream over the top of the cake. Add sliced and/or diced strawberries on top for garnish. Cut into squares and serve.
Notes
If you liked this, you'll love...
so delicious and fresh looking. i made this and want to make it again
Thanks so much for your feedback! We’re glad you enjoyed it!
Beautiful cake perfect for upcoming Spring. I will have to bake this soon. Have strawberries in my fridge. Can’t wait !
Love this cake! It’s so beautiful and easy to make. Perfect for holidays.
Can’t wait for strawberry season so I can try this! The recipe looks so easy with all the stwp by step descriptions!
Delicious! So fresh and creamy
This will be a wonderful dessert to make for Strawberry season. Saving it to try soon!!
This cake looks amazing, and I love a good shortcut recipe! Thanks so much for sharing!
Great cake and so rich a flavor. Thank you for sharing
love this so much! perfectly moist and sweet! everyone loved it!
I love fresh fruits as toppings too! This cake looks delicious, time for me to bake