A soft, moist and fluffy, high altitude strawberry bundt cake flecked with freeze dried strawberries and drizzled with a sweet, pink strawberry icing. Since today’s vanilla strawberry pound cake uses freeze dried strawberries instead of fresh strawberries, you can enjoy strawberry cake even when strawberries aren’t in season.
You might also love these recipes for lemon bundt cake, snickerdoodle bundt cake, and chocolate bundt cake.
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Why You’ll Love This Cake
Real Strawberry Flavor. I love using freeze dried strawberries for baking. They add a beautiful color and an intense strawberry flavor to this strawberry bundt cake, without the excessive moisture that you get from fresh strawberries.
Soft and Moist. This strawberry cake is tender and fluffy, with a soft, moist texture that’s just as good plain as it is with the strawberry icing.
High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet. If you’re at a lower or higher elevation, please see my FAQs for guidance on adjusting recipes for your altitude.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
Cake
- Butter. Adds fat, flavor and richness to the cake.
- Sugar. Granulated sugar adds sweetness and moisture.
- Eggs. Gives the cake structure and strength, as well as moisture.
- Spices. Vanilla extract and ground cardamom add a lovely flavor to complement the strawberries, while salt enhances the flavors and balances the sweetness.
- Flour. I prefer to use cake flour in this recipe for a lighter texture, but you can also use all-purpose flour, which will make it a bit more dense, like a strawberry pound cake.
- Baking Powder. Leavening agent, so the cake rises as it bakes.
- Milk. Adds moisture and fat for a tender cake crumb.
- Freeze Dried Strawberries. Chop these up into small bits, so they are scattered throughout the batter.
Icing
- Powdered Sugar. Sweetens and thickens the icing.
- Freeze Dried Strawberries. For the icing, you’ll want to crush the strawberries into a powder. This will give the icing flavor, and a vivid pink color.
- Meringue Powder. This ingredient is optional, but it helps the icing to set quickly and stay set, rather than getting sticky.
- Vanilla Extract. Flavor.
- Milk. Thins the icing to a drizzly consistency.
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Thoroughly grease your bundt pan (see notes about bundt pan sizes) with non-stick baking spray.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed for about 7 minutes, scraping the bowl down occasionally, until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating each for about 30 seconds before adding the next, until the batter is smooth and well combined. Add the vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, salt and cardamom. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the milk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Increase the speed to medium, and mix for 15 seconds.
- Add the chopped freeze dried strawberries to the batter and use a spatula to fold them in, scraping up the batter from the bottom of the bowl to ensure it’s evenly mixed.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for about 25-30 minutes, until the top of the cake springs back when gently touched, and a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean.
- Set the pan on a cooling rack and cool the cake in the pan for exactly 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto the cooling rack, remove the pan, and cool for 30 minutes before icing.
Icing
- In a bowl, combine the powdered sugar, crushed freeze dried strawberries and meringue powder. Add the vanilla and milk, and stir until smooth and drizzly.
- Spoon the icing over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides. The icing will set in about 30 minutes.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
I used the Nordic Ware Elegant Party Bundt Pan, which has a 10-cup capacity, but this is a smaller cake recipe that doesn’t completely fill the pan. A 6-cup bundt pan such as the Nordic Ware Heritage Bundt Pan will also work.
You may also bake the batter in a standard 9×5 loaf pan, but I have not tested the bake time for a loaf cake. It would likely take about the same time as the small bundt cake, or a few minutes longer.
For a larger 12-cup bundt pan, you can double the cake recipe. I have not tested the bake time for a larger bundt cake, but it will likely take between 40-50 minutes.
Store the leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
No, fresh strawberries will not work in this recipe. They will add too much moisture to the cake, making it too dense and gummy.
I usually buy them at Target, found on the dried fruit and nuts aisle.
You can use either. Cake flour will make the cake a bit lighter and fluffier, while all purpose flour will give it slightly more dense texture like a pound cake.
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High Altitude Strawberry Bundt Cake
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment
Ingredients
Cake
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups cake flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- â…” cup whole milk
- 1 oz freeze dried strawberries (about 3/4 cup), chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp freeze dried strawberries, finely crushed
- 2 tsp meringue powder
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ½ – 3 tbsp whole milk
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Thoroughly grease your bundt pan (see notes about bundt pan sizes) with non-stick baking spray.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed for about 7 minutes, scraping the bowl down occasionally, until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating each for about 30 seconds before adding the next, until the batter is smooth and well combined. Add the vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, salt and cardamom. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the milk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Increase the speed to medium, and mix for 15 seconds.
- Add the chopped freeze dried strawberries to the batter and use a spatula to fold them in, scraping up the batter from the bottom of the bowl to ensure it's evenly mixed.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for about 25-30 minutes, until the top of the cake springs back when gently touched, and a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean.
- Set the pan on a cooling rack and cool the cake in the pan for exactly 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto the cooling rack, remove the pan, and cool for 30 minutes before icing.
Icing
- In a bowl, combine the powdered sugar, crushed freeze dried strawberries and meringue powder. Add the vanilla and milk, and stir until smooth and drizzly.
- Spoon the icing over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides. The icing will set in about 30 minutes.
Hi! Love your recipes…as a fellow Coloradian they are so great! For this recipe can you make this Bundt ahead of time store in fridge or freezer for an day or two and then make the icing later?
Yes, you can freeze the un-iced cake, wrapped in several layers of plastic wrap.