Strawberry Pound Cake

This Strawberry Pound Cake recipe is made with fresh strawberries, strawberry syrup, and a strawberry glaze. That means lots of fruity flavor to go along with the rich, moist texture of a pound cake. This dessert is so easy to make and it’s sure to please. It’s a great cake for Easter, Valentine’s Day, or the spring and summer seasons.

What’s in this Strawberry Pound Cake recipe?

Traditional pound cake calls for a pound each of the main ingredients, but we won’t use quite that much for this recipe. But don’t worry, it still comes out super rich and moist!

Flour: Unbleached all-purpose flour is best for pound cake.
Granulated Sugar: You’ll need granulated sugar to add sweetness to the cake batter, and to make the strawberry syrup.
Butter: Use unsalted butter. Let it come to room temperature and soften before using.
Eggs: Eggs add richness and structure to cake. These should be room temperature as well.
Half and Half: This adds moisture into the batter, and since it has a thicker and creamier texture than milk alone, it is much richer. You can combine heavy cream and whole milk to make your own substitute.
Extract: Vanilla extract and almond extract create the perfect flavor. You can use just vanilla if that’s all you have.
Strawberries: Fresh strawberries should be finely chopped to mix into the batter. You will also need pureed strawberries for the syrup.
Powdered Sugar: Use powdered sugar for the strawberry glaze.
Lemon Juice: Lemon juice adds brightness and acidity to the glaze. Fresh juice is best, but you can use bottled juice as well.

Early summer is the best season for strawberries–they’ll be extra fresh, sweet, and flavorful! So I love making this dessert in the summer, but luckily strawberries are available year-round in many places.

Recipe Variations

If you don’t have (or don’t like) strawberries, you can use another berry or fruit instead. Use blueberries or raspberries (or a mix). They’re easy to mix into the batter, and you can follow the same instructions to make the syrup and glaze with these berries instead.

Try making a lemon glaze or use lemon curd, and top with powdered sugar or whipped cream. Drizzle caramel sauce on top for an extra sweet treat. You could also replace the almond extract in the cake batter with lemon extract for a brighter flavor.

step by step photos for how to make strawberry pound cake

Can I use frozen strawberries?

Yes. If you don’t have fresh strawberries on hand, substitute frozen. Be sure to fully thaw them first.

What kind of cake pan should I use?

I used a 10-cup bundt cake pan for this pound cake. It works best for this recipe since we are poking holes in the bottom and filling it with strawberry syrup after baking.

How long do you bake strawberry pound cake?

Baking at 325F, this pound cake will take about 80 minutes (1 hour 20 minutes) to bake. To check that it’s done, stick a toothpick into the cake–it should come out clean without any liquid batter and few crumbs.

How do you remove a cake from a bundt pan?

Let the cake cool in the pan, upside down, for 30 minutes. Place a flat surface (a large plate, cutting board, etc) on top of the pan, and flip it over. If you used cooking spray, it should slide out fairly easily as you lift the pan. Give it a little shake until it comes loose.

slice of glazed strawberry pound cake with silver fork

How to Store Strawberry Glazed Pound Cake

Once your strawberry pound cake has fully cooled, transfer it to an airtight container. It will keep well for up to 5 days at room temperature, or in the refrigerator for up to a week.

How to Freeze Pound Cake with Strawberries

If you plan to freeze this cake, I recommend skipping the glaze until you’re ready to serve it. Let it cool completely, then wrap it in plastic wrap or foil, and place it in a freezer-safe container. It will keep for up to 3 months. Defrost before serving.

If you have already glazed the cake, you can still store leftovers. It may be easiest to store slices, but you can store the cake whole if you have the space and container for it.

If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy! You can also jump to recipe.

Strawberry Pound Cake

This rich pound cake is filled with strawberries and topped with a strawberry glaze, for a sweet and fruity dessert.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Servings slices

Calories 870kcal

Author Becky Hardin

Equipment

Kitchen Scale (optional)
10-Cup Bundt Pan
Hand Mixer
Wooden Skewer

Ingredients

For the Cake

1½ cups unsalted butter 339 grams, room temperature (3 sticks)
3 cups granulated sugar 600 grams
5 large eggs 250 grams, room temperature
3 cups Bob’s Red Mill Unbleached White All-Purpose Flour 408 grams
1 teaspoon kosher salt 3 grams
1 cup half-and-half 227 grams, room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract 12 grams
1 teaspoon almond extract 4 grams
2½ cups finely chopped strawberries 418 grams

For the Strawberry Syrup

1 cup granulated sugar 200 grams
⅔ cup water 151 grams
1 cup pureed strawberries 232 grams

For the Strawberry Glaze

3 tablespoons strawberry syrup 44 grams, reserved from above
2 cups powdered sugar 226 grams
3 tablespoons lemon juice 43 grams, from 1½ lemons

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray a 10-cup Bundt cake pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
Using a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until fluffy and light, about 2 minutes.

1½ cups unsalted butter, 3 cups granulated sugar
Add the eggs one at a time with the speed on medium. Scrape down the sides as needed.

5 large eggs
Switch the mixer to low and add in the flour in batches. Add in the salt. Make sure everything is well combined and smooth.

3 cups Bob’s Red Mill Unbleached White All-Purpose Flour, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Add in the half-and-half and both extracts. Continue to mix.

1 cup half-and-half, 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon almond extract
Turn off the mixer and fold in the chopped strawberries.

2½ cups finely chopped strawberries
Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan. Bake for 80 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
During the last 20 minutes of baking, prepare the strawberry syrup: Bring the sugar and water to a boil in a small saucepan. Allow to boil for 8 minutes. Add the pureed strawberries. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.

1 cup granulated sugar, ⅔ cup water, 1 cup pureed strawberries
Remove the cake from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
Using a wooden skewer (like you would use for kebabs), poke holes in the bottom of the cake, about 1½ inches apart. Make the holes about ⅛-inch wide, wiggling the skewer slightly. Be sure not to poke all the way through the cake.
Set aside 3 tablespoons of the strawberry syrup. Pour the remaining strawberry syrup over the bottom of the cake, still in the bundt pan. Use a spatula to press the syrup into the cake.
Keep upside down and in the pan for 30 minutes as it cools.
Turn over the cake to remove from the pan, continue to let cool for another hour.
While the cake cools, make the strawberry glaze. Whisk together the glaze ingredients until smooth. If too thick, add more lemon juice. If too thin, add more powdered sugar.

3 tablespoons strawberry syrup, 2 cups powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons lemon juice
Once the cake is cooled, drizzle the glaze over the cake and top with chopped fresh strawberries.
Slice and serve.

Video

Notes

Your ingredients should be at room temperature when you make the cake batter. This helps them to combine more easily so that you will have an even texture throughout the cake.
When you poke the holes in the cake, make sure that you don’t make them all the way to the bottom of the tin.
Let the cake cool fully before adding the glaze. If the cake is still warm it will slide off.

Storage: Store strawberry pound cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.