If Spring was a dessert this would be what it looked and tasted like!
Don't want to scroll through the page to get to the recipe? Use the table of contents to click on the section you want to go to.
Jump to:
❤️ Why you'll love it
- Beautiful pink color and vibrant strawberry flavor to match
- Each bite is filled with so much moisture—it stays fresh for days
- Tastes just like it has fresh berries, but no strawberry extract is needed
This easy strawberry bundt cake can be made into loaves, layer cakes, a strawberry shortcake, and even a full wedding cake. It is the perfect dessert for the strawberry lover in your life—and, the perfect way to make any day feel like a special occasion.
Sometimes I want to be a little more fancy and then I make this triple layer strawberry chantilly cake!
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, let the butter and cream cheese come to room temperature. Beat on low speed until smooth.
- Add the sugar and beat again.
- One at a time, mix in the eggs.
- Blend in the Kool-Aid mix, sour cream, and vanilla extract. Then, add the flour and salt and combine cake batter just until smooth.
🥫 Storage
Want to slowly savor your strawberry cake? You can!
This strawberry pound cake is fine stored at room temperature for four or five days. For best results, keep it covered tightly with plastic wrap.
However, remember that any homemade bundt cakes covered with cream cheese frosting need to be refrigerated.
For longer storage, wrap and freeze the cake for up to three months. I like to slice it and put parchment paper between each slice before freezing so I can thaw one or two pieces at a time.
📖 Variations
- Stir chopped, fresh strawberries into the batter during strawberry season. Dice them into small pieces so they mix in better!
- Use a different flavor of Kool-Aid to give your cake a different taste. Try Pink Lemonade for a hint of lemon. Berry Cherry or Strawberry Kiwi would also taste yummy!
- Make this fresh strawberry bundt cake recipe in loaf pans or layer cake pans, instead! Find the baking time on the recipe card.
- Or, make mini strawberry pound cake cupcakes. There's enough batter for approximately two dozen cupcakes. Bake for 20-30 minutes or so.
- I like this homemade strawberry bundt cake recipe dusted with some powdered sugar. However, you can make a delicious glaze with the cream cheese icing from my cinnamon rolls. Add a little milk or cream to get the perfect gooey texture you like.
- Glaze the cake with some chocolate ganache for a chocolate-covered strawberry flavor.
- Add a splash of lemon juice or a bit of lemon zest to a simple glaze. I love a pop of citrus with sweet strawberry desserts.
- Pulse freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor until very fine, then mix them with some powdered sugar and melted butter. It makes a flavorful strawberry glaze!
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: Pound cakes like this one usually taste best on the second day. So, there's no problem if you want to bake this in advance!
- Once you add the dry ingredients (mainly the flour mixture) be careful not to over-mix the batter. Otherwise, the cake can become tough.
- For this strawberry pound cake recipe, I recommend using the paddle attachment for your mixer, instead of the whisk.
- I like using a smoother bundt cake pan so that it's easier to grease. If you use one with lots of nooks and crannies, be sure to get in each little crevice with the butter and flour to prevent sticking.
- Baking the cake at 325F is what gives it that dense, melt-in-your-mouth texture. It might seem like it's taking a long time compared to a regular cake mix, but after the first bite, you'll see why it's worth the wait!
- Unsure if your cake is done baking? Insert a cake tester, a long toothpick, or a butter knife in the center of the cake. If there is any batter on the tester, the cake's not done. Moist crumbs are okay, though, and indicate the cake is done—so look carefully!
- Let the cake cool in the bundt pan for ten minutes, before turning it out onto a wire cooling rack. Turning it out too early can cause the cake to break, and letting the cake cool too long in the pan can cause it to dry out.
👩🍳 FAQs
Nope, not this time, y'all! Use full-fat cream cheese and don't try to swap it (or the sour cream, for that matter) with any alternatives. The most delicious recipes are done a certain way for a reason!
No, sorry! Full-fat cream cheese in a brick, only. You can't use whipped cream cheese, either. See above! (Strawberry cream cheese is a little more watery because of the fruit.)
This recipe is specially formulated to work with dry Kool-Aid powder. Adding fresh strawberry puree to the batter would throw off the balance of wet and dry ingredients. However, you can drizzle the puree on top when serving! Or, check out my other strawberry recipes, here!
It sure is! I love it for Mother's day brunch, Easter, potlucks, summer birthdays, and I've even made it for a wedding!
📚 Related recipes
- With delicious lemon flavor and fresh blueberries studded throughout the yummy cake, this Lemon Blueberry Bundt is a tasty summer treat!
- Strawberry Sheet Cake is easy to make and features a light, whipped cream cheese strawberry frosting so good you can eat it with a spoon!
- This No-Bake Strawberry Angel Food Cake combines store-bought cake with fresh, juicy strawberries for a quick, easy, fun dessert!
🍽️ Serve with...
🥄 Restless Chipotle recommends
The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
You'll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
📞 The last word
This is one of my favorite desserts to take to potlucks! I have plenty more strawberry recipes that will get your mouth watering, too.
It's firm enough to use in a stacked wedding cake (I've done it!) but easy enough for every day. The lack of berries actually helps it maintain the dense texture needed for heavy cakes -- keeps them from collapsing.
And what about serving it with squares of this strawberry shortcake crunch ice cream cake? Strawberry heaven!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Strawberry Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Print Pin Recipe SaveEquipment Needed
Ingredients
I earn a commission from Instacart from qualifying purchases.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325F.
- Grease a bundt pan thoroughly and then dust with flour.
- Pour out excess flour, tapping the pan lightly to get the as much out as possible.
- Set aside.
- Beat the cream cheese and butter on the lowest speed of the mixer until well blended.
- Add the sugar and continue to beat until blended.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing each in thoroughly before adding the next one.
- Add the Kool Aid mix, vanilla, and the sour cream and blend.
- Add the flour and salt.
- Mix just until blended and smooth.
- Spoon into bundt pan and smooth top.
- Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in halfway between the edge and the center comes out clean. Start checking at 1 hour 15 minutes.
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan.
- Remove from pan and drizzle with a glaze or let cool and dust with confectioner's sugar.
- Cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- You can make this cake a day or two in advance - or even freeze it for longer storage.
- Pound cakes are usually best the second day.
- If you are making this into wedding cake rounds the baking time will depend on the size of each pan. Bake at 350F and start checking after 25 minutes - unless it's a 6-inch layer or smaller.
- I like this cake just dusted with powdered sugar but you can make a delicious glaze with the cream cheese icing from my cinnamon rolls. Add a little milk or cream to get the exact texture you like.
- Be careful not to over mix the batter or you'll run the risk of the cake being tough.
- Baking the cake at 325F is what helps it to have that dense, melt in your mouth texture. It will need between 1 hour 15 minutes and 1 hour 30 minutes to bake. It's baked in a slow oven for a long time but the resulting cake will knock your socks off.
Nutrition Facts
Sign up for the emails and never miss another recipe!!
We'll never share your email or send you spam. Pinkie swear.First published May 20, 2015. Last updated February 9, 2023 for better images.
Susanne
This looks great & I'd love to try it! Do you use all purpose flour instead of self-rising? I just didn't see anything else in the recipe that would make it rise with all purpose flour. Thank you!
Marye
No. This recipe doesn't use a leavener. 🙂
Nana
How much strawberry jello did you use? One small box? I agree with the jello instead of Kool aid. I use jello in my cakes. It makes it moist and better tasting to me. Have a wonderful day.,
Nana
Marye
I didn't use strawberru jello. I used koolaide.
Sonya Edwards
This is my second time making this cake. They loved it. It went so fast, people was asking what happened to that cake.I also used strawberry jello instead of kool-aid. I made a strawberry frosting. Thank you for your recipe.
Tiffani Kerr
How much jello do you use?
Marye
None. There's no Jello in this recipe
Sonya Edwards
I used one regular box of jello.
George moy
Too bad you can’t get the flavor of a piñata colada in it the flavor of pineapple coconut as a cake,since most cake flavor is either pineapple or coconut but not like the drink pina colada it would be delicious and different.
Marye
I've done that. Not difficult. 🙂
Tafiya
Can I. Use strawberry jello instead of coolaid and reduce the sugar?
Marye
I've never done it that way so I don't know.
Kala Barlow
Have you ever made cupcakes out of this recipe, and if not do you think it would work?
Marye
No I haven't but I don't see why it wouldn't work.
Jaimi
Hand mixer ok to use don’t bake enough to justify a stand up one nor the counter space!
Marye
It should be fine.
Shellia Bournes
I would like to use cake flour instead of plain flour how much cake flour do I need to use
Marye
I don't recommend cake flour for this recipe. It was tested using all purpose.