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Table of Contents
- 🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need
- 🔪 How to make strawberry shortcut cake step-by-step
- 📖 Recipe
- 📖 Make it your own: yummy variations
- Marye's recipe notes
- 🍽️ No waste: creative ways to repurpose leftovers
- 👩🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs
- ✍🏻 A note from Marye...
- 📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love
- 💬 Comments
This Strawberry Shortcut Cake is straight outta 1976 and it’s still turning heads like a Farrah Fawcett poster on a teenage boy’s wall. It starts with a humble box of cake mix—because who has time to bake from scratch when “The Love Boat” is on?—and ends in pure dessert glory.
While it's baking, the mini marshmallows and cake batter do this groovy little dance, rising to the top like they’ve got somewhere fabulous to be, leaving behind a layer of ruby red strawberries in a sticky-sweet gelée that’s giving vintage Jell-O salad but make it fashion. The result? A tender, buttery cake with a crispy golden top and a fruity bottom that jiggles just enough to keep things interesting. It’s the kind of dessert your Aunt Cheryl-Jean brought to every potluck, and let’s be honest—hers was always the first to disappear.
🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need
If you can't find frozen strawberries in syrup you'll need to macerate fresh berries. It's super easy to do.
How to macerate strawberries
- Wash, hull, and slice 2 cups of fresh strawberries.
- Sprinkle with ⅓ cup of sugar.
- Let stand for at least 30 minutes - overnight is better.
- A syrup will form - do not drain!
🔪 How to make strawberry shortcut cake step-by-step
Put mini marshmallows in bottom of pan.
Combine Jell-o powder with thawed strawberries & syrup.
Combine remaining ingredients.
Spoon gelatin-berry. mixture over cake batter and bake.
📖 Recipe
Strawberry Shortcut Cake Recipe
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
- 2 cups strawberries, frozen in syrup (20 oz)and thawed, or fresh macerated berries (see notes below). Don't drain syrup.
- 3 ounces strawberry Jello, you'll just use the powder - don't make Jello!
- 13.25 ounces yellow cake mix, or up to 15.25 ounces
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 eggs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Grease the bottom of a 13x9 inch.
- Sprinkle mini-marshmallows over the bottom of the pan.
- Combine the gelatin powder with the thawed strawberries and syrup. Set aside.
- Combine the remaining ingredients. Beat 3 minutes at medium speed, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally.
- Pour the batter over the marshmallows in the pan and gently even out.
- Spoon the strawberry mixture over the batter.
- Bake at 350℉ for 45 to 50 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Serve warm or cold.
Notes
- Wash, hull, and slice 2 cups of fresh strawberries.
- Sprinkle with ⅓ cup of sugar.
- Let stand for at least 30 minutes - overnight is better.
- A syrup will form - do not drain!
- Use as directed in recipe above.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
📖 Make it your own: yummy variations
- Make it a mixed berry moment. Swap the strawberries for raspberries, cherries, or mixed berries if you're feeling wild.
- Lemon it up. Use lemon cake mix instead of yellow for a zesty twist that pairs like bell bottoms and a halter top. Strawberry lemonade vibes? Yes, please.
- Coconut lovers, come on in. Toss a handful of shredded sweetened coconut over the marshmallows before baking.
- Make it boozy. Stir a tablespoon of strawberry liqueur or amaretto into the pie filling if you’re feeling cheeky. Just don’t blame me when Grandma starts telling family secrets at dessert.
Marye's recipe notes
- Don’t stir it! I know it’s tempting to poke and prod, but this cake is like a good relationship—just gently layer everything and leave it be. Just like the blackberry cobbler, the magic happens when you don’t interfere.
- Use the right pan. A 9x13-inch baking dish works best. Glass or ceramic pans give you that perfect golden crust, while metal can overbrown like it's been sunbathing with baby oil too long.
- Mini marshmallows only. Big ones won’t melt right and you’ll end up with weird marshmallow islands instead of that gorgeous golden layer. If you must use the big ones cut them in fourths.
- Let it rest. Give it 10–15 minutes after baking to settle. This cake’s got layers, and she needs a moment to collect herself before being sliced.
🤫 Marye's secret for zhuzhing it up
Serve warm with ice cream or refrigerate it overnight and frost it with Cool Whip (or even better - this Cool Whip copycat that's yummier).
zhuzh: verb. To make something more interesting or attractive
🍽️ No waste: creative ways to repurpose leftovers
We do not waste good dessert around here. Leftover Strawberry Shortcut Cake? That's not a problem—that’s a plot twist.
Breakfast? I won’t judge. Put a slice in a bowl, top with Greek yogurt, and call it a “fruit and granola-inspired morning moment.” You’re not lazy, you’re innovative. Or, make a parfait. Layer chunks of leftover cake with whipped cream and fresh strawberries in a mason jar and voilà—you’ve got yourself a retro-chic parfait that looks like you meant to do it all along. You could also make the strawberry punchbowl cake if there's enough leftover... which is doubtful.
👩🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs
Have other questions? Ask me in the comments!
Absolutely. Bake it the night before, let it cool, and cover it tightly.
You *could*... but it won't be the same and there won't be enough strawberries. If you can't find frozen strawberries in syrup then use fresh and macerate them as instructed.
✍🏻 A note from Marye...
Listen, I know life’s a whole circus some days—and if a retro, box-mix, marshmallow-magic cake can bring even one bite of joy to your dinner table (or straight from the pan at midnight, no judgment), then my work here is done. This Strawberry Shortcut Cake may be old-school, but it’s got main character energy, just like you.
Now grab your fork and maybe a double dollop of whipped cream for dramatic effect. You’ve earned this. And remember, as my Dad used to say, "Not my pasture, not my BS."
Peace out.
If you make it—and I know you will—go ahead and tag me on Instagram @marye_restlesschipotle I live for seeing your kitchen creations, even the slightly wonky ones. Especially the slightly wonky ones. ❤️
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