Strawberry Pound Cake
Updated May 23, 2026
Easy strawberry pound cake made from scratch with fresh and freeze-dried strawberries. Baked in a loaf pan with a simple strawberry glaze.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Jump to Section
Strawberry pound cake is soo good!!
I had a bag of freeze-dried strawberries sitting in the pantry, leftover from the kids’ snacks, and that’s how the idea for this strawberry pound cake recipe started. The idea was to grind them into a powder and fold it into the pound cake batter, and it turned out to be the thing that makes this cake actually taste like strawberries instead of just smelling like them, without the use of strawberry extract. The strawberry powder goes into the batter, and a couple of teaspoons get reserved for the glaze, so the strawberry flavor carries all the way through.
You also fold in diced fresh strawberries, which gives each slice a little texture and pockets of fruit. The glaze is just powdered sugar, reserved strawberry powder, and milk whisked together, and it sets to a pale pink without any food coloring. I’ve brought this fresh strawberry pound cake recipe to brunches and left slices out for the kids after school. It holds up well on the counter for a couple of days.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Strawberry Pound Cake Ingredients
- Fresh strawberries: Dice them small so they spread more evenly through the batter. If they’re very juicy, blot them dry before folding them in so they don’t add too much moisture to the batter. For help, see my tips on hulling and cutting strawberries. Tossing them lightly in a teaspoon of flour first can help them stay suspended in the batter instead of sinking to the bottom.
- Freeze-dried strawberries: You can find these in the snack aisle at most grocery stores, usually near the dried fruit. Pulse them in a food processor or blender until you get a fine, even powder with no large pieces left. Reserve 1 to 2 teaspoons of the powder before mixing the rest into the dry ingredients — that reserved portion goes into the glaze.
- Dry ingredients: All-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. I’ve only tested this with all-purpose flour. Use aluminum-free baking powder to avoid any chance of an off-metallic taste.
- Wet ingredients: Butter, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. The butter needs to be fully softened, not melted. If it looks greasy or shiny, it’s too warm. Put it back in the fridge for a few minutes before using. Let the eggs sit out for about 15 to 20 minutes, so they’re at room temperature and blend in smoothly.
- Strawberry glaze: Powdered sugar, reserved freeze-dried strawberry powder, and milk. Add the milk a little at a time depending on how thick or pourable you want it. Start with 1 teaspoon of strawberry powder and add a little more if you want a deeper pink color.
How to Make Strawberry Pound Cake
These photos walk through the process from start to finish. For the full ingredient list and measurements, jump to the → Strawberry Pound Cake Recipe
1. Grind Freeze-Dried Strawberries
Run them through a blender or food processor until you have a fine, even powder. Pull out 1 to 2 teaspoons and set them aside before moving on – that reserved portion goes into the glaze.
2. Mix the Dry Ingredients Together
Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the food processor with the strawberry powder and pulse a few times until everything is combined. Set the mixture aside.
3. Cream the Butter and Sugar
The butter and sugar go into a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until the mixture looks noticeably pale and fluffy – it should look lighter in color and volume than when you started.
4. Add the Eggs and Vanilla
Drop in the vanilla first, then add the eggs one at a time, waiting until each one is fully incorporated before adding the next. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go so nothing gets left behind.
5. Add Strawberries & Dry Ingredients
Pour the dry ingredient mixture into the bowl along with the diced fresh strawberries.
6. Fold in the Batter Until Just Combined
Switch to a rubber spatula and fold everything together until no dry streaks remain. Stop as soon as it comes together – overdoing it at this point will make the crumb tight and dense instead of tender.
7. Fill the Loaf Pan with Batter
Spread half the batter into the greased pan and smooth it out, then add the rest and spread again. Working in two layers helps the batter distribute evenly before it goes in the oven.
8. Bake the Strawberry Pound Cake
This one bakes for a while, so start checking toward the end of the bake time with a toothpick. When it comes out clean from the center, the cake is done. If the top is browning faster than the center is setting, lay a loose piece of foil over the pan and keep baking. Once done, let it cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely before adding the glaze.
9. Make the Strawberry Glaze
Add the powdered sugar, reserved strawberry powder, and milk to a bowl.
10. Whisk the Glaze
Everything should come together into a smooth, pourable glaze. If it’s too thick, add a small splash of milk. Pour it over the cake once it’s fully cooled. If the cake is still warm, the glaze will absorb into the surface instead of setting on top.
Full Fresh Strawberry Pound Cake Recipe
Strawberry Pound Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ounce bag freeze-dried strawberries ground into powder, divided
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 4 eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup strawberries diced
For strawberry glaze:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 teaspoons reserved freeze-dried strawberry powder
- 1 ½ tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9×5 loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. If preferred, line with parchment paper, creating a sling for easy removal.
- Use a blender to turn freeze-dried strawberries into a powder, reserving 1-2 teaspoons for the icing. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the food processor and process for 5 seconds to combine the dry ingredients. Set aside.
- Add sugar and softened butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Cream together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the dry ingredients and diced strawberries to the butter mixture and fold with a rubber spatula until just combined and no flour streaks remain.
- Transfer half the batter to the prepared loaf pan and use the rubber spatula to spread it evenly. Then add the remaining batter and spread again. Bake for 55-65 minutes, tenting it halfway through if needed, and until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the strawberry pound cake to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. Flip the loaf out of the pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
- For the strawberry glaze: Combine powdered sugar, strawberry powder, and milk in a bowl. Once the cake is completely cooled, pour the glaze over.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Variations
- Add a cream cheese swirl. Beat 4 ounces of softened cream cheese with 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar until smooth and swirl it into the batter before baking for a richer, slightly tangy center.
- Fold in mini chocolate chips. Add ½ cup of mini chocolate chips along with the diced strawberries. Chocolate and strawberry work really well together in this cake.
- Add lemon zest. Work 1 teaspoon of lemon zest into the wet ingredients before adding the dry. It pairs well with the strawberry and brightens the overall flavor.
- Decorate with fresh strawberries. After pouring the glaze, press a few thinly sliced fresh strawberries onto the top while it’s still wet so they set in place.
Recipe Tips
- Use a food processor or blender for the freeze-dried berries. Either will work for grinding the berries into a fine powder. I use whichever is already on my countertop!
- Grease the loaf pan. Using cooking spray to grease the loaf pan is usually enough to make it nonstick. But if you’re worried, make a parchment paper sling: It should overhang the sides of the loaf pan so you can pull the strawberry pound cake up and out after it’s cooled.
- Fold the dry ingredients and diced strawberries in at the same time. This helps avoid over-mixing, which can make your loaf dense. It also helps keep the strawberries evenly spread throughout the batter so they won’t sink while baking!
- Tent the cake with foil if the top is browning too fast. Check around the halfway point. If the top looks like it’s getting dark while the center is still soft, lay a loose piece of foil over the pan and keep baking. It slows the browning without trapping steam underneath.
FAQs
To turn this loaf cake into muffins, divide the batter among the muffin tin wells, and bake for about 17 minutes. My strawberry cupcakes are a good reference!
The center wasn’t fully baked through. The outside can look done while the inside is still underset. Always check with a toothpick – it needs to come out clean, not slightly moist. If yours sank, bake a few minutes longer next time and tent the top if it starts browning too fast.
This usually happens when the berries are too wet or cut too large. Make sure they’re fully blotted dry and diced small. Tossing them lightly in a teaspoon of flour before folding them in can also help them stay suspended in the batter.
Comments
Thank you for the recipe but I have a question. The freeze dried berries lump together after I blend them, is that ok?
Hmm, are the freeze-dried berries still lumping together after you add the flour, baking powder, and salt? Clumping isn’t ideal, you want the berries incorporated throughout the dry ingredients before you add the sugar and butter. Is it possible your blender or food processor had a little bit of water in it before you added the berries?
Hi Yumna
Thank you so much for this recipe it was super yum ❤️ I used a cup of fresh finely chopped strawberries instead of freeze dried and also didn’t do any glaze and it’s incredible!!
Ooh, so nice to hear that fresh strawberries work! Thanks for sharing, Hazel!
Hi :)) Can I sub the sugar or cut it down from 1 cup? Thanks
Hi there! I haven’t tried the recipe with a different sweetener. Let me know if you end up testing out a substitute though, I’d love to hear how it goes!