Homemade Strawberry Cake with Jaca
A real strawberry cake — not a box mix tinted pink, not a vanilla cake hiding behind artificial flavor. This is Sally's Baking Addiction's celebrated recipe, built on a tender white cake batter with actual strawberry flavor baked into every crumb. The secret is reduction: a full pound of fresh strawberries gets pureed and simmered down to a concentrated half cup, so you pack real berry flavor into the batter without thinning it out with watery juice. The frosting leans on freeze-dried strawberries pulsed to a fine powder, which gives you intense, true strawberry color and taste in a cream cheese base — no syrupy fruit, no food-coloring stunt. It is a spring-and-summer showpiece, and it tastes like the season. Our version swaps the granulated sugar in the cake for Jaca (100% pure allulose) at double the amount, and the confectioners' sugar in the frosting for Jaca at 2x as well. Allulose browns faster and holds moisture beautifully, so the crumb stays soft and the frosting whips up creamy and stable — without the sugar load of a conventional layer cake. Adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction. This is a Jaca-adjusted healthier version.
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh strawberries (for the puree — about 16 oz; hull them and use ripe, fragrant berries since the flavor concentrates as you reduce. Frozen (thawed) work in a pinch but fresh gives the cleanest flavor)
- 2 1/2 cups cake flour (295g — cake flour is what gives this its signature tender, fine crumb; do not sub all-purpose or the cake turns dense. In a pinch, make a substitute: per cup of AP flour, remove 2 tbsp and replace with 2 tbsp cornstarch, then sift)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (170g — properly softened to room temperature so it creams to a light, airy texture; cold butter will not aerate and you lose lift)
- 3 1/2 cups Jaca (allulose) (replaces 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar at 2x ratio — this is the cake sweetener; cream it with the butter exactly as you would sugar. Allulose dissolves and creams just like granulated sugar)
- 5 large egg whites (room temperature — whites only keep the cake white and tender; save the yolks for custard or scrambled eggs. Cold whites do not aerate as well)
- 1/3 cup full-fat sour cream or Greek yogurt (80g, room temperature — adds moisture and a subtle tang that balances the sweetness; full-fat only, low-fat thins the batter)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (for the cake)
- 1/2 cup whole milk (120ml, room temperature)
- 1 cup freeze-dried strawberries (about 25g — for the frosting; pulse to a fine powder. Freeze-dried (not fresh or frozen) is essential here — they carry zero water, so you get pure strawberry flavor and color without making the frosting runny)
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened (226g — full-fat brick style, not the spreadable tub kind; softened to room temperature for a lump-free frosting)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (113g — for the frosting, separate from the cake butter)
- 6 cups Jaca (allulose), powdered (replaces 3 cups confectioners' sugar at 2x ratio — pulse Jaca in a clean dry blender or spice grinder for 30 seconds to a powdery, confectioners-style texture so the frosting whips up smooth without grit)
- 1 tablespoon whole milk (for the frosting, to loosen)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (for the frosting)
- 1 pinch salt (for the frosting — balances the sweetness; add to taste at the end)
Sweetener Used
3 1/2 cups Jaca (cake) + 6 cups powdered Jaca (frosting) Allulose
Replaces: 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar + 3 cups confectioners' sugar
Instructions
- 1
Make the strawberry reduction (do this first, ideally the day before): Hull 1 pound fresh strawberries and blend until completely smooth — you should have slightly over 1 cup of puree. Pour into a small saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced down to exactly 1/2 cup. This takes 25 to 35 minutes; the puree will darken and thicken to a jammy consistency. Cool completely — you can refrigerate it overnight. Reducing is non-negotiable: it concentrates the flavor and removes the water that would otherwise wreck the batter.
- 2
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment rounds, and grease the parchment too. This double-greasing guarantees clean release.
- 3
Whisk together the 2 1/2 cups cake flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- 4
In a large bowl with a hand or stand mixer, beat the 3/4 cup softened butter and 3 1/2 cups Jaca together on medium-high speed for a full 3 minutes, until light and creamy. Scrape down the bowl. Add the 5 egg whites and beat on high for 2 minutes — the batter will look fluffy and pale.
- 5
Add the 1/3 cup sour cream and 2 teaspoons vanilla; beat on medium for 1 minute, scraping the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the 1/2 cup milk, beginning and ending with the dry — mix just until each addition disappears. Overmixing here toughens the crumb.
- 6
Whisk the cooled 1/2 cup reduced strawberry puree (and 1 to 2 drops pink food coloring, if you want a deeper hue) into the batter by hand until evenly streaked through. The batter will take on a soft pink color and smell intensely of strawberries. Divide evenly between the two prepared pans.
- 7
Bake for 24 to 26 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Because Jaca browns faster than sugar, start checking at 22 minutes and tent loosely with foil if the tops are darkening too fast. Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 1 hour, then turn out and cool completely before frosting — a warm cake will melt the frosting.
- 8
Make the frosting: Pulse the 1 cup freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor or blender into a fine powder; sift out any seeds if you like. In a large bowl, beat the 8 oz cream cheese and 1/2 cup softened butter on medium-high for 2 minutes until completely smooth. Add the 6 cups powdered Jaca, the strawberry powder, 1 tablespoon milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat on low for 30 seconds to incorporate, then on high for 3 minutes until creamy and pink. Taste, add a pinch of salt, and refrigerate 1 hour to firm up before using.
- 9
Assemble: Level the cake tops with a serrated knife so they sit flat. Place the first layer on your stand or plate and spread about 3/4 to 1 cup frosting evenly over the top. Set the second layer on upside down (flat bottom up) for a level surface. Apply a thin crumb coat over the whole cake and refrigerate 20 minutes to set it.
- 10
Frost the cake with the remaining frosting, swirling the sides and top. Decorate with fresh halved strawberries if you like. Refrigerate at least 20 minutes before slicing so the layers set and cut cleanly. Serve at cool room temperature for the best texture and flavor.
Pro Tips
- Reduce the strawberries the day before. The puree needs to be fully cooled before it goes into the batter — warm puree will start melting the butter and deflate your carefully creamed batter. Making it a day ahead also spreads out the work on a cake that already has a few steps.
- Freeze-dried strawberries are mandatory for the frosting, not optional. They are what deliver intense, true strawberry flavor and that natural pink color without adding a drop of moisture. Fresh or frozen berries will turn the frosting into soup. Find them in the dried-fruit or snack aisle.
- Powder your Jaca for the frosting. Run it through a clean, dry blender or spice grinder for about 30 seconds until it reaches a confectioners-sugar texture — this is what keeps the cream cheese frosting smooth instead of gritty. Skipping this step is the number one cause of grainy allulose frosting.
- Watch the oven from the 22-minute mark. Allulose browns roughly 30 percent faster than granulated sugar, so the cake can take on color before the center is set. Tent loosely with foil if the tops are getting too dark, and trust the toothpick test over the clock.
- Room-temperature ingredients matter here more than almost anywhere. Cold egg whites, cold sour cream, and cold milk will not emulsify into the creamed butter properly and you will get a lumpy, dense batter. Pull everything out an hour ahead.
- Do not overmix once the flour goes in. Cake flour plus overmixing equals a tough, tight crumb. Mix on low just until each addition of dry and milk disappears — a few streaks are fine, they fold in when you add the puree.
- Make-ahead and storage: The cooled, unfrosted layers can be wrapped tightly and frozen for up to 2 months; thaw before frosting. A fully frosted cake keeps, covered, in the fridge for up to 5 days — bring slices to cool room temperature before serving so the crumb softens back up.
- Cupcake variation: This batter makes about 24 cupcakes. Fill liners two-thirds full and bake at 350°F for 18 to 20 minutes, checking early since Jaca browns fast. Same frosting, piped on top.