Strawberry shortcut cake is an easy one-pan baked dessert made with soft vanilla cake batter, marshmallows, strawberries, and strawberry gelatin, perfect served with whipped cream.
Why You'll Love It
- Easy one-pan dessert with simple ingredients
- Soft vanilla cake with a jammy strawberry topping
- Marshmallow layer melts into a gooey base
- Great served warm with whipped cream
Strawberries are one of those ingredients I always like to use in simple desserts where their flavor can really stand out. Recipes like strawberry pudding, strawberry tiramisu, and strawberry confiture all work well when strawberries are sweet and easy to find. This strawberry shortcut cake follows the same idea. A soft vanilla cake batter bakes over a layer of marshmallows and strawberries, creating a dessert that feels both light and comforting.
What makes this cake special is how the layers change as it bakes. The marshmallows melt into a soft base, the strawberries and gelatin create a jammy topping, and the cake batter rises gently between them. The result is a strawberry dessert that looks beautiful when sliced but is surprisingly simple to make. If you enjoy fruit desserts like strawberry shortcake or fresh strawberry tart, this cake is another easy way to use strawberries when they are in season.
Key Ingredients in Strawberry Shortcut Cake
You'll find the exact measurements in the recipe card, but here's a closer look at a few of the ingredients and why I use them.
- Base Layer: I start with a generous layer of miniature marshmallows across the bottom of the pan; they melt into the cake and create the softest, stickiest base that's honestly my favorite part.
- Strawberry Topping: I use thawed frozen strawberries tossed with strawberry gelatin. It turns jammy and glossy in the oven and settles right on top of the cake as it bakes; no need to mix it in.
- Cake Batter: A simple mix of flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, eggs, and vanilla. I use softened butter and whole milk to keep the texture fluffy and moist. Everything comes together quickly and easily.
- Finishing Touch: I always serve this cake with freshly whipped cream. It's light, cool, and balances the sweet strawberry topping perfectly.
How to Make Strawberry Shortcut Cake
You can find the complete printable Strawberry Shortcut Cake recipe with measurements below, but for now, here's a quick overview of how it goes:
1. Grease a 9.5 x 7.5 inch (24 x 19 cm) baking pan and spread marshmallows evenly in the pan.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a bowl, mix sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, and milk, then blend on medium speed until smooth.
4. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ones and beat for 2 minutes until smooth.
5. Evenly pour the batter over the marshmallows.
6. Combine the thawed strawberries with the dry gelatin.
7. Spread the strawberry mixture evenly over the batter.
8. Bake the strawberry shortcut cake in a preheated oven at 347°F / 175°C (311°F convection / 155°C fan) for 40-45 minutes, until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
Variations
- Use Fresh Strawberries: Dice fresh strawberries, toss them with a little sugar and strawberry gelatin, and layer them on the cake. It gives a fresh, fruity flavor with a firmer texture.
- Try Other Berries: Add raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries for a colorful mix. Use mixed berry gelatin or stick with strawberry to tie it all together.
Tips for Strawberry Shortcut Cake
Don't Overmix the Batter: I like to beat it just until smooth; overmixing can make the cake too dense and keep it from rising evenly.
Let it Cool Before Slicing: The marshmallow base is very soft straight from the oven. I wait 15 minutes so the layers stay neat and don't fall apart.
Storage
I keep the strawberry shortcut cake covered in an airtight container and reheat slices for 10 seconds in the microwave; it softens beautifully without losing texture.
Try These Strawberry Recipes Next!
Recipe
Easy Strawberry Shortcut Cake
Ingredients
- 60 g miniature marshmallow
- 280 g frozen strawberries - thawed
- 85 g strawberry gelatin - 1 packet
- 270 g all-purpose flour
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 3 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 110 g butter - softened
- 300 ml milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 eggs
- 300 g heavy cream - for whipping and serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 347°F / 175°C (311°F convection / 155°C fan) and generously grease a 9.5 × 7.5 inch (24 × 19 cm) baking pan.
- Spread 2 oz (60 g) miniature marshmallows evenly across the bottom of the prepared pan.
- In a bowl, combine 10 oz (280 g) thawed strawberries with 1 packet (3 oz / 85 g) strawberry gelatin and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups (270 g) all-purpose flour, 3 teaspoons baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt.
- In another bowl, beat 1 cup (200 g) sugar, ½ cup (110 g) softened butter, 3 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1¼ cups (300 ml) milk on medium speed until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat for 2 minutes until well combined.
- Pour the cake batter evenly over the marshmallows in the pan.
- Spoon the strawberry and gelatin mixture evenly over the batter.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool slightly before serving and top with whipped cream, ice cream, or fresh strawberries.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Sandra says
This is the perfect recipe for busy bakers. The strawberry shortcut cake ingredients make it so easy to whip up a delicious cake without spending hours in the kitchen.