If any of you shop at Sam’s Club on a regular basis and think this cake looks familiar, it should because I dearly love that strawberry cake – so this is my homemade version.
A few years back, when I first took notice of these beautiful fresh strawberry cakes at Sam’s, I bought one and fell in love. The cake is a simple one, nothing fancy, but the magic happens in the icing and topping. Rather than a super sweet buttercream, they use a whipped icing, similar to a stabilized whipped cream, for just a touch of creamy sweetness, top it with fresh ripe strawberries and a delectable glaze and this cake embodies all that is right and good in the world. Okay, maybe that is stretching things a bit far but you get my point. And who are we kidding? At a time when there is so very much not right in our world, sometimes all it takes is a little light and fresh cake to add a 1000 lumen shine to our day.
I’ve been wanting to recreate my favorite spring/summer cake at home for a while and this past weekend I finally took the time to do so. The results were even better than the store bought version and pretty fast and simple, too. I may still pick up one from time to time, but I really like knowing that I can make a slightly better version at home on my own, too. Or, as I used to say as a determined two year old whenever my mother was trying to help me, “I do it by self!”.
To start with you’ll need: a small cake mix*, beautiful fresh strawberries, heavy whipping cream, strawberry glaze, and confectioner’s sugar. Vanilla isn’t pictured here. It’s from Mexico and felt a bit shy in the strange new place that is my kitchen, so I didn’t press. You don’t have to use vanilla but I add a tat of it.
*Cake Mix Note: You only need enough for an 8 inch square cake. If you want to just make a 9×13 cake with a regular size cake mix, double the whipping cream and confectioner’s sugar amounts and you’ll be fine. You also need the ingredients called for to prepare the cake. Yes, you can make a cake from scratch but just don’t leave any snooty comments condemning the rest of us to the back room of mommy-hood for choosing a mix, because we all know you didn’t grow and gather the wheat for that cake. Everyone has shortcuts and yours just started a little earlier than ours. (Y’all know I’m not talking to 99% of you but these here are “the internets” and there are always a few…)
*Strawberry Glaze Note : I tried to cut calories by getting sugar free glaze once. I won’t make that mistake again. The flavor of that was best described as “freshly washed hair”.
*Heavy Whipping Cream : Sometimes this is just called heavy cream. Sometimes it is called whipping cream. I’m sure there exists, in our country, an entire group of people who are offended by this.
Start by preparing cake according to package directions. Make sure you have a plate or platter big enough to turn your cake out onto or bake it in a pan you want to decorate it in and just serve from that.
Your cream needs to be very cold. I’m not saying you have to freeze it or anything but leave it in the fridge until you need it.
Place cream in a large mixing bowl and prepare to beat it. It’s a Tuesday and already this feels like a long week, this cream doesn’t stand a chance…..
You want to beat it until soft peaks form, a minute or two(ish). A soft peak is when you can see lines in it from your beaters but when you pull the beaters out, it forms a little peak and then the peak falls back down, kinda like the loop on the end of a dairy queen ice cream cone.
Anyone remember those? Butterscotch dipped were my favorite.
Once you are at this point, add in your confectioner’s sugar and vanilla (if using) and beat again until stiff peaks form, that means you pull your beater out and there is a point where the beaters were that stands up straight and doesn’t fall back…or it just looks like this.
This is almost too much, I stopped just in time. If you go much further than this you’ll end up with butter – not a bad thing, but it doesn’t make very good icing for this particular cake. 🙂
Ice your cake.
Now I made a little frilly border but you don’t have to do that. You can just ice the cake liberally and then kinda of smooth the icing down a bit in the middle to create a bumper around the sides. You could also put your border icing in a gallon ziplock bag and cut the tip off and pipe a line around the sides. I mean, it doesn’t have to be fancy here. It also doesn’t have to look store bought. Homemade cakes are always more beautiful than store bought cakes, no matter how they are decorated.
Wash your strawberries and cut the tops off. I also blot each one with a paper towel and press it lightly against the cut side just a bit. Line these up in the center of your cake like happy little strawberry gnomes.
Hi. I’m a happy little strawberry gnome! Are you going to make this cake? Christy would love that.
Now I just spoon my glaze over the strawberries. You won’t need an entire container so if you decide to make this a 9×13 there should still be plenty. Once I have it spooned over I use a butter knife to spread it to cover each one.
And that’s it! Your strawberry cake is finished! This cake must be stored in the refrigerator. You can have it out on the counter for a bit but I definitely wouldn’t leave it outside on a hot day. However, the 8×8 size makes it the perfect cake to disappear in the blink of an eye and you’ll love the lighter than usual flavors and textures, with a burst of strawberry at the end – or beginning depending on how you eat it!
This is SUCH A beautiful cake to take to a party or get together, when they find out you made it yourself, instead of buying it, get ready for even more oohs and ahhs!
Because, in case you didn’t know, you’re awesome and you bring wonderful things into this world :).
Ingredients
- Jiffy Cake Mix or other of your choice prepared according to package directions*
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Fresh Strawberries
- 13.5 ounce container Strawberry Glaze
Instructions
- Allow baked cake to cool for ten minutes in the pan before turning it out onto a platter or large plate. You can also decorate it in the pan and serve from the pan if you like.
- Once cake has cooled completely, place cream in large mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer until soft peaks form, about two minutes or so.
- Add in vanilla and confectioner's sugar and beat again until stiff peaks form. Ice cake. Add a decorative border or spooned up border (by icing the top really thick and using a spoon to form a recess in the center) around the sides to hold glaze in for the next step.
- Wash cut the tops off of strawberries. Blot them dry with a paper towel. Arrange on top of cake.
- Spoon glaze over strawberries and use a butter knife to spread to coat each one.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
“Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words may be an encouragement to those who hear them.” ~Eph 4:29
You might also enjoy this recipe! M & M Oatmeal Bars
Yum 
Christy you are so funny!! I just laughed when I read your post! Also, thank you so much, I have been looking for a recipe for this stabilized whipped cream. Yours looks and sounds delicious! Love your blog!
You know I’ve been looking for an easy peasy recipe for a while, too. Most of them call for gelatin (and a lot of fuss) so I just patched this together and tried it out and it held up perfectly! Thanks for letting me chat with you today!
I CAN’T WAIT TO MAKE THIS CAKE. IT SOUNDS WONDERFUL. THANKS CHRISTY FOR ALL THAT YOU DO. YOU’RE THE BEST.
Thank You so much Janice, you just made my day! 😀
I’ve seen this cake at sam’s too……now I can make my own at home!!Thanks so much!
🙂 You sure can, I hope you it enjoy it as much as we do!!
Looks yummy……….
Have a blessed day!
Thank you, Jean! You too!
But in defense of sugar-free strawberry glaze, isn’t freshly-washed hair better than the alternative?
Yes, most definitely 🙂
Can you tell me where I find strawberry glaze. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it at the market. Thanks so much!
I typically find it in the produce section around the berries. It usually comes in a bag but can also be found in a tub. Hope that helps 🙂
haha!! Sometimes the comments are as funny as Christy. 😉
I will be Making this for my daughters Birthday, next week. Thank you sweet Christy, for so many great, easy recipes, God bless you for sharing your life’s journey and recipes with us.
Thank you so much, Betty. This comment just hit right in the center of my heart. I appreciate you taking this journey with me.
I am making it for kid’s church this weekend! It’s how I love on my teammates 🙂
Oh, to be loved by you!!!!
This looks so yummy!! Thank you for sharing! I do dinners for the church I think I will make this for the Mother’s Day.AWESOME!
What a wonderful Mother’s Day treat!!!!
Yummy, my mouth is watering. Is the Strawberry Glaze frozen, refrigerated or in the baking aisle?
Hey! It is usually found near the fresh strawberries in the produce section. Hope you get to try it soon!
With the wonderful things you make, I’m shocked that you’d buy any dessert from SAM’s!! but, this looks and sounds so good! can’t wait to try it. i’ll be baking a Gluten Free cake, but the rest will be just as you said!! hmm, think i’ll go buy some strawberries right now!! thanks for all your posts…love the recipes and your words of encouragement!
Ha! These days, the only time I get to eat food that I didn’t cook is when I buy it. This will work wonderfully with a gluten free cake. Thank You for being such an encouragement to me! 🙂
I LOVE this cake from Sam’s club. I request it every year for my birthday. I think I will make my own this year 😉
Thanks for this recipe.
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who just could’t walk by this cake without it hopping in the buggy! 😀
LOVE this post and your humor ! Can’t wait to make this and serve it on a square cake stand that I purchased at a garage sale..that’s what we call it in MN (a.ka. tag sale, yard sale).
Thank you! and OH MY GOODNESS, clearly you going to that sale was fate!! What are the chances? I’m not sure I’ve seen a square one but once!
Here’s a little trick for making your own square cake stand. ( I have made several round cake stands this way). Find/buy a plate with the color/style that catches your eye. Use glue that is made for adhering a glass surface to a glass surface, now glue your plate to a candlestick holder to use as the base for your cake stand. . works like a charm 🙂
This cake looks delicious! I have to avoid the bakery section in SAMS because it all looks so good. My six year daughter will remind me “Mama, just stick to your list and don’t even go over there!” 🙂
hey girl this looks awesome!! Yummy!
This looks so wonderful and easy! Do you think it would work with homemade strawberry glaze?
Thanks for such great recipes!
absolutely! 🙂 Thank YOU!
Can you (or do you) put together a recipe for Gordon Food service’s Lemonade Layer Cake?
I’m sure I could if I could taste it. Where do you find that?
I love this thank you so much for sending it, one question where can I find the glaze?
ey Sheila! I have always seen it right next to the fresh strawberries.
THANK FOR ANOTHER GOOD RECIPE. CHRISTY YOU ARE THE BEST AND FUNNY, YOU GIVE US A SMILE WHEN NEEDED MOST. AS A CHILD I GREW UP PICKING STRAWBERRIES IN NC,EATING THAN I PICKED .I WILL BE MAKING THIS FOR SUNDAY AFTER .THANKS AGAIN. GOD BLESS.
Another great recipe I can’t wait to try:)
I love getting your emails Keep up the great job:)
oh my gosh hahah “we all know you didn’t grow and gather the wheat for that cake.” — that’s awesome – I’ve seen those beautiful cakes before! can’t wait to make my own at home!
Oh my… This has made me so happy! Perfect timing with strawberry season starting now, too! Writing my shopping list now 🙂
Yum! I may have to make this for my “Happy Birthday to me” cake. LOL I don’t care for regular frosting, so I just KNOW I’ll enjoy this one. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Freshly washed hair! LOL Too funny. And I am with you, I would rather have the real thing and eat less, but the fact is I know I wouldn’t eat less! Especially if it looked like yours. That is a beautiful cake Christy.
We love the cakes from Sam’s Club. I think I’ll make two round layers and freeze one for later because I cannot find the Jiffy cake mixes anywhere.
Thank oh for sharing this Strawberry Cake Recipe Christy. It looks so delicious and will make a great Summertime treat for so many.
This looks so delicious. You are really making it hard to cut out the extra sugar in life right now. Have a blessed day
Hey Lisa! Thank you! And this is waaaaay less sugar than a traditional, two layer, buttercream iced cake so actually…. 😉
Hi Christy…laughter, strawberries and cream with yellow cake…heavenly thoughts!
Hi christie
Iam going to try this Everything yu make is so delicious.can yu send me a recipe for a nice pound cake. And lamb also salmon.i would appreciate that.
Thanks God bless you and your family keep sending me my recipes.
Mary
Christy,
I’ve missed you. I’m not sure what happened with my email lately, as I haven’t been receiving your posts. So, I am thrilled that you sent “Posts you may have missed”. Now I can catch up.
You bring such a ray of sunshine to my day!
Good grief, I can’t wait to get my hands on some strawberries and make this! I think this is worthy of waiting a couple more weeks for the strawberry patch up the road to start selling instead of using store-bought berries…thank you for sharing!
Strawberry Gnomes…LOL!! That’s exactly what they look like!!
Whitney @ Come Home For Comfort