Easy German Strawberry Cake (Erdbeerkuchen)

This German strawberry cake is perfect to celebrate the strawberry season. A strawberry traybake can be so simple, yet impressive – it is a real crowd-pleaser.  Juicy strawberries are sinking into a creamy vanilla pudding layer that sits on a delicious sponge base. Sold yet?

I always loved German fruit cakes, because they tend to be full of freshness but not too sweet. This makes them so refreshing. This simple strawberry traybake recipe is no exception. It is one of the first recipes that springs to my mind when we are getting close to strawberry season in Germany.

What is Strawberry in German?

Strawberry in German is “Erdbeere” literally translated as “earth berry”. The term Erdbeerkuchen is strawberry cake in German.

Strawberries are available to buy in the supermarket all year round in Germany. However, you can taste the difference when buying them out of season, they just don’t have the same sweetness. 

Strawberry season in Germany starts at the end of May and ends in August. 

Strawberries are also very easy to grow at home. Depending on which variety you buy, you could harvest your own homegrown strawberries all year long. Check out this post on how to grow strawberries at home.

About this German Strawberry Cake Recipe

This is a wonderfully moist German cake recipe that is perfect for hot summer days. Vanilla and strawberries are a wonderful combination of complimenting flavours. The recipe is quite simple, but required a bit of time. It is not a cake where you throw all the ingredients into one bowl. You create each delicious layer individually.

The term to describe these cakes, which are not made in a round cake form are described as "Blechkuchen" (Traycakes or Traybake).

Vanilla Pudding in German Baking

Vanilla pudding is used a lot in German cooking. It can stand as a dessert by itself, and is used to fill pastries and cakes. 

I have posted in detail how to make German Vanilla Pudding from Scratch. It is not as hard as you think. All you need is milk, sugar, a vanilla pod (or vanilla essence, vanilla sugar), egg yolks and cornstarch.

In Germany, people use ready-made packs. They are not as easy to find in the UK or US unless you buy it online. (affiliate links) 

In the UK you can replace these with Angel delight, although I don’t think they have the same vanilla flavour. You can also try the thick creamy custard. However, the homemade vanilla pudding version is so simple you don't really need to look for replacements.

German Strawberry Cake Ingredients

German sponge cake base ingredients

• 250 g (9 oz) butter at room temperature 
• 200 g (7 oz) sugar
• 2 teaspoon (1 packet) vanilla sugar (see homemade recipe) or alternatively 1 teaspoon vanilla essence. 
• 1 pinch of salt
• 6 medium-sized eggs
• 100 gr (3.5 gr) whipping cream
• 250 g (9 oz) flour (Germany type 405, UK plain flour, USA Pastry flour) 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder (affiliate link)

Strawberry Vanilla topping ingredients

• 1 pack Dr Oetker vanilla pudding mix or use one portion of my homemade Pudding recipe
• 1 kg (35 oz) fresh strawberries 
• Fresh mint to garnish (optional)

Recipe Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C or 356°F
2. Using a stand or hand mixer, whisk the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the vanilla sugar and salt and continue mixing. 
3. Now add in the eggs one by one. Pour in the cream. Lastly, sieve in the flour and baking powder (affiliate link). Mix until you achieve a soft fluffy batter. 
4. Pour or spread the cake into a baking tray (30 x 40 cm / 12 x 17 inches ) . You can also use a larger tray, this will just mean that your base will be thinner.
5. Bake in the oven for around 30 minutes. To check if the cake is done, stick a skewer in the middle. If it comes out clean, it is done. Leave to cool. 
6. Prepare the vanilla pudding according to recipe or follow packet instructions. Set aside to cool for at least an hour.
7. Wash and remove the stems from the strawberries. Quarter or half them as you like. 
8. With a pallet knife, spread the vanilla pudding over the cake. Now place the strawberries on top. Garnish with some mint leaves (optional). 
9. Leave to cool until serving. 

How to serve German Strawberry Cake?

In Germans, you would typically enjoy this cake for “Kaffee and Kuchen”. (German cake time, which typically takes place in the afternoon.) It is also a great cake to serve at children’s birthday parties or as a light refreshing dessert after a BBQ (Grillfest).

For the extra treat, why not serve this cake with some freshly made whipped cream? 

Can I use frozen strawberries for this cake?

I do not advise you to use frozen fruit for this recipe, fresh will guarantee the wow factor. Frozen strawberries may be too mushy for this cake. However, if you have some frozen strawberries to use up, then I suggest this almond strawberry cake.

This post was originally published in June 2014 and updated in February 2021.

If you like this recipe you might enjoy these cake recipes:

• Blueberry Almond Cake
• Apple Streusel Cake
• German Poppyseed Cake
• Hazelnut Cake
• German Red Wine Cake
• Fanta Cake

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