I love celebrating fresh fruit in my bakes, whether cooked into a filling, fresh and sliced for decoration, or pureed and added to frostings. And if strawberries happen to be your favourite fruit, then you have to try out this Strawberry Cake Filling the next time strawberry season rolls around.
This recipe is incredibly simple and requires only four basic ingredients: fresh juicy strawberries, cornstarch, caster sugar, and lemon juice. It's great to use as a filling for layer cakes, but also works for cupcakes, tarts, and even donuts.
If you love recipes that celebrate strawberries, then I have a few for you to try! Like this recipe for Strawberry Donuts, this Strawberry Custard Tart, or this recipe for a Strawberry and Vanilla Cake.
Ingredients
To make this homemade strawberry filling, you will need the simple ingredients listed below.
- Strawberries
- Lemon juice
- Castor sugar
- Cornflour
Fresh strawberries – I used fresh ripe strawberries, but frozen strawberries can also be used.
Fresh lemon juice – Choose freshly squeezed lemon juice rather than bottled lemon juice for the best flavour.
Castor sugar – Use superfine sugar for this recipe. If you don’t have it, granulated white sugar will also work.
Cornflour – This is used to thicken up the filling without overcooking the strawberries.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Follow the simple steps below to make this easy strawberry cake filling.
STEP 1: Heat strawberries, lemon juice, and caster sugar. Add the chopped strawberries, lemon juice, and caster sugar to a medium saucepan set over medium heat.
STEP 2: Allow strawberries to soften. Heat until the sugar has melted and the strawberries have softened.
STEP 3: Add the cornflour. Mix the water and cornflour together in a small bowl and add this cornstarch slurry to the saucepan.
STEP 4: Reduce. Allow the water from the fruit to evaporate and for the filling to thicken. Once the filling coats the back of a spoon, remove the saucepan from the heat and transfer the strawberry mixture into a glass jar to cool completely.
Hint: Don’t overcook the strawberries; otherwise, they will lose their shape, and this fresh strawberry filling will be more like a strawberry compote.
Variations
This recipe is for a strawberry filling that can be made with fresh or frozen raspberries. If you can't find strawberries, you can make this recipe using other berries like blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries.
If you are looking for cupcake recipes to try out this delicious filling, then you have to try these Classic Vanilla Cupcakes, which would be delicious with a strawberry center! If you are looking for a cake recipe to try out this filling, then take a look at this Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, which would be even more delicious with a strawberry filling.
Adding this filling to buttercream frosting is also a great way to incorporate strawberry flavor into your bakes. Try out this classic Strawberry Buttercream the next time you have a tray of moist cupcakes to decorate!
Equipment
You don’t need any fancy equipment to make this recipe, just a stovetop, a medium saucepan, and a rubber spatula.
If you are using this recipe to fill cupcakes, you will need a disposable piping bag or a pastry bag, along with a cupcake corer, to remove the cupcake centers. If you don't have these pieces of equipment, you can use a small knife to remove the middle of the cupcake and a teaspoon to fill your cupcakes.
Storage
Once the filling is ready, but you aren’t quite ready to fill your cakes or cupcakes, store it in an airtight container or a small bowl covered with plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 4 days.
You can freeze this recipe in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. Thaw the filling properly before using it in your bakes.
Top Tips
For the best results, follow these top tips to make the perfect raspberry cupcake filling.
- Keep the heat at medium-high to prevent burning the filling as it cooks.
- Allow the filling to cool completely before using it in your cooled cupcakes.
- Measure the ingredients accurately using a kitchen scale.
FAQ
Absolutely! You may need to cook the filling for a longer period, as frozen fruit has a higher water content.
I love a chunky strawberry filling that keeps the seeds, but you may prefer a smooth filling. After the filling is cooked, blend it in a food processor or puree it with an immersion blender and then pass it through a fine-mesh strainer to remove the strawberry seeds.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with [this recipe]:
This homemade strawberry cake filling recipe is a great addition to your strawberry repertoire and so much better than using strawberry jam in your recipes! Add it to frostings, use it as a filling, spread it over a cake before you add the frosting, or drizzle this strawberry sauce over some weekend French toast. The options are endless, and this filling is the best way to celebrate fresh strawberry flavor!
If you make this delicious strawberry filling and love it, please leave a comment and star rating below, I love hearing from all of you! And don't forget to tell me how you used this recipe - did you make a strawberry lemon cake, a chocolate strawberry cake, or a simple strawberry white cake?
Don’t forget to sign up for the weekly newsletter and follow along @with_love_kitty to ensure you never miss a recipe!
Happy Baking
With Love,
Kitty
📖 Recipe
Strawberry Cake Filling
Ingredients
- 400 g strawberries
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 40 g caster sugar
- 1 tablespoon corn flour
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Add the chopped strawberries, lemon juice, and caster sugar to a medium saucepan set over medium heat.
- Heat until the sugar has melted and the strawberries have softened.
- Mix the water and cornflour together in a small bowl and add this cornstarch slurry to the saucepan.
- Allow the water from the fruit to evaporate and for the filling to thicken. Once the filling coats the back of a spoon, remove the saucepan from the heat and transfer the strawberry mixture into a glass jar to cool completely.
Notes
- Watch the heat of the stovetop, if it gets too hot the strawberry mixture will catch on the bottom of the saucepan.
- Allow the strawberry mixture to cool properly before using it as a cake filling.
Julia says
I love this recipe, it had the perfect amount of sweetness.