Strawberry Cake Filling

This easy strawberry cake filling is a thick and delicious strawberry filling, perfect for filling cakes, cupcakes, and macarons!

This strawberry cake filling is the best strawberry filling for cakes and desserts.  Unlike strawberry coulis or strawberry sauce, which tends to be thinner and drizzled over desserts like cheesecake, pancakes, and ice cream, this strawberry dessert filling is perfectly thick and sturdy, making it a perfect filling for a layer cake, cupcakes, or sandwich cookies like French macarons. 

Made from scratch and from real strawberries (no strawberry Jello here!)  you can customize this fruit filling exactly how you like it, with large pieces of strawberry for a chunky berry filling, or puree it to make it totally smooth.  Seriously, if you’re looking for cake filling recipes that aren’t buttercream, this one tops the list.

And, you can make it with both fresh or frozen strawberries, so it's a delicious cake filling you can make all year round!

Why you'll love it:

• Easy: This recipe can be made in less than 15 minutes and can be made in advance!
• Customizable: Like your filling chunky or smooth? Want it thicker or thinner? You can customize it however you want, including adding fun flavors like cinnamon or lavender! 
• Available Year Round: Because this recipe can be made with fresh or frozen strawberries you can make any time of the year.

Ingredients

• Strawberries: Both fresh and frozen strawberries work great in this recipe.
• Cornstarch: This is what thickens the filling. It must reach a boiling point in order to activate, but not boil for too long or it can loose it thickening ability.  If you're looking for a thinner consistency filling, you can decrease the amount to 2 tablespoons. 
• Optional-Vanilla Extract, Lemon Juice and Salt: These are all optional, but add a nice depth of flavor to the filling. You can also replace the lemon juice with orange or lime juice.  Do not add more than two tablespoons of citrus juice before cooking, as it can hinder the cornstarch from thickening. 

How to Make

Step 1: Mix Cornstarch and Water

Whisk together the cornstarch and water in the bottom of a medium saucepan. Make sure there are no lumps of cornstarch and it is fully mixed with the water.

Step 2: Heat Ingredients

Add in remaining ingredients of the strawberries, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and pinch of salt. Turn on medium to medium high heat and bring to a boil. 

Once it start boiling, let boil for 30-60 seconds, then turn down the heat to a simmer. The sauce will turn from an opaque whitish pink color to a more clear red color.

Do not over-boil or the cornstarch can lose its thickening ability. You can boil for one minute max.

Once the mixture boils and turns red, let the strawberry mixture simmer on medium low 8-10 minutes.  It should be thick enough to coat the spatula without dripping off.

If desired, you can break up the strawberries even more with a fork or potato masher. You can also use an immersion blender to puree the filling for a smooth consistency. 

Step 3: Cool Filling

It's important to let the filling come to room temperature before using.   It will thicken up as it cools.  You can also make in advance and refrigerate until ready to use. You can see from the pictures below it gets much thicker and gelatinous once it's refrigerated:

Once this delicious filling is cool, its ready to use in your favorite dessert!

Flavor Variations

• Strawberry Raspberry Fruit Filling: Use half raspberries and half strawberries in the filling, rather than all strawberries. You can also use blueberries, blackberries, or any other type of berry. You could even do part rhubarb for a strawberry rhubarb cake filling!
• Strawberry Cream Filling: Mix in ½  container of Cool Whip or whipped cream into the finished and cooled filling.
• Strawberry Spice Filling: While boiling, add in your favorite spices or herbs such as cinnamon, lavender, mint, or basil. 
• Strawberry liqueur filling: Omit lemon juice, and add 2 tablespoons of desired liqueur to the finished but still warm filling. Orange liqueur such as Cointreau  or Grand Marnier work well, as do other fruit liqueurs like Chambord. 

Tips and Tricks

• The sweetness of strawberries can vary, so be sure to check the berries and filling while it cooks to see if it is your desired sweetness and/or needs more sugar. 
• If using frozen strawberries, you can let them come to room temperature and slice before boiling. Or, use them whole and once they’ve softened from simmering break them up with a fork or potato masher.
• If you want large chunks of strawberries in the filling, leave the strawberries whole or only cut in half. They will break down a lot while cooking and cooling. 
• For a smooth filling, use an immersion blender once it has finished cooking, but is still warm. 
• Do not over boil the mixture. Cornstarch much be activated by boiling for a minute or so (it must reach 203 ℉), but if you boil at too high of a temperature for too long, it will lose it gelling ability and result in a thin watery filling (see troubleshooting section if this happens).
• The filling will become thicker as it cools, and will get very thick and sturdy if it is refrigerated.

Pairings and Uses

This recipe is the perfect strawberry filling for cake and desserts due to it's thickness and the fact it won't make the cake or desserts soggy like a coulis.   

It goes with any flavor of cake you think pairs well with strawberries:

• Vanilla cake (I use it in this vanilla cake with strawberry filling recipe), devil’s food cake, pink champagne cake, it all will be delicious!  
• It's also a fun filling for mason jar cakes or mini lunchbox cakes

I do recommend that you use a dam or boarder of buttercream when filling a cake.  In addition to vanilla buttercream frosting, my favorite frostings to pair with this fillings are:

• Meringue based buttercream frostings like Swiss Meringue Buttercream or Italian Meringue Buttercream. They’re lighter and less sweet than American buttercream and are delicious with this filling.
• Chocolate frostings like Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream, Chocolate Buttercream, Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting, or Chocolate Ganache.
• Lemon frostings like Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting or Lemon Buttercream.
• Ermine Frosting (tastes like whipped cream, but in buttercream form!)

And while while it's commonly used for cakes,  it's a great a great filling for:

• Pâte Sucrée Tarts and Tartlets
• Macarons and other sandwich cookies
• Cream puffs
• Cupcakes

I personally love to pair it will other fillings, such as vanilla pastry cream, vanilla whipped cream, chocolate whipped cream, or diplomat cream to fill tarts or cream puffs and strawberry buttercream when filling macarons. 

You can also use it as a thick fruit topping to spread it on top desserts since it won't spill off or leak. Try it on:

• Brownies
• Strawberry blondies
• Cheesecake (it’s great instead of homemade lemon curd on these lemon cheesecake bars)!
• Panna cotta or lemon posset

Troubleshooting and FAQ

Storing and Making Ahead

This recipe can be made 1-2 days in advance and kept refrigerated in an airtight container until ready to use. It will get much thicker and gelatinous once refrigerated.  

Filled desserts can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days.  Unfortunately this recipe does not freeze well. 

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