Strawberry Pink Ombre Cake Recipe

This stunning irresistible ombre strawberry cake recipe is perfect for celebrating Mother’s Day, a baby shower, or honoring cancer survivors—and it’s a delightful treat that anyone can create!

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With Mother’s Day just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to celebrate the special women in your life. What better way to show your love and appreciation than with a stunning Ombre Mother’s Day Strawberry Cake?

This show-stopping cake is a gorgeous centerpiece for any celebration, and the best part? It’s easier to make than you might think! No fancy decorating skills are needed! Whether you’re celebrating Mother’s Day, a baby shower, breast cancer awareness, or Valentine’s Day, this lovely dessert will surely impress. Let’s get started!

What Ingredients Will I Need For This Ombre Strawberry Cake Recipe?

Here is what you need to make this beautiful Ombre Mother’s Day Strawberry Cake Recipe!

For the Cake:

• All-Purpose Flour
• Butter, melted
• Milk, room temperature
• Egg Whites
• Strawberry Extract
• Vanilla Extract
• Cake Flour
• Granulated Sugar
• Baking Powder
• Salt

For the Frosting and Filling:

• Unsalted Butter, softened but still cool
• Red Liquid Food Coloring or Wilton paste
• Strawberry Jam or Preserves

Magic Cake Release: The Secret to Perfectly Baked Cakes

Say goodbye to stuck cakes forever! With this simple Magic Cake Release method, your cakes will slide out effortlessly every time. Here’s how:

1. Mix equal parts melted butter and flour (or cocoa powder for chocolate cakes) in a small bowl Usually 2-3 tablespoons for each will do.
2. Brush the paste onto every corner of your baking pan.
3. Pour in your batter, bake, and enjoy a flawless release—this is perfect for bundt cakes too!

Now, let’s put it to use. With your round cake pans prepped and the oven preheating, it’s time to mix up a silky white cake batter. Combine the liquid ingredients and dry ingredients in separate bowls, then beat softened butter into the dry mix until it resembles sand (see second image below). This unorthodox step gives the cake its light, velvety texture (thank science!).

Add the rest of the liquid ingredients, including strawberry flavor, to complete the batter!

Creating the Ombre Effect

The ombre effect gives this cake its stunning, eye-catching design, and it’s easier to create than you might think. Be sure to proceed with caution—too much coloring, and you’ll end up with hues darker than intended! Keep in mind, that liquid food coloring and Wilton gels or pastes are not created equal. Gels are far more concentrated, so use them sparingly to avoid overdoing it.

1. Divide the Batter: After preparing your cake batter, divide it as evenly as possible into three separate mixing bowls.
2. Color the Layers:
   • Bowl 1: Add 2 teaspoons of liquid red food coloring and whisk until fully blended with no streaks.
   • Bowl 2: Add 1 teaspoon of food coloring and mix well.
   • Bowl 3: Add 1/4–1/2 teaspoon of food coloring for the lightest shade. Adjust the intensity to your liking by adding a drop or two at a time, ensuring each shade is distinct.
3. Bake the Layers: Pour each bowl of colored batter into the prepared cake pans. Tap the pans gently on the counter to release air bubbles and even out the surface. Bake the cakes at 350°F for 20–25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
4. Cool The Cake Layers: Cool your cakes in their pans on wire racks for about 5 minutes, then invert them onto the racks to cool completely—at least an hour, or ideally an hour and a half. In a pinch, you can speed up the process by placing the hot cakes in the fridge or freezer.

What Rack Should I Use to Bake This Strawberry Cake Recipe?

For best results, bake the cake layers individually on the center rack. If that’s not an option, place two layers on the upper rack and one on the lower. Keep a close eye on all the layers and test them with a toothpick. If one layer finishes baking first, remove it promptly and let the remaining layers continue until fully baked.

Coloring The Ombre Frosting

While the cakes cool, whip up your frosting. Any type works—choose your favorite! I love using Italian Meringue Buttercream (I double the recipe for this cake), but store-bought white frosting works too, especially if you plan to color it yourself. Just make sure you have enough; when in doubt, double it!

1. Divide the Frosting: Once your frosting is prepared, divide it into three bowls, just like the batter.
2. Color the Frosting:
   • Bowl 1: Tint with 2 teaspoons of red food coloring for the darkest shade.
   • Bowl 2: Tint with 1 teaspoon for a medium shade.
   • Bowl 3: Tint with 1/4–1/2 teaspoon for the lightest color. Adjust as needed for a smooth gradient effect.

Frosting and Assembling the Strawberry Cake

1. Apply a Crumb Coat: Once your cakes are completely cool, Place a spoonful of frosting on your serving platter or cake plate to act as a stabilizer. Set the darkest of the three cake layers on top of the frosting. Spread a layer of your darkest frosting on top, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Next, add a layer of strawberry jam over the frosting and place the next darkest cake layer on top. Continue until all three layers are complete. Spread a thin layer of the lightest frosting over the entire cake to seal in crumbs, then freeze for 15–20 minutes to set.
2. Frost the Ombre Layers: When you’re ready to decorate, remove the crumb-coated cake from the freezer. Spread the darkest frosting around the bottom third of the cake. Apply the medium frosting to the middle third, blending it into the darker layer. Use the lightest frosting for the top third and the top of the cake, blending into the middle layer for a smooth gradient. I was a bit stingy with the frosting here; I should have used more, especially since it tastes so delicious!
3. Smooth the Sides: Once you’ve slathered on all that delicious frosting, it’s time to smooth it out! Grab something with a long, flat edge—like a ruler, a bench scraper, or a large offset spatula. I’m no fancy decorator, but I’ve got a lazy Susan and a bench scraper in my kitchen arsenal, and they did the trick perfectly! Just spin the cake around while you scrape the frosting smooth, and watch that masterpiece come to life!

Does the Type of Cake Pan Matter?

You may notice that my topmost layer is browned more than the others. This was due to the different types of cake pans I used. The bottom two cakes were baked in brand-new Wilton pans, while the top layer was made in a very old pan I borrowed. The difference is striking, especially since they all finished baking at the same time; the top layer didn’t spend any longer in the oven than the others!

Finishing Touches

Now, pop your cake in the fridge until you’re ready to serve it! Refrigerating will keep it fresh and prevent it from drying out. Just before you’re ready to display it, add some freshly cut roses, carnations, and sprigs of baby’s breath on top. I hit the jackpot when I found these gorgeous flowers—sparkly baby’s breath included—at my local grocery store. They looked stunning on the cake!

When it’s time to serve your stunning Ombre Mother’s Day Strawberry Cake Recipe, simply remove the flowers as needed and place them on the plates as a lovely garnish (just for show—I wouldn’t eat a real rose!). Or, even better, hand them out to any little girls running around; it’ll make them feel extra special!

Can I Make This Strawberry Cake Recipe Dye-Free?

If you prefer not to use artificial food dyes, you can easily achieve lovely shades of pink for the perfect Mother’s Day Strawberry Cake. Beet juice, beet powder, and freeze-dried strawberries can add a vibrant pink tint to your frosting and cake layers while enhancing their nutritional value. Simply add a few drops of beet juice or a pinch of beet powder to your frosting or cake batter, or blend dehydrated strawberries into a fine powder and mix it in for both color and a hint of fruity flavor!

Other Cake Recipes You Will Love:

Looking for other cake recipes to share with the ones you love?

• Pink Mother’s Day Cake
• The Most Perfect Moist Chocolate Cake
• Vanilla Cake with Fresh Strawberry Frosting
• No-Bake Mini Cheesecakes with Raspberry Sauce
• Chocolate Cherry Cake
• No Bake Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes
• Cookies and Cream Red Velvet Molten Lava Cakes

4.19 from 49 votes

Ombre Strawberry Cake Recipe

By Carrian Cheney

Prep2 hours hrs

Cook40 minutes mins

Total2 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Servings14 servings

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This stunning Irresistible Ombre Mother's Day Strawberry Cake Recipe is perfect for celebrating Mother's Day, a baby shower, or honoring cancer survivors—and it’s a delightful treat that anyone can create!

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 3 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
• ▢ 3 Tablespoons Butter, melted
• ▢ 1 ½ Cup Milk, room temperature
• ▢ 9 Egg Whites, room temperature
• ▢ 5 teaspoons Strawberry Extract
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• ▢ 3 ⅓ Cups Cake Flour
• ▢ 2 ¼ Cups Granulated Sugar
• ▢ 6 teaspoons Baking Powder
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons Salt
• ▢ 18 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, softened but still cool
• ▢ 1-1 ½ Tablespoons Red Liquid Food Coloring, much less if using Wilton paste
• ▢ 1/2 Cup Strawberry Jam or Preserves

US Customary – Metric

Instructions 

Making the Cake

• Prepare (3) 8 inch cake pans by stirring 3 tablespoons flour and 3 tablespoons melted butter together make a paste. Brush paste all over inside of cake pans with a pastry brush, all the way up to the rim. Move an oven rack to the middle position and place all three pans inside to make sure they will fit on one rack. If not, move racks to upper and lower middle positions. Set the oven to heat to 350 degrees F.
  3 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour, 3 Tablespoons Butter
• Whisk together the milk, egg whites, strawberry and vanilla extracts in a mixing bowl and set aise.
  1 ½ Cup Milk, 9 Egg Whites, 5 teaspoons Strawberry Extract, 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl (or a stand mixer). Beat in the butter at low speed until no white streaks remain and the mixture looks crumbly.
  3 ⅓ Cups Cake Flour, 2 ¼ Cups Granulated Sugar, 6 teaspoons Baking Powder, 1 ½ teaspoons Salt, 18 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
• Beat in about 2 cups of the milk/egg mixture for a minute and a half. Add the remaining and beat until fully incorporated, about a minute longer, scraping the sides and bottom as necessary.
• Divide the batter as evenly as possible into three mixing bowls. Stir 2 teaspoons liquid red food coloring into one bowl, one teaspoon into another, and 1/4 -1/2 teaspoon into the third. Adjust the coloring to your liking by adding a few more drops of food coloring if necessary. Whisk well to ensure no streaks of color remain.
  1-1 ½ Tablespoons Red Liquid Food Coloring
• Pour each bowl of batter into a prepared cake pan and tap on the counter to release bubbles and even out the surface. Place in the oven, either on a single rack or two on the upper and one on the lower. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• Cool cakes on a wire rack for about 5 minutes, then carefully invert onto cooling rack and let cool for about an hour and a half. (I put mine in the fridge if I have room so they cool much faster.)
• While cakes cool, make your desired frosting recipe and divide into three bowls, tinting it as you did the cake layers, adjusting as necessary.

Cake Assembly

• Place a spoonful of frosting on your serving platter or cake plate to act as a stabilizer. Set the darkest of the three cake layers on top of the frosting. Spread a layer of your darkest frosting on top, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Next, add a layer of strawberry jam over the frosting and place the next darkest cake layer on top.
  1/2 Cup Strawberry Jam or Preserves
• With the darkest color frosting bowl in hand, begin to scoop and ‘wipe’ gobs of frosting on the outside bottom layer of cake. Try to use up all the frosting. Repeat with the second lighter color of frosting on the middle layer, then the lightest on the sides of the top layer. Using a clean ruler or bench scraper or large spatula, smooth out the sides of the cake, keeping your scraper vertical, and letting the frosting colors blend together. This is made much easier if you have a lazy suzan or rotating cake stand, but not necessary. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Place freshly cut roses/flowers on top just before presenting to your friends and family.

Recipe Notes

This post was originally created by Emily from The Goldilocks Kitchen.

Cake will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice, Calories: 451kcal, Carbohydrates: 66g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 48mg, Sodium: 322mg, Potassium: 286mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 40g, Vitamin A: 568IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 118mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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