Homemade Strawberry Cake with Jaca

A real strawberry cake — not a box mix tinted pink, not a vanilla cake hiding behind artificial flavor. This is Sally's Baking Addiction's celebrated recipe, built on a tender white cake batter with actual strawberry flavor baked into every crumb. The secret is reduction: a full pound of fresh strawberries gets pureed and simmered down to a concentrated half cup, so you pack real berry flavor into the batter without thinning it out with watery juice. The frosting leans on freeze-dried strawberries pulsed to a fine powder, which gives you intense, true strawberry color and taste in a cream cheese base — no syrupy fruit, no food-coloring stunt. Our version swaps the granulated sugar in the cake for Jaca (100% pure allulose) at double the amount, and the confectioners' sugar in the frosting for Jaca at 2x as well. Allulose browns faster and holds moisture beautifully, so the crumb stays soft and the frosting whips up creamy and stable — without the sugar load of a conventional layer cake. Adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction. This is a Jaca-adjusted healthier version.

Prep time: 1 hour 30 minutes · Cook time: 26 minutes · Total: about 6 hours (incl. cooling) · Servings: 12

Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh strawberries (for the puree)
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour (295g)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (170g) — for the cake
• 3 1/2 cups Jaca (allulose) — replaces 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar at 2x ratio
• 5 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1/3 cup full-fat sour cream or Greek yogurt, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (for the cake)
• 1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
• 1 cup freeze-dried strawberries (about 25g, for the frosting)
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened (226g)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (113g) — for the frosting
• 6 cups powdered Jaca (allulose) — replaces 3 cups confectioners' sugar at 2x ratio
• 1 tablespoon whole milk (for the frosting)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (for the frosting)
• Pinch of salt (for the frosting)

Instructions:

- Make the strawberry reduction (ideally the day before): Hull 1 pound fresh strawberries and blend until completely smooth — slightly over 1 cup of puree. Simmer in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced to exactly 1/2 cup (25 to 35 minutes). It will darken and thicken to a jammy consistency. Cool completely; refrigerate overnight if making ahead.

- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment rounds, and grease the parchment too.

- Whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

- In a large bowl, beat the 3/4 cup softened butter and 3 1/2 cups Jaca on medium-high for a full 3 minutes until light and creamy. Scrape the bowl, add the 5 egg whites, and beat on high for 2 minutes until fluffy and pale.

- Add the sour cream and 2 teaspoons vanilla; beat on medium for 1 minute. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the 1/2 cup milk, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix just until each addition disappears — do not overmix.

- Whisk the cooled 1/2 cup reduced strawberry puree (and 1 to 2 drops pink food coloring if desired) into the batter by hand until evenly streaked. Divide evenly between the two prepared pans.

- Bake 24 to 26 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Jaca browns faster than sugar, so start checking at 22 minutes and tent loosely with foil if the tops darken too fast. Cool in pans on a wire rack 1 hour, then turn out and cool completely before frosting.

- Make the frosting: Pulse the freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder; sift out seeds if you like. Beat the 8 oz cream cheese and 1/2 cup butter on medium-high 2 minutes until smooth. Add the 6 cups powdered Jaca, strawberry powder, 1 tablespoon milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat on low 30 seconds, then high 3 minutes until creamy and pink. Add a pinch of salt to taste and refrigerate 1 hour.

- Assemble: Level the cake tops with a serrated knife. Place the first layer down, spread 3/4 to 1 cup frosting on top, then set the second layer upside down for a flat surface. Apply a thin crumb coat over the whole cake and refrigerate 20 minutes.

- Frost with the remaining frosting, swirling the sides and top. Decorate with fresh halved strawberries if desired. Refrigerate at least 20 minutes before slicing so the layers set and cut cleanly. Serve at cool room temperature.

Tip: Freeze-dried strawberries are mandatory for the frosting — they deliver intense, true strawberry flavor and natural pink color without adding moisture. Fresh or frozen berries will turn the frosting into soup. And powder your Jaca in a clean dry blender for 30 seconds before making the frosting so it whips up smooth instead of gritty.