How to Decorate a Cake With Strawberries

By Kelly Roper

Published March 12, 2018

Decorating a cake with strawberries is fairly easy, but it makes a dramatic impact on the look and flavor. Wow your friends and family by preparing one of these cakes.

Heart and Tart Cake

Prepare your favorite pound cake batter, making sure the heart-shaped cake is slightly smaller than the round cake.

Decorating Supplies

1 round cake, cooled
1 heart-shaped cake, cooled
Approximately 1 quart fresh strawberries, washed/rinsed/dried
Buttercream frosting
Strawberry jam

Directions

Frost the top of the base layer with a fluffy layer of buttercream frosting.
Empty a small jar of strawberry jam into a bowl and stir well to loosen it up. Drop spoonfuls of jam on top of the buttercream leaving a 1/2-inch margin of buttercream around the edges.
Add buttercream to the top of the heart-shaped layer.
Leave the green tops on, and slice several in half. Lay the cut sides down on paper towels to absorb the excess juice.
Place the strawberry halves cut-side down around the outside edge of the heart layer with the points facing outward.
Prepare more strawberry halves and arrange them in the center with the cut sides facing up for contrast.
Carefully place the heart layer on top of the base layer, and the cake is ready to eat.

Chocolate Strawberry Cake

Prepare your favorite chocolate cake in a three-inch deep, round cake pan and let it cool completely.

Decorating Supplies

Chocolate ganache icing
About 1 and 1/2 quarts fresh strawberries, washed and dried

Directions

Beginning in the center, slowly pour the ganache onto the cake, allowing some to drip over the sides. Allow the ganache a little time to set up a bit so it's basically sticky but not runny.
Leave about half the berries whole; cut the rest in half and let them drain cut side down on a paper towel for a few minutes.
Place berries around the outer edge of the cake to create a border. Carefully pile the rest in a mound on top of the cake, taking care that the cut berries are placed face up to the insides show up nicely beside the whole berries.

Strawberry Paved Cake

To decorate this cake successfully, dry both sides of the berry slices to ensure they stick to the frosting.

Decorating Supplies

1 3-inch round cake, cooled
About 2 to 3 quarts fresh strawberries, tops cut and rinsed/dried
White buttercream or cream cheese frosting
Whipped chocolate frosting

Directions

Ice the entire cake with a thick layer of white buttercream, taking special care to smooth out the top of the cake.
Slice about 10 strawberries in half and drain them cut side down on paper towels.
Warm about 1 cup of chocolate frosting in a bowl in the microwave for about 20 seconds or until it melts just enough for dipping.
Dip the end of each berry half and place each one around the top of the cake to create a border with the points of the berries facing inward. Continue until you have a full ring around the top of the cake.
Cut more berries into thin slices and dry them thoroughly on both sides. Beginning at the bottom side of the cake, begin pressing slices against the buttercream to create your paving. Work from bottom to top until the sides are covered as shown in the photo.
Add dabs of the chocolate frosting at random intervals around the cake to add more visual interest. If you like, sprinkle a little powdered sugar around the chocolate tips of the strawberries in the top ring.
Once the cake is decorated, either serve it immediately or refrigerate it until serving time. The sooner you serve it the better to keep the strawberries looking fresh.

Strawberry Bride and Groom

Here's a fun way to add some strawberries to the top of an iced wedding cake. Practice your dipping technique before you finally top the cake.

Decorating Supplies

About 6 large strawberries, thoroughly rinsed and dried (This gives you extra to practice with.)
White and dark chocolate candy coating/melts, melted separately according to package directions
2 piping bags, each equipped with a #1 open decorating tip

Create the Bride

Dip the strawberry in white chocolate about 3/4 of the way up, scraping excess off, and laying on waxed paper to dry.
Once the chocolate has hardened, put some white chocolate in a piping back and dot the berry with pearls to create a border, a necklace, or any other accents you'd like. You could also use dragees.

Create the Groom

To create the groom, follow directions for how to make chocolate tuxedo strawberries. Use a toothpick or piping bag with small tip to create the details.