Description
A simple and delicious homemade strawberry cake filling made from fresh strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice, thickened with cornstarch for a perfect balance of sweetness and tartness. Ideal for cakes, cupcakes, pastries, and other desserts, this filling boasts a fresh strawberry flavor that enhances any baked good.
Ingredients
Scale
Fresh Ingredients
- 3 cups Strawberries, sliced in half
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Lemon zest (optional)
Dry Ingredients
- ¼ cup Granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Cornstarch mixed with a little bit of water
Instructions
- Prepare the strawberries: Wash, hull, and chop the fresh strawberries or use frozen ones. For chunkier filling, keep strawberry pieces larger.
- Combine ingredients in saucepan: Place strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and optional lemon zest in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat until it starts to bubble and juices are released.
- Simmer the mixture: Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to blend flavors and prevent sticking.
- Prepare cornstarch slurry: In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with a bit of water until smooth.
- Thicken the filling: Add cornstarch slurry to the strawberry mixture while stirring constantly to avoid lumps.
- Cook until thickened: Continue cooking and stirring for several minutes until the filling thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
- Cool the filling: Remove from heat and allow the filling to cool completely; it will thicken further as it cools. Use immediately or store in the fridge in an airtight container for a few days.
Notes
- Cut strawberries to desired size based on how chunky you want the filling.
- The filling thickens more as it cools; if too runny, cool first before adding more cornstarch to avoid over-thickening.
- Stir often while cooking to prevent burning or sticking to the pan.
- For a smoother filling, blend or strain the sauce to remove strawberry pieces.
- Use fresh ripe strawberries for best flavor, but frozen can be substituted with slightly more moisture.
- Wash strawberries thoroughly and hull to avoid bitterness from green tops.
- Simmer gently to preserve vibrant color and flavor without burning.
- Adjust sugar or lemon juice based on the sweetness and tartness of your berries.
- Allow filling to completely cool before adding to frosted cakes or desserts to prevent melting the frosting or the dessert.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup (approximately)
- Calories: 90
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 1mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
