This triple-layer Hostess Strawberry Cupcake Cake is filled with fluffy marshmallow crème, wrapped in strawberry white chocolate buttercream, and topped with the signature squiggly loops of icing for the ultimate throwback treat.
Once more, I’m returning to nostalgic snack cakes for baking inspiration. They’ve proven to be a rich well of ideas to draw from, and after making a chocolate Giant Chocolate Hostess Cupcake Cake, I knew a strawberry version had to happen! Plus, I’ve been longing for spring, and there’s something about a pink cake that fills the void until pink blooms arrive.
This cake isn’t difficult to make and assemble. Especially with the shortcut of ready-made marshmallow crème filling the center. And the decorating is pretty easy, too! It’s just a simple covering of strawberry-white chocolate buttercream and line of cute confectioners’ glaze loops on top. Let’s get into it!
Dry Ingredients
Start by whisking together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt in a large mixing bowl. Secret Ingredient Alert! Add dry instant vanilla pudding mix for extra softness. I also think it imparts the flavor of the original snack cake! There’s a vanilla note in the dry mix that vanilla extract does not replicate. Whisk it all together and set aside.
Strawberry Flavor
Cream the butter and sugar together in a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually add dry strawberry Jell-O mix while the mixer runs, allowing the flavors to blend. Fat is the best distributor of flavor, so make sure it’s mixed well. Purists should look away – while this is a scratch-made cake, it isn’t about using real strawberries. It’s all about re-creating the original snack cake flavor.
Add in the eggs one at a time, making sure each one is fully incorporated before adding the next. Next – and another sly ingredient – strawberry drink syrup. Add it in and mix well. You can also substitute 2 teaspoons of McCormick Strawberry Extract in place of the syrup. The cake’s hue will already be pink, but I used a little neon pink food color to brighten it. So, add in a touch of pink gel food coloring if you have it.
Bake and Cool
Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease three 8-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper for easy removal. Alternately add the dry ingredients and buttermilk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined, then divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the cakes cool in their pans for five minutes before transferring them to wire racks. Once cooled, cut out a 3.5-inch circle from the centers of two cake layers to make room for the filling.
Fill and Frost
The strawberry white chocolate buttercream is flavored with McCormick’s strawberry extract and melted white chocolate. It’s an easy American buttercream that whips up quickly. Place one of the cut-out cake layers on a serving board. Spread a layer of strawberry buttercream along the edges, then stack the second cut-out layer on top.
Fill the cavity with half of the marshmallow crème, letting it settle for a few minutes before adding the rest. (The marshmallow cream will flatten and spread over the course of about 5 minutes.) Once completely filled, top with the final uncut cake layer. Apply a thin crumb coat of buttercream and chill for 15 minutes before adding a second, thicker coat. Smooth the sides and top with a cake scraper for a clean finish.
Pipe the Signature Hostess Swirls
Prepare a thick confectioners’ glaze by mixing powdered sugar with a small amount of milk until it reaches a pipeable consistency. Transfer the glaze to a piping bag and snip a small hole in the tip. Pipe the signature squiggly loops across the top of the cake, mimicking the classic Hostess Cupcakes design.
The squiggles on the original snack cake are more tightly looped, but for some reason I like bigger loops on top. Big or small – do what feels right to you!
This cake is sweet and delicious! The marshmallow cream really shortcuts the recipe and also helps me conserve my egg usage. (Current egg prices, right? -Ah!) However, if you’re keen on making it homemade, see my original Hostess Cupcake Cake recipe for my scratch-made marshmallow filling.
Serve slices of this Hostess Strawberry Cupcake Cake on their sides instead of standing upright. The filling will fall out of the cake slices otherwise.
If you loved the chocolate version of this cake, the frosted strawberry cake version is sure to win your heart too! It’s bright, flavorful, and full of childhood charm. Try making it for your next celebration or just because you’re in the mood for something sweet and fun.
Related recipe: Giant Hostess Cupcake Cake
Hostess Strawberry Cupcake Cake
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8-inch cake pans (3)
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parchment paper
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disposable piping bag
Strawberry cake layers
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3.4 oz. instant vanilla pudding mix 1 package, the dry mix
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine grain salt
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 3 oz. strawberry Jell-O mix 1 package, the dry mix
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon strawberry drink syrup such as Nesquick by Nestle
- 1 1/2 cups full fat buttermilk at room temperature
- neon pink gel food color optional
Strawberry white chocolate buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- Heavy cream to thin frosting
- 4 oz. white chocolate melted
- 1 tablespoon strawberry extract such as McCormick (see notes)
- neon pink gel food color
Confectioners’ glaze for décor
- 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar plus more if needed
- 1-2 teaspoons of milk or cream plus more if needed
Strawberry cake layers
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds.
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In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, dry pudding mix, baking powder, and salt. Whisk well to combine. Set aside.
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In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. With the mixer running, gradually sprinkle in the powdered strawberry Jell-O. Then, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add in the strawberry drink syrup. Mix well to combine.
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Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk. Begin and end with flour. When mixed, add a little pink food color, if using. Mix again.
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Divide the batter between the three prepared pans. Spread evenly.
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Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick tester inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool cakes in the pans for 5 minutes, then turn out to cool completely on wire racks.
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When cakes are cool, cut out and remove a 3.5 inch circle from the centers of two of the cakes. (Save cake scraps for snacks, cake pops, or for a quick hot fudge sundae.)
Strawberry white chocolate buttercream
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Combine the butter and confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment. Beat until well combined; add a small amount of heavy cream to thin the mixture, just enough to bring it to spreading consistency (start with 3 tablespoons and add more as needed).
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Add in the melted white chocolate and beat until combined. Add the strawberry extract and whip to incorporate. Tint the buttercream with neon pink food color, beginning with 1/4 teaspoon and adding/increasing as needed to get a brilliant pink hue. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy.
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Place a cake layer with a hole in the center on a cake board or server. Cover the top edge of the cake with the strawberry buttercream. Top with the second cake layer with a hole in the center. Frost the top with more strawberry buttercream.
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Fill the hole in the cake with half of the marshmallow crème. Wait 5 minutes for the crème to relax down into the cavity and the fill to the top with the remaining marshmallow crème. Top with the final cake layer without a hole. Frost the entire cake with a crumb coat of the buttercream. Refrigerate 15 minutes, or until firm.
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Apply a second thick coat of the strawberry buttercream. Use a cake smoother or bench scraper to make the top and the sides of the cake flat and even.
Confectioners’ glaze
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Mix the confectioners’ sugar and 1 teaspoon of milk in a small bowl. Whisk together until a very thick paste is formed. It should hold in the balloon of the whisk and very slowly fall out. Use more or less of each of the sugar and milk to reach this correct consistency. Remove to a piping bag or zip-top bag with a small hole snipped in the corner. Pipe a series of consecutive loops on top of the cake in Hostess Cupcake fashion.
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Serve slices of cake on their sides instead of standing upright. The filling will fall out of the cake slices otherwise. Serve with ice cold glasses of milk for an extra dose of childhood nostalgia.
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Cover cake leftovers with plastic wrap. Store the cake in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.
- Use Instant Pudding Mix – Make sure to use instant vanilla pudding mix, not cook-and-serve, as it helps keep the cake soft and moist.
- Strawberry Jell-O for Flavor & Color – The dry strawberry Jell-O mix enhances the strawberry flavor and gives the cake a pink hue. If you’d like an even brighter color, add a few drops of neon pink gel food coloring.
- Strawberry Drink Syrup Substitute – If you can’t find Nestlé strawberry drink syrup, you can use the same McCormick strawberry extract called for in the buttercream. Replace the 1 tablespoon of syrup with 2 teaspoons of the extract.
