Description
This Easy Strawberry Cake Filling Recipe is a simple and delicious way to add fresh strawberry flavor to your cakes, pastries, or desserts. Made with fresh strawberries, lemon juice, sugar, and cornstarch, it creates a thick, sweet, and slightly tart filling that enhances any baked treat. Ready in just 22 minutes, this homemade filling is perfect for elevating your desserts with a fresh fruit touch.
Ingredients
Scale
Filling Ingredients
- 3 cups Strawberries, sliced in half
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Lemon zest (optional)
- 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 to retain texture.
- Combine ingredients in saucepan: Place the strawberries, granulated sugar, lemon juice, and optional lemon zest into a saucepan. Heat the mixture over medium heat until it starts to bubble and the strawberries release their juices.
- Simmer the mixture: Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the strawberry mixture simmer gently for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. This helps blend the flavors and prevents the filling from sticking to the pan.
- Prepare cornstarch slurry: In a small bowl, mix 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with a small amount of water until smooth. This slurry will thicken the filling.
- Thicken the filling: Slowly add the cornstarch slurry to the simmering strawberry mixture while stirring constantly to avoid lumps forming.
- Cook until thickened: Continue cooking and stirring for several more minutes until the filling thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Cool the filling: Remove the saucepan from heat and allow the filling to cool completely. It will thicken further as it cools. Use the filling immediately or store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a few days.
Notes
- Use fresh or frozen strawberries depending on availability.
- For a smoother filling, mash the strawberries slightly while cooking or blend after cooling.
- Lemon zest is optional but adds a bright citrus flavor.
- Ensure constant stirring when adding cornstarch slurry to avoid lumps.
- Store leftover filling refrigerated for up to 3 days.
