Strawberry Cake
intro
Fluffy vanilla cake layers filled with fresh strawberry compote and silky cream cheese frosting, bursting with bright, sweet summer berry flavor for joyful celebrations.
Ingredients
Steps
Make vanilla cake batter
Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F), grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk 320g all-purpose flour, 8g baking powder, and 2g fine sea salt until evenly combined. In a separate bowl, beat 113g softened unsalted butter and 200g granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed for 3 minutes until light and fluffy, then add 3 room-temperature eggs one at a time, beating 30 seconds after each addition, followed by 5ml vanilla extract. Alternate adding the dry flour mix and 240ml room-temperature whole milk in 3 batches, mixing on low speed just until no dry flour remains—do not overmix.
Bake the cake layers
Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans, smoothing the tops with an offset spatula. Bake on the middle oven rack for 24 to 27 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with 1-2 moist crumbs attached. Once done, remove pans from the oven and let cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature (about 1 hour) before assembling.
Cook strawberry filling
While cakes cool, take 300g of the hulled fresh strawberries, dice into 1cm pieces, and place in a small saucepan with 50g granulated sugar. Cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until berries break down, release bright red juice, and the mixture thickens to a compote that coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat, transfer to a shallow bowl, and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes until fully cooled. Slice the remaining 150g strawberries into 3mm thin rounds for decoration.
Whip cream cheese frosting
In a large bowl, beat 113g softened unsalted butter and 226g softened full-fat cream cheese on medium speed for 2 minutes until completely smooth, with no visible lumps. Turn the mixer to low speed, gradually add 180g sifted powdered sugar, then increase speed to medium and beat for 1 minute until light and fluffy, taking care not to overbeat which can cause runny frosting.
Assemble cake layers
Place one fully cooled cake layer on a round serving plate, spread ⅓ of the cream cheese frosting evenly across the top to a 5mm thickness, then spoon all of the chilled strawberry compote over the frosting, spreading it to leave a 1cm border around the edge to prevent oozing when stacked. Place the second cake layer on top, pressing gently with a flat palm to secure it evenly.
Frost and decorate cake
Use the remaining ⅔ of the frosting to cover the top and sides of the assembled cake in a smooth, even layer. Arrange the thinly sliced fresh strawberries in an overlapping circular pattern around the top edge of the cake. Chill the assembled cake in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before slicing to allow the frosting to set firmly.
Tips
2.Never assemble the cake until cake layers and strawberry compote are fully cooled; warm components will melt the cream cheese frosting and cause layers to slide apart.
3.Drain any excess liquid from the chilled strawberry compote before spreading, as extra juice will soak into cake layers and make them soggy.
OMG this cake is a GAME CHANGER. Made it for my daughter’s 8th birthday party over the weekend and every single parent asked for the recipe! The crumb is so moist, I didn’t even have simple syrup on hand and it still didn’t dry out after 3 days in the fridge. My kids loved the fresh strawberry buttercream so much they were licking the bowl while I was frosting. 10/10 will be making this for every summer potluck from now on!
I’m not a baking guy at all — I usually stick to burgers and brisket on the smoker — but my wife has been craving strawberry cake for our anniversary so I gave this a shot. It came out SO good? I was convinced I’d mess up the layers but the instructions for even baking were super straightforward. She cried when she saw it, no joke. Only note is I added a little extra lemon zest to the frosting because we love that tart contrast.
Made this in my tiny dorm kitchen with a beat-up hand mixer and a $10 cake pan from Walmart. Didn’t even have a stand mixer and it still turned out perfect! Brought slices to my floor and everyone thought I bought it from the fancy bakery downtown. Worth every minute of prep, even if I had to run to the corner store for extra powdered sugar mid-frost.
Help! I tried making this yesterday and my cake layers sunk in the middle? I followed the measurements exactly but I’m worried I overmixed the batter? It still tasted amazing but I want to get it right for my sister’s baby shower next weekend!
I’ve been making strawberry cake for my grandkids for 40 years, and I have to say this recipe gives my old family version a run for its money. The trick of roasting the strawberries first to concentrate the flavor? *Chef’s kiss.* I used fresh berries from my backyard patch and it tasted like summer in every bite. My oldest grandson asked for a second slice before he even finished his first.
Made this for my girls’ brunch last Sunday and we demolished half the cake before we even got to the mimosas. The cake is so light but still rich, not cloyingly sweet like so many store-bought strawberry cakes. I added a thin layer of white chocolate ganache between the layers and it paired perfectly. Will be adding this to my permanent brunch rotation!
Full transparency: I burned the first batch of layers because I got distracted watching the football game. But the second batch? *Chef’s kiss.* My 10 year old said it’s the best thing I’ve ever made, and that’s including my famous grilled cheese. The instructions are super easy to follow even for someone who messes up toast 50% of the time. 10/10, don’t let the medium difficulty scare you off. Knocked a star off because I wish there was a tip for how to evenly split cake layers without a fancy leveler — I hacked it with dental floss and it worked but I was panicking the whole time.
I brought this to our office potluck yesterday and it was gone in 10 minutes. People were literally scraping the cake plate to get the last bits of frosting. I had three people stop by my desk before 9am today asking when I’d bring it in again. Only problem is now I’m on the hook to make it for the company holiday party too, oops.
I swapped the all purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten free baking blend and it came out perfectly! I was worried it’d be dense or gummy but it was just as moist as the photos look. My gluten eating husband didn’t even notice a difference, which is the highest possible compliment. This is going to be my go-to birthday cake recipe from now on, no question.
We had a bunch of fresh strawberries left over after going u-pick last weekend so I decided to give this a try. Let me tell you, it’s even better than the strawberry cake my grandma used to make. The fresh strawberry reduction in the cake layers makes such a difference, no artificial flavor at all. I shared a slice with my next door neighbor and she brought over a jar of her homemade jam as a thank you.
I test a lot of layer cake recipes for friends’ wedding showers and small casual weddings, and this one is going straight to the top of my list. It holds up really well to being stacked, the crumb coat goes on so smoothly if you chill the layers first, and the flavor is bright enough that it works for every event from bridal showers to Fourth of July cookouts. I did add a thin layer of sliced fresh strawberries between the frosting layers for extra texture, 10/10.
Wait why did no one tell me how good strawberry cake could be when it’s not made with a box mix??? I’ve been sleeping on homemade strawberry cake my whole life. This is SO moist, the flavor is so bright, and the buttercream is perfectly sweet without being overpowering. I made it for my roommate’s birthday and she cried happy tears, which I’m taking as a massive win.
I veganized this by swapping the eggs for flax eggs, using plant based butter, and oat milk, and it came out insane! I was convinced the texture would be off but it was so moist and fluffy, even my non-vegan roommates went back for seconds. The strawberry flavor is so bold it doesn’t even taste like a “modified” recipe. Will absolutely be making this again for our next game night.
I was skeptical that a layer cake would hold up for meal prep but I sliced it up, wrapped individual slices in parchment, and stashed them in the freezer for quick after-dinner treats. They thaw perfectly in 30 seconds in the microwave, taste just as good as the day I baked it. Game changer for my family’s sweet tooth, no more running to the grocery store for overly processed snack cakes.