Strawberry Layer Cake
This pretty-in-pink cake is made 100% from-scratch with fresh strawberries and frosted with a cream cheese buttercream.
Ingredients
Strawberry Cake:
- 1 cup (226 grams) butter , softened to room temperature
- 2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon pink gel food coloring , optional
- 3 cups (360 grams) cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cup (310 ml) strawberry purée , see Notes
Cream Cheese Buttercream:
- 8 ounces (226 grams) full-fat cream cheese , softened to room temperature
- ½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter , softened to room temperature
- 4 cups (455 grams) powdered sugar , sifted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
Strawberry Filling:
- 1 cup cream cheese buttercream , above
- 1 tablespoon strawberry purée
- 1-2 cups thinly sliced fresh strawberries , depending on how many cake layers you have
Equipment
Instructions
To make the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 8 or 9-inch round cake pans (see Notes) and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- With an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until light and creamy, about 3-4 minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl down at least once.
- Add eggs once at a time, mixing and scraping after each. Then add vanilla, almond extract, and food coloring (if using). Mixture will look curdled.
- In a separate bowl sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Add it to the mixer bowl in 3 additions, alternating with the strawberry purée, and ending with the flour mixture. Batter will be thick.
- Divide batter among prepared cake pans and bake until the edges pull away from the pan and the tops spring back when lightly touched, 30-35 minutes.
- Let cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then remove carefully and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. You can use the cake layers at room temperature, or chill them in the fridge for easier assembly.
- Make ahead: Cake layers can be wrapped in plastic and stored in the fridge for up to 5 days, or double-wrapped in the freezer for up to several months. If frozen, let thaw in their wrappings in the fridge overnight.
To make the buttercream and filling:
- Beat the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt with an electric mixer on low until combined. Turn speed up to high and beat for 4-5 minutes until smooth, light, and creamy.
- To make the filling, remove all but 1 cup of the buttercream from the mixer bowl and set aside in another bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of strawberry purée and beat on low speed until smooth.
- Make ahead: Buttercream can be stored in the fridge for 1 week and in the freezer for at least a month. Let come to room temperature and beat until smooth before using.
To assemble the cake:
- Place 1 cake layer on a cake stand or plate. Top with strawberry filling. How much you use will depend on how many cake layers you have— use all, or divide in half or thirds.
- Arrange sliced strawberries on top of filling.
- Place another cake layer on top and repeat filling, strawberries and additional cake layers as needed.
- Cover cake with cream cheese frosting and frost as desired.
- Chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving and store any leftovers in the fridge. Cake will keep for several days.
Notes
- You'll need approximately 10-12 ounces (283-340 grams) of fresh strawberries to make the purée for the cake and filling. Add to a high-powered blender or food processor (what I used) and blend until smooth.
- You can use frozen strawberries for the purée. Thaw and drain to remove excess liquid before blending.
- This cake can be baked in either 8 or 9-inch round pans. 8-inch will be taller, 9-inch will be wider and shorter. You can use 2 or 3 pans, depending on the look you’re going for: double layer (2 pans), triple layer (3 pans), or quadruple layer (2 pans, then slice each layer in half). Baking times will vary slightly. These are the pans I use.
Calories: 522kcal, Carbohydrates: 74g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 101mg, Sodium: 299mg, Potassium: 130mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 56g, Vitamin A: 783IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 52mg, Iron: 1mg
Have you tried this recipe?I’d love to hear about it! Leave a rating and review below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram @completelydelicious with #completelydelicious.
