Strawberry season is in full swing! I actually planted some strawberries last month and was so eager to use my little harvest in my bakes but as soon as those sweet little berries turned red, a creature of some sort had a feast. So while I couldn’t use my homegrown strawberries this time around, it didn’t stop me from heading to the store to get some fresh berries for the Strawberry Shortcake Layer Cake I’ve been dreaming of. I decided to whip it up as a Father’s Day treat for my husband and it was a total hit! 

This Strawberry Shortcake Layer cake is so easy to throw together for a Summer dessert. It starts with an extra fluffy white cake that is a delicious treat all on its own. Add to that layers of homemade whipped cream, fresh sweetened strawberry slices, and the tastiest shortbread crumbs ever (inspired by the one and only Milk Bar). This cake is so light and refreshing, the perfect amount of sweet, and so pretty to look at!

For the strawberry filling, you’ll be slicing fresh strawberries and tossing them with a little strawberry jam and granulated sugar. It’s best to let them sit for about 20 minutes to bring out the fresh strawberry juices before you start piling them in between your layers. The key here is fresh strawberries – frozen berries can technically be used but will add a lot more liquid to the filling. If you want it to look pretty, use fresh berries.

The homemade whipped cream frosting is stabilized, aka uses the addition of gelatin to make it sturdier for piping and upholding the weight of the cake layers and fillings. I piped shells with it using Wilton Tip 6B, but any piping tip and style would look beautiful. For best results, you’ll want to make sure to use very cold whipped cream, a cold mixing bowl, and the whisk attachment on your stand mixer. Just pop the bowl of your stand mixer into the refrigerator for about 20 minutes beforehand and make sure your heavy whipping cream is straight from the fridge as well.  

If you’ve ever had a Milk Bar cake, you know all about the shortbread crumbs I added to this cake. It was my husband’s idea to add them in between layers, and I think they really take the cake beyond. The shortbread crumbs only take a handful of ingredients you’ll already have on deck for the cake layers, and they’ll add a great pop of flavor and texture. If you’re short on time or want a more traditional Strawberry Shortcake Layer Cake, you can totally skip the shortbread crumbs if you need to. Between the sweetened strawberries and homemade whipped cream frosting, this cake will still taste amazing. 

For an extra little bit of fun, I added some cute little chamomile flowers to accent the cake. You can usually find these in late Spring/early Summer in the floral department of your local grocery store (Portland favorites are Trader Joe’s or New Seasons). You can feel free to omit this part if you want, but I think they make the cake look so dainty and sweet when paired with those fresh strawberries. Chamomile is completely edible, although bitter, so these little blooms are really more for looks than taste. 

While you can technically make this cake a day or two before serving it, it will look prettiest if you make it the day of. Since the cake layers are unfrosted, they will dry out in the refrigerator unless you wrap the cake in plastic wrap, which will most likely mess up some of the piped details. Be sure to check out the make ahead tips in the recipe notes below to help you plan out your baking and assembly. Whatever occasion this cake is for, I hope it’s as much of a hit with you and your loved ones as it was with mine!

Print

Strawberry Shortcake Layer Cake

Inspired by the Summer classic dessert, this cake features layers of moist and fluffy white cake, homemade whipped cream frosting, fresh sweetened strawberries, and baked shortbread crumbs. It's refreshing, delicious, and perfectly easy to throw together.

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Servings 15 slices

Ingredients

White Cake

• 2 1/2 Cups (265g) sifted cake flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 Cups (300g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 Cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1/2 Cup (120ml) vegetable oil
• 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 Cups (300ml) full-fat buttermilk*, room temperature DIY recipe in notes

Baked Shortbread Crumbs

• 3/4 Cups (90g) cake flour
• 2 1/2 Tbsp (32g) granulated sugar
• 1/8 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 Tbsp (42g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Strawberries

• 3 Cups (480g) sliced fresh strawberries
• 2 Tbsp (40g) strawberry jam
• 1 Tbsp (13g) granulated sugar

Whipped Cream Frosting

• 1 tsp unflavored gelatin
• 1 1/2 Tbsp cold water
• 1 1/2 Cups (360ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
• 1/2 Cup (60g) powdered sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Make the White Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C and prepare three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with baking spray and fitting a parchment paper circle to the bottom of each pan.
• In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk together and set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter at high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and cream it together with the butter at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl and paddle at the halfway point. Turn the mixer to low and add the egg whites one at a time, mixing until they are just combined and scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. Add the vegetable oil and vanilla, increase the mixer speed to high and beat for 1 minute.
• Turn the mixer off and add the flour mixture all at once. Mix the ingredients on low speed until just combined, then slowly pour in the buttermilk. Continue mixing at low speed for about 30 seconds, until the batter is uniform and combined. The batter will be slightly thin.
• Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake for 28 to 32 minutes. They’re done when they spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs on it. Let the cakes cool in their pans for 5 minutes, then remove them from the pans and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack.

Make the Shortbread Crumbs

• Preheat the oven to 250°F/121ºC and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
• Add the melted butter and vanilla extract. Mix with a rubber spatula until the mixture begins to form small clusters, then press the ingredients together with your hands to form even more clusters. Spread the clusters onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Cooling the crumbs completely before using in the cake assembly.

Make the Strawberries

• In a medium bowl, mix together the sliced strawberries, strawberry jam, and granulated sugar. Let sit at room temperature or in the refrigerator while you make the whipped cream frosting.

Make the Whipped Cream Frosting

• Chill the metal bowl of your stand mixer for 15-20 minutes in the refrigerator or freezer. Sprinkle the gelatin into a small glass measuring cup or microwave safe dish. Add the cold water and whisk until the gelatin is dissolved. Set the mixture aside for 5 minutes to let the gelatin set.
• While the gelatin is setting, add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract into the chilled metal bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed to combine. Turn the mixer to high speed and beat until the mixture is thickened, stopping just shy of reaching soft peaks, about 1 min.
• At this point, the gelatin should be solidified. If so, pop it into the microwave for 5-10 seconds, until the mixture has re-liquified but is still cool to the touch. Use a whisk to briefly stir the gelatin mixture together to make sure it's smooth.
• With the mixer on low speed, drizzle the liquid gelatin into the cream. Slowly increase the speed to medium-high and continue to beat until you have reached stiff, fluffy peaks, about 2 minutes. Use immediately to ensure the best consistency for piping.

Assembly

• Once the White Cake layers are cooled, level them to your desired height. Add the first layer onto a cardboard cake round on your turntable or cake stand. Add some of the strawberry juice onto the cake layer as a soak.
• Fit a piping bag with Wilton Tip 6B and fill it with the Whipped Cream Frosting before piping shells along the outer edge of the cake layer. The shells should begin at the edge of the cake layer and end with the tail pointed toward the center of the cake layer. Pipe a second row of shells to fill in the center of the cake layer. Top with about 1/3 Cup of the strawberries and sprinkle a handful of shortbread crumbs on top.
• Place the next cake layer on top and repeat the process of adding the strawberry juice soak, piping the Whipped Cream Frosting shells, topping with strawberries, and sprinkling shortbread crumbs. Repeat the filling and stacking process for any additional layers, then garnish with chamomile flowers if desired.

Notes

DIY Buttermilk recipe: add 1 Tbsp of white vinegar to a jar and top it with 1 Cup of whole milk. Stir and let sit for 15 minutes before using in the recipe. 

Make Ahead Tips: 

1. The white cake layers can be made ahead and stored at room temperature, covered tightly in plastic wrap, for up to two days. Alternatively, you can cover with plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to two months before thawing to room temperature. 
2. The shortbread crumbs can be baked ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one month. 
3. The strawberries can be made one day ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
4. The whipped cream frosting cannot be made ahead. It must be made right before you plan on piping with it. 
5. The assembled cake or leftovers can be stored for 1-3 days in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic wrap to keep the cake from drying out. For best results, assemble the cake on the day you plan on serving it and store it in the refrigerator, uncovered, until you’re ready to serve it. 

Did you make this Strawberry Shortcake Layer Cake? I want to know how it went! Let me know in the comments below and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me. I love to see what you create with my recipes!

The post Strawberry Shortcake Layer Cake Recipe appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

A few years ago, I created this Strawberry Lemonade cake that became an instant hit: cake flavored with fresh strawberries (pureed and reduced), filled with strawberry buttercream, topped with lemon buttercream – basically Summer in cake form! It’s been on my list to write an all-strawberry cake recipe ever since, and after getting a request for one via Instagram DM, I knew it was time. I took to the store for a pound of fresh strawberries and a package of freeze dried strawberries to give you the ultimate flavor profile. I promise, it’s as delicious as it is pretty to look at! 

I know what you might be thinking: why fresh strawberries and freeze dried strawberries? After tons of testing, fresh strawberries are hands-down the best way to flavor a cake, while freeze-dried strawberries are hands-down the best way to flavor buttercream. Trust me, there is no way around it. The good news is that most groceries stores carry both, but if you have a hard time finding freeze-dried strawberries, you can always order them on Amazon (these are the ones I use, but I get them from my local Trader Joe’s).

When it comes to flavoring a cake with fresh strawberries, it’s not enough to just chop them up and add them to your batter (you’ll just have a vanilla cake with weird strawberry chunks). It’s also not enough to simply puree them, since the excess liquid tends to water down the flavor. Instead, you must puree and reduce the strawberries to intensify the strawberry flavor while evaporating most of the liquid. 

For this fluffy and flavorful strawberry cake, I started with my favorite Vanilla Cake recipe as a base and adjusted the leavening agents to accommodate the acidity in the strawberries (aka I reduced the baking soda slightly). After the reduced strawberry puree hits room temperature, I whisked it together with the whole milk in the recipe and added it in at the end. Reducing the strawberries does make this recipe a little bit more involved, but it’s so worth it for the incredible flavor! 

Remember how I said freeze-dried strawberries are best for flavoring the buttercream? This is because adding fresh (or even frozen) strawberries to buttercream will add way too much liquid and not enough flavor. As opposed to simply freezing strawberries, the process of freeze-drying eliminates all of the liquid from the berry, leaving only the intense flavor. After grinding those freeze-dried berries into a fine powder, adding them to buttercream is the only way (in my humble opinion) to get that refreshing, pure flavor you imagine when you think of strawberry buttercream. 

After filling and frosting these beautiful cake layers with tasty strawberry buttercream, I decorated with pretty piping (using Wilton Tips 1M for the rosettes and 4B for the stars), fresh strawberries, and chamomile flowers. The flowers were an impulse on the way out of the store – I couldn’t stop imagining them on my final cake design and felt safe to use them because they’re 100% edible (although I would not recommend eating them because they don’t taste the best). They did make this cake look extra cute though! 

However you decorate, one thing is for sure – this cake is a strawberry lover’s dream! And bonus if that strawberry lover also is a big fan of the color pink.

Print

Homemade Strawberry Layer Cake

Layers of fluffy, flavorful strawberry cake and strawberry buttercream. Flavored with the perfect combination of fresh and freeze-dried strawberries.

Ingredients

Strawberry Layer Cake

• 3/4 lb (12oz) fresh strawberries, pureed and reduced to 1/2 cup
• 3/4 Cup (180ml) whole milk, room temperature
• 2 1/2 Cups (265g) cake flour, sifted before measuring
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 3/4 Cup (170g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 2/3 Cups (350g) granulated white sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/3 Cup (75g) sour cream, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1-2 drops pink food coloring, optional

Strawberry Buttercream

• 2 Cups unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 Cups (34g) freeze dried strawberries
• 6 Tbsp (90ml) whole milk, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 7 Cups (840g) powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

Make the Strawberry Layer Cake

• Start by pureeing 3/4 lbs of fresh strawberries with a food processor. Afterwards, you should be left with about 1 cup of puree. Place the strawberry puree into a saucepan over medium-low heat and simmer for 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally. When you’re done with the reduction, you should have about 1/2 cup (if you have more, keep cooking!). Place the reduced puree into an airtight container and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes, or until it reaches room temperature. Then, whisk it together with the whole milk and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350ºF and prepare three 6-inch or two 9-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with cooking spray and fitting the bottoms with wax or parchment paper circles. In a medium sized bowl, place the sifted cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk to combine. 
• In the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, whip the butter on high for one minute. Add the granulated sugar and beat on medium for another 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Turn the mixer to low and add the eggs one at a time, making sure each one is incorporated before adding the next, then turn the mixer to high and beat for 1 minute.
• Turn the mixer to low and add the vanilla and sour cream until incorporated. Keeping the mixer on low, add all of the dry ingredients at once until just combined, then add the strawberry milk mixture and pink food coloring (if using) until just combined, about 30 seconds. Give the batter a few stirs by hand to make sure everything is incorporated without over-mixing. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans, no more than 2/3 full.
• Bake the cakes for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pan for five minutes, after which you can turn them out and continue to cool them on a wire rack or sheet pan for several hours.

Make the Strawberry Buttercream

• With a food processor, grind the freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder and set aside. Whip the butter using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on medium speed until it’s creamy and light in color (5-10 minutes). Add vanilla, milk, and strawberry powder and continue to mix on medium for 1 minute.
• Add the powdered sugar a few cups at a time, scraping down the bowl and paddle after each addition. Add the salt and mix on low for another 30 seconds.

Assembly

• After cooling and leveling the strawberry cake layers, fill and frost with strawberry buttercream. To create the look pictured, create a smooth buttercream finish with the strawberry buttercream. Then, divide the remaining buttercream amongst two piping bags – one fitted with Wilton Tip 1M and one fitted with Wilton Tip 4B. Pipe rosettes and stars in a crescent moon shape on top of the cake and as accents on the side of the cake. Finish the look by garnishing with fresh sliced strawberries and chamomile flowers.

Notes

Make Ahead Tips: 

1. You can make the reduced strawberry puree up to one week before using in the cake recipe and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to make the cake. Just bring it back to room temperature by letting it sit on the counter for at least an hour. 
2. The cake layers can be made ahead and stored at room temperature, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to two days. Alternatively, you can wrap them and store in the freezer for up to two months before thawing and decorating. 
3. The buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-whip with your stand mixer on low for one minute to bring it back to frosting consistency.

To make this recipe as cupcakes: fill tins no more than 2/3 full and bake at 350ºF for 15-17 minutes. 

Did you make this cake recipe? I want to know how it went! Leave me a comment below and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me. I love to see what you create!

The post The Tastiest Strawberry Cake Recipe appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.