Strawberry Layer Cake
Now that strawberries are in season, it’s time to spin up some delectable delights with your freshly picked crop. Like this Fresh Strawberry Layer Cake! It’s super light and fluffy and moist. And it’s really quite simple to make.
And it looks so pretty adorned with fluffy pink strawberry buttercream frosting. If the theme of your occasion has anything to do with pink, then I can’t think of a more perfect dessert. Even the cake itself is that tempting shade of strawberry pink that makes you want to know what it tastes like right now!
What Makes This Strawberry Layer Cake so Good?
There are a few reasons why this fresh strawberry layer cake is so good. Firstly, it doesn’t use a cake mix or Jell-o–it’s made entirely from scratch! Only a few pantry and fridge staples–and of course fresh strawberries. That way, you know exactly what’s in it!
Plus, one of the secret ingredients that makes this cake so moist is sour cream. It not only adds great flavor, but it reacts with the baking powder to give the batter even more lift.
And finally, the creaming method that this recipe calls for gives this cake its light and fluffy texture. When you reach for a piece with your fork, it will literally sink right in like a pink plush pillow!
Can I Use Frozen Strawberries for Fresh Strawberry Layer Cake?
Yes! Just like in my No-Churn Strawberry Ice Cream recipe, the strawberries get cooked and reduced before going into the batter. So it doesn’t matter whether you use fresh or frozen strawberries. I have used both and the difference is literally imperceptible.
Can I Use Greek Yogurt Instead of the Sour Cream?
You certainly can! In fact, in most baked recipes like cakes and muffins, you can usually use the two interchangeably.
Can I Use Whole Eggs Instead of Whites?
Yes you can. The only reason why this recipe works better with egg whites is mostly for maintaining that pink color. Plus using egg whites does tend to make cakes lighter in texture. The pink of the strawberries shines through better than if the egg yolks were included. Your cake will still turn out great if you do want to include the yolks, though. Simply replace the 3 egg whites with 2 whole eggs.
I really hope you’ll give this fresh strawberry layer cake a try this strawberry season. Or any season! You will fall in love with the bright, sweet, creamy delight it will bring to your cake eating experience. And when you do try it, let me know if you have any questions. And definitely don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment about how it turned out for you!
Fresh Strawberry Layer Cake
Ingredients
CAKE
- ½ pound strawberries fresh or frozen
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, soft 64 grams
- ¼ cup oil
- ¾ cup sugar
- 3 egg whites or 2 whole eggs
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Few drops red food coloring optional
- ¼ cup milk
FROSTING
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2-3 cups confectioner's sugar
- 2 tablespoons cooked strawberry reduction reserved from cake
- 2-3 tablespoons boiling water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
FOR THE CAKE
- In a saucepan, cook strawberries over medium high heat. Once they reach a boil, lower the heat to medium low and allow to cook until there is ½ cup left. This will take about 8-10 minutes. Stir frequently to make sure the strawberries aren't scorching on the bottom of the pot. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
- Reserve 2 tablespoons of the strawberry reduction and set aside. This will be used for the buttercream and the remaining reduction will go into the cake batter.
- Preheat oven to 350℉/177℃. Grease bottoms and sides of two 6 inch round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, sift together all purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl cream together the soft butter, oil and sugar on high speed for 1-2 minutes or until very light and fluffy. Next add the egg whites (or whole eggs, if using), sour cream, vanilla, red food coloring (if using) and the cooled strawberry reduction prepared earlier. Beat until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl to incorporate well, about 1 minute.
- Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk, ending with the flour mixture. This is best done by adding the flour mixture in thirds and the milk in 2 parts. Beat the batter until well mixed, about 30 seconds. Divide batter evenly among the 2 prepared pans. Smooth the tops and tap the pans on the table to release any air bubbles in the batter.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean and the tops spring back when lightly pressed. Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes before turning out onto racks to cool completely. Fill and frost with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting.
FOR THE FROSTING
- In a medium mixing bowl beat butter and salt together until smooth and fluffy. Gradually add confectioner's sugar, scraping sides of the bowl often to incorporate well. Add boiling water, bit by bit until the mixture loosens and looks very creamy. (Do not add too much boiling water or the frosting may split.) Add strawberry reduction and vanilla. Cream well for about 3 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy.