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The Best Homemade Fresh Strawberry Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

A tall slice of light sponge strawberry cake layered with pink cream and topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries.
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You will bake the most moist and flavorful strawberry layer cake from scratch, bursting with fresh strawberry puree and topped with a rich, tangy cream cheese frosting. This recipe is perfect for celebrations and captures the taste of summer.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup fresh strawberry puree (about 1 cup pureed fresh strawberries)
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 cup fresh strawberries, finely chopped (for batter and garnish)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix the strawberry puree, vegetable oil, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla extract until combined.
  4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
  5. Gently fold in the 1 cup of finely chopped fresh strawberries.
  6. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.
  7. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  8. While the cakes cool, prepare the cream cheese frosting: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and cream cheese together until smooth and creamy.
  9. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating until fully incorporated.
  10. Mix in the heavy cream and lemon juice until the frosting is light and fluffy.
  11. Once the cakes are completely cool, place one layer on a serving plate. Spread about one-third of the frosting evenly over the top.
  12. Place the second cake layer on top. Frost the top and sides of the entire cake with the remaining cream cheese frosting.
  13. Garnish the top with extra fresh strawberries before serving.

Notes

  • For the best flavor, use ripe, fresh strawberries for the puree. Freeze leftover puree for future use.
  • If you want a deeper pink color, you can add 1-2 drops of red food coloring to the batter, though the natural puree provides a lovely hue.
  • Ensure your butter and cream cheese are truly at room temperature for the smoothest frosting texture.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cookingbymia.com/strawberry-cake-recipe-homemade-fresh/