Why We Love This Strawberry Cake Recipe

Not too long ago I shared my favorite Lemon Buttermilk Cake Recipe. In the post, I discussed the concept of a true “southern cake” recipe… Southern cakes are cakes that are ultra moist, soft and delicate in texture, and sweet. They can be any flavor, yet they always have the same moist texture. In my opinion, a good Strawberry Layer Cake is the epitome of the perfect “southern cake.” Its tender pink layers of pillowy strawberry sweetness and creamy frosting, taste of early summer days in the deep south. Now, most easy strawberry cake recipes call for boxed cake mix and a box of strawberry jello to add flavor and color. Although there’s nothing wrong with cake mix or jello, the strawberry flavor does taste artificial… So today I’m sharing a Homemade Strawberry Cake recipe that has the same appealing texture, yet with that fabulous fresh strawberry flavor of summer nights in the south… AND it is still wonderfully easy to make, even without a box of cake mix!

Ingredients You Need

For the Strawberry Cake –

Cake flour – for the most soft and tender cake crumb Baking powder and baking soda – this pair makes the cake ultra fluffy Salt – just a bit Sugar – granulated white sugar Butter – unsalted, softened Vegetable oil – or canola oil Vanilla extract and strawberry extract – both highlight the bright strawberry flavor Strawberries – either fresh pureed berries, or frozen and thawed sliced strawberries in syrup Buttermilk – check out our handy guide for how to make buttermilk at home Red or pink food coloring – optional

Pro Tip: You need fresh ripe in-season strawberries to make this cake really shine. Use berries that are so ripe they squish easily in your fingers.

For the Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting –

Cream cheese – I suggest the block (not tub),softened Butter – unsalted, softened Strawberry jam – store bought or homemade jam Vanilla extract – to balance the sweet ingredients Powdered sugar – sifted to remove any clumps Salt – just a bit Red or pink food coloring – optional

Butter Cake vs Oil Cake

I’m going to go against the grain of culinary thinking and state that the reason I believe “southern cakes” are superior to all other cakes is that they are primarily made with oil (or “ol” if you live in the south) instead of butter. What is the difference? It’s true, butter does taste better than oil. Therefore cakes made with butter have a deep rich buttery flavor that is very enticing. However, butter makes cake batter heavier than oil, so the texture is denser, and not quite as light and airy. Although both taste and texture are very important, with cake, I feel that texture trumps flavor. You can skip the butter altogether and try to make up for the missing richness with other flavor-enhancing ingredients. Or you can compromise, by adding half butter and half oil. That’s what I do here with my easy strawberry cake recipe… This provides the decadence of a butter cake and close to the texture of a pure oil cake with moist crumbs. 

How To Make Homemade Strawberry Cake

First, Make the Strawberry Cake from Scratch –

Line the pans. These delicate cake layers will break when you flip them out of the pans if you don’t line the bottom of the cake pans with parchment paper. This simple step will save your cake every single time.  Use an electric stand mixer to beat together the butter, sugar, and oil. Mix the dry ingredients together in a separate large mixing bowl. Mix the wet and dry ingredients separately. It’s extremely important to follow the directions so that the batter is evenly mixed… The dump-all-and-stir method does not produce light airy cakes. Puree the strawberries. Whether you are using fresh or frozen berries, puree them in the blender, so the strawberry puree can blend evenly into the cake batter. Mix in the remaining ingredients per the recipe card. Don’t over mix! Pour the batter evenly into two pans, and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Use a toothpick to check for doneness, and if needed continue baking for another 5-10 minutes. Cool the cake in the pans for 10 minutes before flipping them out onto a wire rack. Let the cool completely to room temperature before making and adding the frosting.

Next, Make the Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting –

Lastly, Assemble the Cake –

Move the bottom layer of cake to a cake stand or large platter. Use a large flat spatula to smooth 2 cups of strawberry frosting evenly onto the cake. Center the second layer of cake on top of the first. Scoop the remaining frosting on top of the cake and smooth evenly on top. Bring the frosting down the sides of the homemade strawberry cake to frost all around. Turn the cake stand and make smooth “whoosh”-ing motions to get that lovely natural Southern cake look.

Top Recipe Tips

Add food color, if you’d like. This cake does not naturally turn out as neon pink as a strawberry cake made with powdered jello. Therefore, if you want a pink cake, you will need to add some red food coloring. How much you use is completely up to you. I used just a few drops in the cake batter and just 1 or 2 in the frosting. If the color doesn’t matter to you, you can completely skip the food coloring! Don’t overbeat the batter. Once all the ingredients are in the mixer and the batter looks smooth, stop mixing. Beating your batter too long makes the cake tough.  Bake undisturbed. I know it’s tempting to open that oven door… But don’t do it! This causes a light delicate cake batter to fall, therefore creating a dense texture. Set your timer and walk away. Cool before frosting. Yes, you must let the strawberry cake layers cool completely to room temperature before slathering on the luscious cream cheese frosting. Even the slightest bit of warmth will make the frosting slide off! I suggest cooling them at room temperature for at least 2 hours, and then placing them in the fridge while you make the frosting, just for extra measure.

 

Looking for More Amazing Cake Recipes? Be Sure to Also Try:

Best Lemon Buttermilk Cake Southern Hummingbird Cupcakes Layered Banana Pudding Cake Strawberry Yogurt Bundt Cake Layered Jello Mousse Cake The Best Carrot Cake Recipe Orange Blueberry Upside Down Cake Chocolate Banana Coconut Cake Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread with Lemon Recipe Perfect Southern Caramel Cake Recipe (with Salted Caramel Frosting)

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