Strawberry Lemonade Cake (Printable)
A moist, tangy cake blending fresh strawberries and zesty lemon with creamy frosting, perfect for summer.
# What You Need:
→ Cake
01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
03 - 1/2 tsp baking soda
04 - 1/2 tsp salt
05 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
07 - 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
08 - 2 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
09 - 3 large eggs, room temperature
10 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
11 - 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
12 - 1/2 cup mashed fresh strawberries (about 1 cup whole), well-drained
→ Strawberry Lemonade Frosting
13 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
14 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
15 - 1/3 cup fresh strawberry puree, strained to remove seeds
16 - 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
17 - 2 tsp lemon zest
18 - 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
19 - Pinch of salt
→ Garnish (optional)
20 - Sliced fresh strawberries
21 - Thinly sliced lemon wheels
22 - Edible flowers
# Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - In a large mixer bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
04 - Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract, fresh lemon juice, and lemon zest until combined.
05 - Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk in two additions, starting and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined.
06 - Gently fold the mashed, well-drained strawberries into the batter using a spatula. Avoid overmixing to keep the texture light.
07 - Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Smooth the tops and tap the pans gently on the counter to release any air bubbles. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
08 - Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer them to wire cooling racks to cool completely before frosting.
09 - Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until creamy and smooth. Add the strawberry puree, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Gradually beat in the sifted powdered sugar and a pinch of salt until the frosting is smooth and fluffy.
10 - Once the cake layers are completely cool, spread an even layer of frosting between the two layers, then cover the top and sides with the remaining frosting. Garnish with sliced strawberries, lemon wheels, and edible flowers as desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The tang from fresh lemon and the sweetness of real strawberries balance each other so perfectly that you will catch yourself going back for slivers all afternoon.
- Cream cheese frosting infused with strawberry puree is the kind of thing that makes people close their eyes when they take a bite.
- It looks impressive enough for a celebration but the process is surprisingly forgiving for a medium difficulty cake.
02 -
- Watery mashed strawberries will sink during baking and create a soggy layer at the bottom of your cake so drain them thoroughly on paper towels first.
- Frosting a warm cake is the most common mistake and it will slide right off so exercise patience and let those layers cool all the way down.
03 -
- Zest your lemons before juicing them because a halved squeezed lemon is nearly impossible to zest and you will waste good flavor.
- Sifting the powdered sugar for frosting is the one step people want to skip but it is the difference between silky and grainy so do not compromise on it.