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The Best Homemade Strawberry Layer Cake with Fresh Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

A close-up of a moist slice of two-layer strawberry cake with white frosting and fresh strawberry topping.
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Welcome to My Kitchen! This is the homemade strawberry layer cake recipe you need. It uses fresh strawberries for maximum flavor and is topped with a rich, tangy cream cheese frosting. This no-fail recipe delivers a moist, pink masterpiece perfect for any celebration.

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 buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup fresh strawberry puree (from about 1 cup fresh, hulled strawberries)
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh strawberries, tossed lightly in 1 tablespoon flour (for cake batter)
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1/4 cup fresh strawberry puree (for frosting)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced (for garnish)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and 1 cup of strawberry puree 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 1/2 cup of chopped fresh strawberries that were tossed in flour.
  6. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.
  7. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  8. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  9. While the cakes cool, prepare the cream cheese frosting. Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together in a large bowl until smooth and creamy.
  10. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating until fully incorporated.
  11. Mix in the 1/4 cup of strawberry puree, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt until the frosting is light and fluffy. Add more powdered sugar if you need a stiffer consistency.
  12. Once the cakes are completely cool, place one layer on a serving plate. Spread about one-third of the frosting evenly over the top.
  13. Place the second cake layer on top. Frost the top and sides of the entire cake with the remaining cream cheese frosting.
  14. Garnish the top with fresh strawberry slices before serving.

Notes

  • To make the fresh strawberry puree, blend about 1 cup of hulled, fresh strawberries until smooth. You will use 1 cup for the cake and 1/4 cup for the frosting.
  • Tossing the chopped strawberries in flour before adding them to the batter helps prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake layers during baking.
  • If you want a deeper pink color for your cake, you can add a drop or two of pink food coloring to the batter.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://carlacooking.com/strawberry-cake/