Homemade Strawberry Layer Cake

Learn how to make a homemade strawberry layer cake! The strawberry cake is light and tender and made with fresh fruit and strawberry gelatin. It’s paired with a silky smooth strawberry buttercream frosting. This classic cake flavor is a must-have recipe to add to your collection.

OVERVIEW

• Skill Level: Beginner
• Mixing Method: The Blending Method

If you’ve never made a strawberry layer cake, now is the time! It’s a classic cake flavor made with fresh strawberries and strawberry gelatin. Powdered gelatin gives it a bright, almost tart flavor which pairs perfectly with the sweet strawberries.

To have a truly classic strawberry cake, it must be paired with a strawberry frosting. My strawberry frosting is made with an American-style buttercream flavored with concentrated strawberry paste. The paste packs a punch of flavor while keeping it thick for spreading over the cake.

This strawberry layer cake is light and tender, packed with strawberry flavor, and has a fluffy smooth frosting. This recipe made into a layer cake can also be made into cupcakes or a sheet cake.

What makes this strawberry cake a classic

• If you ask someone their favorite kind of cake, you will often hear “strawberry cake”! It’s deeply nostalgic for some.
• Strawberry layer cake is the perfect cake to celebrate a birthday, Valentine’s Day, or Mother’s Day.
• Cake recipes made with jello are always a retro classic.
• This recipe combines strawberry cake and strawberry buttercream frosting. That’s double the flavor!

Variation Ideas

Chocolate Strawberry Cake: For the filling, use chocolate ganache made in a 1:1 ratio of cream to chocolate. Still use the strawberry buttercream for the exterior frosting as the ganache isn’t stable enough to coat the entire cake.

Raspberry Cake: Swap the strawberry gelatin in the recipe for raspberry powdered gelatin mix. Swap the fresh strawberries in the cake and frosting for fresh raspberries.

Strawberry Lemon Cake: For the filling, use homemade lemon curd. Still use the strawberry buttercream for the exterior frosting as the curd isn’t stable enough to coat the entire cake.

How to make strawberry layer cake

This strawberry layer cake recipe features two components: strawberry cake and strawberry buttercream frosting. The recipe for strawberry cake is a variation on my classic vanilla cake recipe and the frosting is my basic homemade vanilla buttercream frosting flavored with strawberries.

Make the strawberry cake layers

The process for making the strawberry cake layers utilizes The Blending Method (also referred to as the One Bowl Method).

What is The Blending Method?

The Blending Method relies on chemical leavening and the liquid in the recipe to make the cake rise. This produces a cake with an incredibly tender texture and a bit of a denser crumb than cakes made with The Creaming Method. 

The purpose of this method is to coat the flour and the rest of the ingredients with fat before the liquid is added. Liquid fat is typically used for this method (in this recipe we are using oil) which creates a cake that stays more moist and tender than cakes made with solid fat. Let’s get started!

Prepare the Strawberries

Rinse the fresh strawberries and remove the stems. Dice into small pieces and place in a small food processor. Pulse the berries until they are mashed and an almost liquid consistency.

Alternatively, place the diced berries into a shallow bowl and using a potato masher or fork, break up the fruit as well as you can. A few lumps are fine and even desirable.

Set aside while you make the cake batter.

Make the cake batter

In a large mixing bowl, soft together the dry ingredients including the flour, baking powder, and powdered strawberry gelatin mix. Whisk in the salt.

Add the oil to the bowl and using a spatula, stir it together. It will look very thick and lumpy.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar and eggs. Whisk for a couple minutes until the mixture has lightened in color to a very pale yellow. Whisk in the pureed strawberries.

Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and gently combine using a spatula. Mix until you no longer see streaks of white flour but then stop. Do not over-mix or the texture will become tough instead of light and fluffy.

Divide the batter into your prepared baking pans and bake on 350°F/175°C on the center rack for 25-30 minutes. The cakes are done when they spring back when gently pressed on. Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire cooling rack.

Allow to cool completely before frosting. While they cool, make the frosting.

Make the frosting

There are 2 steps to making the strawberry buttercream frosting. First is to cook down the fresh strawberries in a similar way to making jam. The second is to make the frosting and add the flavoring.

Cook down the strawberries

Rinse the fresh strawberries, remove the stems, and dice into small pieces. Place them in a saucepan and top with about 1 tablespoon of water. Cook over medium heat stirring frequently. Keep cooking as the berries break down and release their juices.

Using a fork or potato masher, mash the berries until you have a thin consistency.

Continue cooking on medium heat while the liquid boils off the fruit and becomes thick. The fruit is done when the consistency is a thick paste similar to tomato paste. This will take about 10 minutes.

Remove the strawberry paste from the saucepan and let cool down to room temperature. Place in the refrigerator to speed up the process.

Mix the frosting

Meanwhile, place the room temperature butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer. Mix on medium speed for about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides. 

Add the powdered sugar to the mixing bowl and start mixing on low until it starts to combine with the butter. Turn the mixing speed up to medium-high and beat for about 4-5 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla extract, salt, and cooled strawberry paste.

This recipe makes a very pale pink colored frosting. If you want the color to be a brighter pink, add a tiny drop or two of gel food coloring at this time.

Add milk or heavy cream to thin out the texture, using only a small amount to start. I used about 3 ½ tablespoons total. If the consistency becomes too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar until you get a spreadable consistency. 

Assemble the cake

Baking Tip: How to Assemble Layer Cakes

Spread a small dollop of frosting onto a cake plate and place one layer of the strawberry cake on top. Gently press down on the cake layer to secure it to the plate. A great thing about this recipe is that there is no need to level the cake layers as they are already fairly flat.

Spoon some of the strawberry buttercream onto the cake layer and spread it out using an offset spatula. I recommend the filling layer to be about ½ inch (1.2 cm) thick.

Stack the second cake layer over the top of the filling. I like to flip over this layer so that the bottom is now on top. This helps the top of the cake to remain perfectly flat.

Spread frosting on the sides of the cake sealing in the filling and then cover the top of the cake. Use an offset spatula to smooth the frosting or use the back of a spoon to create a swirled pattern as I did here.

Decorate the cake with fresh strawberries or fun sprinkles.

Frosting made with powdered sugar, known as American-style buttercream, will crust over the longer it is exposed to air. Cover the bowl of unused frosting while assembling the cake.

PRO TIP: If the frosting on the cake is crusting over too quickly, hold your spatula under running hot water for a few seconds, wipe it off, and then run it over the cake to smooth out the frosting.

Make-Ahead Strawberry Cake

The components for strawberry layer cake can be prepared in advance and assembled when ready to serve.

Strawberry Cake: After baking the cake layers, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months or refrigerate up to 3 days. Assemble and frost the cake layers while still chilled and then let come to room temperature for serving.

Strawberry Frosting: Frosting made with fruit can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and frozen in a zipper bag for up to 2 months. Let the frosting sit out at room temperature for about 1 hour and then re-whip before frosting the cake.

Storage

As long as the cake is fully coated in frosting and not cut into, you can store a layer cake uncovered in the refrigerator for up 5 days. When ready to serve, remove the cake from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature to soften for at least 2-3 hours before serving.

Store leftover cake slices in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. As soon as the interior of the cake is exposed, it will start to dry out. Cake is best served at room temperature so that the frosting is soft.

FAQ

Can this recipe be made into cupcakes?

Yes! Portion the batter into a cupcake tin lined with paper liners. Leave about ½-inch (1.2 cm) space at the tops. Bake on 350°F/175°C for 18-22 minutes. This recipe will make 20-24 cupcakes.

Can this recipe be made into a sheet cake?

Yes! Prepare a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) baking pan by spraying it with non-stick spray or lining it with parchment paper. Pour the entire batter into the pan and bake on 350°F/175°C for 35-45 minutes.

MORE RECIPES FROM BAKER BETTIE!

If you enjoyed this recipe, you might like to try these other delicious cake ideas.

• Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Perfectly Moist Coconut Cake
• Classic Chocolate Cake
• Best White Cake Recipe