Strawberry Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

If you’re looking to wow your friends and family with something truly special, I’ve got just the thing: my Strawberry Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe. This cake is the perfect balance of light, fruity, and creamy—a real crowd-pleaser. Trust me, once you try it, you’ll find yourself wanting to bake it again and again!

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Ingredients & Why They Work

Each ingredient in this Strawberry Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe plays an important role. Here’s a quick rundown on why these choices create such a standout dessert—and some tips for shopping and prep.

• Fresh strawberries: They provide authentic fruit flavor for both the batter and the filling; pick ripe but firm berries.
• Whole milk: Adds moisture and richness that keeps the cake tender.
• Avocado, vegetable, or canola oil: Keeps the cake moist without weighing it down like butter alone might.
• Unsalted butter: Adds a subtle richness and helps with cake texture.
• Granulated sugar: Sweetens the cake and activates moisture in combination with other wet ingredients.
• Vanilla extract: Enhances all the flavors for a more complex taste.
• Cake flour: Produces a finer crumb than all-purpose flour, though you can swap if needed.
• Baking powder: Gives the cake lift and helps it rise evenly.
• Salt: Balances sweetness and enhances the other flavors.
• Egg whites: Whipped separately for volume, they create a light and airy texture.
• Cornstarch: Used in the jam filling for thickening without cloudiness.
• Lemon juice: Adds a bright note that freshens the strawberry jam.
• Heavy cream: Whipped to stiff peaks for the frosting’s fluffy, creamy texture.
• Cream cheese: The heart of the frosting, bringing a tangy counterpoint to the sweet cake layers.
• Powdered sugar: Sweetens the frosting and blends smoothly.
• Food coloring (optional): If you want a vibrant pink cake, a couple drops can add fun visual appeal.

Make It Your Way

One of the things I love about this Strawberry Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe is how adaptable it is. Once you have the basics down, you can experiment to fit your tastes or the occasion. Here are a few ways you might switch it up.

• Use different berries: I’ve tried swapping in raspberries or blackberries in the jam filling for a seasonal twist—it’s delicious and easy to customize.
• Dairy-free version: You can switch the heavy cream and cream cheese for coconut cream and vegan cream cheese—results are surprisingly close.
• Food coloring fun: Adding gel food coloring to the batter makes the cake pop at birthday parties, giving it that festive feel.
• Layer variations: Instead of two layers, make three thinner layers for a taller, elegant look—just bake in smaller pans or adjust baking time.

Step-by-Step: How I Make Strawberry Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Step 1: Prepare the Strawberry Juice and Reduction

Start by removing stems and quartering your strawberries. Toss them into a blender and puree until smooth. Now, pass the puree through a fine mesh sieve over a measuring cup to get about 1 to 1¼ cups of juice. Don’t toss the leftover pulp — keep it for that luscious jam filling later. Next, pour your strawberry juice into a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until it reduces to around ⅓ cup. This reduction concentrates the flavor and prevents excess moisture from making the cake soggy. I find it takes about 10 minutes—just keep an eye on it and stir occasionally.

Step 2: Mix the Wet Ingredients

Once your strawberry reduction has cooled slightly, whisk in the milk and, if you want a fun pop of color, a couple drops of food coloring. While that’s resting, use an electric mixer to beat the oil, softened butter, sugar, and vanilla extract together until fully combined and smooth. This mix creates the rich, tender base for your cake layers.

Step 3: Combine Dry Ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder, and salt. When you’re ready, add the dry ingredients and strawberry milk mixture alternately to the wet mixture, starting and ending with the flour mixture. I usually do this in four flour and three milk additions, mixing on low speed after each to keep the batter airy and avoid overworking the flour.

Step 4: Whip Egg Whites and Fold

This step really makes the texture special: beat your egg whites in a clean, dry bowl on high until stiff peaks form. Using a spatula, gently fold the whites into the cake batter. Be gentle here—if you use a mixer or overmix, you’ll deflate the whites and lose that lovely lift. Once combined, divide your batter evenly between the two prepared 8-inch pans.

Step 5: Bake and Cool

Bake in a preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for about 28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. When done, let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes to firm up, then run a knife around edges and invert carefully onto wire racks to cool completely before assembling.

Step 6: Make the Jam Filling

While the cakes cool, combine the reserved strawberry pulp with sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and salt in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, and bring to a boil. Keep whisking until the mixture thickens and leaves a trail when you drag your whisk through it—usually about 5-10 minutes. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and chill until completely cool.

Step 7: Whip the Cream Cheese Frosting

In a large bowl, beat softened cream cheese with half the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt until smooth and creamy. In a separate chilled bowl, whip the cold heavy cream with the remaining powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Then fold the whipped cream gently into the cream cheese mixture until combined. This frosting is dreamy—light but holds its shape beautifully.

Step 8: Assemble Your Cake

Start by placing one cake layer on your serving plate. Use a piping bag fitted with a round tip (I love using an Ateco 808) to pipe a dam around the edge to keep the jam from running. Fill the center with the cooled jam. Then top with the second cake layer and cover the whole cake with your cream cheese frosting. Pop it into the fridge for a bit to set, then get ready to impress!

How to Serve Strawberry Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Garnishes

I love topping the cake with fresh strawberry slices arranged in a pretty pattern, plus a few mint leaves for a pop of green. If you want to get fancy, a light dusting of powdered sugar or a drizzle of melted white chocolate makes it feel extra festive.

Side Dishes

This cake is a showstopper on its own, but I like pairing it with a simple dollop of vanilla bean ice cream or a scoop of lemon sorbet to cut through the sweetness. Freshly brewed coffee or a chilled glass of sparkling rosé rounds it out beautifully.

Creative Ways to Present

For birthdays, I’ve swirled a little red food coloring inside the piping bag before frosting, creating fun colored swirls on the outside. Another time, I piped rosettes around the edges and added edible flowers for a wedding shower. The layered look also shines when you slice it, so serving on a clear glass cake stand is a great idea.

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

Store leftover cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator—it keeps wonderfully fresh for up to 5 days. Since it has cream cheese frosting, chilling is key to maintain texture and avoid spoilage.

Freezing

You can freeze this cake, but I recommend freezing the unfrosted layers separately wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and foil. Thaw in the fridge overnight before assembling and frosting. The fresh jam and frosting don’t freeze as well, so make those fresh.

Reheating

This cake is best served cold or at room temperature. If you want to warm a slice, let it come to room temp on the counter for about 30 minutes rather than microwaving, to keep the texture intact.

FAQs

Final Thoughts

This Strawberry Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe has become one of my absolute favorites to bake when I want to impress without stress. Its fresh strawberry flavor and fluffy texture always get rave reviews. I hope you enjoy making it as much as I do—the feeling of slicing into those vibrant layers and watching everyone’s faces light up is priceless. Give it a try next time you want to share a little sweetness with someone special!

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