Strawberry Lemonade Cake (Printable)
Moist tangy cake with fresh strawberries, zesty lemon, and creamy fruit frosting for summer celebrations.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Cake Batter
01 - 2½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2½ tsp baking powder
03 - ½ tsp baking soda
04 - ½ tsp salt
05 - ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 1½ cups granulated sugar
07 - ¼ 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 - ½ cup buttermilk, room temperature
12 - ½ cup mashed fresh strawberries (about 1 cup whole), well-drained
→ Strawberry Lemonade Frosting
13 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
14 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
15 - ⅓ cup fresh strawberry purée, 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
20 - Sliced fresh strawberries
21 - Thinly sliced lemon wheels
22 - Edible flowers
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans and line the 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 mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
04 - Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly 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, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined to avoid overworking the batter.
06 - Gently fold the mashed, well-drained strawberries into the batter using a spatula. Be careful not to overmix, which can toughen the crumb.
07 - Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Smooth the tops and tap the pans gently on the counter to release any trapped air bubbles. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each layer comes out clean.
08 - Let the cake layers cool in their pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto wire cooling racks to cool completely before frosting.
09 - Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Add the strained strawberry purée, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Gradually beat in the sifted powdered sugar and a pinch of salt until the frosting is fluffy and spreadable.
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 fresh strawberries, lemon wheels, and edible flowers as desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The tang from fresh lemon juice cuts through the sweetness in a way that makes people close their eyes when they take a bite.
- Real mashed strawberries in the batter give you actual fruit flavor, not just a vague sweetness pretending to be strawberry.
- The cream cheese frosting is loose, luscious, and flecked with lemon zest, so it spreads like a dream and never feels heavy.
02 -
- If your strawberry puree is too watery, the frosting will slide right off the cake, so strain it well and consider chilling the puree for 15 minutes before adding it.
- Do not frost a warm cake under any circumstances, because the cream cheese butter mixture will melt into a puddle and you will have to start the frosting over from scratch.
03 -
- Toss the sliced strawberry garnish with a tiny pinch of sugar about 10 minutes before decorating to make them glisten and soften just slightly.
- If your frosting gets too soft while you are working, pop the whole cake in the fridge for 15 minutes, then finish smoothing, it is easier than trying to fix a warm melty mess.