Strawberry Lemonade Cake (Printable Version)
A moist, tangy cake bursting with fresh strawberry and zesty lemon flavors for summer gatherings.
# What You'll Need:
→ Cake
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 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
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, then line the bottoms with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose 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, approximately 3 minutes.
04 - Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract, fresh lemon juice, and lemon zest until fully incorporated.
05 - Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk in two additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined to avoid developing excess gluten.
06 - Gently fold the well-drained mashed strawberries into the batter using a spatula, being careful not to overmix.
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 comes out clean.
08 - Allow the cakes to cool in the 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 puree, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Gradually beat in the sifted powdered sugar and a pinch of salt until the frosting is light and fluffy.
10 - Once the cake layers are completely cool, spread frosting evenly between the layers and over the top and sides. Garnish with sliced fresh strawberries, lemon wheels, and edible flowers as desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The mashed strawberries in the batter keep every slice incredibly moist without making it heavy or dense.
- That cream cheese frosting swirled with real strawberry puree tastes like summer in a way no store bought version ever could.
02 -
- Warm cake layers will melt the cream cheese frosting into a runny disaster, so patience while cooling is not optional, it is the whole game.
- Draining the mashed strawberries on paper towels for ten minutes before folding them in prevents the batter from turning wet and heavy.
03 -
- Dust the cake pans with cocoa powder instead of flour for a darker, more attractive crust that blends seamlessly with the strawberry tones.
- A pinch of salt in the frosting balances the sweetness and makes the strawberry flavor taste more like real fruit and less like candy.