Strawberry Lemonade Cake (Printer-friendly)
Moist strawberry and lemon cake with tangy cream cheese frosting, ideal for summer gatherings.
# What You 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 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 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 well after each addition. Stir 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, starting 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, smoothing the tops. 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 - Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto wire cooling racks to cool completely.
09 - Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until creamy and smooth. Add the strained strawberry puree, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Gradually beat in the sifted powdered sugar and salt until the frosting is light, smooth, and fluffy.
10 - Once the cake layers are completely cool, spread frosting evenly between the layers and over the top and sides of the cake. Garnish with sliced strawberries, lemon wheels, and edible flowers as desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The combination of tart lemon and sweet strawberry creates a perfect balance that keeps you coming back for another slice
- The buttermilk keeps the cake incredibly moist while the fresh strawberry puree in the frosting makes it taste like biting into actual fruit
02 -
- Room temperature ingredients are non negotiable here because cold butter or eggs will not properly emulsify and can result in a curdled batter that bakes unevenly
- Strain your strawberry puree through a fine mesh sieve or your frosting will have tiny seeds that ruin the silky smooth texture we are aiming for
- Completely cool cakes before frosting or the frosting will melt right off and you will end up with a pink streaky mess instead of a beautiful layered cake
03 -
- When zesting lemons, avoid the white pith underneath which tastes bitter, and zest before juicing since it is much harder to zest a squeezed lemon
- If your frosting seems too soft, refrigerate the bowl for 15 minutes before beating again, which helps it hold its shape beautifully in warm weather