This delicious layer cake is infused with strawberries inside and out. It is flavorful and moist and the frosting is to die for!
I made this gorgeous and super yummy strawberry cake for Easter this year. Isn’t it pretty? I made it with spring in mind, envisioning a warm sunshine-y day, buds on the trees and birds chirping outside. Little did I know that spring would be hiding out for quite some time. However…we did not let that stop us from enjoying every single bite of this cake. When my seven-year-old Sammy took his first bite (remember: he’s a tough critic when it comes to sweets), he told me that it was the best cake that’s ever been made in the entire world. For clarification purposes, I asked if it was the best in the universe and he said, “Nothing like this exists anywhere. Not even on Saturn.”
One of my pet peeves about cakes is that it seems so hard to find one that isn’t dry inside. So every cake I make has to have a moist inside in order to be post-worthy. This cake is no exception to that rule. I infused both the cake and the frosting with strawberries and even included a bonus strawberry filling and topped the entire thing with fresh strawberries for extra good measure.
Now, don’t let the layers intimidate you. This cake is easier to make than it might appear. Before I started making cakes, I would see a beautiful layered creation and think that there was no possible way I would have the time to create such a thing. Let me tell you a little secret. Break the process up into stages. Bake the cakes one day, wrap them up and freeze them. The next day, make the frosting and assemble the cake (that’s the fun part!). This makes the cake-making process so much less daunting.
This strawberry frosting will seriously blow you away. The whipped cream is the hidden star of the show and it will cause people to inquire. “What IS it about this frosting? There’s something in there that I can’t quite put my finger on. It’s buttercream, but not really.” While the whipped topping makes it fantastic, it will also make the frosting get a bit melty if it’s left out of the fridge for too long. So keep the cake refrigerated until you’re ready to serve it to alleviate that issue. Which really is a non-issue because after people taste it, the consistency won’t matter one bit.
Can I use Homemade Whipped Cream for this recipe?
Absolutely yes! If desired, replace Homemade Whipped Cream with the whipped topping called for in the recipe card.
And if you’re on a roll after making this one, please give a few of my other layered cakes a try: Lemon Blueberry Layer Cake, Chocolate Espresso Cake and Chocolate Crunch Cake with Caramel Frosting.
Ok, here’s to the hope that spring will soon arrive and that you will enjoy this cake as much as we did! Thanks for reading, friends! Have a great weekend!
Strawberry Layer Cake with Strawberries
Ingredients
CAKE
- 1 cup salted butter softened (2 sticks)
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 6 egg whites
- 2 tsp. strawberry extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 cup buttermilk shaken
- 1 cup fresh strawberries chopped, patted dry
- Red food coloring
FROSTING
- .8 oz. package freeze-dried strawberries
- 1/2 cup salted butter softened (1 stick)
- 5 cups confectioner's sugar
- 2 tbsp. milk
- 8 oz. container whipped topping thawed
FILLING
- 1/2 cup strawberry ice cream topping
TOPPING
- 6-8 large fresh strawberries hulled and sliced
Instructions
MAKE THE CAKE
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and generously spray three 8- or 9-inch round cake pans (or you can use one at a time) with cooking spray. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer), combine the butter, sugar, egg whites and strawberry extract and beat on medium speed until creamy and free of lumps.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well. Gradually add to the butter mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined. Add the buttermilk and mix until combined. Fold in the strawberries. Divide the batter between three same-size bowls. Add approximately 1/4 teaspoon of red food coloring to one bowl and mix until color is even throughout. Add approximately 1/2 teaspoon of the food coloring to another bowl and stir until color is even.
- Pour the contents of each bowl into a prepared cake pan and bake one at a time in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centers come out clean. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes, remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack. Using a serrated bread knife, cut the rounded tops off each cooled cake.
PREPARE THE FROSTING
- Place the freeze-dried strawberries in a ziploc bag and turn into a fine powder by pounding with a heavy spoon or rolling pin. In a large bowl, mix (using whisk attachments) the powdered strawberries, butter, confectioner’s sugar and milk with a hand-held or stand mixer on medium speed until combined. Add the whipped topping and mix on medium speed for 3 minutes. Refrigerate until cake is ready to frost.
ASSEMBLE THE CAKE
- Place the darkest red cake in the center of a cake or serving plate. Spread the frosting evenly and generously over the top in an even layer. Top with approximately 1/4 cup of the strawberry ice cream topping and spread in an even layer, leaving a 1-inch margin around edge. Top with the pink cake and repeat with a layer of frosting and ice cream topping. Top with the white cake.
- Using an offset or icing spatula, apply the remaining frosting to the top and sides of the cake. Top with strawberry slices and refrigerate until ready to serve.
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