Strawberry Lemonade Cake (Printable)
Moist strawberry lemon cake with tangy cream cheese frosting, bursting with fresh berry and citrus flavors.
# What You Need:
→ Cake
01 - 2½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
04 - ½ teaspoon salt
05 - ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 1½ cups granulated sugar
07 - ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
08 - 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
09 - 3 large eggs, room temperature
10 - 1 teaspoon 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 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
17 - 2 teaspoons lemon zest
18 - 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
19 - Pinch of salt
→ Garnish (Optional)
20 - Sliced fresh strawberries
21 - Thinly sliced lemon wheels
22 - Edible flowers
# How-To:
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 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 combined.
05 - Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined to avoid a tough crumb.
06 - Gently fold the well-drained mashed strawberries into the batter using a spatula. Take care not to overmix.
07 - Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans, smoothing the tops. Tap the pans gently on the counter to release trapped air bubbles. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
08 - Let the cakes cool in their pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto wire cooling racks to cool completely before frosting.
09 - Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until creamy and smooth. Blend in the strawberry purée, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar and salt, beating until the frosting is light and fluffy.
10 - Once the cake layers are completely cool, spread frosting generously between the layers and over the top and sides. Garnish with sliced strawberries, lemon wheels, and edible flowers as desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The tang from fresh lemon and the sweetness of real strawberries create a flavor balance that tastes like a glass of lemonade in cake form.
- Cream cheese frosting infused with strawberry puree is genuinely something people will ask you about every single time you serve it.
02 -
- If your strawberries are extra juicy, spread the mashed berries on paper towels and press gently before adding them to the batter or your cake will have a soggy center.
- Frosting a warm cake is the most common mistake people make with cream cheese frosting, and it will slide right off in a heartbreaking puddle.
03 -
- Everything tastes better when your butter, eggs, and buttermilk are truly at room temperature before you begin mixing.
- Straining the strawberry puree for the frosting through a fine mesh sieve is the difference between a smooth finish and a speckled one.