Strawberry Velvet Cake (Printable)
A luscious, moist cake with delicate crumb, fresh strawberry layers, and creamy frosting.
# What You Need:
→ Strawberry Velvet Cake
01 - 2 1/2 cups cake flour
02 - 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
03 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
04 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil
05 - 3 large eggs, room temperature
06 - 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
07 - 1/2 cup fresh strawberry purée
08 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
09 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
10 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
11 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
12 - 2–3 drops red or pink gel food coloring (optional)
→ Strawberry Purée
13 - 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped
14 - 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
→ Cream Cheese Frosting
15 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
16 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
17 - 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
18 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
19 - 1/4 cup strawberry purée
→ Decoration
20 - Fresh strawberries, halved or sliced
# How-To:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - Blend strawberries and sugar in blender or food processor until smooth. Reserve 1/2 cup for cake batter and 1/4 cup for frosting.
03 - In medium bowl, sift together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
04 - In large bowl, beat butter, oil, and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
05 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
06 - Mix in strawberry purée and food coloring, if using.
07 - Alternately add dry ingredients and buttermilk to wet mixture, starting and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined; do not overmix.
08 - Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Smooth tops.
09 - Bake for 28–32 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
10 - Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until fluffy. Mix in vanilla and strawberry purée until well combined.
11 - Place one cake layer on serving plate. Spread layer of frosting on top. Add second cake layer and coat top and sides with remaining frosting.
12 - Decorate with fresh strawberries. Chill for 30 minutes before slicing for clean layers.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The texture impossibly light while staying rich enough to feel special
- Fresh strawberry purée keeps it naturally moist without being dense
02 -
- Room temperature ingredients combine better and create a smoother batter
- Overmixing after adding flour toughens the crumb, so stop as soon as flour disappears
03 -
- Freeze strawberry purée in ice cube trays during peak season for year round baking
- Chill your frosted cake for 30 minutes before slicing to get the cleanest layers