Why You’ll Love This Strawberry Layer Cake from Scratch
If you have been searching for a The Best Strawberry Layer Cake from Scratch that actually tastes like fresh strawberries rather than artificial candy or boxed mix, your search ends here. This isn’t just a vanilla cake dyed pink; it is a masterpiece of natural flavor.
Table of Contents
- Real Strawberry Flavor: We use a homemade strawberry reduction to pack an intense punch of fruit flavor into both the batter and the frosting without throwing off the liquid ratios.
- Tender, Moist Crumb: By using cake flour and sour cream, the texture is incredibly soft, velvety, and sturdy enough to stack.
- Naturally Beautiful: The color comes entirely from the berries. It is a stunning, soft pastel pink that looks elegant for birthdays, Valentine’s Day, or summer gatherings.
- Stable Frosting: The strawberry cream cheese buttercream is pipeable, silky, and not overly sweet, striking the perfect balance with the fluffy cake layers.
Ingredients
For the Strawberry Reduction
(The secret to intense flavor without excess moisture)
- Strawberries: You can use fresh or frozen. If using frozen, do not thaw them beforehand.
- Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed is best to brighten the berry flavor.
- Granulated Sugar: Just a touch to help release the juices.
For the Cake Layers
(Room temperature ingredients are mandatory here)
- Cake Flour: This has a lower protein content than all-purpose flour, ensuring a tender, tight crumb. Do not substitute this if you want bakery-style results.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: The leavening agents that give the cake its lift.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the strawberry flavor.
- Unsalted Butter: Softened to room temperature for proper creaming.
- Granulated Sugar: For sweetness and structure.
- Egg Whites: Using whites only keeps the cake color light and the texture airy.
- Sour Cream: Adds acidity and fat for a moist, rich texture.
- Whole Milk: Adds liquid and fat.
- Vanilla Extract: High-quality pure vanilla extract complements the fruit.
- Strawberry Reduction: (Prepared from the first step).
- Pink Gel Food Coloring (Optional): If you want a deeper pink, a tiny drop helps, but the reduction provides a lovely natural pale pink on its own.
For the Strawberry Frosting
(Silky, tangy, and stable)
- Unsalted Butter: Slightly softened.
- Cream Cheese: Full-fat block style (not tub), cold or cool room temp helps stability.
- Powdered Sugar: Sifted to avoid lumps.
- Strawberry Reduction: (The remaining half from the first step).
- Heavy Cream: Optional, only if needed to adjust consistency.
Instructions
1. Make the Strawberry Reduction
Place your diced strawberries into a food processor or blender and purée until smooth. Pour the purée into a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20-30 minutes until the mixture has reduced by half (you should have about 1 cup of thick purée). Allow this to cool completely to room temperature before using. This step is critical—hot purée will melt your butter!
2. Prep and Mix Dry Ingredients
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour three 8-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. Cream Butter and Sugar
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together on high speed for 3–4 minutes. The mixture should look pale, fluffy, and aerated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
4. Add Wet Ingredients
Turn the mixer to medium-low. Add the egg whites one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract. Mix until combined. (Don’t worry if the batter looks slightly curdled at this stage; it will come together when the flour is added).
5. Combine and Bake
With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding the dry ingredients and the milk, starting and ending with the flour mixture (3 additions of flour, 2 of milk). Finally, fold in ½ cup of the cooled strawberry reduction. Do not overmix. Divide batter evenly among the pans. Bake for 24–28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Serve
Allow cakes to cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. To make the frosting, beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Slowly add powdered sugar and the remaining strawberry reduction. Stack the layers with frosting in between, crumb coat, and apply the final layer of frosting. Top with fresh strawberries and slice!
Expert Tips for Success
- Weigh Your Flour: The most common mistake is adding too much flour, leading to a dry cake. Use a kitchen scale (grams are provided in the recipe card) for precision.
- The Reduction is Key: Do not skip the reduction step. Adding raw strawberry purée adds too much water, which will make the cake gummy and dense. The reduction concentrates flavor and removes water.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure your butter, milk, sour cream, and eggs are at room temperature. This creates an emulsion that traps air, resulting in a fluffier cake.
- Cool Completely: Never try to frost a cake that is even slightly warm, or the butter in the frosting will melt and the layers will slide.
Variations
- Strawberry Lemonade Cake: Add 1 tablespoon of lemon zest to the batter and use a lemon curd filling between the layers.
- Cupcakes: This batter makes wonderful cupcakes. Bake for 18–22 minutes.
- Gluten-Free: Substitute the cake flour with a high-quality 1:1 Gluten-Free flour blend (like King Arthur or Bob’s Red Mill).
- Swiss Meringue Buttercream: For a less sweet, more buttery frosting, fold the strawberry reduction into a vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream instead of the cream cheese frosting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make the cake layers ahead of time? Yes! Wrap the cooled cake layers tightly in plastic wrap and freeze them for up to 1 month. Thaw them in the fridge before frosting. In fact, slightly chilled cakes are easier to frost.
Why did my cake sink in the middle? This usually happens if the oven door was opened too early, the batter was overmixed, or the leavening agents were expired. Avoid opening the oven until at least the 20-minute mark.
Can I use freeze-dried strawberries instead of fresh? Yes. You can pulverize freeze-dried strawberries into a powder and add them to the flour mixture for flavor. However, the reduction method provides moisture and a fresher taste profile that many prefer.
The Best Strawberry Layer Cake
Ingredients
Method
- Prepare the Reduction: Place strawberries in a food processor and puree until smooth. Pour into a saucepan with 2 tbsp sugar and lemon juice. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half (about 20-30 minutes). You should have about 1 cup total. Let cool completely.
- Prep Oven & Pans: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour three 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream Butter: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on high speed until pale and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes).
- Add Wet Ingredients: Lower speed to medium. Add egg whites one at a time. Add sour cream and vanilla. Mix until combined.
- Combine: Reduce speed to low. Add the dry ingredients alternating with the milk (start and end with dry). Stop mixing just before the flour is fully incorporated. Fold in 1/2 cup of the cooled strawberry reduction by hand.
- Bake: Divide batter evenly among pans. Bake for 24-28 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
- Make Frosting: Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Slowly add powdered sugar. Add the remaining strawberry reduction and a pinch of salt. Whip until creamy. Frost the cooled cakes and serve.
Notes
Printable Recipe Card
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