Strawberry Shortcake Cake

This Strawberry Shortcake Cake is made with soft vanilla cake layers, clouds of whipped cream frosting, and sweet juicy strawberries for the ultimate fresh summer dessert. The cake stays light, fluffy, and incredibly tender, while the strawberries soften slightly into the cream for classic old-fashioned strawberry shortcake flavor in every bite.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword How Do I Make Strawberry Shortcake Cake, How To Make Strawberry Shortcake Cake, Strawberry Shortcake Cake, Strawberry Shortcake Cake Recipe

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 30

Total Time 1 30

Servings People

Calories 605kcal

Author Kathleen

Ingredients

Cake:

2 1/3 cups cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 ounces unsalted butter
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 cup buttermilk

Whipped Cream Frosting

4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
3 cups heavy cream
1 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Strawberry Filling

5 cups fresh strawberries sliced
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup strawberry preserves

Garnish

5-7 fresh strawberries -left whole
mint leaves, optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the Cake:

Prepare the pans: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, then butter the parchment.
Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour (2 1/3 cups), baking powder (1 1/2 teaspoons), baking soda (1/2 teaspoon), and salt (1/4 teaspoon). Set aside.
Combine the wet ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs (3 large) and vanilla extract (2 teaspoons) until blended.
Cream the butter and sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter (6 ounces) until light and fluffy.
Gradually add the sugar (1 1/3 cups) and continue beating for about 3 minutes, until pale and airy.
Add the egg mixture: Slowly pour in the egg and vanilla mixture, beating for about 2 minutes until fully incorporated.
Alternate the flour and buttermilk: With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk (1 cup), beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix just until combined, scraping down the bowl as needed. Be careful not to overmix.
Bake the cake layers: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool completely: Let the cakes cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then carefully turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely before assembling.

Make the Whipped Cream Frosting:

Make the whipped cream frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese (4 ounces), powdered sugar (1 cup), and vanilla extract (2 teaspoons) until smooth.
With the mixer running, slowly drizzle in the heavy cream (3 cups). Continue beating until stiff peaks form.

Prepare Strawberries:

Prepare the strawberries: Wash and thoroughly dry the strawberries (5 cups sliced plus 5–7 whole berries for garnish). Reserve the prettiest whole berries for decorating the cake.
Slice the remaining strawberries and, if desired, toss them with 1–2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Let stand for 15–20 minutes to lightly macerate.

Assembly:

Assemble the cake: Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread 1/4 cup strawberry preserves evenly over the surface, leaving a small border around the edge.
Top with about half of the whipped cream frosting and half of the sliced strawberries.
Place the second cake layer on top and repeat with the remaining 1/4 cup strawberry preserves, whipped cream frosting, and strawberries.
Garnish and chill: Decorate the top with the reserved whole strawberries. Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour before serving.
Chilling helps the layers set and allows the strawberries, cream, and cake to meld together for the best flavor and texture.

Notes

Preparation: This recipe has very specific instructions for the cake batter. Honestly, it’s not any more difficult than a standard cake; it’s just detailed, and I urge you to follow the directions as closely as possible. You want your batter to be fluffy, not dense and overwhipped.
Cooling: After the cake is baked, it’s very fragile, particularly while it’s warm. Be careful when you transfer the layers from the baking pans to your cooling rack. Using parchment paper and letting the cake cool a few minutes in the pan will help stabilize it a bit.
Melting: Cool! Your! Cake! If your cake layers at all warm when you start to assemble, the frosting will melt and your cake will collapse.

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