Strawberry Lemonade Cake (Printable Version)
A moist, zesty cake blending fresh strawberries and tangy lemonade, crowned with strawberry-lemon frosting.
# What You Need:
→ Cake Batter
01 - 2½ cups (315 g) all-purpose flour
02 - 2 tsp baking powder
03 - ½ tsp baking soda
04 - ½ tsp salt
05 - ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, softened
06 - 1½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
07 - 3 large eggs
08 - 1 tbsp lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
09 - ⅓ cup (80 ml) fresh lemon juice
10 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
11 - 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
12 - 1 cup (170 g) fresh strawberries, diced
→ Strawberry Lemonade Frosting
13 - ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
14 - 3 cups (360 g) powdered sugar, sifted
15 - ¼ cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice
16 - 2 tbsp strawberry puree (blended fresh strawberries)
17 - Pinch of salt
18 - Lemon zest and sliced strawberries for garnish (optional)
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans; line bottoms with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.
04 - Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with the flour. Stir gently until just combined.
05 - Gently fold diced strawberries into the batter using a spatula, taking care not to overmix.
06 - Divide batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
07 - Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto wire racks to cool completely before frosting.
08 - Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add sifted powdered sugar, then mix in lemon juice and strawberry puree. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add a pinch of salt to taste.
09 - Place one cake layer on a serving plate and spread one-third of the frosting evenly on top. Set the second layer on top and frost the sides and top of the cake. Garnish with lemon zest and fresh strawberry slices if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The lemon and strawberry balance each other perfectly, so it never lands in cloyingly sweet territory the way fruit cakes sometimes can.
- That buttermilk keeps every slice ridiculously tender even three days later, assuming it lasts that long in your kitchen.
02 -
- Frozen strawberries will weep liquid into the batter and create dense, sunken pockets, so commit to fresh berries or your layers will bake unevenly.
- If you do not have buttermilk on hand, stir one tablespoon of lemon juice into a cup of regular milk and let it sit for five minutes until it curdles slightly, and the result works just as beautifully.
03 -
- Toss the diced strawberries in a teaspoon of flour before folding them in, which creates a light coating that prevents them from sinking to the bottom of the pan during baking.
- Zest your lemons before juicing them because trying to zest a squeezed, collapsed lemon is frustrating and yields almost nothing, and that zest carries more aromatic punch than the juice itself.