This strawberry shortcake cake recipe is the dessert of your dreams! Imagine layers of moist, tender vanilla cake, a sweet and juicy fresh strawberry filling, and pillows of light, stabilized whipped cream frosting. It’s a classic summer dessert, reimagined into a stunning layer cake that’s surprisingly simple to make from scratch. Forget the boxed mix; this is the only recipe you’ll ever need.
We’re taking all the beloved flavors of traditional strawberry shortcake and elevating them into a show-stopping cake. This recipe is designed for enthusiastic home cooks who want an impressive result without complicated steps. It’s perfect for birthdays, summer parties, or any occasion that calls for a truly special treat.
Every bite is a perfect combination of moist cake, sweet berries, and light cream.
Why This is the Best Strawberry Shortcake Cake Recipe
There are many recipes out there, but this one stands out for a few key reasons. Firstly, the cake itself is incredibly moist and flavorful, using buttermilk for a tender crumb that melts in your mouth. Secondly, we use a simple macerating technique for the strawberries, which creates a luscious, syrupy filling. Finally, our whipped cream frosting is stabilized, meaning it will hold its shape for days without weeping. It’s the perfect, easy strawberry shortcake cake for bakers of any skill level.
Perfectly Moist Cake: The buttermilk in our vanilla cake ensures a soft, tender crumb that isn’t dry.
Stabilized Whipped Cream: Our secret ingredient ensures your frosting stays firm and beautiful, making it easy to decorate and store.
Fresh, Vibrant Flavor: Using fresh strawberries creates a bright, sweet filling that makes this the ultimate fresh strawberry cake.
Simple & Straightforward: We break down every step with clear instructions, making this impressive dessert totally achievable.
What’s the Difference Between Strawberry Shortcake and a Strawberry Shortcake Cake?
That’s a great question! Traditionally, strawberry shortcake is made with a biscuit-like pastry, or “shortcake,” which is split and filled with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. It’s more rustic and crumbly. A strawberry shortcake cake, on the other hand, uses layers of a light and airy sponge or butter cake as its base. It has the same delicious flavor profile but with the taller, more elegant structure of a classic layer cake.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This recipe uses simple, easy-to-find ingredients to create a spectacular dessert. Here’s what you’ll need to gather.
For the Moist Vanilla Cake:
All-Purpose Flour: Provides the structure for our cake.
Granulated Sugar: For sweetness and a tender texture.
Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Our leavening agents that make the cake light and fluffy.
Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the flavors.
Unsalted Butter: Make sure it’s softened to room temperature for a smooth batter.
Eggs: Room temperature eggs incorporate better into the batter.
Vanilla Extract: Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
Buttermilk: The key to an incredibly moist and tender cake crumb.
For the Fresh Strawberry Filling:
Fresh Strawberries: The star of the show! Hull and slice them.
Granulated Sugar: Helps draw the juices out of the strawberries to create a natural syrup.
Lemon Juice: A little squeeze of fresh lemon juice brightens the flavor of the berries.
For the Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting:
Heavy Whipping Cream: It must be very cold to whip up properly.
Powdered Sugar: Sweetens the cream and helps it stabilize.
Unflavored Gelatin & Cold Water: Our secret weapon for a perfectly stable whipped cream that won’t wilt.
Vanilla Extract: For a touch of warm flavor.
Layers of fresh strawberries and fluffy whipped cream make this cake irresistible.
How to Make The Ultimate Strawberry Shortcake Cake
Making this beautiful strawberry layer cake is easier than you think. Follow these simple steps for a dessert that’s guaranteed to impress. We’ll start with the filling to give the strawberries time to release their juices.
Step 1: Prepare the Strawberry Filling
In a medium bowl, gently stir together the sliced strawberries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours. This process, called macerating, will create a delicious syrup for our cake.
Step 2: Bake the Vanilla Cakes
First, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the softened butter and mix on low speed until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Be careful not to overmix! Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 3: Make the Stabilized Whipped Cream
While the cakes cool, prepare the frosting. In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and let it sit for 5 minutes to bloom. Gently heat this mixture in the microwave for 5-10 seconds until the gelatin is fully dissolved, then set it aside to cool slightly. In a large, chilled bowl, beat the cold heavy whipping cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add the powdered sugar and vanilla, then slowly stream in the cooled gelatin mixture while beating continuously. Continue to beat until stiff, pipeable peaks form.
Step 4: Assemble Your Strawberry Shortcake Cake
Once the cakes are completely cool, you can assemble your masterpiece. Place one cake layer on your serving platter. Top it with about one-third of the whipped cream frosting, spreading it evenly. Using a slotted spoon, arrange half of the sliced strawberries over the cream. Drizzle a little of the strawberry syrup over the top. Place the second cake layer on top and repeat the process. Frost the top and sides of the entire cake with the remaining whipped cream. Garnish with whole fresh strawberries. For a truly stunning cake, you could even make some chocolate-covered treats to decorate the top.
Pro Tips for a Perfect Cake Every Time
Follow these expert tips to ensure your homemade strawberry shortcake cake is flawless.
Use Room Temperature Ingredients: For the cake batter, using room temperature butter, eggs, and buttermilk helps create a smooth, emulsified batter, which results in a more uniform and tender crumb.
Don’t Overmix the Batter: Mix until the ingredients are just combined. Overmixing develops gluten, which can lead to a tough, dense cake.
Chill Your Bowl and Beaters: For the fluffiest whipped cream, place your mixing bowl and the beaters or whisk attachment in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before you start.
Cool Cakes Completely: Never frost a warm cake! The whipped cream will melt instantly. Be patient and let the layers cool completely. For more amazing bakes, check out this lemon blueberry tart recipe.
Storing Your Strawberry Shortcake Cake
Because this cake is made with fresh whipped cream and strawberries, it must be stored in the refrigerator. Cover it loosely with plastic wrap or use a cake carrier and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. The stabilized whipped cream will hold up beautifully. If you’re looking for other dessert ideas, these fluffy blueberry muffins are always a hit!
Yes! You can bake the cake layers a day in advance and store them, wrapped tightly, at room temperature. You can also assemble the entire cake up to 24 hours before serving. Just keep it refrigerated.
Fresh strawberries are highly recommended for the best flavor and texture. If you must use frozen, thaw them completely and drain any excess liquid before macerating them with sugar, as they will release a lot more water than fresh berries.
Our recipe has a few safeguards! The stabilized whipped cream acts as a barrier. Also, when adding the strawberry filling, use a slotted spoon to add mostly berries, and then drizzle the syrup on top sparingly. This gives you all the flavor without oversaturating the cake.
The secret is a small amount of unflavored gelatin. It dissolves completely and doesn’t affect the taste, but it gives the whipped cream enough structure to hold its shape for days without weeping or deflating.
A classic strawberry shortcake is typically made with a scone or biscuit-like base. This recipe reimagines those flavors in the form of a layer cake, using a soft, moist vanilla cake instead of a biscuit.
The Ultimate Strawberry Shortcake Cake Recipe
Get ready to bake the most delicious strawberry dessert you’ve ever had. This recipe is your key to a perfect celebration.
FL Recipes
Strawberry Shortcake Cake: The Easiest From-Scratch Recipe
The ultimate strawberry shortcake cake recipe! This guide shows you how to make a stunning layer cake with moist vanilla cake, fresh strawberry filling, and stabilized whipped cream frosting. Perfect for any celebration and surprisingly easy to make!
In a medium bowl, gently stir together the sliced strawberries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the berries to macerate and release their juices.
Bake the Vanilla Cakes
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the softened butter and mix on low speed until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the Stabilized Whipped Cream
In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and let it sit for 5 minutes to bloom.
Microwave the gelatin mixture for 5-10 seconds, until the gelatin is fully dissolved. Let it cool slightly but do not let it set.
In a large, chilled bowl, beat the cold heavy cream until soft peaks form. Gradually add the powdered sugar and vanilla.
While beating on low speed, slowly stream in the cooled gelatin mixture. Increase speed and beat until stiff peaks form.
Assemble the Cake
Place one cooled cake layer on a serving platter. Top with one-third of the whipped cream.
Using a slotted spoon, arrange half of the macerated strawberries over the cream. Drizzle with a little of the syrup.
Place the second cake layer on top. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining whipped cream. Garnish with fresh strawberries.
Nutrition
Calories: 450kcalProtein: 5gFat: 25gFiber: 2g
Notes
Ensure your heavy cream, mixing bowl, and beaters are very cold for the best results when making the frosting. Let the cakes cool completely before assembling to prevent the whipped cream from melting. The cake is best served chilled and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
I can’t wait to see your beautiful strawberry shortcake cake creations! If you make this recipe, please leave a comment below and let me know how you liked it. Don’t forget to share a photo on Pinterest and tag us. Happy baking!
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Hi, I’m Emily Carter, and welcome to FL Recipes! I share simple, healthy recipes that make cooking easy, fun, and delicious for everyone. more about me »
