We all know and love the rustic, simple charm of a classic strawberry shortcake, with its tender biscuits and juicy, fresh berries. It’s a perfect, humble dessert that truly tastes like a perfect summer day. But what happens when you want to take that beloved flavor and transform it into a true, show-stopping centerpiece for a special occasion?
Imagine taking that same beautiful combination of sweet cake, fresh strawberries, and fluffy whipped cream and stacking it high into beautiful, distinct layers. A stunning dessert that is perfect for a birthday, a holiday, or any happy celebration. It is the ultimate dessert glow-up that takes a classic to a whole new level.
Today, we are making this incredible Strawberry Shortcake Cake. This recipe will show you how to create a stunning, multi-layered dessert that is surprisingly easy to assemble. Get ready to bake a cake that will create some beautiful new memories.
The Ultimate “From Scratch” Treat: Strawberry Shortcake Layer Cake
This Strawberry Shortcake Layer Cake is a true celebration of fresh, vibrant, and classic flavors. It takes the essence of the beloved dessert and reimagines it as a beautiful, multi-layered cake perfect for any celebration. The layers of light and tender vanilla cake, sweet and juicy strawberry filling, and fluffy whipped cream frosting come together in perfect harmony.
A Perfect Easy Celebration Cake for Simple Summer Desserts
You will find that this is the perfect easy celebration cake. It looks incredibly impressive and is a true showstopper, but the components are surprisingly simple to make. This dish is also one of the absolute best simple summer desserts, as it is wonderfully light and refreshing, and beautifully showcases fresh, in-season strawberries.
Your Guide: How to Keep a Layer Cake with Whipped Cream From Getting Soggy
For anyone wondering how to keep a layer cake with whipped cream from getting soggy, the secret is to create a sturdy “dam” of frosting around the edge of each cake layer before you add your juicy strawberry filling. This simple but brilliant trick contains all the delicious fruit juices and prevents them from soaking into the delicate cake layers or causing the whipped cream frosting to weep. Using a stabilized whipped cream frosting, like the one in our recipe, is another key to a perfect, long-lasting result.
Why You’ll Love This Strawberry Shortcake Cake
You are going to love this recipe because it is an absolutely stunning and impressive-looking dessert that is perfect for any special occasion. You’ll also adore the incredible combination of textures and flavors, from the light and tender cake to the juicy strawberries and the cool, fluffy cream. Plus, it’s a surprisingly easy and straightforward recipe that will make you look like a professional baker with minimal stress.
Nutritional Benefits
This beautiful classic dessert is a wonderful way to celebrate the deliciousness of fresh fruit. The strawberries are absolutely packed with beneficial Vitamin C, dietary fiber, and powerful antioxidants. By making every single component of this dessert at home from scratch, you have complete control over the quality of your ingredients and the amount of sugar, creating a much more wholesome treat.
Full Recipe
Are you ready to create a show-stopping dessert that will be the star of your next celebration? This detailed guide will walk you through every simple step, from baking the light and tender cake layers to creating the perfect strawberry filling. Get ready to master a new family-favorite that is as beautiful as it is delicious.
Take your dessert game to the next level with this stunning Strawberry Shortcake Cake. This recipe features layers of a light and tender vanilla cake, a sweet and juicy fresh strawberry filling, and a fluffy, stabilized whipped cream frosting. This is the ultimate show-stopping dessert for a birthday, holiday, or any summer celebration, and it’s surprisingly easy to make.
Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour | Yield: 10-12 servings | Category: Dessert, Cake | Method: Baking | Cuisine: American | Diet: Vegetarian
Essential Ingredients for Strawberry Shortcake Cake
This show-stopping layer cake comes to life with a handful of simple, classic ingredients.
- For the Strawberry Filling:
- 2 lbs (about 1 kg) of fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- For the Tender Vanilla Cake:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- For the Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting:
- 2 cups cold heavy whipping cream
- 1 block (8 oz / 225g) of cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Ingredients Notes
A little more detail on our key ingredients will ensure your cake is a spectacular success.
- The Strawberries: For the absolute best and most flavourful result, it is crucial to use fresh, ripe, and in-season strawberries. Macerating the strawberries, which is the simple process of tossing them with a little sugar, is a key step that draws out their natural juices to create a beautiful, syrupy sauce for the filling.
- The Vanilla Cake: Our simple, butter-based vanilla cake is incredibly moist, tender, and sturdy enough to hold up to the layers. It is very important to use room temperature ingredients, like butter, eggs, and buttermilk. This allows them to combine into a smooth, emulsified batter, which is the secret to a perfect cake texture.
- The Stabilized Whipped Cream: A standard whipped cream is often not stable enough to frost a layer cake and hold its shape. Our simple, stabilized version gets its structure from a block of softened cream cheese. This brilliant addition makes the frosting thick, pipeable, and gives it a wonderful, subtle tangy flavor that perfectly complements the sweet cake and strawberries.
How to Make Strawberry Shortcake Cake
Let’s walk through the simple steps to create this stunning and delicious layer cake.
- Step 1: Prepare the Strawberry Filling. In a large bowl, combine your sliced strawberries with the ¼ cup of granulated sugar. Gently stir to combine, and then let the strawberries sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to an hour to allow them to release their delicious juices.
- Step 2: Bake the Cake Layers. Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F) and grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla.
- Step 3: Finish the Batter and Bake. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Divide the batter evenly between your two prepared cake pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, then let the cakes cool completely.
- Step 4: Make the Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting. In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until it is smooth. Slowly pour in the cold heavy cream and beat until stiff peaks form. Beat in the powdered sugar and the vanilla extract until everything is smooth and fluffy.
- Step 5: Assemble the Layer Cake. Place one cooled cake layer on your serving plate. Pipe a “dam” of the whipped cream frosting around the outer edge of the cake. Fill the center of the dam with about half of the juicy strawberry filling.
- Step 6: Finish Assembling and Frost. Place the second cake layer on top. Frost the entire top and sides of the cake with the remaining stabilized whipped cream frosting.
- Step 7: Decorate and Chill. You can decorate the top of the cake with the remaining strawberry filling or with some whole fresh strawberries. Chill the finished cake in the refrigerator for at least 1 to 2 hours to allow it to set before you slice and serve it.
Storage Options
This beautiful strawberry shortcake layer cake should be stored in the refrigerator because of the fresh cream frosting. You can cover it loosely with plastic wrap or store it in a cake carrier. It will stay fresh and delicious in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Variations and Substitutions
This classic recipe is a wonderful and versatile template that you can easily adapt. For a different flavor, you can add the zest of one lemon to your cake batter for a bright, citrusy note. You can also easily substitute the strawberries with other fresh, seasonal fruits like a mix of berries, or even some fresh peaches.
Practical & Valuable Tips
For the most tender cake crumb, be sure that all of your dairy ingredients and eggs are at room temperature before you begin, and be very careful not to overmix your batter. The step of creating a frosting “dam” around the edge of the cake layer is the most important secret for a clean, stable cake that doesn’t leak. Finally, chilling the finished, assembled cake for at least an hour is a crucial step that helps the layers to set, making it much easier to get beautiful, clean slices.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I make the cake layers ahead of time? Yes, absolutely! You can bake the cake layers up to two days in advance. Just let them cool completely, then wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and store them at room temperature until you are ready to assemble the cake.
- Can I use a store-bought cake mix to make this recipe even easier? Of course! If you are short on time, you can use your favorite brand of a white or yellow cake mix to prepare the two 9-inch cake layers according to the package directions. The homemade strawberry filling and whipped cream frosting will still make the final dessert taste incredibly special.
- Can I use frozen strawberries for the filling? While fresh strawberries will give you the absolute best flavour and texture, you can use frozen strawberries in a pinch. You will just need to thaw them completely and then drain off any excess liquid before you toss them with the sugar.
- My whipped cream frosting is not very stable. What did I do wrong? The key to a stable whipped cream frosting is using very cold heavy whipping cream and softened, but not melted, cream cheese. Beating the cream cheese first until it is smooth is an important step to prevent any lumps. Make sure you are also using powdered sugar, not granulated, as it helps to stabilize the cream.
- What is the best way to slice this cake cleanly? For the cleanest possible slices, it is a great idea to chill the cake thoroughly first. Use a long, sharp knife, and it can be very helpful to wipe the blade of the knife clean with a damp paper towel between each and every slice.
Conclusion
This Strawberry Shortcake Cake is the ultimate show-stopping dessert for any special occasion. It’s a dish that takes the beloved, classic flavours of summer and transforms them into a stunning, elegant, and multi-layered masterpiece. It is a surprisingly easy recipe that is guaranteed to impress your family and friends and create beautiful, lasting memories. This is The Ultimate Layered Dish. If you love this beautiful and delicious dessert, don’t forget to share it and save it to your favorite cake recipes board on Pinterest!
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