This stunning strawberry vanilla cake is the best way to show off fresh summer strawberries! Three layers of moist vanilla cake are filled with fresh strawberries, wrapped with whipped cream frosting, and topped with more fresh berries.
This vanilla cake with strawberry filling is an absolute dream!
With flavors much like strawberry shortcake, it combines a moist vanilla cake with fresh, juicy strawberries and a light yet sturdy whipped cream frosting that's stabilized with cream cheese.
The strawberries are certainly the highlight, but the combination of flavors and textures in this simple yet impressive cake make it one you'll want to make again and again!
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Why This Recipe Works
This is the light and fruity cake we crave in the summertime!
The flavorful vanilla cake is perfectly moist and tender. It's the perfect base for the strawberries.
Fresh strawberries are definitely the star of the show. Macerated strawberries sit between the cake layers while whole fresh berries top the cake.
The stabilized whipped cream frosting is the secret MVP of this cake. It doesn't steal the strawberries' spotlight, but its dreamy and light texture and not-too-sweet vanilla flavor is the perfect complement to the berries.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for full ingredient list and measurements.
Cake Ingredients
Cake Flour - Cake flour creates a cake that is soft and tender. I do not recommend substituting all-purpose flour, since it makes this cake too dense.
Unsalted Butter - Butter adds flavor and moisture to the cake batter. I recommend unsalted butter so that we can control the amount of salt added to the batter.
Vegetable Oil - Oil helps to create a cake that is more moist and tender than a cake made with butter alone.
Eggs - This yellow cake recipe uses 3 whole eggs to add structure to the batter.
Vanilla Extract & Paste - A mix of pure vanilla extract and vanilla bean paste give the cake a prominent vanilla flavor. If you prefer, you can substitute an equal measure of additional vanilla extract for the paste.
Whole Milk - Milk adds moisture and tenderness to the cake. The fat content of whole milk makes it a better choice than low-fat milk for a tender cake.
Frosting & Filling Ingredients
Heavy Whipping Cream - Heavy whipping cream is what makes this frosting so light and airy when whipped. Be sure to choose cream labelled "heavy whipping cream" or "heavy cream" so that it contains enough fat to whip properly.
Cream Cheese - Cream cheese is used to thicken and stabilize the whipped cream so that it's sturdy enough to hold up the cake layers. Be sure to use full-fat block cream cheese, not whipped cream cheese or cream cheese in a tub. And note that we'll be using cold cream cheese, not bringing it to room temperature first.
Confectioners' Sugar - Confectioners' sugar (aka powdered sugar) adds both structure and a hint of sweetness to the frosting.
Special Equipment
In addition to essential baking equipment (like a mixing bowl and whisk), I recommend some special tools for making this recipe.
- Three 8 inch round cake pans (or two 9 inch round cake pans), for baking the cake layers.
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer, for mixing the cake batter and frosting.
- Offset spatula, for spreading the frosting.
- Piping tip (whatever shape you like) and piping bag, for piping frosting between layers and on top of cake.
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for detailed recipe instructions.
Step 1: Make the cake. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Step 2: Cream the butter and sugar for 3 minutes until blended and smooth.
Step 3: Add eggs and beat until well blended. Then add oil and both vanillas and beat until well blended.
Step 4: Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients alternately with the milk, mixing on low speed until blended.
Step 5: Divide the batter evenly between three 8 inch cake pans sprayed with cooking spray and lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350ºF for 23 minutes.
Step 6: Prep the strawberry filling. Slice half of the berries into flat strips and add to a bowl with sugar. Stir to coat and set the berries aside to macerate while you make the frosting.
Step 7: Make the frosting. Beat the cold cream cheese until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and salt and beat until smooth.
Step 8: Slowly stream the heavy cream into the bowl and blend until thoroughly mixed.
Step 9: Assemble the cake. Place one cake layer onto a cake plate. Spread a layer of frosting over the top of the cake. Fit a piping bag with a piping tip and pipe a ridge of frosting around the edge of the cake layer.
Step 10: Spoon half of the macerated strawberries on top of the frosting inside the ridge.
Step 11: Top with a second layer of cake and top this layer just as you did the first: spreading a layer of frosting, piping a ridge of frosting, and then spooning the remaining strawberries onto the frosting. Top with the third layer of cake. Spread frosting on top of the final cake layer and around the sides of the cake.
Step 12: Pipe a decorative edge of frosting around the edge of the top of the cake. Arrange the un-macerated strawberries on the top of the cake.
Recipe Tips
To easily divide the cake batter among the three pans, use a kitchen scale to weigh the mixing bowl before you make the cake batter. Then weigh the bowl with the batter to determine just the weight of the batter. Divide the weight by 3, and use the kitchen scale to measure ⅓ of the batter into each cake pan.
Be sure to keep the cream cheese and heavy cream for the frosting cool to ensure it whips properly. You can even chill the bowl and whisk in the freezer for 15 minutes before you begin.
Be very careful not to over-whip the frosting. You should only have to whip it for a few more seconds after all of the cream is added. Stop just before it reaches stiff peaks.
Avoid adding the strawberry juice in the bottom of the bowl to the cake when spooning the strawberries on top of the frosting. This extra liquid can seep into the frosting and cake.
Check out these cake-baking tips, too!
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Because this cake is filled with fresh strawberries, it should be stored in the fridge, sealed in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.
Sliced fresh strawberries made a delicious filling in cakes. First wash and dry the berries before slicing them. I then like to macerate them (let them sit for a bit with some sugar to amplify the fruit's juiciness). They can then be used along with frosting in between cake layers or to top a cake.
Fresh strawberries will make cake soggy if they're left to sit directly on the cake, with their juices absorbing into the cake. Adding a layer of whipped cream frosting between the fresh strawberries and the cake stops the cake from absorbing the fruit's juice and becoming soggy.
Storage Instructions
This cake is best enjoyed the same day that it is assembled, though it can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Room Temperature: This cake can sit out at a cool room temperature for up to 2 hours. Because of the dairy in the frosting, it should not be left to sit out at room temperature for more than two hours.
Refrigerator: Because of both the fresh strawberries and whipped cream frosting, this cake should be stored in the fridge. Store the cake in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days. If the cake has already been sliced, place a layer of plastic over the exposed portion of the cake to keep air out.
Freezing: The cake layers can be baked ahead, individually wrapped in a layer of plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil, and frozen for up to two months. Defrost the cake layers at room temperature before assembling the cake.
More Fruity Cake Recipes
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Recipe
Strawberry Vanilla Cake
Special Equipment
- 3 8 inch round cake pans (or two 9 inch round cake pans)
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
Ingredients
Cake Batter:
- 2 ½ cups (300 grams) cake flour, sifted
- 2 ¼ teaspoons (9 grams) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (6 grams) fine sea salt
- ½ cup (114 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ⅔ cups (332 grams) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- ¼ cup (55 grams) vegetable oil
- 1 Tablespoon (13 grams) vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons (10 grams) vanilla bean paste
- 1 cup (244 grams) whole milk, room temperature
Strawberry Filling and Topping:
- 2 pounds (907 grams) fresh strawberries, washed and dried, divided
- 2 Tablespoons (24 grams) granulated sugar
Whipped Cream Frosting:
- 10 ounces (284 grams) full-fat cream cheese, cold
- 1 ¼ cup (150 grams) confectioners' sugar
- 1 ¼ teaspoon (5 grams) vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon (0.75 grams) fine sea salt
- 2 ½ cups (595 grams) heavy whipping cream, cold
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F. Spray three 8 inch round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
Make the cake batter.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl using an electric hand mixer), cream the butter and sugar for 3 minutes until blended and smooth.
- Add eggs and mix on low speed until blended. Then turn mixer up to high speed and beat for one minute.
- Add oil and both vanillas and beat until well blended.
- With the mixer running on low speed, add one third of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring until blended. Add half of the milk, continuing to stir until combined. Add another third of the flour mixture, followed by the remaining milk, and then the final third of flour mixture, blending slowly between each addition. Gently fold in any final bits of flour, being careful not to over mix the batter.
Bake the cake.
- Divide the batter evenly between the three pans.
- Bake the cakes for 21-23 minutes, or until the top sprigs back when gently poked and a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Run a cake tester or knife around the edge of the cake to keep it from sticking to the sides of the pan once cooled. Let the cake cool completely in the pan before assembling.
Make the strawberry filling.
- Once the cake is cool, prep the strawberry filling. Wash and dry the strawberries. Slice half (one pound) of the berries into flat strips and place in a bowl. Set the other pound of strawberries aside for topping the cake.
- Add sugar and stir to coat the berries. Set the bowl aside, allowing the berries to macerate, while you make the frosting.
Make the frosting.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a large bowl using an electric hand mixer), beat the cold cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth.
- Add confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and salt and beat on low speed until mixed. Then turn speed up to medium-high speed until smooth.
- With mixer running on medium-high speed, slowly stream the heavy cream into the bowl and blend until thoroughly mixed.
Assemble the cake.
- Place one cake layer onto a cake plate. Spread a layer of frosting over the top of the cake.
- Fit a piping bag with a piping tip and pipe a ridge of frosting around the edge of the cake layer.
- Spoon half of the macerated strawberries on top of the frosting inside the ridge. Avoid adding the juice from the bottom of the bowl.
- Top the frosting and strawberries with a second layer of cake and top this layer just as you did the first: spreading a layer of frosting, piping a ridge of frosting, and then spooning the remaining strawberries onto the frosting.
- Top with the third layer of cake. Spread frosting on top of the final cake layer and around the sides of the cake.
- Pipe a decorative edge of frosting around the edge of the top of the cake.
- Arrange the un-macerated strawberries on the top of the cake. You may choose to slice some of them.
Heidi Warren
Making this today for my sons birthday ! I’m super excited to try it! Updates coming !
Jennifer A
This was a delicious mess of a cake. I'm guessing the air was too warm when I made the icing because it did not firm up at all, it was very runny but still very tasty. I was skeptical when I read the recipe but since only one review commented on the icing being runny I thought I'd give it a go. Needless to say I wasn't able to pipe the icing to hold in the strawberry layers which made the cake even more sloppy looking. You might want to skip this recipe if you're a perfectionist...
Allison Ferraro
Hi Jennifer! I'd sorry that the cake didn't turn out the way you'd hoped. I'd love to help you troubleshoot the frosting, and, as you mentioned, temperature certainly plays a role. Was your kitchen very warm? Were your cream cheese and heavy cream well chilled? And did you slowly stream the cream into the bowl when adding it to the frosting (instead of pouring it in quickly or all at once)?
- Allison
Anna
The cake batter worked better to fill 2 8-inch cake pans for me, I think 3 Would have been too little and I found the frosting to be quite liquidy. Excited to try and thank you for the recipe - was fun to give it a go! 😊
Allison Ferraro
Hi Anna! Sounds like you preferred a much thicker cake layer. Were you using 2" or 3" tall 8" pans? For the frosting, I'm wondering if your cream cheese and/or heavy cream were not thoroughly cold? And did you slowly stream the cream into the bowl when adding it to the frosting? I'd love to try to help troubleshoot what may have gone wrong.
- Allison
Yolanda
Made this cake for first time and the vanilla flavor made this cake taste so good. It was a hit with my guests. I had hoped for leftovers but there were none. Will definitely make again.
NV
So stinking delicious!!! So good! Just need all the fresh ingredients and it turned out great. I only have vanilla paste & not extract so I just used one tablespoon of vanilla paste. It is a great recipe! Everyone loved it!
michelle
literally the best cake ever. made for my daughters birthday and everyone is requesting to make it again. the icing is perfect and everything complements each other so nicely! amazing!
Allison Ferraro
Michelle your comment absolutely made my day! I'm so glad this cake was a hit for your family, and I really appreciate you taking the time to leave a 5 star review!
- Allison
Snezhana
Absolute delight! Everyone loved it. The cake itself is so light, fluffy, and the frosting super creamy with refreshing strawberries.
Lori
Loved the recipe; however, is better in 3- 6 inch pans. I found it a very short cake in 8 inch pans
Andi
Where are the measurements
Allison Ferraro
Hi Andi. You can find the ingredients with measurements and the complete recipe instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Allison
Aubrey
Made this for my boyfriends birthday and Everyone loved it. It was delicious