I love strawberries, especially when it’s strawberry season and I can buy them fresh at the farmers market. This Strawberry Vanilla Layer Cake is perfect to use the almost overripe and therefore extra sweet strawberries.
This cake has a variety of flavors – starting with the fluffy vanilla cake layers, followed by a dreamy cream cheese frosting and last but not least a pretty mouthwatering strawberry sauce in between. Every bite of this cake is absolutely scrumptious.
If you are into sweet, buttery and fruity cakes, then this is the one for you. Okay, I have to admit it’s a little more time-consuming to make it, but with a little planning, you can prepare a lot in advance, so you don’t have to make it all at once. Besides, it is worth the effort considering the obvious reward…right?!
Tools & Equipment
- 2 strips of acetate 50cm / 20-inch
- Cake ring 15cm / 6-inch
- Hand blender
- Liquid measuring cup
- Medium bowl
- Medium saucepan
- Parchment paper
- Plastic scraper
- Quarter baking sheet
- Silicone spatula
- Stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment
- Whisk
- Wire rack
Recipe Tips
Cake Flour: If you do not have cake flour at home or are not able to find it in the supermarket, you can make it at home without any trouble. Combine all-purpose flour (550) and cornstarch in a ratio of 87% flour and 13% cornstarch. Sift it into a bowl and repeat twice.
Plan Ahead: Make sure the cake is completely cool before using it in this recipe. Because of that, I like to prepare it 1 day in advance. Cover the cake in plastic and store in the fridge until needed.
Frosting: I usually make the frosting right before assembling the cake because it’s done in a snap. You can prepare the frosting the day before and store it in the fridge overnight. Before using, loosen it up by placing the frosting in a mixer and beating on medium speed for about 3 minutes.
Ingredients for Strawberry Vanilla Layer Cake
Step by Step Guide – How to Make Strawberry Vanilla Layer Cake
Make the Vanilla Cake
Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F. Spray a quarter sheet pan with non-stick spray and line with parchment. Combine the butter, shortening and both sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium-high.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating on medium-high for 1 minute after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat for 4 minutes with the mixer on high speed. Combine buttermilk, oil and vanilla.
Add the mixture slowly on low speed. Increase the mixer to medium-high and beat until the mixture is white, twice its size and homogeneous. Combine cake flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients on very low speed. Mix for 45-60 seconds then scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix again on low for 45 seconds.
Spread the cake mixture evenly in the pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes and rotate the pan halfway through baking. Gently tap the edge of the cake after 30 minutes. The cake should spring back slightly and the center should no longer jiggle. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool on a wire rack or in the fridge.
Make the Strawberry Sauce
Whisk together cornstarch and water until completely dissolved. Place the cornstarch mixture with the rest of the ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir the mixture as it cooks.
Use a hand blender to break up the strawberries. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and let cool. The mixture will thicken as it cools.
Make the Vanilla Soak & the Cream Cheese Frosting
Whisk together milk and vanilla. Combine the butter, shortening and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium until smooth and fluffy.
With the mixer running on low, add the corn syrup and vanilla. Increase to medium-high and beat until smooth and glossy white. Add powdered sugar, salt, baking soda and citric acid and mix on low speed to incorporate. Increase to medium-high and beat until you have a smooth frosting.
Assemble the Cake
Run a plastic scraper along the sides of the cake. Place a piece of parchment on your work surface. Invert the cake onto it and peel off the parchment.
Cut out 2 circles from the cake. Assemble the remaining cake “leftover” to make the bottom cake layer. Clean the cake ring and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Use the 1st strip of acetate to line the inside of the cake ring. Place the cake scraps inside the ring and press the scraps together to form a flat, even layer.
Drizzle the cake layer with half of the vanilla soak. Spread 1/5 of the frosting over the cake in an even layer. Spread 1/3 of the strawberry sauce on top and place in the freezer for a few minutes. Distribute another 1/5 of the frosting as evenly as possible over the strawberry layer. The strawberry sauce and frosting will mix a bit, but that’s fine.
Carefully insert the 2nd acetate strip between the cake ring and top of the first acetate strip to create a 12-15cm / 5-6-inches high transparent acetate ring. Place a cake ring on top of the frosting and repeat layering. Poke the remaining cake round into the frosting. Cover the top with the rest of the frosting and garnish with some strawberry sauce.
Place the cake in the freezer for at least 12 hours to let the cake and filling set. Remove from the freezer and place the cake on a plate. Release from the cake ring and carefully pull off the acetate. Thaw in the fridge for 3 hours before serving. Place a couple of fresh strawberries on top.
Storage: Keep the assembled cake, wrapped in plastic, in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 1 month. Let it thaw in the fridge for at least 3 hours. You can store the cooled cake base, wrapped in plastic, in the fridge for up to 4 days. The strawberry sauce and frosting can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
My Summary for Strawberry Vanilla Layer Cake
Difficulty: Intermediate.
Taste: The cake is sweet and buttery. On top of that, you can taste the full flavor of the strawberries and vanilla in every bite.
Texture: 3 layers of fluffy vanilla cake with creamy cream cheese frosting and fruity strawberry sauce in between.
TIME: Preparing this cake is a bit more time consuming, make sure you plan ahead. There are a few steps required before you can assemble the cake. It takes about 3 hours to make and fully cool the strawberry sauce. Making the cake base takes about 1 hour, including baking. Finally, assembling the cake also takes about 1 hour, as the cake needs to be placed in the freezer for a while after adding the strawberry sauce.
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