This Strawberries and Cream Cake is perfect for any summer celebration. It’s layered with a fluffy whipped vanilla buttercream and sliced strawberries. I made this cake for my sisters mini backyard wedding (post here for details!) It’s delicious, pretty and all around charming.
Fresh strawberries are one of my favorite parts of summer. In Michigan, where I grew up, you can always get some from a cute little stand on the side of the road. I make sure I pick some up every time I am in town. They are so sweet, juicy and perfect for baking.
I decided to make this cake for my sisters wedding in the beginning of June (post on wedding details here!) Growing up my sisters and I would sing Strawberry Wine by Deanna Carter while driving through the summery country roads with our parents. As an ode to our childhood, this cake felt perfect for the occasion.
I chose a classic yellow cake for this recipe because it’s simple and classic. I’ve also made this cake quite a bit and I did not want to take any risks for the wedding. The key to making this cake is to not over mix it and to use cake flour if possible. I know cake flour is still hard to find right now 🙁 but it makes such a difference because it has a lower protein content. If you cannot find any you can make cake flour from all-purpose by measuring out a cup of all purpose flour, removing 2 tablespoons, and then adding 2 tablespoons of corn starch. Sift them together and it will work just fine!
The vanilla buttercream on the cake is light and fluffy, but firm enough to completely smooth out. It also does fairly well in heat, and for a wedding on a hot sunny day in June, I wanted to make sure it wouldn’t melt off. I added a little bit of heavy cream so when I whipped the frosting it lightened it up a bit.
The strawberries in the middle are sliced to 1/4 inch thick and then placed in a circular pattern around each layer. I started on the outside and worked my way in until each layer was covered. Make sure the outside layer of the strawberries are not too close to the edge. Juice will end up seeping out of the frosting on the sides of the cake if they are too close. I put mine around 1/4 an inch from the edge to prevent this.
When frosting the cake I first made a “crumb layer”. You can do this by smoothing a thing layer of frosting around the cake to catch all the crumbs. Then place the cake in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to harden the layer. This will allow you a smooth surface with no crumbs for the rest of the frosting. I used an offset spatula and bench scraper to smooth the frosting over the cake.
Because the cake was for a wedding I chose to put fresh florals on top. If you are making it for another event, fresh strawberries would also be beautiful on the top!
Strawberries and Cream Wedding Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 4¼ cups cake flour
- 3¾ teaspoons baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1½ cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 2¼ cups milk
- 9 egg yolks
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1½ teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 pint strawberries, sliced
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- 2¼ cups unsalted butter at room temperature
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 1½ tablespoons heavy cream
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
Cake
- 1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of three 8" cake pans with parchment paper.2. In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt.3. Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand up mixer. With the paddle attachment, beat until smooth, around 2-3 minutes on medium speed.4. In a medium bowl, add the milk, eggs, vanilla and lemon juice. Lightly whisk.5. To the bowl of a stand up mixer, slowly start adding in the flour mixture and then the milk mixture, alternating one at a time. Beat the cake mixture until combined, around 1 minute.6. Add an even amount of mix to both pans. Smooth with a spoon until even. Bake at 350° degrees for 20-25 minutes. The top of the cake should be slightly browned, and a toothpick should come out of the middle clean. Let the cake cool completely.
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- 1. To the bowl of a standup mixer with the paddle attachment add the butter and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and fluffy. 2. Add the heavy cream and vanilla extract. Beat the frosting on medium high until light and fluffy, around 2 minutes.
To Assemble The Cake
- 1. Place 1 cake round on the cake stand. Add the first layer of frosting on top of the bottom layer. Smooth across. In a circular pattern, place the sliced strawberries until the whole layer is evenly covered. Place the second cake round on top of the bottom layer. Repeat the process on the top of the second layer. Top with the third cake layer. 2. Smooth a layer of frosting around the top and sides of the cake to create a "crumb layer". Place in the fridge for 15 minutes so the crumb layer hardens up a bit. 3. Remove the cake from the fridge and frost the rest of the cake until smooth. Place fresh florals on the top, or top with fresh strawberries. Enjoy!