Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Filling

image of a strawberry cake made with strawberry filling and strawberry cream cheese frosting

5 from 2 rating

Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Filling

This strawberry cake with strawberry filling is the perfect summer cake! From its tender strawberry cake layers to its fluffy cream cheese strawberry frosting and homemade strawberry filling, it is a strawberry lover's dream.

Prep Time1

Cook Time1 20

Additional Time1

Total Time3 20

Course: Cakes

Cuisine: American

Servings: 24

Calories: 524kcal

Author: Chelsey White

Equipment

Ingredients

Strawberry Reduction

6 cups fresh or frozen (and thawed) strawberries, hulled 900g or 2 lbs
3/4 cup granulated sugar 150g
1/4 cup water 60g
1/4 cup cornstarch 32g
1 Tbsp lemon juice 15g
2 tsp fresh lemon zest 5g
pinch of fine salt

Strawberry Cake Recipe

3 cups all-purpose flour 375g
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar 500g
1/4 cup freeze-dried strawberry powder (optional) 28g
2 1/2 tsp baking powder 10g
1 tsp fine salt 6g
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 226g
1 cup carton egg whites or 4 large whole eggs, room temperature 240g
1 1/2 cups sour cream, room temperature 360g
1/2 cup strawberry reduction (made above), room temperature 120g
2 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil 30g
2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 8g
pink gel food coloring - if desired

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 339g
1 cup cream cheese, room temperature 226g
1/4 cup strawberry reduction (made above), room temperature 60g
3 Tbsp freeze-dried strawberry powder (optional) 20g
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 5g
1/2 tsp fine salt 3g
6 cups powdered sugar 750g
pink gel food coloring - if desired

Instructions

Strawberry Reduction

Note: This part of the recipe has about an hour of cook time and an hour of cooling time. If you're short on time, the strawberry reduction can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a month.
Add 6 cups of fresh or frozen (and thawed) hulled strawberries and 3/4 cup granulated sugar into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Pour this into a medium-sized saucepan.
Heat over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture begins to boil. Once it reaches this stage, lower the heat to medium-low. Stir the mixture occasionally, and let it continue to cook down for about 50-60 minutes, or until the mixture has reduced in volume by half. Cook time will vary based on the size of the pan you use. You should be left with about 3 cups (720g) of strawberry reduction. I recommend pouring it into a heat-proof bowl and weighing it or using a liquid measuring cup to check before adding in the cornstarch slurry. If you have more than that, it needs to be cooked down further.
After it's cooked down to this point, make the cornstarch slurry. In a separate small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup of water and 1/4 cup of cornstarch until fully combined (make sure there are no lumps!). Pour the cornstarch slurry into the strawberry mixture and stir until combined, then let the filling simmer for 5-6 minutes. At this point, the mixture should have visibly thickened and look kind of glossy.
Turn off the heat, and remove the pot from the stove. Pour the filling into a separate bowl to cool, then stir in 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 2 tsp lemon zest, and a pinch of fine salt. Let the filling cool to room temperature before using it. If you make it in advance, cover it with plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container and place it in the fridge once it's reached room temperature.

Strawberry Cake Layers

Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Grease and line three 8-inch cake pans with nonstick spray and parchment paper rounds. Set aside.
Mix 3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 1/2 cups sugar, 1/4 cup freeze-dried strawberries (optional), 2 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1 tsp salt together in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or hand mixer until fully combined.
Then mix in 1 cup of room temperature, unsalted butter slowly into the dry ingredients on a low speed. Continue to mix until no large chunks of butter remain and the mixture looks like moist sand.
Pour in 1 cup of egg whites and mix on low until just incorporated. Then mix in 1 1/2 cups of sour cream at a low speed.
Then add 1/2 cup of strawberry reduction (made above), 2 Tbsp of vegetable oil, 2 tsp of vanilla extract, and pink gel food coloring (optional), and mix at a low speed until fully incorporated.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then beat on a medium speed for about a minute to make sure everything is properly mixed together. This also helps lighten the texture of the cake layers.
Divide the batter evenly between your prepared pans (about 600g per pan). I like to use a scale to make sure each pan has the same amount of batter and will bake up to the same height.
Bake for 33-36 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the layers comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Let the pans cool for 10 minutes, then run a small offset spatula around the perimeter of the pan to separate the cake from the pan.
Place the cake layers into the freezer for 30 minutes to accelerate the cooling process. Once the layers are fully cooled, carefully flip the pans and remove the layers.
Use a serrated knife to level the tops of the layers right before you plan to assemble your cake, or you can wrap and freeze the layers if you're making them in advance.
If you make these cake layers in advance and freeze them, let them thaw for about 20 minutes before making your cake. The cake layers should still be slightly cold to the touch, which will make it easier to assemble your cake.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

While the cake layers bake and cool, make the strawberry cream cheese frosting.
Beat 1 1/2 cups of unsalted butter and 1 cup of cream cheese on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment until smooth.
Then mix in 1/4 cup of room temperature strawberry reduction (made above), 3 Tbsp of freeze-dried strawberry powder (optional), 1 tsp of vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp salt, and pink gel food coloring (optional) on a low speed.
Slowly mix in 6 cups of powdered sugar on a low speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure everything is properly mixed together.
Continue to mix on a low speed for a few minutes until the desired consistency is reached. If the frosting seems too thin, add more powdered sugar (a quarter of a cup at a time).
Place about 1 1/2 cups of frosting in a piping bag or freezer ziplock bag, seal the top with a rubber band, and cut a 1/2-inch opening at the base of the bag. Set aside, and cover the frosting flush with plastic wrap unless you plan to use it immediately (otherwise it will crust!).

Assembling This Strawberry Layer Cake

Stack and frost cake layers on a greaseproof cakeboard using a dab of frosting to help stick the first cake layer to the board.
Spread about 1 cup of strawberry cream cheese frosting onto the first cake layer with a large offset spatula. Pipe a frosting ring around the edge of the cake layer, then fill the center of it with half of the remaining strawberry reduction. Repeat with the next cake layer, and place the third cake layer on top.
Chill the cake in the fridge (30 minutes) or freezer (10 minutes) until the frosting is firm to the touch.
Then spread the remaining strawberry buttercream around the cake and create a textured look using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Add a semicircle of fresh strawberries around the top of the cake, then enjoy.

Video

Notes

If you need to make any substitutions or swaps in this recipe, please check out my section on ingredient substitutions above.

How Many People Does This Cake Feed?

If you make this cake with 3, 8-inch cake layers, it will feed about 24 people. For more information on cake sizes and servings, check out my cake portion guide.

Recipe Variations - Making This Cake in Different Sizes

One batch of this recipe makes about 10 cups of batter or about 1800 grams. If you plan to use three circular cake pans, add 600 grams of batter into each pan.

If you want to make a tiered cake or a different-sized cake with this recipe, check out my cake batter calculator to see how many batches of batter you'll need.

This recipe can also be used to make a sheet cake! One batch will make a 1, 9 x 13-inch cake layer that's about 1.5 inches tall once leveled.

Bake for 45-55 minutes at 350°F / 175 °C, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Bake time can vary a lot based on the type of pan you use, if you use heating cores, and your oven. I recommend using heating cores if you have them; they help sheet cake layers bake more evenly and quickly.

For more details on how to convert this cake recipe and others into sheet cakes, check out my sheet cake guide.

Last but not least, you can also make cupcakes using this recipe. Fill the liners 3/4 full and bake them at 350°F / 175 °C for 19-21 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. You should end up with about 3 dozen.

Tips for Making the Best Strawberry Layer Cake

Ingredients at room temperature mix together better! Set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
Properly measure the flour (spoon it into the cup measure, then level). Or better yet, use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
Use a scale to weigh your cake pans as you fill them. It will make your cake layers bake to the same height and bake more evenly.
Make sure the buttercream is the right consistency. This will help give the cake proper structure and make it easier to decorate.
Level the room temperature or thawed cake layers with a serrated knife to make them easier to stack.
Chill your cake layers in the freezer for about 20 minutes before assembling the cake. It makes it so much easier to stack and frost them!
If your cake layers turn out less than perfect, read my cake troubleshooting guide to see where things might've gone awry.

Making This Strawberry Cake in Advance & Storage Tips

I highly recommend making the cake layers in advance and freezing them. It breaks the process up and makes it more approachable and enjoyable, and I promise they taste just as delicious!

You can also make the frosting ahead of time or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.

Lastly, you can make the strawberry reduction ahead of time, too. It can be stored in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a month.

A frosted cake can last in the fridge for up to a week (as long as it doesn't have a perishable fruit filling) or in the freezer for up to a month. The buttercream locks in all the moisture, keeping the cake fresh and delicious! Wait to add the fresh strawberries to the top until right before you serve the cake.

If you cut into the cake and have leftovers, use any remaining frosting to cover the cut section to keep it moist and store it in the fridge for up to a week.

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