Strawberry Lemonade Cake with Lemon Buttercream (Printable)
Fluffy strawberry-lemon layers with tangy buttercream frosting, ideal for summer gatherings and special celebrations.
# What You Need:
→ Strawberry Lemon Cake
01 - 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
04 - ½ teaspoon salt
05 - 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
06 - 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
07 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 1 tablespoon lemon zest from 2 lemons
09 - ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
10 - ½ cup milk, room temperature
11 - ½ cup sour cream, room temperature
12 - ⅔ cup finely chopped fresh strawberries
13 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Creamy Lemon Buttercream
14 - 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
15 - 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
16 - 2 tablespoons lemon zest
17 - ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
18 - 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
19 - ¼ teaspoon salt
→ Decoration
20 - Fresh strawberries, halved
21 - Lemon slices or zest curls
# Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well blended.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Mix in lemon zest and vanilla extract.
05 - In a separate measuring cup, combine lemon juice, milk, and sour cream. Stir until smooth.
06 - With mixer on low speed, alternately add flour mixture and lemon-milk mixture to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined.
07 - Gently fold chopped strawberries into batter using a rubber spatula until evenly distributed.
08 - Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake for 28-32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
09 - Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto wire racks to cool completely before frosting.
10 - Beat butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and 2 tablespoons cream. Beat on high speed until fluffy, 3-5 minutes, adding more cream if needed for spreading consistency.
11 - Level cooled cake tops if needed. Place one layer on serving plate, spread with buttercream, top with second layer. Frost top and sides evenly.
12 - Garnish with fresh strawberry halves and lemon slices or zest curls. Refrigerate briefly before slicing for cleaner cuts.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The buttercream hits that perfect sweet tangy balance that makes people close their eyes when they take a bite
- Fresh strawberries baked into the layers create little pockets of jammy goodness throughout the cake
- It looks impressive on a dessert table but comes together with straightforward techniques you already know
02 -
- Room temperature ingredients are non negotiable for this cake to emulsify properly
- Letting the cakes cool completely before frosting prevents the buttercream from melting and sliding off
- Chilling the frosted cake for 30 minutes makes slicing cleaner and serving less messy
03 -
- Spread a thin layer of strawberry jam between cake layers for an extra punch of berry flavor
- Zest your lemons before juicing them, or the task becomes nearly impossible
- If your buttercream is too stiff, add cream one teaspoon at a time until it spreads smoothly