Strawberry Lemonade Layer Cake (Print Version)
Bright tangy lemon sponge with sweet strawberry filling and smooth buttercream frosting.
# What You Need:
→ Lemon Cake
01 - 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 ½ tsp baking powder
03 - ½ tsp baking soda
04 - ½ tsp salt
05 - 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
06 - 1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
07 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
08 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
09 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
10 - ¾ cup whole milk, room temperature
11 - ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
→ Strawberry Filling
12 - 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and diced
13 - ⅓ cup granulated sugar
14 - 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
15 - 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water
→ Buttercream Frosting
16 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
17 - 3 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
18 - 2–3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
19 - 2 tbsp heavy cream or milk
20 - ½ tsp vanilla extract
21 - Pinch of salt
22 - Pink or red food coloring (optional)
# How to Prepare:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
03 - Beat sugar and lemon zest with butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Mix in vanilla extract.
04 - Combine milk and lemon juice in a measuring jug.
05 - Alternately add flour mixture and milk mixture to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Mix just until combined.
06 - Divide batter evenly among prepared pans. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
07 - Combine strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until berries release juice and soften (5–7 minutes). Stir in cornstarch slurry and cook until thickened (1–2 minutes). Cool completely.
08 - Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, lemon juice, cream, vanilla, and salt. Beat until light and fluffy. Add food coloring if desired.
09 - Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread with half the strawberry filling. Top with second cake layer and remaining filling. Place final cake layer on top. Frost top and sides with buttercream. Decorate with fresh strawberries and lemon zest if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The tangy lemon cake cuts through the sweet strawberry filling like a brilliant idea
- Buttercream that actually stays put in summer heat feels like magic
- Three layers make every slice feel like a proper celebration
02 -
- Cold ingredients will curdle your butter mixture and there is no coming back from that heartbreak
- Overmixing the flour develops gluten and turns tender cake into something tough and sad
- The strawberry filling must be completely cool or it will slide right off the cake layers
03 -
- Weight your cake pans with batter using a kitchen scale for perfectly even layers
- Freeze the cake layers for 30 minutes before frosting to reduce crumbs