Fresh Strawberry Cake
This Fresh Strawberry Cake features loads of ripe berries and a light whipped cream frosting…making it the perfect summer dessert!
Some of the best food I’ve ever eaten was cooked in a parking lot. I kid you not. After college, I moved down to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and holy cow do they know how to cook down there on the bayou! I was born in Texas and grew up in the Carolinas, so I’ve tasted my fair share of delicious Southern food. But I was in for a surprise when I moved to southern Louisiana. I was in Cajun food heaven! To this day, the best fried fish I’ve ever eaten was cooked in the parking lot outside of LSU’s Tiger Stadium. That same parking lot was also where I first tried alligator. LSU was playing the Florida Gators, so it was entirely appropriate that we fried up some alligator bites that day. It was pretty good actually. It tasted like chicken.
Fresh Strawberry Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 cup (8 oz.) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
1 large egg
5 large egg whites
1 cup whole milk
½ cup sour cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
2-3 pounds fresh strawberries, stems and hulls removed
For the Frosting
See separate recipes for frosting (below)
Instructions
For the Cake
Grease and flour (3) 8” or 9” round cake pans; set aside. Preheat oven to 350°F.
Using a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir until well combined; set aside.
Using a countertop mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (~4-5 minutes on medium speed). Add the egg and egg whites; mix on low speed until well combined.
Add half of the flour mixture to the bowl; mix on low speed until well combined.
Add the milk, sour cream, vanilla extract and almond extract; mix on low speed until well combined.
Add the remaining flour mixture; mix on low speed until well combined. (Tip: Don’t forget to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure all ingredients are fully mixed.)
Divide the batter evenly between the 3 cake pans. Bake at 350°F for 20-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Let cakes cool in pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack until completely cool.
For the Frosting
Make either the Original Frosting or the Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting (both recipes below). Note: Some readers have had trouble with the Original version being too loose of a frosting. I have personally never had this happen, but I have included a basic cream cheese frosting recipe here as well. Feel free to make whichever frosting you'd like...both are delicious!
To Assemble the Cake
Slice ⅓ of the strawberries into thin slices; set aside. Dice the remaining strawberries into smaller pieces.
Place one layer of cake on a large plate. If using the Original Frosting recipe, spread a layer of diced strawberries on top of the cake and then top with frosting. If using the Cream Cheese Frosting recipe, proceed with frosting the top layer of cake. Repeat this step with the second layer of cake and more frosting.
Using an offset spatula, frost the sides of the cake. (Note: If using the Original Frosting recipe, it is helpful to refrigerate the frosting for about 20-30 minutes before frosting the sides of the cake.)
Slice the remaining strawberries and garnish the top of the cake with the slices.
Notes
**Updated 7/7/2017** A number of readers have noted that the Original Frosting recipe was too loose for frosting. This recipe had diced strawberries folded into the frosting. I have played with a number of ways to thicken this frosting, but the addition of the liquid from the strawberries is difficult to overcome. To make this recipe more "foolproof," I suggest just sprinkling the diced strawberries in between each layer of cake and then topping with the frosting. The frosting will still be delicious, and each bite of cake will have that fresh strawberry taste! If you want to get creative, you can press diced or sliced strawberries into the sides of the cake, too. I have remade this recipe using this method here at home, and it works great. Give it a shot!
A reader recently suggested making/serving this cake in a 13x9 baking pan. That would definitely solve any possible issues with looser frosting as you wouldn't need to frost the sides of the cake if it is served this way.