Let’s be real. Sometimes you want a birthday cake that feels like a celebration, not a brick of sugar and butter. That’s where this Strawberry Cream Cake comes in. It’s light, it’s fresh, and it tastes like the very best part of summer. Imagine this: tender, soft-as-a-cloud vanilla cake, layered with a glossy, intensely flavored strawberry filling, and then the whole thing is enveloped in a billowy, not-too-sweet strawberry whipped cream. I made this for my mom’s birthday, and she said it was the best cake she’s ever eaten. (High praise!) The secret is in the strawberry filling—we cook down some berries to concentrate their flavor into a jammy glaze, and then we mix that reduction into the whipped cream. It’s a little bit of a project, I won’t lie, but every single step is worth it. This cake is a dream come true for anyone who loves fruit more than frosting.
🎯 QUICK FACTS TABLE
| Prep Time | Cook Time | Total Time | Servings | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 hour + cooling | 30 minutes | 5+ hours (including chilling) | 12-14 | A Labor of Love |
📝 INGREDIENTS SECTION
For the Vanilla Buttermilk Cake:
- 2 ½ cups cake flour (it makes a huge difference in tenderness!)
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 large eggs, room temp
- 1 cup buttermilk, room temp
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
For the Strawberry Filling & Reduction:
- 1 lb fresh strawberries, hulled and diced
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp cold water
For the Strawberry Whipped Cream:
- 3 cups cold heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- The cooled strawberry reduction (from above)
- Optional Stabilizer: 1 tbsp instant vanilla pudding powder (DRY)
For Assembly:
- ½ lb fresh strawberries, sliced for layers
- Whole strawberries for garnish
👩🍳 HOW TO COOK!
- The Cake Layers (Do This First): Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line three 8-inch round cake pans. Whisk dry ingredients. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk, starting and ending with flour. Divide batter and bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool completely.
- The Strawberry Reduction (The Flavor Bomb): While cakes cool, make the reduction. In a saucepan, combine 1 lb diced strawberries, ¼ cup sugar, and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat until berries break down and juice thickens, about 10-15 minutes. Whisk the cornstarch slurry and stir it in. Cook 1 more minute until very thick. Press through a fine-mesh sieve to remove seeds (trust me!). You should have about ¾ cup of thick, glossy puree. Let it cool completely.
- The Magical Whipped Cream: Place a large bowl and beaters in the freezer for 10 minutes. Pour the cold cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla (and dry pudding mix, if using) into the cold bowl. Whip to stiff peaks. Take about 1 cup of this plain whipped cream and set it aside for the final decoration. Gently fold the cooled strawberry reduction into the remaining whipped cream until you have a uniform, beautiful pink color.
- The Assembly (The Fun Part!): Place one cake layer on a cake stand. Spread a thin layer of the strawberry whipped cream over it. Pipe a dam of the reserved plain white whipped cream around the edge (this holds in the filling!). Inside the dam, spread half of the remaining strawberry reduction. Top with a layer of sliced fresh strawberries. Place the second cake layer on top and repeat.
- The Frost & Garnish: Place the final cake layer on top. Apply a thin “crumb coat” of the strawberry whipped cream over the entire cake and chill for 20 minutes. Then, frost the entire cake with the remaining strawberry whipped cream. Decorate with whole and halved strawberries. This cake must be refrigerated until ready to serve!
📊 NUTRITION & TIPS
Pro-Tips Section: Little Tweaks, Big Results:
- [Time Saver] Bake the cake layers and make the strawberry reduction up to two days in advance! Wrap the cooled cakes and store the reduction in the fridge. Assemble the day you plan to serve it.
- [Essential Technique Tip] The #1 secret to a stable strawberry whipped cream is ensuring the strawberry reduction is COMPLETELY COLD before folding it in. A warm reduction will melt the cream. The optional dry pudding powder is a miracle worker for keeping the frosting firm for days.
❓ READERS ASKED, WE ANSWERED
Q: How far in advance can I assemble this cake?
A: Because of the fresh whipped cream, it’s best assembled the day you plan to serve it. However, you can do all the components ahead. The fully assembled cake will hold up beautifully in the fridge for about 24 hours. The stabilized whipped cream (especially with the pudding mix) will stay perfectly firm.