Strawberries and Cream Cake

4.71 from 24 votes

This made-from-scratch Strawberries and Cream Cake is a dream, topped with rich cream cheese frosting and sugared strawberries. Perfectly sweet for Mother’s Day or any celebration!

Prep Time25

Cook Time40

Total Time1 5

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Vegetarian

Keyword: strawberries and cream cake

Servings: (9 x 13) cake

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $13.35

Equipment

Baking dish 9 x 13-inch
Hand mixer

Ingredients

Strawberry Cake

1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 lemon
2 cups + 3 tablespoons flour
5 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons strawberry Jell-O mix dry, not prepared
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk or milk mixed with lemon juice, see note 1
3 to 4 drops red food coloring optional
2/3 cup finely diced fresh strawberries

Frosting

1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese at room temperature; not low fat
2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
3 to 4 cups powdered sugar depending on desired consistency; I usually use 3 cups
1/4 teaspoon salt

Sugared Strawberry Topping (optional)

1-/12 cups sliced strawberries
1-1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar

US - Metric

Instructions

Cake

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x13-inch pan and set aside.
Beat room-temperature butter with a hand mixer until light and creamy. Slowly add the sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.
In another bowl, lightly beat the eggs; add to butter mixture and mix. Add 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice. Beat in the buttermilk (see note 1). If desired, add the red food coloring and mix it in.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and cornstarch, then add the Jell-O mix, baking soda, and salt. It is important to use separate bowls so the cake isn’t over-beaten, which will result in a dense cake.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and beat at low speed until just combined.
Remove stems from the strawberries and chop finely. Add finely chopped strawberries to the cake batter.
Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake 30–40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center.
Cool the cake for at least 1 hour, then refrigerate for another hour.

Frosting

Beat the softened butter and room temperature cream cheese until completely creamy. Beat in vanilla and salt. Slowly beat in powdered sugar until smooth and your desired consistency.
Spread the frosting evenly over the cake.

Sugared Strawberry Topping (optional)

Stir together the sliced strawberries and sugar in a medium bowl. Let them stand at room temperature about 20–30 minutes to develop the syrup. Add them to the cake only when serving and not beforehand.

Video

Notes

Note 1: If you don’t have buttermilk, remove 1 tablespoon from your milk and replace it with fresh lemon juice or white vinegar. Mix and allow to sit for 5 minutes before using.

Storage: Store leftover frosted cake in the fridge for 4-5 days.

Nutrition