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The Ultimate Strawberry Lemon Layer Cake: A Perfect Spring & Summer Delight

Indulge in the vibrant flavors of spring and summer with this elegant and refreshingly simple Strawberry Lemon Cake. Each bite offers a delightful symphony of taste, featuring light, moist, and zesty lemon cake layers perfectly complemented by a smooth, rich, and naturally flavorful strawberry buttercream. This stunning layer cake is not only a feast for the eyes but also a treat for the palate, making it an ideal dessert for any special occasion, from sunny garden parties to memorable birthday celebrations.

This strawberry lemon layer cake is a true celebration of fresh, seasonal ingredients. The cake layers are bursting with bright, tangy lemon notes, achieved through the generous use of fresh lemon zest and juice. This citrusy base creates a wonderful contrast with the sweet and fruity strawberry buttercream, which is intensified with freeze-dried strawberry powder for maximum natural flavor and a beautiful pink hue. The combination is absolutely amazing, creating a harmonious balance that is both sophisticated and incredibly delicious. Whether you’re hosting a grand party, celebrating a birthday, or simply craving a taste of sunshine, this cake is sure to impress.

If you love creating beautiful and delicious layer cakes, you’ll also enjoy exploring other popular recipes such as our Strawberry and Blueberry Layer Cake, the decadent Ultimate S’mores Layer Cake, and the delightful Raspberry Pistachio Layer Cake. Each offers a unique flavor profile perfect for any dessert enthusiast.

WHY THIS STRAWBERRY LEMON CAKE RECIPE WORKS

This Strawberry Lemon Layer Cake stands out for several compelling reasons, making it a reliable and delightful recipe for both novice and experienced bakers:

• Perfectly Moist Lemon Cake Layers: Our cake layers are exceptionally soft, tender, and incredibly moist, infused with a vibrant, zesty lemon flavor that truly shines. We use both fresh lemon zest and juice to ensure a bright, authentic citrus taste without being overpowering. The secret to their tender crumb lies in a balanced combination of ingredients and proper mixing techniques, ensuring a melt-in-your-mouth texture every time.
• Intensely Flavorful Strawberry Buttercream: Unlike many recipes that rely on artificial flavors or watery fruit purees, our buttercream incorporates freeze-dried strawberry powder. This innovative ingredient provides an intense, concentrated strawberry flavor and a beautiful natural pink color, without adding excess moisture that can destabilize the frosting. The result is a smooth, luscious buttercream that perfectly complements the lemon cake.
• Harmonious Fresh Flavors: The combination of tangy lemon and sweet, fruity strawberry creates a wonderfully balanced flavor profile. The lemon provides a refreshing counterpoint to the richness of the buttercream, ensuring that each slice is invigorating and never too sweet. It’s a taste that truly captures the essence of spring and summer.
• A True Showstopper Layer Cake: This isn’t just a delicious cake; it’s a visual masterpiece. With its vibrant layers and elegant presentation, it’s guaranteed to be the center of attention at any gathering. It’s perfect for birthdays, anniversaries, bridal showers, or simply as a stunning dessert to brighten up your weekend. The distinct layers and beautiful frosting make it look professionally made, even for home bakers.
• Achievable for All Skill Levels: While it looks impressive, this recipe is designed to be straightforward and approachable. With clear, step-by-step instructions and helpful baking tips, even those new to baking layer cakes will find success and confidence in creating this magnificent dessert.

ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT NOTES FOR SUCCESS

Using high-quality ingredients and understanding their role is key to achieving a perfect Strawberry Lemon Cake. Here are some key ingredients and important tips to ensure your baking success. For a full list of ingredients and precise measurements, please refer to the recipe card below.

• Fresh Lemons: The star of the lemon cake layers! Always use freshly squeezed lemon juice and, more importantly, fresh lemon zest. The zest contains the essential oils that provide the most potent and bright lemon flavor. Aim for organic lemons if possible, as you’ll be using the rind. A microplane zester is ideal for getting fine zest without the bitter white pith.
• Unsalted Butter (Room Temperature): For both the cake and the buttercream, butter at room temperature is crucial. This means taking it out of the fridge 1-2 hours before baking (or longer, depending on your kitchen’s warmth). Room temperature butter creams beautifully with sugar, creating air pockets that contribute to a light and fluffy cake texture and a smooth, stable buttercream.
• Large Eggs (Room Temperature): Similar to butter, room temperature eggs emulsify better with other ingredients, creating a more uniform and stable batter. This leads to a finer, more tender crumb in your cake. Plan to take them out of the fridge alongside your butter.
• All-Purpose Flour: The type of all-purpose flour can make a difference. I recommend using one with a protein content of 10-11%. A lower protein flour produces less gluten when mixed, which in turn results in a softer and more tender cake. Over-mixing can develop gluten unnecessarily, so gentle handling of the batter is key.
• Sour Cream (Room Temperature): Sour cream is a fantastic addition to cake batter. Its acidity tenderizes the cake, resulting in a wonderfully soft and moist texture. The fat content also adds richness. Make sure it’s at room temperature for smooth incorporation into the batter. If you don’t have sour cream, full-fat Greek yogurt can be a good substitute.
• Freeze-Dried Strawberry Powder: This is the secret weapon for intensely flavored and beautifully colored strawberry buttercream. Unlike fresh strawberries, which add too much moisture and dilute the flavor, freeze-dried powder provides concentrated fruit essence. You can find it in the snack aisle of most supermarkets, health food stores, or online. Simply crush freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder if you can’t find it pre-powdered.
• Granulated Sugar: Essential for sweetness and structure in the cake layers. When rubbed with lemon zest, it helps release the citrus oils, infusing the cake with even more flavor.
• Baking Powder & Baking Soda: These leavening agents work together with the sour cream to give the cake its lift and tender crumb. Ensure they are fresh for optimal activation.
• Vanilla Extract: A crucial flavor enhancer in both the cake and the buttercream, it beautifully rounds out the lemon and strawberry notes. Use good quality pure vanilla extract for the best results.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS: CRAFTING THE LEMON CAKE LAYERS

Creating the perfect lemon cake layers is the foundation of this exquisite dessert. This recipe is designed for a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, but a reliable hand mixer will also work wonders. You will need three 20 cm (8-inch) baking pans, each lined with parchment paper rounds for easy release and consistent baking. Make sure all your cold ingredients, especially butter, eggs, and sour cream, are at room temperature before you begin. This helps create a smooth, emulsified batter and a tender cake.

The complete recipe, including detailed ingredient quantities, is conveniently located in the recipe card further down this page.

Preparation is key: Before you start mixing, preheat your oven to 170ºC (340ºF) for a conventional oven. Prepare your three 20 cm (8-inch) baking pans by lightly greasing them and then lining the bottoms with parchment paper. This ensures your cake layers release effortlessly after baking.

STEP 1: Combine Dry Ingredients. In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Sifting helps to aerate the flour and ensures all the leavening agents are evenly distributed, preventing clumps and promoting a consistent cake texture. Set this mixture aside.

STEP 2: Prepare Lemon-Infused Sugar and Cream Butter. In a large mixing bowl (the bowl of your stand mixer), add the granulated sugar and the fresh lemon zest. Using your fingertips, rub the lemon zest into the sugar vigorously until the sugar is fragrant and resembles wet sand. This process releases the essential oils from the zest, infusing the sugar with intense lemon flavor. Next, add the softened room temperature butter to the lemon sugar mixture. Cream them together on high speed for about 3 minutes until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale in color. This incorporates air, which is essential for a tender cake.

STEP 3: Incorporate Eggs and First Half of Dry Ingredients. Add the room temperature eggs to the creamed butter and sugar, two at a time, mixing on low speed until each addition is just combined. Avoid overmixing at this stage. Once the eggs are incorporated, add half of the sifted dry ingredients to the bowl. Mix on low speed, just until the flour streaks disappear. Overmixing develops gluten, which can lead to a tough cake.

STEP 4: Add Wet Ingredients and Remaining Dry Ingredients. Now, introduce the sour cream, vegetable oil (such as canola oil), fresh lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Mix on low speed until these wet ingredients are just combined into the batter. Finally, add the remaining half of the dry ingredients. Mix gently on low speed until the batter is smooth and no dry pockets of flour remain. Remember, less mixing is more for a tender crumb.

STEP 5: Bake the Cake Layers. Divide the prepared cake batter evenly among the three lined 8-inch baking pans. Use a kitchen scale for precise division, ensuring even layers. Bake for 20-23 minutes. The cakes are done when a cake tester (or a toothpick) inserted into the center comes out clean. The tops might stay relatively light in color, which is perfectly normal for a lemon cake. Let the cakes cool in their pans on a wire cooling rack for 10 minutes. This allows them to firm up slightly. After 10 minutes, gently invert the cakes onto the cooling rack, remove the pans and parchment paper, and allow the cake layers to cool down completely before frosting. This prevents the frosting from melting.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS: MAKING BUTTERCREAM AND ASSEMBLING THE CAKE

With your lemon cake layers cooled, it’s time to create the luscious strawberry buttercream and assemble your showstopping cake. This part is where the magic truly comes together, transforming simple ingredients into an irresistible dessert.

STEP 1: Sift Dry Ingredients for Buttercream and Cream Butter. Begin by sifting together the powdered sugar and freeze-dried strawberry powder into a bowl. This step is crucial for preventing lumps and achieving a smooth, velvety buttercream. Set this mixture aside. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), beat the room temperature butter on medium-high speed for a full 4 minutes. This process aerates the butter, making it light and fluffy. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl thoroughly, then continue mixing for an additional 2 minutes. This ensures an even consistency and maximum fluffiness.

STEP 2: Combine Buttercream Ingredients. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar and freeze-dried strawberry powder mixture to the whipped butter, incorporating it in two parts. After each addition, mix until it is fully combined. Next, add the vanilla extract and room temperature whole milk, starting with 2 tablespoons and adding up to 3 tablespoons as needed, until you reach your desired consistency. Continue whipping the buttercream until it is light, fluffy, and smooth. For a more vibrant pink color, you can optionally add a tiny amount of red gel food coloring at this stage, mixing until fully blended.

STEP 3: Prepare for Assembly. Place your first cooled cake layer onto your chosen serving dish or a cake board. If you have a rotating cake turntable, this is an excellent time to use it, as it makes frosting much easier and more even. However, don’t worry if you don’t have one; you can still achieve beautiful results without it.

STEP 4: Layer and Crumb Coat the Cake. Spoon about two generous scoops of the strawberry buttercream onto the first cake layer. Using an offset spatula, spread the buttercream evenly across the top, reaching close to the edges. Gently place the second cake layer on top and repeat the process with more buttercream. Add the third and final cake layer. Now, apply a thin layer of buttercream over the entire cake – the top and sides. This is known as a “crumb coat,” and its purpose is to trap any loose crumbs, preventing them from mixing into your final layer of frosting. Once crumb-coated, place the cake in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes to allow the buttercream to set firmly. This crucial step creates a stable base for your final frosting layer.

STEP 5: Final Frosting and Decoration. After the crumb coat has chilled and set, take the cake out of the fridge. Apply the remaining strawberry buttercream generously over the entire cake, working to create a smooth and even finish on both the top and sides. For an optional decorative touch, you can use your offset spatula to create a beautiful wavy design around the sides of the cake. To finish, adorn your exquisite Strawberry Lemon Layer Cake with fresh strawberries and delicate lemon slices, adding both visual appeal and a burst of fresh flavor.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS FOR A FLAWLESS CAKE

Achieving baking perfection often comes down to small details and smart techniques. Here are some expert tips to ensure your Strawberry Lemon Layer Cake turns out absolutely perfect:

• Embrace a Kitchen Scale for Precision: While cup measurements are common, grams are the most precise way to measure baking ingredients. Variations in how flour is scooped can drastically alter results. Using a kitchen scale ensures consistent results every single time, leading to a perfectly balanced and textured cake. It truly makes a noticeable difference in the final product.
• Avoid Overmixing Your Batter: This is one of the most common mistakes in baking. Once you add the dry ingredients to the wet, mix only until just combined and no dry streaks of flour are visible. Overmixing develops gluten, which can make your cake tough, dense, and chewy instead of light and tender. After using your mixer, I always recommend giving the batter one final, gentle fold with a rubber spatula to ensure everything at the bottom of the bowl is thoroughly incorporated without overworking it.
• Choose the Right Baking Pans: The color and material of your baking pans matter. For the best results, use light-colored aluminum baking pans. Aluminum pans are excellent conductors of heat and their light color attracts less heat than dark pans. This means they bake more gently and evenly, resulting in a softer, more consistently baked cake with a light crust. Darker pans, on the other hand, absorb more heat, which can lead to a darker, tougher crust and a drier cake. Always grease your pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper for easy release.
• Don’t Rush the Cooling Process: It’s tempting to frost a cake as soon as it comes out of the oven, but patience is a virtue in baking. Ensure your cake layers are completely cool before you even think about applying buttercream. Warm cake will melt the frosting, leading to a messy and unstable cake. Cooling on a wire rack allows air to circulate around the entire cake, preventing condensation and ensuring even cooling.
• Level Your Cake Layers: For a beautifully even and professional-looking layer cake, it’s often necessary to level your cooled cake layers. If your cakes have domed tops, use a serrated knife or a cake leveling tool to trim off the dome, creating flat surfaces. This ensures stable stacking and a neat appearance. You can even save the trimmed cake scraps for snacking or making cake pops!
• Room Temperature Ingredients are Non-Negotiable: As mentioned in the ingredient notes, butter, eggs, and sour cream at room temperature are critical. They emulsify smoothly, creating a homogeneous batter and a stable buttercream. Cold ingredients will lead to a lumpy batter or curdled frosting, affecting the final texture and appearance of your cake.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT STRAWBERRY LEMON CAKE

STORAGE TIPS FOR OPTIMAL FRESHNESS

To maintain the delightful freshness and exquisite flavor of your Strawberry Lemon Cake, proper storage is essential. Store the cake in the fridge within an airtight container. This protects it from absorbing other odors and prevents the cake from drying out. When you’re ready to enjoy a slice, take it out of the refrigerator approximately 30-60 minutes before serving, allowing it to come to room temperature. This will ensure the cake layers are soft and the buttercream is creamy and flavorful, as cold temperatures can make both a bit firm. The cake is best enjoyed within 3-4 days of baking. If you need to store it longer, individual slices can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and then foil, and frozen for up to 2-3 weeks. Thaw frozen slices in the refrigerator overnight before bringing to room temperature to serve.

Other Delicious Layer Cake Recipes To Try

If you’ve fallen in love with the art of layer cake baking, there’s a whole world of flavors waiting for you to explore. From rich chocolate concoctions to vibrant fruit-filled delights, layer cakes are perfect for celebrating life’s moments or simply treating yourself. Here are a few more irresistible layer cake recipes that are guaranteed to impress:

We truly hope you adore this Strawberry Lemon Cake recipe as much as we do! If you loved baking and tasting it, please consider leaving a STAR REVIEW to share your experience. Your feedback helps us and other bakers! Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @juliemarieeats when you share your creations. For more inspiring recipe ideas and baking tips, make sure to follow me on Pinterest. Happy baking!

Strawberry Lemon Cake

This elegant and simple Strawberry Lemon Cake is so fresh and delicious! It has delicious layers of moist and fresh lemon cake layered together with smooth strawberry buttercream. A perfect spring and summer cake.

4.95 fra 19 stemmer

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Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 22 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12 people

Calories 883 kcal

Equipment

• 3x 20 cm (8 in) baking pan

Ingredients

 

 

LEMON CAKE LAYERS

• 340 g all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoon cornstarch
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 300 g granulated sugar
• Zest of one large organic lemon or two small
• 180 g butter room temperature
• 4 large eggs room temperature
• 240 g sour cream room temperature
• 60 g vegetable oil e.g. canola oil
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

STRAWBERRY BUTTERCREAM

• 400 g butter room temperature
• 660 g powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoon freeze dried strawberry powder
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2-3 tablespoon whole milk room temperature

DECORATION

• Fresh strawberries
• Lemon slices

Instructions

 

LEMON CAKE LAYERS

• Preheat the oven at 170ºC/340ºF conventional oven and prepare a 3 x20 cm/8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
• Sift together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set it aside.
  340 g all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoon cornstarch, ¾ teaspoon baking powder, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon salt
• In a large mixing bowl add the granulated sugar and lemon zest. Rub it together to release all of the lemon zest flavor, until it looks like wet sand. Then add the butter and mix it together on high speed for 3 minutes.
  180 g butter, 300 g granulated sugar, Zest of one large organic lemon or two small
• Add the eggs two at a time into the mixture and mix it in until combined on low speed.
  4 large eggs
• Continue by adding half the dry ingredients, on low speed, mixing until just combined.
• Then add the sour cream, vegetable oil, lemon juice, vanilla extract and mix until just combined. Then add the other half of the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
  240 g sour cream, 60 g vegetable oil, 2 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Using a rubber spatula, give the batter a gentle fold to make sure all of the ingredients have combined.
• Divide the cake batter into the prepared pans and bake for 20-23 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. They will stay light and won’t brown. 
• Let the cakes cool on a cooling rack. After 10 minutes, gently remove the cake from the cake tin and let the cakes cool down completely.

STRAWBERRY BUTTERCREAM

• Sift the powdered sugar and freeze dried strawberry powder and set it aside.
  660 g powdered sugar, 2 tablespoon freeze dried strawberry powder
• Mix the butter in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or with a hand mixer for 4 minutes on medium/high speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for an additional 2 minutes.
  400 g butter
• Add the powdered sugar/freeze dried strawberry powder, vanilla extra and milk in 2 parts. Whipping until each addition is fully incorporated. You can optionally add a tiny bit of red food color if you want the color to be brighter.
  2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2-3 tablespoon whole milk
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl and give the buttercream a final mix for 2 minutes at low speed.

ASSEMBLING

• Place the first cake layer on your serving dish on your turntable. If you don’t have a turntable, don’t worry, you can easily decorate the cake without it.
• Add 2 big scoops of buttercream and with an offset spatula, even it out. Then add the other cake layer and repeat the process. Add the last cake layer and cover the whole cake in a thin crumb coat.
• Place it in the fridge for 20 minutes to set. Then add the remaining buttercream, and even it out over the cake. Optional, make a wavy design with the frosting, using the offset spatula.
• Decorate with fresh strawberries and lemon slices.
  Fresh strawberries, Lemon slices

Notes

This recipe was updated on 5. April changing out the buttermilk for sour cream and making it 3 layers instead of 2 layers.

Nutrition

Calories: 883kcalCarbohydrates: 106gProtein: 6gFat: 50gSaturated Fat: 29gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 171mgSodium: 581mgPotassium: 122mgFiber: 1gSugar: 81gVitamin A: 1416IUVitamin C: 24mgCalcium: 64mgIron: 2mg

Keyword layer cake, lemon, strawberry

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