This Strawberry Shortcake Layer Cake is so delicious! Delicious, and a nostalgic nod to how I was raised, eating strawberry shortcake with those little yellow cakes from the grocery store every Father's Day.
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This Strawberry Shortcake Layer Cake is three layers of tender yellow cake with fresh whipped cream and strawberries! This cake takes a comfort food favorite and makes it a showstopper!
If you enjoy this recipe, check out the recipes for my Strawberry Biscuit Shortcake, Lemon Lavender Cake, and Strawberry Filled Cupcakes!
Ingredients
Here's everything you need to make this gorgeous cake! You can find measurements for each of the ingredients in the recipe card, below.
Cake Ingredients
- Cake Flour - Provides structure for the cake. Cake flour lends a lighter texture and more tender crumb to the cake. You can substitute with all-purpose flour, the cakes just won't be quite as tender.
- Baking Powder - Provides leavening for the cake.
- Salt - Balances and enhances the flavors of the cake.
- Unsalted Butter - For moisture and richness. I use unsalted butter so that I can control the amount of salt in the recipe. You want your butter to be at room temperature.
- Sugar - For sweetness and keeping the cake soft and moist. (I'm sorry, there's no other word for not-dry cake!)
- Vanilla Extract - For flavor. If you want to amp up the vanilla flavor and have some lovely black flecks of vanilla bean in your cakes, you could opt for an equal measure of vanilla bean paste instead.
- Eggs - To provide structure, additional leavening, and a little richness. I used large eggs that were at room temperature.
- Buttermilk - For flavor, richness, and moisture. Cakes made with buttermilk will always be sooo soft and fluffy! No buttermilk on hand? Check out the "hint" below for a quick substitution.
Whipped Cream & Topping Ingredients
- Heavy (Whipping) Cream - You can't make whipped cream without it! 😀 You want your cream to be cold so it will whip up fluffy!
- Sugar - For sweetness.
- Strawberries - The crown jewel of this cake! I used about a pound of strawberries.
Hint: If you don't have buttermilk, you can make a quick substitution with milk (I find that 2% milkfat or greater works best) and vinegar or lemon juice. For this recipe, pour 2 teaspoons lemon juice OR vinegar into a liquid measuring cup, then add enough milk to come up to the ⅔ cup line. Let sit for 5 minutes, then it's ready for use!
Instructions
Here's how to make this cake, step by step! You can find more detailed instructions in the recipe card, below.
Making the Cake
- Combine the dry ingredients and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter, sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs, one at a time, allowing the first egg to fully incorporate before adding the second.
- Add half of the dry ingredients, followed by the buttermilk, then the remaining dry ingredients, mixing until just incorporated.
- Divide batter among prepared pans and bake. Allow cakes to cool in pans 5 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
Making the Whipped Cream
- Combine cream and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat the mixture on medium-high until stiff peaks form. Use immediately.
Assembling the Cake
- Place one cake on plate or cake stand, and top with one third of the whipped cream (about one cup). Slice berries and arrange on top. Repeat with remaining cake layers.
Equipment
Here are a few pieces of kitchen equipment that I used to make this cake:
- 6-inch Cake Pans - This recipe is written for three 6-inch layers. If you don't have 6-inch pans, you can make the recipe in two 8-inch pans, I just haven't tested the recipe with the different cake size, so I can't tell you exactly how long it will take to bake.
- Kitchen Scale - I use a kitchen scale to help ensure the batter is divided evenly between the pans. This helps ensure even baking and that the layers that are equal in size. This is especially handy if, like me, you only have two 6-inch cake pans, making it more difficult to "eyeball" it.
Storage
Cake is best when served within four hours of assembling it, but can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to three days.
Other Recipes You May Like
Strawberry Shortcake Layer Cake
This Strawberry Shortcake Layer Cake has three layers of tender yellow cake with fresh whipped cream and fresh strawberries! I think I could eat this every day, all summer long!
Equipment
Ingredients
Yellow Cake
- 1 ½ cups cake flour (see note)
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- ⅔ cup buttermilk, at room temperature (see note)
Whipped Cream
- 1 ½ cups heavy (whipping) cream
- 2 tablespoon sugar
Topping
- 1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
Instructions
For Cake
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease three 6-inch cake pans (see note) and set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine dry ingredients (cake flour, baking powder, and salt) and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter, sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add eggs, one at a time, allowing the first egg to fully incorporate before adding the second.
- With the mixer on low, add half of the dry ingredients. Mix until just incorporated, then add the buttermilk (see note). Once combined, add the remaining dry ingredients, mixing until just incorporated.
- Divide batter among prepared pans (see note). Bake 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool in pans 5 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
For Whipped Cream
- Combine cream and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, beat the mixture on medium-high until stiff peaks form (be sure not to overbeat!).
Assembly
- Place one cake on plate or cake stand, and top with one third of the whipped cream (about one cup). Slice berries and arrange on top. Repeat with remaining cake layers.
- Cake is best when served within four hours of assembling it, but can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to three days.Enjoy!
Notes
Note on cake flour: Cake flour lends a lighter texture and more tender crumb to the cake. If you don't have cake flour, you can substitute with all-purpose flour, the cakes just won't be quite as tender.
Note on buttermilk: If you don't have buttermilk, you can make a quick substitution with milk (2% milkfat or greater) and vinegar or lemon juice. For this recipe, put 2 teaspoons lemon juice or vinegar into a liquid measuring cup, then add enough milk to come up to the ⅔ cup line. Let sit for 5 minutes, then it's ready for use!
Note on pan 6-inch pans: I like the smaller size of this cake, but I realize that not everyone has 6-inch pans. You can also bake the cake in two 8-inch pans, but the bake time will be longer (I'm sorry I haven't tested it, so I can't be more specific!)
Note on dark pans: If you have pans that are dark in color, reduce heat to 325F. This will help ensure that you don't end up with overdone, dry cake! Cakes will be done in about the same amount of time, but definitely check on them frequently.
Note on dividing batter/use of kitchen scale: I use a kitchen scale to ensure I'm dividing the batter evenly between the pans. This helps ensure even baking and layers that are equal in size. In this case, it came in even handier because I only have two 6-inch cake pans, so it would have been difficult to "eyeball" it. For this recipe, I had 24 ounces cake batter total, so I had 8 ounces cake batter in each of the layers.
Nutrition Estimate
Serving: 1 sliceCalories: 431kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 7gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 112mgSodium: 256mgPotassium: 198mgFiber: 2gSugar: 27gVitamin A: 974IUVitamin C: 34mgCalcium: 147mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate.
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