Fluffy Strawberry Layer Cake
A light and airy strawberry layer cake with homemade whipped cream and fresh berries, perfect for any occasion and easy to make with simple ingredients.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups (190g) all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar, divided
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup (120ml) whole milk, warmed
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (360ml) heavy cream, cold
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (about 300g) fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
- Optional: 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 8-inch cake pans and dust with flour or use parchment paper liners.
- Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
- Beat softened butter with ¾ cup (150g) sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
- Alternately add dry ingredients and warm milk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix gently on low speed until just combined.
- Divide batter evenly between pans and bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and tops are lightly golden.
- Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack and cool completely for 30-40 minutes.
- Beat cold heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until soft peaks form, being careful not to overwhip.
- Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread whipped cream over it and scatter half the sliced strawberries.
- Top with the second cake layer, spread remaining whipped cream, and arrange fresh strawberries on top.
- Refrigerate the assembled cake for at least 1 hour before serving to let flavors meld and whipped cream set.
Notes
[‘Use room temperature eggs and butter for better mixing and fluffier cake.’, ‘Do not overmix batter to avoid dense cake.’, ‘Chill bowl and beaters before whipping cream for better texture.’, ‘Brush cake layers with strawberry or simple syrup if kitchen is dry to keep moist.’, ‘Pat strawberries dry before layering to prevent sogginess.’, ‘Cake is best eaten within 24 hours; avoid freezing whipped cream.’, ‘Trim domed cake layers for even stacking.’]
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/8 of cake
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 22
- Sodium: 180
- Fat: 22
- Saturated Fat: 13
- Carbohydrates: 32
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 5
Keywords: strawberry cake, layer cake, whipped cream dessert, easy cake recipe, homemade cake, fresh berries, light cake