The Ultimate Summer Fête Strawberry Layer Cake

The Ultimate Summer Fete Strawberry Layer Cake

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Preparation time:40 Mins

Cooking time:35 Mins

Servings:12 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• 1 cup whole milk or buttermilk, room temperature
• 2 lbs fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced thin
• ½ cup granulated sugar (for filling)
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 2 cups heavy cream (double cream), very cold
• ½ cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (for frosting)
• 1 Tbsp powdered milk or cream cheese (softened) (Stabilizer)

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 8-inch pans, lining the bottoms with parchment circles. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• In the mixer bowl, beat the softened butter until creamy (1-2 minutes). Gradually add the granulated sugar and beat on medium-high for 3-5 minutes until the mixture is pale, light, and fluffy (the 'creaming' stage).
• Beat in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated. Stir in the vanilla extract. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the dry ingredients in three stages, alternating with the milk in two stages. Stop mixing immediately once just combined.
• Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely. The cakes must be stone cold before assembly.
• Toss ¾ of the sliced strawberries with ¼ cup of sugar and the lemon juice; let sit for 15 minutes to macerate. Drain the juices into a small saucepan. Add the remaining ¼ cup of sugar and the cornstarch to the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens slightly into a glossy glaze (2-3 minutes). Let cool, then fold the sauce back into the macerated strawberries.
• In a very cold mixer bowl, combine the heavy cream, sifted confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and powdered milk/cream cheese stabilizer. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Do not overbeat.
• Level the cake tops if necessary. Place the first layer on a serving plate, cut-side up. Brush the top lightly with a spoonful or two of the reserved strawberry reduction. Spread half of the stabilized whipped cream evenly over the layer. Spoon the strawberry filling over the cream. Carefully place the second cake layer on top.
• Apply the remaining whipped cream to the top and sides of the cake. Decorate the top with reserved fresh strawberry slices. Chill the assembled cake for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the cream to set fully.

Nutrition Facts

Calories	475 calories
Protein	6 g
Fat	25 g
Carbs	55 g
Fiber	2 g
Sugar	40 g
Sodium	180 mg

Recipe Info

Category	Dessert
Cuisine	British

The Search is Over: Meet the Ultimate Summer Cake

Have you ever been desperate for a beautiful, simple celebration cake? Oh my gosh, me too. I’m talking about a cake that tastes like pure sunshine and fresh air.

If you clicked on the Strawberry Cake Recipe - Insider link, you’re looking for the one . You want elegance without spending three days in the kitchen, right?

Forget those heavy, overwhelming buttercreams. This recipe focuses on the gorgeous lightness of a true British summer treat. We are making the ultimate fresh cream and strawberry layer cake .

Why This Cake is Your New Best Friend

Honestly, this recipe is designed to be the star of any garden party or special moment. It's the perfect centrepiece.

This Strawberry Vanilla Birthday Cake isn't just about flavour; it's about texture. We skip the dense stuff and focus entirely on how to make light fluffy sponge cake .

It truly is an Aesthetics Cake —a stunner that always looks beautiful, even if your frosting job is a bit wobbly.

I used to hate making layer cakes. Why? Because the cream would always collapse before I even got it to the table! That's why this version includes a secret ingredient for a perfectly stabilized whipped cream frosting for layer cake .

It holds up, even on a warm day. No more tragic, slumped cakes!

Origins and Effort Level

This masterpiece is basically the fancier, fruitier cousin of the classic Victoria sponge cake recipe . It’s the quintessential Afternoon tea cake recipes essential. It’s comforting, familiar, and totally decadent.

Now, don't panic about the difficulty. I'd call this a solid Medium. The ingredients are simple, but getting that airy sponge texture requires attention.

We are talking about 40 minutes of active prep time, plus a crucial hour and a half for cooling. Please don't rush the cooling! That's the key to making Cakes Pretty and avoiding layers sliding everywhere.

This recipe yields 10 to 12 generous slices. It’s the perfect size for an Easy Fun Birthday Cakes solution.

Beyond the Celebration

While it’s naturally a brilliant Strawberry Cake For Birthday option, its biggest benefit is its lightness. Because we use fresh cream instead of heavy butter, you don’t feel totally stuffed after one slice.

The fresh strawberries are packed with Vitamin C, so hey, we're getting a health boost! You know?

This cake is special because it lets the fresh strawberries do all the talking. It’s sweet, but not cloying. Ready to dive into the ingredients and start baking this dream? Let's get cracking!

Getting Ready: The Secret to a Seriously Good Sponge

Right then, let's talk ingredients. You want to bake a showstopper. Not just any cake, but the ultimate Strawberry Cake For Birthday masterpiece.

This is the Strawberry Cake Recipe - Insider guide, and trust me, knowing why we use certain things is half the battle.

We are aiming for something that looks gorgeous—a true Cakes Pretty example—but tastes even better.

The Foundation: Your Fluffy Sponge

If you want to know How to make light fluffy sponge cake , the key is temperature control. Forget cold ingredients! Everything needs to be cosy warm, or your cake will be dense.

My first attempt at a classic Victoria sponge cake recipe was a disaster because I rushed this step. Don't be me.

For the sponge, we need:

• Butter: 226 g (1 cup/2 sticks) . Unsalted, and genuinely soft. Not melted, just easily dented. This is where the air gets whipped in.
• Sugar: 350 g (1 ¾ cups) fine granulated sugar.
• Flour: 270 g (2 ¼ cups) All-Purpose. Honestly, weigh your flour. It’s the single best tip for baking consistency.
• Milk and Eggs: 240 ml (1 cup) whole milk and 3 large eggs. All room temperature!

The Essential Strawberry Filling

We need the freshest fruit for this elegant Fresh cream and strawberry layer cake . Find the brightest, reddest strawberries you can. Quality truly shines through here.

• Strawberries: 900 g (2 lbs) . Give them a quick rinse and slice them up thin.
• The Sauce Trick: A little sugar ( 100 g / ½ cup ) and lemon juice helps draw out the gorgeous natural juices. We thicken this slightly with cornstarch ( 8 g / 1 Tbsp ) to prevent a soggy bottom layer. That's a tragedy we must avoid!

The Cream Dream: Staying Stable

This recipe uses a proper Stabilized whipped cream frosting for layer cake . Why stabilize? Because regular whipped cream weeps! Especially on a tall, layered Strawberry Vanilla Birthday Cake .

If you want a perfect, clean Aesthetics Cake , you cannot skip this step.

• Heavy Cream: 480 ml (2 cups) . Must be brutally cold. Keep this in the fridge until the very last minute.
• Stabilizer: We use 10 g (1 Tbsp) of powdered milk, or you can swap this for softened cream cheese. It locks the air in and keeps the cream firm, perfect for Easy Fun Birthday Cakes that last longer than five minutes.

Tools for the Job

You don't need a professional kitchen, I promise. Just a couple of basic bits.

• Pans: Two 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pans. Line them with parchment paper.
• Mixer: Stand mixer or a hand-held one. Either works for creaming the butter.
• The Secret Weapon: An offset spatula. It’s flat and bent, and essential for smoothing the cream over the sides. Honestly, it’s worth buying one just for this cake. It gives that polished finish, ready for your Afternoon tea cake recipes reveal.

Prepping for Perfection: How to Build a Light, Fluffy Layer

Right, let’s get down to business. If you want this Strawberry Vanilla Birthday Cake to be a proper showstopper—the kind of Aesthetics Cake that makes people gasp—you need discipline.

Honestly, my biggest screw-up when I started baking was rushing the prep. We are aiming for a light, tender sponge.

This is the core instruction in any great Strawberry Cake Recipe - Insider notes.

We want a How to make light fluffy sponge cake texture. That starts before the oven even turns on. You must use room temperature ingredients.

Seriously, if your butter, eggs, and milk are cold, the cake gets sad and heavy. Don't skip this! Set them out for at least an hour.

I swear, cold ingredients are the enemy of a happy sponge.

The Creaming Stage: Air is Your Friend

Now, for the sponge itself. Step one is the creaming. You need to beat that softened butter (226g) and the 350g of sugar until it is super pale.

We’re talking three to five minutes on medium-high speed. It should look almost white and fluffy, like a cloud. That process incorporates all the crucial air we need! This is the secret to a proper Victoria sponge cake recipe .

Next, add those room-temp eggs, one at a time. Scrape the bowl. Then, alternate the dry flour mix and the milk.

Listen up: STOP MIXING IMMEDIATELY when the last streak of flour disappears. Overmixing is the quickest way to ruin everything.

You want light, not tough! Divide the batter evenly. Bake for 30– 35 minutes at 350° F ( 175° C) .

Building the Dream: Stabilizing the Cream

While the cakes are cooling (they must be stone cold, no cheating!), let’s talk frosting. A lot of people fail here.

They want a beautiful Fresh cream and strawberry layer cake but their cream just melts out the sides, right? That's why we use the stabilizer.

Using powdered milk ensures you get a proper Stabilized whipped cream frosting for layer cake . Whip your very cold heavy cream until you get stiff peaks.

If you overbeat it, you get butter. If you underbeat it, your finished Strawberry Cake For Birthday will slide sadly.

After assembly, chill the finished cake for at least 30 minutes before serving. This guarantees clean slices, which is vital for Cakes Pretty .

This method makes assembling Easy Fun Birthday Cakes a breeze, perfect for your next Afternoon tea cake recipes session.

Essential Advice: Your Insider Strawberry Cake Notes

Okay, you nailed the bake! Giving yourself a pat on the back is mandatory. Seriously, achieving that perfect How to make light fluffy sponge cake texture is huge.

But making a gorgeous cake is only half the battle. Now we need the Strawberry Cake Recipe - Insider tips to make sure it lasts, looks incredible, and works for every guest.

Making It Look the Business (Presentation Ideas)

We want maximum impact, right? This is a celebratory cake. Think simple elegance for the ultimate Aesthetics Cake . When plating slices, skip the fussy sauces.

I always place the slice slightly off-centre. Then, I dust the entire plate lightly with icing sugar, almost like a light dusting of snow.

If you have any remaining strawberry slices, add one or two right next to the slice. Total Cakes Pretty moment achieved!

For a spectacular centrepiece, especially if this is your chosen Strawberry Cake For Birthday , try surrounding the base with a thin ring of fresh mint leaves.

It adds a brilliant pop of green contrast to the white cream and red berries.

Storage and Handling the Whipped Dream

Because we took the time to create that Stabilized whipped cream frosting for layer cake , this beauty holds up really well. The key is cold and airtight.

Store any leftover cake covered tightly in the fridge. Do not, and I mean do not , try to freeze this cake.

Fresh cream frosting turns into a sad, watery mess when thawed. Trust me, I learned that the hard way once.

Generally, this Fresh cream and strawberry layer cake tastes best within two days. Bring it out of the fridge 15 minutes before serving.

That slight warming allows the sponge to soften just enough.

Swapping and Twisting the Classic

One of the best things about this recipe is how adaptable it is. If you're hosting an Afternoon tea cake recipes gathering, you might want to switch things up.

For a gluten-free friend, swap the flour for a 1:1 gluten-free blend. It works brilliantly! I’ve done it dozens of times.

If you want a fun seasonal twist in the autumn, try replacing half the strawberries with gently stewed fresh figs or even blackberries.

You could also lean into the traditional English baking roots. To make this a true Victoria sponge cake recipe , simply omit the strawberry reduction soak.

Instead, dust the cooled sponges with powdered sugar before adding the cream and filling.

A Quick Nutrition Peek

I know, I know. It's a cake. We are here for the delicious factor! But hey, those fresh strawberries are seriously good for you.

They are bursting with antioxidants and fibre. Plus, they give you a brilliant hit of Vitamin C. In fact, one study showed that eating strawberries regularly can support heart health.

So while this Strawberry Vanilla Birthday Cake is definitely a celebration, it’s still packed with good stuff. This makes it one of the most delightful Easy Fun Birthday Cakes you can bake.

Enjoy every single, magnificent mouthful! You absolutely deserve it.