The Strawberry Lemonade Cake that you make using this recipe makes a cake that is tender, supple, and airy, and it is packed to the brim with the rousing flavors of fresh strawberries, lemon juice, and lemon zest. As soon as you get a whiff of the strawberry reduction and the strawberry buttercream that is put in between each layer of this cake, you won’t be able to stop eating it no matter how full you get. Because of its delicate texture and attractive appearance, this cake is perfect for the spring or summer months.
The flavor profile of this cake, which is reminiscent of strawberry lemonade, achieves the perfect harmony between sweet and acidic notes. This light, delicious, and buttery strawberry lemonade cake is laden with a delightful strawberry lemon buttercream and a strawberry reduction, making it the perfect combination of the two. The flavors of lemon and strawberry permeate every bite, producing an appealing balance of sweetness, acidity, tanginess, and freshness in the overall experience.
This cake certainly makes a bold statement, what with its bright pink frosting and bright red strawberries that sit on it. It is without a doubt going to end up being the most exciting aspect of everyone’s summer parties next year.
INGREDIENTS REQUIRED FOR THE RECIPE
- When it comes to the sweetness of strawberries, the deeper red color indicates a higher concentration of sugar. Because strawberries stop ripening after being plucked, you should only choose the ones that are fully mature.
- Without lemons, there is no way to make lemonade. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice rather than bottled juices because freshly squeezed lemon juice has flavors that are more fresh and bright than bottled juices. However, you will require lemons for another purpose, and that purpose is to zest lemons. Do not leave out the lemon zest when making this cake; the taste it imparts is wonderfully complementary to the sweetness of the strawberries.
- Before using your baking powder and baking soda, check to see that they haven’t lost their freshness. If the container has passed its expiration date, you will need to get a new one if you want your cake to have a tender crumb.
- Use butter that has not been salted because you will be seasoning the batter with salt later. Before using the butter, ensure that it has reached room temperature. It ought to be malleable enough that you can make a crease in it by pressing your finger into it. If the butter is cold, it will be difficult to cream it to the desired consistency by beating it.
- If you’re going to drink milk, go for full milk rather than low-fat milk. When making the cake, using whole milk will yield the best results in terms of flavor and moisture content.
- Sugar for icing, confectioners’ sugar, and 10X powdered sugar are all distinct names for the same product, confectioners’ sugar.
MEASUREMENTS FOR INGREDIENTS
For the Strawberry Reduction:
- 3 cups chopped fresh strawberries (500g)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
- ¼ cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
For the Cake:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (360g)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature (227g)
- 2 cups granulated sugar (400g)
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk room temperature (240ml)
- ¼ cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
For the Buttercream:
- 2 cups unsalted butter room temperature (454g)
- 8 cups powdered sugar (about 2 pounds/ 900g)
- 6 tablespoons strawberry reduction (80ml)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream
NUTRITIONAL VALUE
- Calories: 1051kcal
- Carbohydrates: 150g
- Protein: 7g | Fat: 50g
- Saturated Fat: 31g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 2g
- Cholesterol: 182mg
- Sodium: 252mg
- Potassium: 173mg
- Fiber: 2g
- Sugar: 123g
- Vitamin A: 1573IU
- Vitamin C: 27mg
- Calcium: 102mg
- Iron: 2mg
OTHER DETAILS
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Chill and Cool Time 4 hours
Total Time 5 hours 5 minutes
Servings 12 servings
Calories 1051kcal
Equipment
- 3 8″ round cake pans
- Parchment paper
- Mixing Bowls
- Electric hand or stand mixer
- Wire cooling racks
- Piping bag
- Decorative tip (optional)
DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING THIS RECIPE
- Cooking the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice together in a small pot is the recommended method. Maintain a moderate simmer for a few minutes to cook the food. Continue to boil the mixture while stirring it frequently until it reaches a consistency similar to jam. After placing it in a basin, put it in the refrigerator to chill down.
2. Whisk all of the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a large basin or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium speed. Alternatively, you can do this by hand. After beating in the sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla, continue to do so until a fluffy and light consistency has developed.
- Give the mixture a thorough beating after incorporating each egg, beginning with the first egg. Gradually incorporate a portion of the flour mixture equal to one-third and half of the milk. Continue with same procedure, but this time substitute milk for the flour. Add the lemon juice and stir it in until it is almost completely incorporated. Bake the batter for 30–35 minutes in three baking pans with an 8-inch diameter that have been greased. After the cakes have rested for twenty minutes in their respective pans, they should be transferred to cooling racks.
5. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer equipped with the whisk attachment, butter should be whipped with the mixer set to a medium-high speed until it is very pale and fluffy. While the mixer is on its lowest speed, gradually add half of the powdered sugar, and then gradually incorporate the strawberry reduction. After adding the rest of the powdered sugar, the lemon juice, and then the heavy cream, whip the mixture until it is completely blended. Blend on low to medium speed until the mixture becomes frothy.
6. Prepare a piping bag by fitting it with an elaborate tip and filling it with two cups of frosting. Put a layer of cake in the bottom of the serving dish or cake stand you’re going to use. A half cup of frosting was used to frost the top of the cake layer.
7. Include some piping as a boundary around the area. Spread three tablespoons of the strawberry reduction into the center of the border of frosting. Put another cake layer on top, frost it, and then reduce the frosting like you did previously.
8. Place the eighth and final layer of cake on top of the cake. Spread the remaining icing all over the top of the cake as well as the sides, then use piping to add any additional touches of decoration.
9. Alternately, zest from half a lemon can be sprinkled over top, along with fresh strawberries.
10. The remaining frosting will be used to pipe into the gaps between the toppings in the last step of the process. Before slicing the strawberry lemonade cake, it is recommended that the cake be refrigerated for two hours.
PROFESSIONAL GUIDE TO MAKING THIS RECIPE
- In this straightforward reduction, fresh strawberries are quickly cooked down into a jam. If there are any leftovers, you can use them to make a fresh and sour topping for ice cream or cake. Put a little bit on a tray, and then on top of it, put the cake or the ice cream.
- If the tops of the layers are rounded, you can make them flatter using a knife that has a serrated edge and then stack them in a more organized manner. Cake strips enable you to create layers of completely uniform thickness. Cake strips make certain that the entire cake rises at the same rate, which eliminates the possibility of the cake developing a dome in the middle. Instead of purchasing cake strips, you may make your own by following the instructions in my tutorial.
- If you want to avoid having cake layers that are overly dense, the easiest way to determine how much flour to use is to use a scale, which is the most precise method. Flour can be measured by the spoonful, first by fluffing it with the spoon, and then by leveling it off with the knife if you do not have a scale. By carrying out the procedure in this fashion, you will eliminate the possibility of overfilling the measuring cup by accident.
- It is possible to prevent overmixing by bringing cold ingredients to room temperature before using them. Examples of such items include eggs, milk, and butter. If the batter is stirred for an excessive amount of time, the cake will be difficult to make.
- Did you know that it’s easier to stack cold cake layers than it is to stack warm ones? If you are concerned about the cake collapsing as it is being assembled, you should make the layers in advance and place them in the refrigerator to chill before proceeding.
- Tap the bottoms of the cake pans on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles that may be trapped inside.
- When preparing a lemon, you should avoid zesting the white pith. The flavor of the pith, which has the appearance of being white, is very acidic.
- To make the most efficient use of your time, zest the lemons before you juice them.
- Add a dollop of my own lemon curd to the top of it and see if that doesn’t bring out the zesty lemon taste even more.
FAQs
WHERE DO I KEEP THIS CAKE?
The unadorned cake will keep at room temperature for up to 4 days, and it will keep in the fridge for up to a week. After the garnishes have been added, a cake dome can help keep the cake’s delicate strawberry and frosting layers in place. If you don’t have a cake dome, you can tent plastic wrap over the cake without touching the top by placing a few toothpicks in the strawberries in a strategic pattern.
MAY I PREPARE THIS IN ADVANCE?
The strawberry lemonade cake, or at least its constituent parts, can be prepared in advance. The cake layers and strawberry reduction can be prepared a couple of days in advance; on the day of serving, make the frosting and assemble the cake.
THE CAKE: MAY I FREEZE IT?
This strawberry lemonade cake can be stored in the freezer. Pieces of the completed cake or the entire thing can be frozen. You can freeze the cake or slices for up to three months if you wrap them in many layers of plastic. Before serving, let the cake come to room temperature. The cake layers can be baked ahead of time, froze, and then assembled when needed.
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