I love strawberry shortcake. It's definitely in the top 5 of all time favorite cakes. I love how light and airy the cake is and my most favorite is the whipped cream frosting. The common theme with myself and desserts is that I like them simple, moist, light and delicious. I am not a fan of thick frosting and dense cakes (unless it's a flourless chocolate cake)!
This recipe is super easy and simple and the good news is that you can frost and layer it anyway you'd like. You can make this as three layers or two. I made two and iced the entire cake then piped the top and added fresh strawberries!
What you'll need for the cake:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups (310g) sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups milk ( I used oat milk)
For the layered strawberries you'll need (make at least 1-2 hours ahead of time. The more time it sits in the fridge the more juice you will get from the strawberries:
1 pound fresh strawberries
3 tbsp
For the whipped cream:
2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream (cold)
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Prepare two 9 inch cake pans with parchment paper circles in the bottom and grease the sides. Preheat oven to 350°F. 2. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside. 3. Add the butter, oil, sugar and vanilla extract to and large mixer bowl and beat together until light in color and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Do not skimp on the creaming time. You should visibly see a change in color and texture. 4. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until mostly combined after each. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated. 5. Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until mostly combined. 6. Slowly add the milk and mix until well combined. 7. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until well combined and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated. Do not over mix the batter. 8. Divide the batter evenly between the cakes pans and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs. 9. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool for about 2-3 minutes, then remove to cooling racks to cool completely. 10. To make the strawberries, wash them and cut the stems off, then slice them. 11. Add the sliced strawberries and sugar to a large bowl and toss together. Set in the fridge for at least 1-2 hours to let the sugar bring out the juices from the berries. The longer it sits, the more juices you’ll have. 12. When you’re ready to put the cake together, make the whipped cream. Add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl and whip on high speed until medium to stiff peaks form. 13. To build the cake, place the first cake layer on a cake plate or other serving platter. Add a layer of whipped cream. You can pipe dollops around the outer edge of the cake, then fill it in or you can do what I did and spread a layer of of whipped cream. 14. Add about half of the strawberries on top of the whipped cream. 15. Add the second layer of cake, another layer of whipped cream and another layer of strawberries then finish off the cake however you'd like.. There are no rules to frosting or decorating a Strawberry shortcake! 17. Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve. The cake layers and strawberries can be made up to a day ahead, but the cake is best if layered together the day it’ll be served.
I made this cake on the fly for my cousin's birthday and had to cut the decorating short since we had to leave quickly for our birthday drive-by but I am delighted with the way it turned out!
Please feel free to leave a comment or question below!
xoxo,
Mimi
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