Strawberry Shortcake Layer Cake (Printable)

Light vanilla sponge layered with macerated fresh strawberries and whipped cream.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cake

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
04 - ½ teaspoon salt
05 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 1 cup granulated sugar
07 - 3 large eggs
08 - 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
09 - ¾ cup buttermilk

→ Strawberry Filling

10 - 1½ pounds fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
11 - ½ cup granulated sugar
12 - 2 teaspoons lemon juice

→ Whipped Cream

13 - 2 cups heavy whipping cream, chilled
14 - ¼ cup powdered sugar
15 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl until well combined.
03 - In a large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
04 - Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
05 - Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just incorporated, being careful not to overmix.
06 - Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto wire racks to cool completely.
07 - Combine sliced strawberries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice in a bowl. Let stand for at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to release natural juices.
08 - In a chilled bowl, whip heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
09 - Place one cooled cake layer on a serving plate. Spread half the macerated strawberries and their juice over the layer, then top with half the whipped cream. Place second cake layer on top. Finish with remaining strawberries and whipped cream, spreading cream to cover the top and sides.
10 - Refrigerate assembled cake for at least 1 hour before slicing to allow flavors to meld and cake to set.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The cake layers are impossibly light and tender, almost like eating a vanilla scented cloud
  • Fresh strawberries macerated in their own juices create this natural syrup that soaks into the cake
  • Whipped cream that actually holds its shape, so your beautiful slices dont collapse on the plate
02 -
  • The cake layers must be completely cool before assembling or the whipped cream will melt into a sad puddle
  • Room temperature ingredients actually matter here, cold eggs can cause the batter to curdle
  • Let the strawberries macerate at least 20 minutes but not more than an hour, or they'll become too soft
03 -
  • Chill your mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for 10 minutes before whipping cream for faster, more stable results
  • Use a kitchen scale to divide the batter evenly between pans, my eyes are notoriously bad at guessing half
  • Don't have buttermilk, measure 1 tablespoon of lemon juice into a measuring cup and fill to 3/4 cup with milk, let stand 5 minutes

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