🍓🍋 Strawberry Lemonade Cake
With Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
🎂 What You'll Get:
• Moist lemon-strawberry cake layers
• Natural strawberry flavor (no fake stuff!)
• Tangy lemon cream cheese frosting
• Optional strawberry compote filling or fresh berries in between layers
📝 Ingredients
🧁 For the Cake (Two 8-inch or 9-inch layers):
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup buttermilk (or milk + 1 tsp vinegar)
• ½ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
• ¾ cup fresh strawberry purée (see below)
🍓 To Make Strawberry Purée:
• Blend ~1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries into a smooth purée.
• Optional: Simmer for 5–7 mins to reduce and intensify flavor (cool before using).
🍋 Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:
• 8 oz (1 block) cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3–4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp lemon zest
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• Optional: A pinch of salt for balance
🥣 Instructions
1. Make the Cake:
1 Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line two 8" or 9" round cake pans.
2 In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3 In another large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (3–5 mins).
4 Beat in eggs one at a time. Add lemon juice, zest, vanilla, sour cream, and strawberry purée. Mix well.
5 Alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk, mixing until just combined.
6 Divide batter evenly between pans.
7 Bake for 25–30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
8 Cool completely before frosting.
2. Make Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth and fluffy.
2 Add lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla, and a pinch of salt.
3 Gradually mix in powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached.
4 Chill for 15–20 minutes if it's too soft to spread.
3. Assemble the Cake:
• Optionally level your cake layers.
• Spread frosting on the first layer.
• Optionally add a layer of strawberry jam or fresh sliced strawberries.
• Add the second layer and frost the top and sides.
• Decorate with lemon slices, strawberries, zest, or swirls of extra strawberry jam.
💡 Tips:
• Strawberry Too Watery? Reduce the purée slightly by cooking it down.
• Want More Strawberry Flavor? Add finely chopped strawberries to the batter or filling.
• Want a Shortcut? Use a lemon cake mix + fold in strawberry purée for a semi-homemade version.