Strawberry-Lemonade Cake

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If you're looking for the perfect layer cake for a summertime celebration, this Strawberry-Lemonade Cake recipe is the one.

Hands On Time:
45 mins
Total Time:
4 hrs 30 mins
Servings:
12

If you're looking for the perfect cake for a summertime celebration, this Strawberry-Lemonade Layer Cake is the one. Made with tender lemony cake layers spread with a tangy Strawberry-Lemonade Jam, the cake is frosted with a dreamy Strawberry Frosting made with fresh berries and a drop of pink food coloring.

You can assemble this beautiful cake up to two days ahead and store at room temperature. Also, you can freeze cooled layers up to a month in plastic wrap and aluminum foil.

Southern Living Strawberry Lemonade Cake sliced and ready to serve

Ingredients

Cake

  • 1 cup butter, softened

  • 4 large eggs, separated

  • 2 cups granulated sugar

  • 3 cups cake flour

  • 1 tablespoon baking powder

  • 1/8 teaspoon table salt

  • 1 cup milk

  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest

  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

  • Shortening (to grease the pan)

Strawberry-Lemonade Jam

  • 2 1/2 cups coarsely chopped fresh strawberries

  • 3/4 cup sugar

  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch

Strawberry Frosting

  • 1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened

  • 2/3 cup sugar, divided

  • 2/3 cup chopped fresh strawberries

  • 1 drop pink food coloring gel (optional)

  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions

  1. Prepare Cake:

    Preheat oven to 350°F. Assemble your ingredients.

    Southern Living Strawberry Lemonade Cake ingredients

    Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

    Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy.

    Southern Living Strawberry Lemonade Cake creaming the butter and sugar until fluffy

    Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

    Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.

    Southern Living Strawberry Lemonade Cake adding the egg yolks to the batter

    Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

    Stir together flour and next 2 ingredients; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

    Southern Living Strawberry Lemonade Cake stirring together the dry ingredients

    Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

    Beat at low speed just until blended.

    Strawberry Lemonade Cake batter after adding the flour mixture

    Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

    Stir in zest and juice.

    Southern Living Strawberry Lemonade Cake stirring the zest and juice into the cake batter

    Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

    Beat egg whites in a large bowl at high speed until stiff peaks form.

    Southern Living Strawberry Lemonade Cake whipping the egg whites to soft peaks

    Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

    Gently stir one-third of egg whites into batter; fold in remaining egg whites.

    Southern Living Strawberry Lemonade Cake after egg whites have been folded into the batter

    Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

    Spoon batter into 4 greased (with shortening) and floured 9-inch round cake pans.

    Southern Living Strawberry Lemonade Cake batter added to the pans

    Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

    Bake at 350°F for 16 to 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

    Southern Living Strawberry Lemonade Cake baked cakes cooling in the pans on a cooling rack

    Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

    Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely.

  2. Make Strawberry-Lemonade Jam Filling:

    Process strawberries in a blender until smooth.

    Southern Living Strawberry Lemonade Cake strawberries pureed in the blender

    Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

    Press through a wire-mesh strainer into a 3-qt. saucepan, using back of a spoon to squeeze out juice; discard pulp.

    Strawberry Lemonade Cake straining the pureed strawberries

    Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

    Stir in sugar.

    Strawberry Lemonade Cake adding the sugar to the strawberries in the saucepan

    Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

    Whisk together lemon juice and cornstarch.

    Strawberry Lemonade Cake whisking together the lemon juice and cornstarch

    Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

    Gradually whisk lemon juice mixture into strawberry mixture.

    Southern Living Strawberry Lemonade Cake whisking the lemon juice mixture into the strawberry mixture

    Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

    Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, and cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute.

    Southern Living Strawberry Lemonade Cake strawberry mixture cooked until thickened

    Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

    Remove from heat. Place plastic wrap directly on warm jam; chill 2 hours or until cold. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 1 week.

    Southern Living Strawberry Lemonade Cake jam covered with plastic wrap

    Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

  3. Make Frosting:

    Beat cream cheese and 1/3 cup sugar with an electric mixer until smooth.

    Southern Living Strawberry Lemonade Cake beating the cream cheese until smooth

    Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

    Add strawberries and food coloring (if desired); beat until blended.

    Southern Living Strawberry Lemonade Cake adding the strawberries to the frosting mixture

    Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

    Beat cream and juice at medium speed until foamy; increase speed to medium-high, and slowly add remaining 1/3 cup sugar, beating until stiff peaks form.

    Southern Living Strawberry Lemonade Cake beating whipped cream until stiff peaks form

    Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

    Fold half of cream mixture into cheese mixture; fold in remaining cream mixture. Use immediately.

    Southern Living Strawberry Lemonade Cake frosting after folding cream into cream cheese mixture

    Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

  4. Assemble the Cake:

    Place 1 cake layer on a serving platter, and spread with about 1/2 cup Strawberry-Lemonade Jam, leaving a 1/2-inch border around edges.

    Southern Living Strawberry Lemonade Cake spreading the jam onto the cake layer

    Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

    Spoon 1 cup Strawberry Frosting into a zip-top plastic freezer bag. Snip 1 corner of bag to make a small hole. Pipe a ring of frosting around cake layer just inside the top edge.

    Southern Living Strawberry Lemonade Cake piping the frosting around the edge of the cake layer

    Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

    Top with second and third cake layers, repeating procedure with filling and frosting between each layer.

    Southern Living Strawberry Lemonade Cake spreading the frosting on top of the cake

    Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

    Top with last cake layer, and spread remaining Strawberry Frosting on top and sides of cake.

    Southern Living Strawberry Lemonade Cake finished and ready to serve

    Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

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