The Best Vanilla Strawberry Cake

Fresh strawberries, aromatic vanilla, and smooth cream cheese combine to make this the best vanilla strawberry cake recipe you’ll ever make. This scratch-made cake is so easy and delicious! Wow, the ones you love when you serve it by garnishing the cake with beautiful strawberry roses on top. 

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Celebrate With Cake 

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, it seems only fitting that I share my recipe for the best vanilla strawberry cake you will ever bake. Cake is always a wonderful way to celebrate. This cake recipe is a family favorite around the farmhouse. I have a feeling it will soon be a family favorite at your house too. It’s perfect to serve for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, the Fourth of July, a birthday, or quite frankly, any day!

What is in the Best Vanilla Strawberry Cake?

Fresh and simple baking ingredients make this cake extraordinary. Here are the ingredients:

• Butter
• Granulated sugar
• Eggs
• Lemon zest
• Vanilla extract
• Cake flour
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Milk 
• Fresh strawberries, divided
• Cream cheese (I used strawberry cream cheese)
• Powdered sugar

I have also made this cake gluten-free using gluten-free flour and it turned out perfectly.

How to Make the Best Vanilla Strawberry Cake

First, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour two 8 inch round cake pans.

Next, in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer begin to beat the butter and gradually add the granulated sugar. Beat them until they are light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then add the lemon zest and vanilla extract and beat well.

Then, in a medium bowl sift the flour with baking powder and salt. Add it to the creamed mixture in two additions, alternating with the milk. Beat thoroughly after each addition and scrape down the sides of the bowl in between. 

Divide the cake batter evenly between the two prepared pans.

Finally, bake on a center rack for 30 minutes or until the center of the cake comes out clean when pricked with a toothpick.

Place the cake pans on a wire rack and allow them to cool for a few minutes. Using a knife separate the edge of the cake from the pan. Then, flip each one upside down to remove it from the pan and allow the cakes to cool longer on the wire racks. 

Make the Cream Cheese Frosting:

In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, beat the softened butter and cream cheese until it’s well blended. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk and beat until it’s smooth and creamy.

Assemble the Cake:

Trim the top of each cake so it is completely flat. 

Place the first cake onto the cake plate. Spread a layer of frosting on top of the cake. Slice 5-6 strawberries and place them on the top of the frosting.

Top the first cake with the second cake and frost the entire cake evenly.

Decorate:

Decorate the cake with handmade chocolate hearts, strawberry roses, sprinkles, or edible flowers. It’s delicious and equally beautiful served without any decorations.

Enjoy

I had so much fun sharing my recipe for the best vanilla strawberry cake with you. I hope you and yours love it as much as we do here on the farm. 

Yield: 6-8 sevings

The Best Vanilla Strawberry Cake

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Additional Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Fresh strawberries, aromatic vanilla, and smooth cream cheese combine to make this the best vanilla strawberry cake recipe you'll ever make. This scratch-made cake is so easy and delicious! It's perfect for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, the Fourth of July, a birthday, or quite frankly, any day! Wow, the ones you love when you serve it by garnishing the cake with beautiful strawberry roses on top. 

Print

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, more for the pans
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups cake flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 pound fresh strawberries, divided

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter
• 16 ounces cream cheese (I used strawberry cream cheese)
• 8 cups powdered sugar
• 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 tablespoons milk

Instructions

For the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour two 8 inch round cake pans.
2. In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer begin to beat the butter and gradually add the granulated sugar. Beat them until they are light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then add the lemon zest and vanilla extract and beat well.
4. In a medium bowl whisk or sift the flour with baking powder and salt. Add it to the creamed mixture in two additions, alternating with the milk. Beat thoroughly after each addition and scrape down the sides of the bowl in between. 
5. Divide the cake batter evenly between the two prepared pans.
6. Bake on a center rack for 30 minutes or until the center of the cake comes out clean when pricked with a toothpick.
7. Place the cake pans on a wire rack and allow them to cool for a few minutes. Using a knife separate the edge of the cake from the pan. Then, flip each one upside down to remove it from the pan and allow the cakes to cool longer on the wire racks. 

For the cream cheese frosting:

In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, beat the softened butter and cream cheese until it's well blended. Add powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla and beat until it's smooth and creamy.

Assembly of the cake:

1. Trim the top of each cake so it is completely flat. 
2. Place the first cake onto the cake plate. Spread a layer of frosting on top of the cake. Slice 2-3 strawberries and place the slices on the top of the frosting.
3. Top the first cake with the second cake and frost the entire cake evenly.

Decorating the cake:

Decorate the cake with handmade chocolate hearts, strawberry roses, sprinkles, or edible flowers. It's delicious and equally beautiful served without any decorations.

For more delicious cake recipes that are perfect for the holidays or any day, follow me on Pinterest and Instagram. You may also enjoy checking out these posts:

Italian Cream Cake

Poppyseed Coffee Cake