Recipe for Strawberry Shortcake Layer Cake: moist and tender vanilla cake filled with fresh strawberries and vanilla bean whipped cream topped with fresh strawberry syrup.
About Strawberry Shortcake Layer Cake
Nothing beats strawberry shortcake in the summertime! This cake takes the classic dessert, but elevates it into a pretty layer cake. The base is my favorite vanilla cake recipe which is super moist and tender. It's filled with homemade vanilla bean whipped cream and sugar soaked strawberries. The strawberries produce a a delicious strawberry syrup which gets pour directly onto the cake. This simple yet delicious dessert is sure to impress! Follow the steps and tips below to make a perfect strawberry shortcake layer cake!
Ingredients for Strawberry Shortcake Layer Cake
- Cake flour- you can substitute all purpose flour but cake flour gives the cake the best crumb
- Granulated sugar- used to sweeten the strawberries and vanilla cake
- Butter- make sure it’s unsalted and softened to room temperature
- Eggs- make sure they are room temperature
- Buttermilk- makes the cake extra moist
- Vanilla- I recommend vanilla bean paste for the best flavor, yes it really does make a difference!
- Baking soda & powder- help to leaven the cake and give it the best fluffy texture
- Heavy whipping cream- gets whipped and turned into delicious vanilla bean whipped cream
- Powdered sugar- is used to sweeten the whipped cream
- Strawberries- fresh strawberries get soaked in sugar and produce a delicious strawberry syrup
How to Make Strawberry Shortcake Layer Cake
For the Vanilla Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Start by creaming 10 tablespoon of butter and 1 ½ cups of sugar together in a large bowl.
Next add in 3 eggs and 1 ½ tablespoon vanilla bean paste. Mix until combined.
In a separate, medium sized bowl, sift 2 ¼ cups of all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon of salt, 1 ½ teaspoon of baking powder and ¼ teaspoon of baking soda together.
Alternate adding 1 cup of buttermilk and the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a little at a time.
Continue until everything is combined together.
Divide the batter evenly between three 6″ greased cake pans.
Bake the cakes at 350 degrees for 35-38 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the centers.
Let the cakes cool in their pans for five minutes and then transfer them to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely.
Tips for Making the Vanilla Cake:
Make sure all wet ingredients (eggs, buttermilk, butter) are room temperature. The temperature of the ingredients really affects the texture of the cake.
Weigh the cake batter in each of the three cake pans to ensure an even amount of batter is in each pan so that the layers will be the same size.
For the Strawberries
Add 3 cups of thinly sliced strawberries to a bowl. Sprinkle ¼ cup + 2 tablespoon of granulated sugar over the strawberries. Gently stir to coat the berries with sugar. Cover the strawberries and let sit for around an hour to let all the sugar dissolve and create a lot of strawberry syrup.
For the Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream
Add 1 ½ cups of heavy whipping cream to a large bowl. Mix the cream with an electric mixer on high until stiff peaks form. Sift in ¾ cup of powdered sugar and mix just until combined. Last add in 1 ½ teaspoon of vanilla bean paste and combine.
Tips for Making the Whipped Cream:
Make sure the heavy whipping cream is as cold as possible. Put the bowl you’ll be using in the freezer along with the beaters. Just one extra step to help the cream whip faster!
Assembling the Cake
To make sure the cake layers will stack appropriately, the tops will most likely need to cut as they dome while baking. Using a sharp knife cut the domed tops off of each cake layer.
Pour 2-3 tablespoon of strawberry syrup over the cake layer.
Arrange a layer of sliced strawberries on top of the cake layer.
Add about ⅓ of the whipped cream on top of the strawberries.
Arrange another layer of strawberries over the whipped cream.
Add the second cake layer on top and repeat the steps. Then add the remaining cake layer on top and top with the rest of the whipped cream.
I chose to top the cake with whole strawberries just for decoration, but you can also add the remaining sliced strawberries on top of the cake. Drizzle the remaining strawberry syrup over the cake.
Then serve! Store leftovers in the fridge for up to two days.
If you make this cake tag me on Instagram @inbloombakery_ so I can see! Follow me on Pinterest for other dessert recipes!
Other Recipes to Try:
Strawberries and Cream Cupcakes
Mini Strawberry Basil Galettes
Strawberry Cardamom Rose Pie
Strawberry Shortcake Layer Cake
Ingredients
For the Vanilla Cake
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 10 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoon vanilla bean paste or extract
For the Strawberries
- 3 cups fresh strawberries thinly sliced
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
For the Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
Instructions
For the Vanilla Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Start by creaming 10 tablespoon of butter and 1 ½ cups of sugar together in a large bowl.
- Next add in 3 eggs and 1 ½ tablespoon vanilla bean paste.
- Mix until combined.
- In a separate, medium sized bowl, sift 2 ¼ cups of cake flour, ½ teaspoon of salt, 1 ½ teaspoon of baking powder and ¼ teaspoon of baking soda together.
- Alternate adding 1 cup of buttermilk and the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a little at a time. Continue until everything is combined together.
- Divide the batter evenly between 3 6″ greased cake pans. Bake the cakes at 350 degrees for 35-38 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the centers.
- Let the cakes cool in their pans for five minutes and then transfer them to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely.
For the Strawberries
- Add 3 cups of thinly sliced strawberries to a bowl.
- Sprinkle ¼ cup + 2 tablespoon of granulated sugar over the strawberries.
- Gently stir to coat the berries with sugar. Cover the strawberries and let sit for around an hour to let all the sugar dissolve and create a lot of strawberry syrup.
For the Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream
- Add 1 ½ cups of heavy whipping cream to a large bowl. Mix the cream with an electric mixer on high until stiff peaks form.
- Sift in ¾ cup of powdered sugar and mix just until combined.
- Last add in 1 ½ teaspoon of vanilla bean paste and combine.
Assembling the Cake
- To make sure the cake layers will stack appropriately, the tops will most likely need to cut as they dome while baking. Using a sharp knife cut the domed tops off of each cake layer.
- Pour 2-3 tablespoon of strawberry syrup over the first cake layer.
- Arrange a layer of sliced strawberries on top of the cake layer.
- Add about ⅓ of the whipped cream on top of the strawberries.
- Arrange another layer of strawberries over the whipped cream.
- Add the second cake layer on top and repeat the steps.
- Then add the remaining cake layer on top and top with the rest of the whipped cream. I chose to top the cake with whole strawberries just for decoration, but you can also add the remaining sliced strawberries on top of the cake.
- Drizzle the remaining strawberry syrup over the cake and serve!
Hi there! Can I bake them into two 8 inch cake pan instead of three 6 inch cake pan? If yes, is the baking time same?
And what if I want to bake just two 6 inch cake pan? How should I reduce the ingredients?
Hi Samantha,
Yes you can definitely bake the cake in two 8 inch cake pans. I would start with 30 minutes, check the cakes with a toothpick and add more time as needed.