As summer approaches, the one fruit I look forward to most are strawberries. Strawberries are just everything that I think a fruit should be. Sweet, light, and incredibly refreshing. This strawberry cake works to take the best parts of a strawberry, and make them even better. The concentrated flavor of strawberry reigns throughout this cake, and it’s aided by the sweet tang of the cream cheese frosting. The strawberry puree creates a cake so decadently moist, yet unbelievably fluffy. It really is just an all around delicious cake.
What is strawberry puree, and why is it in my strawberry cake?
Basically, strawberry puree is just blended up strawberries into a smooth, slightly pulp-y juice. By adding the puree, you are giving the full flavor of strawberry in a natural way. I am not a fan of “essences”. So, by having strawberry puree rather than strawberry flavoring, your dessert will taste less like medicine and more like fruit.
I think the cream cheese frosting works to compliment the strawberry flavor impeccably. However, if you are extremely opposed to cream cheese, as I know some people are, you could opt for classic vanilla buttercream. I must warn you though, you do not want the buttercream to be overly sweet. The cake is already very sweet, so the frosting cannot be sickly sweet, or else you might get a toothache. The tang of the cream cheese works well to counteract the sweetness of the cake. A vanilla buttercream misses this tang, and in my opinion, would not be the best option. But please, make the cake your own! I cannot wait to see how your creation turns out.
The Best Strawberry Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2½ cups Granulated Sugar
- 1 ½ cups Strawberry Puree
- ½ cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 cup Milk
- 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
- 3 Large Eggs + 1 Egg Yolk
- 3 ¼ cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tbsp Baking Powder
- 1½ teaspoon Salt
For the Frosting:
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter (softened and at room temperature)
- 16 ounces Cream Cheese (2 cream cheese blocks)
- 6 cups Powdered Sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare three 6-inch pans with grease and parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, add sugar, strawberry puree, vegetable oil, milk, vanilla extract, eggs, and egg yolk. Whisk together until homogenous.
- Add the salt and baking powder and mix to combine.
- Add the flour, mixing in gently until just combined.
- Divide batter equally amongst the cake tins and bake in preheated oven for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool before removing from cake tins and frosting.
For the Frosting:
- Beat the butter until very smooth and no lumps are there. Add the cream cheese and beat together until they are fully mixed together.
- Add the powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla. Mix on high for 2-3 minutes to whip until light and fluffy.
- Frost the cooled cake, and enjoy!
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