Food & Cooking Recipes Dessert & Treats Recipes Cake Recipes Strawberry Cream Cake 4.0 (522) 23 Reviews This dreamy, layered cake is easier to make than it looks. By Martha Stewart Martha Stewart Martha Stewart is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and lifestyle expert who has taught millions of people through generations the joy of entertaining, cooking, gardening, collecting, crafting, and home renovating via her eponymous magazine, Martha Stewart Living, Emmy-winning television shows, and 99 books (and counting). Based in Katonah, N.Y., where she helms her 156-acre Bedford Farm, Martha is America's first self-made female billionaire. Editorial Guidelines Updated on July 26, 2024 Rate PRINT Share Prep Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 40 mins Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Servings: 12 This strawberry cream cake is a juicy, buttery, and creamy creation that’s simply perfect for summer celebrations. It features two layers of sturdy yellow cake, rich whipped cream, and macerated strawberries and can be made up to one day ahead of serving when stored in the fridge. Stabilizing the whipped cream with a touch of gelatin keeps it from deflating under the weight of the berries and cake and helps it to set up in the fridge to sliceable perfection. Besides an electric mixer, you won’t need any special equipment for this recipe. For the best flavor, we recommend making it when strawberries are in season, but thanks to the macerating step, you’ll be rewarded with juicy berries no matter when you whip this cake up. Sarah Carey's Favorite Summer Desserts for Potlucks and Parties Jacob Fox Strawberry Cream Cake Layers The cakes: The homemade yellow cake for this recipe is enriched with butter, whole eggs and yolks, and milk, and is flavored with pure vanilla extract. You'll need an electric mixer—a stand-mixer or hand-held one will work equally well—to cream the butter and sugar and gradually incorporate the wet and dry ingredients. The cake is sturdy enough to soak up the juices from the strawberries but also tender and moist. Our recipe calls for splitting one thicker cake into two layers, but you can also divide the batter between pans to make two thinner cakes; just keep an eye on them in the oven as they'll bake more quickly, check at 15 minutes. The cream: We use powdered gelatin to stabilize the whipped cream, which lends it a bit more heft and helps it to hold up under the weight of the cake and berries—it will continue to set up in the refrigerator into a texture more reminiscent of whipped dessert topping than traditional whipped cream. Be sure to beat the gelatin into the heavy cream while it's still warm to ensure it fully incorporates into a smooth, homogenous texture. The berries: Macerating the strawberries with a little sugar pulls out their juices while softening them slightly, leaving you with a syrupy, super-spoonable topping to layer onto the cake. This recipe is most delicious when made with in-season fruit, but even firm, out-of-season strawberries will work as macerating improves their taste and texture. When spooning strawberries onto the final layer, use a slotted spoon to avoid adding too much of the syrup as it would slide off the topping. Vegetarian Alternatives to Gelatin To make this dessert vegetarian friendly, you'll want to replace the gelatin with a plant-based alternative. Try agar-agar, carrageenan, or a vegetarian substitute like Natural Desserts Unflavored Jel Dessert. You can also swap out the granulated sugar for confectioners' sugar, which contains cornstarch—it will lend some sturdiness as it sets, though it will be significantly softer than a cream layers made with the other alternatives. To avoid having to move the assembled cake—which can be tricky and messy—build it on the platter or cake stand you plan to use for serving. Make Ahead This cake can be assembled up to one day ahead of serving. If refrigerating overnight, place a few wooden skewers or toothpicks in the top layer and loosely cover with a piece of plastic wrap to keep the cake from drying out. Let cake sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving. Ingredients For the cake ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt ½ cup sugar 2 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract ½ cup whole milk For the Filling 1 pound strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced ½ cup sugar 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin (from a ¼-ounce envelope) 1 ½ cups heavy cream Directions Jacob Fox Heat oven and prepare pan; whisk dry ingredients: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter bottom of an 8-inch round cake pan, and line with parchment paper. Butter and flour paper and sides. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. Jacob Fox Cream butter and sugar: Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter and 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Jacob Fox Gradually add eggs, yolks, and vanilla, followed by flour mixture: Add eggs and yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. With mixer on low, alternately add flour mixture in 3 parts and milk in 2, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined. Jacob Fox Transfer to pan: Spread batter in prepared pan. Jacob Fox Bake cake; let cool, then split in half horizontally: Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes; invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. Using a serrated knife, split cake in half horizontally; place bottom half, cut side up, on a serving plate. Jacob Fox Combine berries and sugar; dissolve gelatin: Make topping: In a large bowl, combine strawberries and 1/4 cup sugar; set aside. Place 2 tablespoons cold water in a small saucepan, and sprinkle with gelatin; let soften 5 minutes. Place saucepan over very low heat, and stir until gelatin is dissolved. Remove from heat; let cool. Jacob Fox Beat cream and sugar; incorporate gelatin: Using an electric mixer, beat cream and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a large bowl until very soft peaks form. Continue to beat, and gradually add gelatin mixture; beat until soft peaks form. Jacob Fox Add berries and cream to bottom half: Arrange half of strawberries over bottom cake layer; top with half of whipped cream, leaving a 1-inch border. Jacob Fox Top with remaining cake half and cream; chill: Cover with top half of cake, cut side down. Top cake with remaining whipped cream, leaving a 1-inch border. Refrigerate cake and remaining strawberries separately, at least 1 hour (or up to 1 day). Jacob Fox Top with berries before serving: Just before serving, spoon strawberries over cake. Jacob Fox Storage Leftover cake can be refrigerated, covered, for up to two days. While the whipped cream will continue to hold up, the bottom layer of cake may soften from the berries' juices the longer it sits. Variations Other Fruits: We love this cake with fresh strawberries, but you can certainly swap in another type of berry such as raspberries or blackberries, or even sliced fresh peaches or nectarines. Add Lemon: For a touch of brightness, consider adding one-half teaspoon of lemon zest to the strawberries as they macerate. 5 More Strawberry Desserts to Try: Easy Strawberry Tart Strawberry Shortcake Strawberry Biscuit Sheet Cake Strawberry Icebox Pie Strawberry Napoleons Originally appeared: Everyday Food, July/August 2008 Rate It PRINT Updated by Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds is an experienced recipe developer, recipe tester, food editor, and freelance writer with over a decade of experience in the food and media industries.