A moist yellow cake infused with fresh strawberries, filled with a strawberry-lemon jam, and covered with a strawberry cream cheese frosting.
Prep Time1 hourhr
Cook Time25 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr25 minutesmins
Servings: 20servings
Calories: 756kcal
Author: Lucy Brewer
Ingredients
Strawberry-Lemon Filling
2 ½cupscoarsely chopped fresh strawberries
¾cupgranulated sugar
¼cupfresh lemon juice
3tablespoonscornstarch
Cake
3 ½cupscake flour, spooned and leveled (do not use anything other than cake flour)
3 ½teaspoonsbaking powder
3cupsgranulated sugar
⅔cupwater
8tablespoonsunsalted butter, diced into cubes
4teaspoonsvanilla
1teaspoonsalt
⅔cupcanola oil
6large egg yolks
4large eggs
1cupheavy whipping cream
1cupchopped fresh strawberries
1tablespoonall-purpose flour
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
2sticks unsalted butter, slightly softened
16ouncescream cheese, slightly softened
½cupvegetable shortening
1tablespoonpure vanilla extract
3tablespoonslemon juice
5 ½cupssifted powdered sugar
½teaspoonsalt
¾cupchopped fresh strawberries
Instructions
Strawberry-Lemon Filling
Puree strawberries in a blender until smooth. Press through a wire mesh strainer into a large saucepan and discard any pulp. Stir in sugar.
Whisk cornstarch and lemon juice together and gently whisk into strawberries. Bring to a boil over medium-heat and cook, stirring constantly for one minute.
Remove from heat and allow to rest about ten minutes. Pour into bowl and press plastic wrap directly on top of filling. Chill until no longer warm.
Filling can be made up to one week ahead.
Cake
Butter and flour three 9-inch cake pans. You will also have enough leftover batter to make almost a dozen cupcakes so prepare a cupcake pan as well.
Line the pans with parchment paper and lightly grease the parchment paper.
Place a large bowl, beaters, and whipping cream in freezer for five minutes. (I use my hand mixer for this step.)
Using stand mixer, beat flour and baking powder for 30 seconds at medium speed. Transfer flour to a large bowl and set aside. Add sugar to the mixing bowl. Heat water to a simmer and add to sugar.
Beat to dissolve sugar. Beat in butter, vanilla, and salt. Add canola oil and beat on medium.
Add about one-third of flour and blend on low. Add the remaining flour and mix until just blended. Stir in egg yolks one at a time by hand. Stir in eggs one at a time by hand.
Remove bowl, beaters, and cream from freezer. Whip cream just beyond soft peaks. Stir in 1/3 of whipped cream and then gently fold in the rest.
Stir the tablespoon of flour into the chopped strawberries. Gently stir the strawberries into the cake batter.
Pour batter into the cake pans about halfway, no more than 2/3 of the pan. Pour remaining batter into prepared cupcake pans. Drop pans on counter from about 5 inches in the air to release air bubbles.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until cake springs back in the middle and toothpick comes out clean.
Place parchment paper on wire racks. Cool cake in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn out onto parchment paper covered wire rack and cool completely.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream butter, cream cheese, shortening, salt, and vanilla. Add lemon juice. Gradually add confectioner's sugar, starting with just 4 cups.
You may add additional sugar in 1/2 cup increments until you get the taste and consistency that you want. I tend to like a stiffer frosting that's a little less sweet so I usually use about 6 cups.
When frosting is the consistency you want, gently stir in the chopped strawberries. If you get the frosting too loose then stick it in the refrigerator for half an hour.
Putting it together
Place bottom layer on cake plate.
If your layers are mounded, use a long bread knife to cut off the mound and make them flat.
Spread about one cup of strawberry lemon filling on bottom layer. (You may want to use less, but we like a lot so I'm generous.)
Spread about 1/2 cup of strawberry cream cheese frosting on top of jam. (See note above--may want to use a little less.)
Place second layer next and repeat with jam and frosting.
Place third layer on top.
I use dowels to hold the layers in place. If you don't have dowels, you can use drinking straws and cut them the height of the cake. It's a good idea to use something to hold them because the frosting and jam will make them slide.
Finish frosting top and sides of cake and place cake in refrigerator until half an hour before serving. You should have plenty of frosting leftover for the cupcakes.