Description
Indulge in the delightful flavors of summer with this Strawberry Lemonade Layer Cake. It’s a refreshing and fruity dessert that is perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup pureed fresh strawberries
Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons pureed strawberries
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour three 8-inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- Prepare the Cake Batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Gently fold in the strawberry puree until just combined.
- Bake the Cakes: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 22–25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
- Prepare the Frosting: For the frosting, beat the butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar gradually, then mix in lemon juice, lemon zest, strawberry puree, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth and fluffy.
- Assemble the Cake: Once cakes are completely cool, frost between the layers, then frost the top and sides. Chill for 30 minutes before slicing for clean layers.
Notes
- For a deeper strawberry flavor, use freeze-dried strawberries ground into powder in the frosting.
- You can substitute sour cream for buttermilk if needed.
- Decorate with fresh strawberries and lemon slices for a pretty presentation.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 490
- Sugar: 45g
- Sodium: 190mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 65g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 95mg
