Not your classic strawberry shortcake recipe but a strawberry shortcake cake. Fresh strawberries between layers of moist cake topped with a cream cheese frosting. A great way to celebrate Spring.
We had the best strawberries from the farmers market left over from a party and couldn’t wait to try a strawberry shortcake cake. Natalie, who normally has something she would change about almost any new recipe I try, claimed that this was perfect exactly the way it was. I have to agree with her. It’s now one of those recipes I make as soon as we start seeing fresh strawberries, which in North Carolina is in April and then we only have them for a short time depending on how quickly it gets hot.
The cake is a little crispy on the outside but soft and moist on the inside. It’s the perfect consistency to hold the strawberries without falling apart when you cut it. All the slices looked perfect, not just the one I photographed. We ate the leftovers the next night and while still wonderful, not quite as good as it was fresh as the cake gets a little mushy from the juicy strawberries.
How do you make homemade strawberry shortcake from scratch
Step 1: Make the cake by creaming butter and sugar and then adding eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Next add the dry ingredients of flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt and then pour it into just one cake pan and bake for 30 minutes.
Step 2: Let it cool slightly and remove from the pan and let it cool completely. Once cooled, use a serrated or bread knife and sliced it in half. If your two slices aren’t perfect that’s ok because of the strawberry layer. If this sounds too difficult or you don’t have a long serrated or bread knife, you can use dental floss.
Step 3: Cut up the strawberries and sprinkle with sugar. If you want a soother layer, you can mash them a bit, but I like it a little lumpy. Spread the strawberries on top of each layer and FREEZE for 15 minutes before frosting.
Step 4: Combine the frosting ingredients and spread 1/3 over the first layer of strawberries, top with the second layer and frost the top and sides with the remaining frosting. Keep refrigerated until ready to eat.
How do you choose the ripest strawberries
For this or any strawberry shortcake you need fresh sweet strawberries. There is nothing like biting into a sweet strawberry. Strawberries are one of those fruits that don’t ripen once picked. The best way to know if your strawberries will be sweet is to taste them, but if that’s not possible, then look for a vibrant red color throughout the entire strawberry and a bright green stem.
What’s the best way to store fresh Strawberries
Once you find those sweet strawberries, they don’t last long. To store them, remove any smushed ones and keep in the refrigerator unwashed. Wait until you’re ready to eat to wash them and let them come to room temperature before eating. The flavor will be even sweeter at room, temperature. If you can’t eat them in a day or two then you’re better off freezing them.
This is not your traditional strawberry shortcake with biscuits and whipped cream, but I think it may be our new favorite strawberry dessert. The strawberries soak into the buttery cake and the cream cheese frosting, while not as light as whipped cream, is rich and creamy.
This does take a little more time than making biscuits as you have to cook the cake and let it cool, but I assembled it all before dinner and it was ready to go when we had friends over for a homemade dessert. I found this recipe in one of the Pioneer Woman’s Cookbooks. As always her recipes are sure to please. (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please know that I only provide links to things that I use on a regular basis and think you might find helpful.)
What’s nice about this strawberry shortcake cake recipe is that it goes great with a simple burger or fancy steak dinner.
If you like this strawberry shortcake cake recipe, then try:
- Biscuits filled with strawberries
- Strawberry salad
- Strawberry coffee cake
- Pastry braid with strawberries
- Shortbread bars
- Strawberry cake with strawberry frosting
- Lemon strawberry cake
- Old fashioned strawberry cobbler
- Strawberry sheet pan pie
- Strawberry jam
More great Springtime dessert recipes
Strawberry Shortcake Cake
Ingredients
CAKE
- ½ cup butter softened
- 1 ½ cups plus 3 tablespoons sugar
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup sour cream room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
STRAWBERRIES
- 1 ½ pounds strawberries hulled and halved
- 3 tablespoons sugar
FROSTING
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temp
- 1 cup butter room temp
- 1 ½ pounds powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º. Grease and flour a 9 inch cake pan.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the sour cream and vanilla and mix until combined.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, salt and baking soda and add to butter mixture, Mix until just combined. Spread it into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool slightly and carefully remove from pan and let it cool completely. Once cool, slice in half with a serrated edge knife. Lay the two halves cut side up.
- Mash the strawberries a little and sprinkle with sugar. Let them sit for a few minuets. Spread the strawberries on each half and then place them in the freezer for 15 minutes before frosting.
- Frosting:
- Combine all ingredients and mix until light and fluffy. Place 1/3 of frosting over one of the halves and place the other layer, strawberries facing up, on top. Frost top and sides with remaining frosting.
Notes
Nutrition
If you make Strawberry be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! I would love to see your creation.
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