Easy Strawberry Shortcake Cake

With fresh whipped cream, syrupy strawberries, and soft vanilla cake, this easy one-layer dessert combines all the best parts of strawberry shortcake into the perfect summer showstopper!

When summer rolls around, it’s time for all the lightest, freshest, and fruitiest desserts, and I can think of no better recipe than this strawberry shortcake cake! With this recipe, you don’t have to worry about making individual shortcakes—just whip up a simple vanilla cake with cream and strawberries!

What is Strawberry Shortcake?

Typically, strawberry shortcake is made of a sweetened biscuit filled with whipped cream and macerated strawberries. There are several different variations, some of which use a scone base while others are cake-like, but today, we’re turning this classic dessert into a single layer cake that’s perfect for summer celebrations!

Ingredients and Substitutions

This cake is made up of three main elements: a vanilla cake, homemade whipped cream, and macerated strawberries. Here’s what ingredients you’ll need to make everything:

• Cake flour. Since it has less protein content, cake flour results in a more tender crumb. But if you don’t have it, don’t worry! You can easily substitute the cake flour in this recipe with with 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour plus 3 tablespoons cornstarch (or if you’re in a pinch, you can use entirely all-purpose flour).
• Milk powder. Milk powder isn’t exactly a pantry staple, so if you don’t have it at home, you can easily omit it without altering the final product. When used in baking recipes, milk powder just enhances the flavor and texture of the cake.
• Baking powder and baking soda. These will act as leaveners for the recipe to give the cake it’s even rise and fluffy texture.
• Kosher salt. To enhance the cake’s flavor and balance the sweetness.
• Unsalted butter and vegetable oil. I’ve found that a combination of butter and oil results in a plush and tender cake that’s buttery but not too dense. If you don’t have vegetable oil, any neutral-flavored oil will do (think avocado, canola, or sunflower oil, not olive, sesame, or coconut).
• Granulated sugar. To sweeten the cake and soften the crumb.
• Eggs and egg yolks. Using both whole eggs and egg yolks create the right balance of structure and tenderness for the perfect cake.
• Vanilla bean paste. If you don’t have vanilla bean paste, vanilla extract is just fine—if you want to learn how to make your own, check out my blog post here!
• Sour cream and buttermilk. Both sour cream and buttermilk are acidic, which will inhibit gluten formation and react with the baking soda to make the cake rise. If you don’t have sour cream, you can substitute it with plain Greek yogurt or crème fraîche. Likewise, if you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own by stirring together whole milk and lemon juice or vinegar (see the recipe notes for specific measurements).
• Demerara sugar. Optional, but highly recommended! Sprinkling a bit of demerara sugar on the batter before it bakes gives the cake an amazing crunch. If you don’t have demerara sugar, you can use turbinado sugar (or just granulated, if it’s what you have on hand).
• Heavy whipping cream. If you have to, you can use store-bought whipped cream, but I feel that homemade is infinitely superior (and so easy to make)!
• Fresh strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Lightly sweetening the strawberries with sugar and lemon juice will extract their natural juices, creating a natural strawberry syrup that’s perfect for topping the cake.

How to Make Strawberry Shortcake Cake

This cake is the perfect beginner bake and requires no fancy equipment or decorating! To make it, you just need three bowls (one for the wet ingredients, dry ingredients, and butter) and an 8-inch cake pan. There are four main steps to the recipe:

1. Make the cake. This is a pretty standard vanilla cake recipe; you’ll start by creaming together the butter, sugar, and oil, then add in your eggs and egg yolks. To incorporate everything more evenly, we’ll alternate adding the wet and dry ingredients until a batter forms, then pour it into the pan and bake!
2. Macerate the strawberries. Just slice your strawberries and mix them with the lemon juice and sugar. Be sure to let them rest for at least 30 minutes before using—this way, they’ll have enough time to marinate and release their juices.
3. Make the whipped cream. While the strawberries rest, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to whip the cream to stiff peaks! I always like to add a dash of sugar and vanilla bean paste to my whipped cream for good measure.
4. Assemble. With everything made, it’s time to put it all together! Start by placing the cooled cake onto a serving platter or plate, then swirl over the whipped cream and spoon the strawberries on top. Once the final touches are done, you’re ready to enjoy!

Tips and Tricks

Though this is a pretty simple recipe, here are a few tips and tricks to keep up your sleeve:

• Use room-temperature ingredients. Unless specifically noted in the recipe, a general rule of thumb for cake-baking is to use room temperature ingredients, since they’ll seamlessly incorporate with one another into the batter. If you use cold butter or eggs, you run the risk of the batter splitting or having unmixed butter bits throughout.
• Don’t overmix the batter. Generally, the longer you mix a batter with flour, the more gluten you develop. This is great for bread recipes when you want a strong structure and chew, but it’s not ideal for a soft and tender cake recipe. You’ll know when the batter is properly mixed once it’s homogeneous and has no more streaks of flour.
• Don’t over or under-bake the cake. This can be one of the hardest parts about baking, but don’t worry! To test the cake for doneness, insert a wooden skewer or toothpick in the center. If the toothpick comes back coated with raw batter, the cake needs to bake longer. If it comes back clean or with a few moist crumbs, then you’re done!
• Homemade whipped cream. When making homemade whipped cream, there are two things you should always keep in mind. Number one: use cold heavy cream. If the cream is too warm, the fat molecules won’t be firm enough to hold a stable whipped cream. Number two: don’t overwhip. Heavy cream is notoriously easy to overmix and can go from stiff peaks to butter in a blink. Once you notice the cream thickening, keep an eye on it so you can whip it to your preferred texture.
• Let the cake cool completely before assembling. Otherwise, the whipped cream will melt and make a huge mess!

Strawberry Shortcake FAQs

1. Can I make the cake ahead of time? Yes, all of the recipe elements (the cake, the whipped cream, and the strawberries) can be made the day before. However, since this cake is best served immediately, I recommend not assembling everything until the day of—that way, the cake won’t get soggy from the whipped cream or strawberry juices.
2. How to store leftovers? After serving, the cake can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge and is best enjoyed within 1 to 2 days.
3. Can I use fruit other than strawberries? Of course! The best fruits for substituting will be fresh peaches, pitted cherries, mangoes, or raspberries/blackberries.

Still hungry? Try these other summer recipes!

• Classic Iced Lemon Loaf.
• Brown Butter Peaches with Mascarpone Cream.
• Easy Key Lime Pie.
• Mochi Ice Cream Bites.

Happy baking!