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!
Print
Pin
Servings: 8 slices
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1 ½ cups cake flour, can substitute with 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour plus 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon milk powder (optional), can substitute by adding 1 tablespoon whole milk to the wet ingredients
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup vegetable or canola oil
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
- ⅓ cup full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
- ½ tablespoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup buttermilk, can substitute with ⅓ cup whole milk plus 1 teaspoon of vinegar and lemon juice
- Demerara sugar, for topping
For the whipped cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold from the fridge
- 2 tablespoons granulated or powdered sugar (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
For the macerated strawberries
- 12 ounces fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉, then grease and line an 8-inch round baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Prepare the cake. To a medium bowl, add the cake flour, milk powder (if using), baking powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk until well combined. Set aside.
- In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the sour cream and buttermilk until homogeneous. Set aside.
- Place the softened butter and sugar in another large bowl. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed until well incorporated and no pieces of butter remain, about 2-3 minutes.
- With the mixer running on low, gently stream in the vegetable oil until combined. Return the mixer to medium speed and beat for 1-2 minutes more, until the mixture is lighten in color, creamy, and emulsified.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the egg yolk and vanilla.
- Pour in around ⅓ of the dry ingredients to the creamed sugar mixture, mixing until just combined, followed by about ½ of the buttermilk mixture. Continue alternating the dry and wet ingredients, ending with the remaining ⅓ of the flour and folding until just combined.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared 8-inch tin, tapping the pan on the counter and using a silicon spatula to ensure the batter is evenly distributed and the top is smooth.
- Bake the cake for 35-45 minutes until golden brown on top and a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out and peeling off the parchment paper. Cool completely before assembling.
- Prepare the shortcake topping. In the meantime, place the sliced strawberries into a bowl with the sugar and lemon juice, then stir to combine. Set aside for at least 30 minutes (if needed, the strawberries can be made up to 1 day ahead of time).
- With a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the whipping cream, vanilla, and sugar until stiff peaks form. Add more sugar to taste, if needed, but be careful not to overwhip.
- Assemble. When ready to serve, pile the whipped cream on top of the cooled cake, gently spreading to the edges, then spoon over the macerated strawberries.
- Slice and serve the cake immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. The cake is best enjoyed fresh, but leftovers can be stored in the fridge and consumed within 2-3 days.
Notes
Make-ahead instructions: All of the recipe elements (the cake, the whipped cream, and the strawberries) can be made the day before. Since this cake is best served immediately, do not assemble everything until the day of—that way, the cake won't get soggy from the whipped cream or strawberry juices.