Strawberry layer cake has two vanilla sponge layers filled with fresh whipped cream and thinly sliced strawberries.
Don’t over complicate things. Some things are best kept sweet and simple.
This strawberry cream cake is just that. Straight forward simple.
Two layers of vanilla sponge cake sandwiched with fresh whipped cream and sliced sweet strawberries.
Table of Contents
Fresh Strawberry Cream Cake
This no-fuss cake is perfect for summer.
It is reminiscent of the strawberry sponge cake (or Japanese strawberry shortcake) that most Asian bakeries sell. Visit a Taiwanese, Korean, Japanese, or Filipino bakery. You are bound to find some version of this cake.
Vanilla or yellow sponge cake with whipped cream frosting and fresh berries.
This is a popular cake for birthdays and celebrations. The cake and frosting is not very sweet. Rather, the dessert relies on the sweetness of the fruit. As such, it is vital to use the freshest, ripest strawberries you can find.
NOTE: Most Asian bakeries use Whip’n Ice or a similar stabilized whipped cream frosting.
Vanilla Sponge Cake Ingredients
There are dozens of sponge cake variations. The one thing they all have in common: eggs are separated.
Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks. Then, gradually fold the egg whites into the rest of the cake batter.
Whipped French Meringue
The term French meringue encompasses any mixture of raw egg whites whipped with sugar.
It is the least stable of the meringues. Italian meringue is the strongest.
I highly recommend using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment to whip the meringue. While it can be mixed using an electric hand mixer, I have repeatedly found better results using a powerful stand mixer.
The whipped egg whites should be shiny, smooth, and fluffy.
If your meringue is dull or dense, START OVER. This will throw off the cake.
Sponge Cake Batter
Do not be alarmed by the cake batter. Initially, the cake batter will be very thick. It will thin out add the whipped eggs are gradually added to the batter.
Fold meringue into cake batter
- Add 1/3 of whipped meringue into thick cake batter.
- Use a strong sturdy spatula to gently fold in meringue. The thick cake batter will slowly loosen.
- Add another 1/3 of meringue to cake a batter. Once almost fully incorporated, add remaining 1/3 of meringue.
- Gently fold until there are no longer any white streaks of meringue and the cake batter is smooth and creamy.
NOTE: Be careful not to over mix the batter! You don’t want to deflate the meringue.
Sponge Cake Notes:
- This sponge cake recipe makes two 8-inch rounds or one 9×13-inch sheet cake. It the same recipe used to make Mango Coconut Sheet Cake.
- Brush the cake pan with oil. This will ensure the cake pulls away from the pan during baking. This also helps to keep the cake bake level and flat.
- The sponge cake itself is not very sweet.
- Baked cake will light and fluffy. If your sponge cake is dense:
- the meringue was not properly whipped
- the meringue had traces of fat (egg yolks or oil)
- the cake batter was over-mixed causing the meringue to fall
Whipped Cream Frosting
For best results, whip cream to soft-medium peaks. The agitation from spreading the whipped cream onto the cake layers will stiffen the frosting up.
It is better to err on the side of under-whipped than over-whipped cream.
There is a fine line between whipped cream and over-whipped cream. Over-whipped cream will be grainy. It will look curdled.
As mentioned, Asian bakeries often use Whip’n Ice or a similar stabilized whipped cream frosting.
Layer Cake Assembly
- Place one cake layer on serving plate. Spread about half of whipped cream over cake layer.
- Arrange one layer of sliced strawberries over whipped cream.
- Dollop a small amount of whipped cream over strawberries. Gently spread over strawberries. This will act at the glue to hold second cake layer.
- Stack top cake layer over whipped cream covered strawberries.
- Spread remaining whipped cream over cake layer.
- Arrange layer of sliced strawberries over whipped cream. Store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Serve strawberry layer cake with sea salt coffee for the ultimate afternoon treat.
Strawberry Layer Cake
Equipment
- stand mixer with whisk attachment
Ingredients
Vanilla Cake:
- 4 large eggs, separated
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 cup granulated sugar, (200 g) divided
- 2 cups cake flour, (240 g)
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract, *
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
Whipped Cream:
- 1 ½ cup heavy cream, cold
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla paste, or pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup confectioners' sugar, (63 g)
Strawberry Filling:
- 3 cups strawberries, , hulled and sliced thin
Instructions
Vanilla Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line two 8-inch cake rounds with parchment paper. Brush with oil. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine egg whites and cream of tartar. Using a whisk attachment, mix on low speed until mixture is foamy. Increase speed to medium and slowly add ½ cup sugar, one tablespoon at a time.
- Once all sugar has been added, increase speed and continue to mix until mixture is stiff peaks. Mixture should be shiny, smooth, and fluffy. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder and remaining ½ cup of granulated sugar. In a larger bowl, whisk together vegetable oil, water, vanilla, egg yolks, and salt. Add dry mixture in three additions to wet mixture. Fold to combine. Mixture should be smooth, shiny, and thick.
- Add egg white mixture to cake batter in three additions. Gently fold to combine. The batter will slowly loosen as the egg whites are added.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 18-20 minutes until tops of cake are lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5-10 minutes Run mini offset spatula around the edges of the cake pan to loosen cake before unmolding. Let cake cool on wire racks.
Whipped Cream:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add cold heavy cream and vanilla. Whip on medium speed until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners' sugar and continue to whip to almost stiff peaks (medium peaks).
Assembly:
- If necessary, level out the two cake layers. Spread about half of whipped cream over bottom layer of cake. Arrange sliced half of sliced strawberries on top and dollop a small amount of whipped cream (to allow second cake to adhere better). Place second cake layer on top. Add remaining whipped cream and sliced strawberries. Let chill in the fridge until ready to serve. Let sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving to allow cake to soften.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!More Fruit Layer Cake Recipes
Came out perfectly. Thank you for a great recipe. Everyone at the dinner I served it at asked for a copy of the recipe too.
That’s so wonderful to hear! I’m glad you and your guests enjoyed it! Thank you for trying out the recipe :)
Hi, can this cake be made into a sheet cake?
I’m not sure because I have not tried making this recipe into a sheet cake. If you’re interested in a standard sponge cake (sheet cake), I suggest the one I used here: https://www.thelittleepicurean.com/toasted-tres-leches-cake/
i just made this cake and i love it! it’s fluffy and so so light. i used a bit less sugar i thought it would be too sweet for me . thank you for this recipe .
Thanks for trying out the recipe!
Hi! I just tried this recipe and while I LOVE the texture of the cake I noticed that by putting an entire tablespoon of vanilla gave my cake a horrible weird taste… I think maybe just a teaspoon or two was more accurate measurement and I’ll probably adjust for next time.
Hope it wasn’t a typo!
Hi Erica! The vanilla cake was adapted from a recipe I used in culinary school. One tablespoon of vanilla is correct. I’ve had bad experiences with certain vanillas, perhaps that’s the reason? I’m sorry to hear it didn’t work out for you!
Hi:) Do you think the cake portion could be made in advance (perhaps a day?) to save time?
Yes, you can make the cake portion two days in advance. Once cooled, wrap tightly and keep at room temperature until ready to use.
I made this cake and it was a shame it came out terrible :( I followed the recipe exactly and my cake came out overly dense and no flavor really. Pretty much reminded me of cornbread.
Hi Jenny, I’m sorry to hear that. I’ve made this cake many times and it always turns out great. The whipped egg whites are supposed to make the cake light and fluffy like a chiffon cake.
Hey do you think i can add 2 tablespoon of matcha powder to the recipe to make it a matcha cake ? Thanks :)
Hi! I live in The Netherlands and I wondered what is meant by 1 cup? How many kilograms is 1 cup? I’ve googled it but every answer is different. Thank you.
do you think you can make this with several layers (4-5), or do you think it would crash?
Hi Christel, I wouldn’t suggest it. Since the frosting is made out of whipped cream, it is not very stable, nor could it hold a lot of weight. If you’d like to make a taller 4-5 layer cake, I recommend using a stronger frosting like buttercream.
It looks delish! I love it!