Skip to Content

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy

Vanilla Cake with Strawberry Cream Frosting Recipe

Sharing is caring!

Let me start by saying, I’m a boxed cake kind of gal!  Actually when it comes to cakes and brownies, I rarely make ’em from scratch. A boxed mix is just too easy! After seeing this Vanilla Cake with Strawberry Cream Frosting from Bon Appetit, I thought I would venture outside of my comfortable cake mix box and go for it.

Strawberry Cake

I am so glad that I did because this is the best cake I have ever made!  Seriously, when I served it to my family, they all thought it tasted better than what you buy at a bakery. Plus, even though it requires quite a few ingredients, it really isn’t all that hard to make!

Don’t forget to check out our new FOOD BLOG – SKINNY NOT SKINNY – dedicated 100% to food!

The cake was moist and perfect and the frosting was deeee-licious!  I’m not normally good at making homemade frosting either. I almost always use a can because normally most frosting recipes turn out like pure sugar and just don’t taste good. Not this one!  Seriously… BEST. CAKE. and FROSTING. EVER. It’s like strawberry shortcake but better. I just can’t say enough about this recipe.

Plus, it is the perfect Spring event or Easter cake! I made it for a family event this past weekend and it was a hit with everyone! If you like strawberries, you will LOVE this cake!

Vanilla Cake with Strawberry Cream Frosting

Ingredients:

Frosting –

  • 2 8-oz packages of cream cheese, room temperature (I used low-fat)
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup seedless strawberry jam
  • 3/4 cup chilled heavy whipping cream

Cake –

  • 3 cups cake flour
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 7 large eggs
  • 2 TBSP vanilla extract
  • 1 cup sour cream (I used low fat)
  • 6 TBSP plus 1/3 cup seedless strawberry jam
  • 2 1/4 lbs strawberries, hulled, sliced (about 6 cups), divided

MAKE THE FROSTING

1) Put a small/medium bowl in the freezer to chill.  In a separate large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in sugar, then jam. Remove that chilled bowl from the freezer and beat cream in that chilled bowl until peaks form. Fold whipped cream into frosting. Cover; chill for a couple of hours until it’s firm enough to spread. (If you are in a hurry, you could put the frosting in the freezer to chill quickly.)

MAKE THE CAKE

2) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and flour two 9-inch cake pans with 2-inch high sides. (I used 10″ cheesecake pans – aka springform pans – because they were the only round pans I had with high enough sides and they worked great!)  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Add sour cream, and beat for 30 seconds. Add flour mixture in three additions, beating to blend after each addition. Divide batter into prepared pans.

2) Bake cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 50-60 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edges of the pans, then turn cakes out onto a rack to cool completely. I threw the two cake layers in the freezer for about an hour to make the cake assembly easier.

3) Using a serrated knife, divide each layer in half horizontally. Place one half, cake side down, on a cake plate.

4) Spread 3 TBSP of strawberry jam over the cake, then spread 3/4 c of the frosting over the jam. Arrange 3/4 c of the sliced strawberries on top of the frosting in a single layer. Repeat two more times with cake layer, jam, frosting, and strawberries.

5) Top with remaining cake layer, cut side down. Spread two cups of frosting over the top and sides of the cake in a thin layer, then frost with remaining frosting. Stir remaining jam to loosen, then spoon teaspoonfuls onto the top and sides of the cake. Use the back of a spoon to swirl jam decoratively into the frosting. This recipe makes a very big 4-layer cake that will feed a lot of people. It says it has 12 servings but I definitely think it feeds even more!

BEST. STRAWBERRY. CAKE. EVER.

Strawberry cake not your thing? Try our Ultimate Pretzel Crusted Peanut Butter Cookie Candy Brownie Bars!

Vanilla Cake with Strawberry Cream Frosting Recipe

Hollie Schultz
Vanilla Cake with Strawberry Cream Frosting Recipe
4.73 from 33 votes
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 18 servings
Calories 640 kcal

Ingredients
  

FROSTING INGREDIENTS

  • 2 8 oz packages of cream cheese room temperature (I used low-fat)
  • 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup seedless strawberry jam
  • 3/4 cup chilled heavy whipping cream

CAKE INGREDIENTS

  • 3 cups cake flour
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 7 large eggs
  • 2 TBSP vanilla extract
  • 1 cup sour cream I used low fat
  • 6 TBSP plus 1/3 cup seedless strawberry jam
  • 2 1/4 lbs strawberries hulled, sliced (about 6 cups), divided

Instructions
 

  • FROSTING: Put a small/medium bowl in the freezer to chill. In a separate large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in sugar, then jam. Remove that chilled bowl from the freezer and beat cream in that chilled bowl until peaks form. Fold whipped cream into frosting. Cover; chill for a couple of hours until it’s firm enough to spread. (If you are in a hurry, you could put the frosting in the freezer to chill quickly.)
  • CAKE: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and flour two 9-inch cake pans with 2-inch high sides. (I used 10″ cheesecake pans – aka springform pans – because they were the only round pans I had with high enough sides and they worked great!) In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Add sour cream, and beat for 30 seconds. Add flour mixture in three additions, beating to blend after each addition. Divide batter into prepared pans.
  • Bake cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 50-60 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edges of the pans, then turn cakes out onto a rack to cool completely. I threw the two cake layers in the freezer for about an hour to make the cake assembly easier.
  • Using a serrated knife, divide each layer in half horizontally. Place one half, cake side down, on a cake plate.
  • Spread 3 TBSP of strawberry jam over the cake, then spread 3/4 c of the frosting over the jam. Arrange 3/4 c of the sliced strawberries on top of the frosting in a single layer. Repeat two more times with cake layer, jam, frosting, and strawberries.
  • Top with remaining cake layer, cut side down. Spread two cups of frosting over the top and sides of the cake in a thin layer, then frost with remaining frosting. Stir remaining jam to loosen, then spoon teaspoonfuls onto the top and sides of the cake. Use the back of a spoon to swirl jam decoratively into the frosting. This recipe makes a very big 4-layer cake that will feed a lot of people. It says it has 12 servings but I definitely think it feeds even more!

Nutrition

Calories: 640kcalCarbohydrates: 92gProtein: 6gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 111mgSodium: 305mgPotassium: 181mgFiber: 2gSugar: 71gVitamin A: 1093IUVitamin C: 35mgCalcium: 60mgIron: 1mg
Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @BabyGizmo or tag #BabyGizmo!
Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

HEIDI CUNNINGHAM

Friday 24th of June 2022

I made this cake in Florida and it turned out perfect. I now live in Denver and wonder if you have any tips for the higher altitude.

Kim

Friday 11th of January 2019

Hi! Going to make this cake for my daughter’s birthday this weekend, I don’t think the cake will feed everyone. Can I use this recipe to make additional cupcakes too?

Thanh Ly

Thursday 21st of December 2017

What would the timing be for a cake that is 6 inches round? Thank you!

Melissa Lawrence

Thursday 9th of March 2017

Will the strawberries get discolored and mushy if I make the day before. I've had this problem with previous strawberry cake recipes.

Hollie Schultz

Tuesday 14th of March 2017

Since you are keeping it in the refrigerator, I find that the strawberries totally last until the next day and the day after that.

Brittni S.

Saturday 4th of February 2017

I found this recipe a few years ago and I have been making it for every family holiday since. My mom LOVES it and demands that I make it every Easter. The cake is actually known as "Britt's Easter cake" in the family now. It is fabulous! The only thing I do differently is use just enough powdered sugar to give the icing good consistency...Only because I love to taste the tartness in cream cheese icings. But that is a personal preference, the recipe truly is perfect. Doesn't need tweaking at all.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.