Strawberry Layer Cake

This Strawberry Layer Cake is made with real strawberries and is covered with cream cheese frosting. Perfect cake for celebrations.

March 21st is California Strawberry Day! Celebrate by eating up all of the sweet and lovely strawberries you can find. And then make this Strawberry Layer Cake! You can also make a No Bake Strawberry Cream Pie, Strawberry Pretzel Salad, Strawberry Shortcake, Strawberry Ice Cream or Chocolate Covered Strawberries.

Share your strawberry creation on social media today using the hashtags #CaliforniaStrawberryDay, #StrawberryDay and #RecipesForHolidays.

Be sure to follow our March Food Holidays page so you never miss a food holiday in the month of March!

“Birthdays are nature’s way of telling us to eat more cake.”

-Jo Brand

The History of Strawberries:

Small, wild strawberries were common in ancient times. In 234 BC, they were mentioned in Roman writings as use for medicinal purposes.

The French began experimenting with planting wild strawberries in gardens in the 1300’s.

Larger strawberries are native to North America. The first European colonists discovered North American strawberries in 1588 and began shipping them back to Europe. Europeans began cross breeding the wild strawberries with the larger North American strawberries to create a better variety to grow.

Strawberries with cream was considered a luxurious dessert in the early 19th century.

Today, the United States is the largest producer of strawberries at 1.16 million tons per year. The majority of strawberries are grown in California.

Ingredients needed:

• white sugar
• butter
• strawberry jello gelatin
• eggs
• cake flour
• baking powder
• whole milk
• vanilla extract
• frozen strawberries
• cream cheese
• heavy whipping cream
• powdered sugar
• fresh strawberries, for garnish

How to make a Strawberry Layer Cake:

MAKE THE CAKE:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 8-inch round pans.

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the sugar, butter and gelatin until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture alternately with the milk. Then stir in the vanilla and strawberry puree, making sure the batter is well combined. Divide the batter between the two pans.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool on wire racks for about 15 minutes. Then tap the cakes out of the pan onto the racks to cool completely.

FROST THE CAKE:
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the cream cheese and the butter, and beat until smooth. Add the vanilla, strawberry puree and cream and continue to mix until well combined. Mix in 2 cups of the powdered sugar. Add the third cup a little at a time until you reach a consistency that you’re happy with. You may not use it all, or you may use more. It just needs to be thick enough to be spreadable.

Apply a crumb coat layer of frosting to the cake (see *NOTES below), and refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes, or until the frosting is set. Apply the second layer of frosting, if needed. Decorate, as desired, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

NOTE: How to apply a crumb coat layer of frosting: Use a long, thin spatula or knife to cover the cake completely with a thin and even layer of frosting. Wipe off the spatula each time you’re about to dip it back into the bowl to get more frosting (this way you won’t be transferring any pink crumbs into the bowl of frosting). Don’t worry at this point about the crumbs being visible in the frosting on the cake. When your cake has a thin layer of frosting all over it, place it into the refrigerator for 30 minutes to “set” the frosting. Once the first layer of frosting is set, apply the second layer.

I like to keep this strawberry layer cake refrigerated. The frosting stays nice and firm that way. When ready to serve, you can take it out of the fridge 30 minutes or so before serving time.

You should be able to get nice, clean slices out of this cake.

It’s such a pretty and delicious cake for a birthday or another sweet celebration. Enjoy!

Fun Facts About Strawberries:

• California produces 80% of the strawberries consumed in North America.
• They are the first fruit to ripen in the spring.
• Strawberries are high in vitamin C, which is a deterrent for many kinds of cancer.
• Strawberries prevent oxidization of LDL (the bad cholesterol).
• 1 cup of strawberries has 50 calories, 11.5g carbohydrates, 4g fiber and 45mg potassium.
• Strawberries are the 5th highest consumed fresh fruit in the United States behind bananas, apples, oranges and grapes.
• The U.S. Department of Agriculture shares that the average American eats 3.5 pounds of fresh strawberries per year.
• There is a museum in Belgium that is dedicated entirely to strawberries!