Strawberry Shortcake Layer Cake (Sponge Cake) Recipe

I layered a fluffy vanilla sponge with strawberry simple syrup, fresh strawberries and lightly sweetened whipped cream, and I share creative Strawberry Cake Topping Ideas to make this a striking summertime centerpiece.

I love a cake that looks simple but plays tricks on the taste buds. My Strawberry Shortcake Layer Cake uses a light vanilla sponge made with cake flour and is piled with fresh strawberries, all stacked into two layer or three layer versions.

It flirts with Strawberry Shortcake Frosting while tipping a hat to Spring Birthday Cake Flavors, so it feels familiar and a little bold. I botched timings the first time and ended up with a slightly squashed stack, and that mistake taught me more about balance than any perfect run ever did.

Ingredients

• Cake flour gives a soft tender crumb low protein so cake stays airy.
• Sugar sweetens and helps browning, but its mostly simple carbs.
• Butter adds richness and moisture, makes crumbs tender and flavourful.
• Eggs bind lift and add protein, it’s why sponge rises.
• Fresh berries give bright sweet-tart flavor, vitamin C and some fiber.
• Cream whips into airy frosting, adds fat for richness and stability.
• Mascarpone makes fillings creamier, a little tang and extra body.

Ingredient Quantities

• Cake for 2 8 inch layers: 2 1/4 cups cake flour (about 280 g), 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (300 g), 3 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened (115 g), 4 large eggs, 1 cup whole milk (240 ml), 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Cake for 3 8 inch layers: 3 1/2 cups cake flour (about 420 g), 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar (about 450 g), 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon fine salt, 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened (170 g), 6 large eggs, 1 1/2 cups whole milk (360 ml), 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Strawberry simple syrup: 1 cup granulated sugar (200 g), 1 cup water (240 ml), 1 cup strawberries roughly chopped (about 150 g), 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (optional)
• Fresh strawberries for filling and garnish: 1 to 1 1/2 pounds strawberries hulled and sliced (about 450 to 700 g) for 2 layer cake; 2 pounds (about 900 g) for 3 layer cake
• Lightly sweetened whipped cream: 2 cups heavy cream (480 ml) for 2 layer cake or 3 cups heavy cream (720 ml) for 3 layer cake, 3 to 4 tablespoons powdered sugar to taste, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, pinch fine salt
• Optional for stability or extra richness: 4 ounces mascarpone or cream cheese softened (about 115 g) and extra powdered sugar if you like it sweeter

How to Make this

1. Decide if you want a 2 layer or 3 layer 8 inch cake and preheat oven to 350 F (175 C). Grease and line two or three 8 inch round cake pans, then dust with a little flour or use parchment circles so cakes release cleanly.

2. Whisk together dry ingredients: for 2 layer use 2 1/4 cups cake flour, 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, 3 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt; for 3 layer use 3 1/2 cups cake flour, 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar, 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 3/4 teaspoon fine salt. Sift or whisk well to avoid lumps.

3. In a bowl beat the softened unsalted butter until creamy, then add the sugar and beat until lighter in color and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating briefly after each so they incorporate, then stir in vanilla. For 2 layer use 1/2 cup butter and 4 large eggs, for 3 layer use 3/4 cup butter and 6 large eggs.

4. Alternate adding the dry mixture with the milk: add about a third of the dry mix, mix just until starting to combine, then half the milk, repeat, ending with the dry ingredients. For 2 layer use 1 cup whole milk, for 3 layer use 1 1/2 cups. Do not overmix or you will lose the sponge lightness.

5. Divide batter evenly among prepared pans and smooth tops. Bake until golden and a toothpick in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs: roughly 20 to 30 minutes depending on thickness. Let cakes cool in pans 10 minutes then turn out to cool completely on a rack.

6. While cakes bake make the strawberry simple syrup: combine 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup water, 1 cup chopped strawberries and 1 tablespoon lemon juice if using in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, cook 5 to 8 minutes until sugar dissolves and berries soften, mash a bit, then strain if you want a clear syrup. Chill. This will be used to brush the cake layers so they stay moist.

7. Make the lightly sweetened whipped cream: chill your bowl and whisk, then whip 2 cups heavy cream for 2 layer cake or 3 cups for 3 layer cake with 3 to 4 tablespoons powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla and a pinch of salt to soft to medium peaks. Dont overwhip. If you want extra stability or richness fold in up to 4 ounces mascarpone or cream cheese softened and an extra tablespoon powdered sugar to taste.

8. Hull and slice fresh strawberries: about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds for 2 layer cake or 2 pounds for 3 layer cake. Reserve some nice slices for garnish. Toss a few with a teaspoon of sugar if they seem shy on sweetness.

9. Level cakes if needed, poke lightly with a skewer and brush each layer generously with cooled strawberry syrup. Spread a layer of whipped cream, top with sliced strawberries, then repeat for remaining layers. Do a thin crumb coat of cream over the outside and chill 15 to 30 minutes to set, then finish with a smooth final coat and arrange remaining berries on top.

10. Chill the finished cake at least 1 hour before serving so it slices cleanly. Keep refrigerated and serve within 24 hours for best texture. When slicing dip a sharp knife in hot water and wipe between cuts for neat pieces.

Equipment Needed

1. Two or three 8-inch round cake pans, greased and lined with parchment circles
2. Stand mixer or electric hand mixer, youll use it for creaming butter and whipping cream
3. Large mixing bowl plus a medium bowl or two for combining ingredients
4. Measuring cups and spoons and a kitchen scale for accurate measurements
5. Sifter or fine-mesh sieve and a whisk to remove lumps and mix dry ingredients
6. Rubber spatula for folding and an offset spatula for smoothing frosting
7. Small saucepan and a fine mesh strainer for the strawberry simple syrup
8. Cooling rack to let cakes cool evenly after baking
9. Sharp knife and cutting board for hulling and slicing strawberries
10. Pastry brush for brushing syrup and a cake turntable or large plate to make frosting easier

FAQ

Strawberry Shortcake Layer Cake (Sponge Cake) Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Cake flour: No cake flour? Use all purpose plus cornstarch. For each cup, measure 1 cup AP flour, remove 2 tablespoons, stir in 2 tablespoons cornstarch, sift a couple times; swap 1:1 with cake flour. It gives the same tender crumb, just be sure to sift so it stays light.
• Granulated sugar: Superfine (caster) sugar is a perfect 1:1 swap and dissolves faster. Light brown sugar also works 1:1 for a bit more moisture and caramel flavor, cake will be slightly darker. For liquid sweeteners like honey use about 3/4 cup honey per 1 cup sugar and cut liquid by ~3 tablespoons, bake a bit cooler because honey browns faster.
• Unsalted butter: Salted butter can replace unsalted 1:1, just skip or reduce added salt. For a dairy free or moister crumb use neutral vegetable oil at about 3/4 the butter volume (1 cup butter = 3/4 cup oil) but note the texture will be different since you cant cream oil with sugar. Vegan butter works 1:1 and keeps creaming behavior.
• Heavy cream (for the whipped cream): Whipping cream works 1:1 but may be a softer whip. For dairy free use chilled canned coconut cream 1:1, chill it overnight then whip. To stabilize whipped cream, fold in 4 oz mascarpone or cream cheese into 2 cups cream, or dissolve 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin in 2 tablespoons cold water, bloom, warm to melt, cool a bit and whip in.

Pro Tips

1) Weigh or spoon and level the flour instead of scooping, and when you cream butter and sugar beat until it’s noticeably paler and fluffier; that little air you trap gives you a lighter crumb, but stop as soon as the batter is smooth, overmixing will make the cake dense.

2) If you want the whipped cream to hold up longer fold in mascarpone or a couple teaspoons of gelatin (bloom 1 tsp gelatin in 1 Tbsp cold water, microwave briefly to melt, then cool a bit before folding into 2 cups cream). Chill the bowl and beaters first, and never whip past medium peaks or it’ll get grainy.

3) Macerate the sliced strawberries with a teaspoon of sugar and a squeeze of lemon for 10 to 20 minutes to boost flavor, then drain most of the juice before layering so the cake layers don’t go soggy. Use the drained juices mixed with your syrup for brushing, not too much or the layers will slide.

4) For neat, even layers level cakes on a rack then pop them in the freezer 10 to 20 minutes to firm up before trimming and stacking, do a thin crumb coat and chill again before the final coat, and when you slice dip a sharp knife in hot water and wipe between cuts for clean pieces.