Strawberry Lemonade Cake with Creamy Lemon Buttercream
A light and fluffy strawberry lemonade cake infused with fresh strawberries and lemon zest, topped with a creamy lemon buttercream frosting. Perfect for summer gatherings and nostalgic family moments.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 ½ cups (310g) all-purpose flour, sifted
- 2 ½ teaspoons (12g) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (3g) salt
- 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ¾ cups (350g) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup (150g) fresh strawberries, finely chopped
- Zest of 2 lemons
- ¼ cup (60ml) fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup (120ml) whole milk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- For the Creamy Lemon Buttercream:
- 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
- 2–3 tablespoons (30-45ml) heavy cream
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.
- Alternately add dry ingredients and milk to the batter, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix on low speed just until combined.
- Gently fold in chopped strawberries using a spatula.
- Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and smooth tops.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
- For the buttercream, beat softened butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar on low speed.
- Add lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and heavy cream. Beat on high for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Place one cake layer on serving plate. Spread a thick layer of buttercream on top.
- Add second cake layer and cover entire cake with remaining frosting. Create swirls with the back of a spoon if desired.
- Chill cake for at least 30 minutes before slicing to set the buttercream.
Notes
Use room temperature eggs and butter for best results. Fold strawberries gently to avoid watery batter. Cool cake completely before frosting to prevent melting buttercream. For gluten-free, use almond flour or gluten-free flour blend. For dairy-free, substitute butter with plant-based alternative and milk with coconut or almond milk. Frozen strawberries can be used if thawed and drained well.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12th of c
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 30
- Sodium: 150
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 11
- Carbohydrates: 45
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 3
Keywords: strawberry cake, lemon cake, lemon buttercream, summer dessert, easy cake recipe, homemade cake, creamy frosting