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–+ servings
slice of strawberry shortcake layer cake being cut into with fork, full cake behind with jar of flowers

Strawberry Shortcake Layer Cake

4.58 from 14 votes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Assembly Time 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Author: Traci Crossland
The perfect cake for Spring! This Strawberry Shortcake Layer Cake is light, fluffy, full of the best spring/summer flavors, is perfectly sweet, and just SO. GOOD. There is no cake out there that embodies the warmer days ahead like this delicious cake.

Ingredients

Cake

  • 1 ½ cups cake flour
  • ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 7 large eggs, separated
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Chantilly Cream

  • 4 cups heavy cream, chilled
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For Assembly

  • 1 pint fresh strawberries
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Spray 3 8-inch round pans with baking spray. Set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and 3/4 cup sugar.
  • Whisk in lemon zest. Set aside.
  • Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites, 1/3 cup sugar, and cream of tartar to medium peaks. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks, vegetable oil, water, and vanilla.
  • Stir in flour, a little at a time.
  • Fold in meringue in three additions.
  • Divide evenly among prepared pans.
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes, until cake tests done.
  • Turn out and allow to cool.

Chantilly Cream

  • Combine cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer.
  • Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form, 4-5 minutes.

Putting It Together

  • Chop strawberries.
  • Place 1 cake layer on serving plate or cake board.
  • Spread with Chantilly cream.
  • Sprinkle with strawberries.
  • Top with 2nd cake layer.
  • Repeat process with remaining cream, strawberries, and cake.

Notes

Substitutions:
  • Don't have cake flour? No worries! You can take 1 cup of All-Purpose Flour, remove 2 Tablespoons, and then stir in 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch!
  • You can use macerated strawberries to give this cake something a little extra.
  • A whipped mascarpone cream can also be used instead of Chantilly Cream.
Expert Tips:
  • Make sure the egg whites are cold before whipping.
  • When mixing the meringue, be careful to not over-beat!
  • Fold in the egg whites, do not beat or stir.
  • If the cake stuck to the pan, don't worry! Tap it against the counter and it should come out.
  • When whipped the chantilly cream, be careful not to over beat it! It's easy to do. You want a light, fluffy, and creamy topping. It shouldn't be hard and butter-like.
  • You may have extra chantilly cream. Free free to frost the cake with it, if you would like to!
  • This cake must be refrigerated.

Nutrition

Serving: 1SliceCalories: 541kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 7gFat: 41gSaturated Fat: 27gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 204mgSodium: 86mgPotassium: 183mgFiber: 1gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 1310IUVitamin C: 24mgCalcium: 85mgIron: 1mg

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.