Strawberry Shortcake Layer Cake

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.

Course: Cakes and Cupcakes

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 20

Assembly Time: 25

Total Time: 1 5

Servings: slices

Calories: 541kcal

Ingredients

Cake

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

Chantilly Cream

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

For Assembly

1 pint fresh strawberries

Instructions

Cake

Heat oven to 350℉/177℃.
Spray three 8-inch round pans with baking spray. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and ¾ cup sugar.
Whisk in lemon zest. Set aside.
Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites, ⅓ 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.

Assembly

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 not to 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 whipping 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