This soft, fluffy, and tender strawberry lemon cake is topped with strawberry cream cheese frosting swirled with strawberry compote.
This lemon strawberry cake is full of strawberry flavor from the strawberry puree, chopped strawberries, strawberry jam, and zesty lemon aroma from the lemon zest.
The cake is cooled and topped with a luscious strawberry cream cheese frosting, rich and creamy yet perfectly balanced by its tangy and sweet flavor.
To make it even more irresistible for added flavor and texture, it's swirled with vibrant strawberry compote, adding an extra fruity layer.
You can make this cake with frozen or fresh strawberries, so it’s great to make all year round!
For more strawberry desserts, check out my chocolate strawberry cake, strawberry tiramisu, strawberry cheesecake cookies, strawberry compote, and strawberry cinnamon rolls.
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Why this recipe works
- Texture- this cake is fluffy and light, and will melt in your mouth with the creamy and fruity strawberry cream cheese frosting and strawberry compote swirl.
- Lemon and strawberry flavor- fresh lemon zest and fresh strawberries gives this cake a fresh fruity and zesty flavor that is perfect for spring and summertime.
- Strawberry cream cheese frosting- this frosting is rich and creamy, with just the right amount of tang from the cream cheese to balance out the sweetness of the cake.
- Homemade strawberry compote- swirled into the frosting, this homemade compote adds an extra layer of fruity flavor. Made from fresh strawberries, it comes together in 20 minutes!
- Ease- the cake comes together in just one bowl and this recipe uses super simple ingredients that you can find in any grocery store.
Ingredients
Before you start to make this recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.
Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
Flour– I used all-purpose flour for this recipe, self-rising flour, and cake flour will work great as well.
Eggs- you will need 3 large eggs for this recipe. Make sure that your eggs are at room temperature.
Vanilla extract- adds extra flavor. You can use regular vanilla extract or vanilla bean extract.
Buttermilk- gives the cake extra moisture. You can make your own buttermilk if you don't have one on hand. Simply mix a cup of milk with a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice and let it sit for at least 10 minutes.
Strawberries- you will need fresh strawberries for the strawberry puree, chopped strawberries. For the puree, remove the stems from the strawberries and blend them in a blender or a food processor.
Baking powder and baking soda – to allow the cake to rise. Ensure that your baking powder and baking soda aren't expired and are active.
Vegetable oil- you can use canola oil or avocado oil instead of vegetable oil.
Granulated sugar- I like to use granulated, also the most common sugar used in baking. Caster sugar will work great as well.
Kosher salt- you will need about ½ teaspoon of kosher salt for this recipe.
Strawberry jam- use your favorite brand of strawberry jam for this.
For the frosting
Heavy whipping cream- use cold heavy whipping cream.
Cream cheese- use full fat cream cheese that is at room temperature.
Powder sugar- you will need powdered sugar for this recipe. You don't have to buy powdered sugar, you can simply make it at home by blending granulated sugar in a blender or food processor.
Strawberry compote- use my strawberry compote recipe to swirl the compote into the frosting and also for the frosting itself.
Instructions
Preheat an oven to 180c (350f) and prepare a 9x9 inch cake pan with parchment paper.
Into a large mixing bowl, add the sugar and lemon zest, and use your clean hands to rub the zest into the sugar. This releases the essential oils and flavor from the lemon zest.
Into the mixture, add the eggs, oil, strawberry puree, strawberry jam, buttermilk, chopped strawberries, salt, vanilla extract, and mix with a whisk until well combined.
Add the flour, baking soda, and baking powder, and mix until there are no lumps of flour visible.
Pour the cake batter into a prepared 9 by 9 inch pan with parchment paper and smooth it out using a rubber spatula.
Bake in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for 40-45 minutes (depending on your oven) or until a toothpick comes out clean with a few moist crumbs but not wet batter.
Allow the cake to reach room temperature for at least 1 hour.
Meanwhile use my recipe for strawberry compote for the frosting. Allow it to cool completely.
Make the strawberry cream cheese frosting
Into a large mixing bowl, add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and room temperature cream cheese. Use an electric mixer to beat them together until smooth and creamy.
Add the cold heavy cream and strawberry compote and beat the mixture until stiff peaks form.
Top the cooled cake with the frosting and dollop the remaining strawberry compote on top of the cake and make swirls using a butterknife or a toothpick.
Expert Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients. It is important that you use room-temperature ingredients like eggs and buttermilk. This step ensures that your mixture mixes into a homogenous mixture and bakes perfectly.
- Use ripe, juicy strawberries for the best flavor in your cake. Look for strawberries that are deep red in color and fragrant.
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with a back of a knife.
- Don’t overmix the batter, you don’t want to develop the gluten in the flour. This step ensures you have a moist cake and not a dense and dry cake.
- Test for doneness carefully. Use a toothpick or cake tester to check if the cake is done. Insert it into the center of the cake; it should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Zest your lemons carefully. When zesting the lemons, avoid the bitter white pith beneath the skin. Use a microplane or fine grater to get the most aromatic zest possible.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl frequently to ensure that you have a homogeneous mixture that has no lumps.
- Line your baking pan with parchment paper! This step helps the cake to bake evenly, and it makes sure that your cake will release easily from the pan.
- Be patient! I know it’s extremely tempting to frost this cake as it is pulled out of the oven, but let the cake cool for at least 1 hour so it will be firmer and won’t crumble up, and prevent the frosting from melting.
Faq's
To enhance lemon flavor in a cake, rub sugar with lemon zest. This releases essential oils, infusing the sugar with concentrated citrus aroma and taste.
Yes. For the puree, you will need to thaw the strawberries and blend them into a puree. For the compote, there is no need to thaw the strawberries.
To select ripe strawberries, choose bright red, shiny berries that are firm but not hard and emit a sweet fragrance.
Avoid those with white or green tips and check for mold or mushy spots. For best flavor and freshness, pick strawberries with their green caps intact.
Yes! You can double or even triple this recipe. If you double this recipe, I recommend using a 9x13-inch baking pan!
Storing
This cake will last up to 4 in the fridge. Cover the cake with plastic wrap or foil to prevent it from drying out and from the fridge flavors to soak into the cake.
Freezing
To freeze this cake, start by letting the cake cool completely. Then, place it in the freezer uncovered for about an hour to firm up the frosting.
Once the frosting is solid, wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap, making sure there are no air pockets.
For extra protection, you can add a layer of aluminum foil over the plastic wrap. Label the cake with the date and type, then place it back in the freezer. This cake can last for up to three months.
To thaw, move the wrapped cake to the refrigerator overnight.
Substitutions
Gluten-free - if you want to make this recipe gluten-free, simply replace the flour with gluten-free flour.
Dairy-free- you can make this cake dairy-free by replacing the buttermilk with dairy-free buttermilk, the cream cheese with vegan cream cheese, and swapping the heavy cream with vegan heavy cream.
Variations
Citrus- instead of using lemon, you can use oranges! Oranges and strawberries go perfectly together.
Freeze-dried strawberries- for extra strawberry flavor, add ⅓ cup of ground freeze-dried strawberries to the cake batter.
Equipment
- Mixing bowl (set of 3)
- Whisk Set (pack of 3) to whisk the ingredients together
- 9 by 9 inch pan
- Electric hand mixer
- Rubber spatula
- Offset spatula
More strawberry desserts
Fraisier cake- Fraisier cake is a French strawberry cake that is made with a genoise sponge, strawberry syrup, filled with diplomat cream, and fresh strawberries.
Strawberry bread- this incredibly moist fresh strawberry bread is made with fresh strawberries and is topped with a delicious strawberry glaze.
Mini strawberry cheesecakes- these mini strawberry cheesecakes are made with a graham cracker crust, topped with creamy cheesecake filling, and topped with homemade strawberry topping.
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If you liked this recipe
📖 Recipe
Strawberry Lemon Cake
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1 ⅓ cups Granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon Lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 3 Eggs
- ½ cup Vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup Buttermilk
- ⅔ cup Strawberry puree
- ½ cup Chopped strawberries
- 3 tablespoon Strawberry jam
- 2 cups Flour
- ⅓ teaspoon Baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoon Baking powder
For the frosting
- 8 oz Cream cheese full fat, room temperature
- ½ cup Powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon Lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 cup Heavy cream cold
- ⅓ cup Strawberry compote
Assembly
- ½ cup Strawberry compote
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 180c (350f) and prepare a 9x9 inch cake pan with parchment paper.
- Into a large mixing bowl, add the sugar and lemon zest, and use your clean hands to rub the zest into the sugar. This releases the essential oils and flavor from the lemon zest.
- Into the mixture, add the eggs, oil, strawberry puree, strawberry jam, buttermilk, chopped strawberries, salt, vanilla extract, and mix with a whisk until well combined.
- Add the flour, baking soda, and baking powder, and mix until there are no lumps of flour visible.
- Pour the cake batter into a prepared 9 by 9 inch pan with parchment paper and smooth it out using a rubber spatula.
- Bake in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for 40-45 minutes (depending on your oven) or until a toothpick comes out clean with a few moist crumbs but not wet batter.
- Allow the cake to reach room temperature for at least 1 hour.
- Meanwhile use my recipe for strawberry compote for the frosting. Allow it to cool completely.
Make the strawberry cream cheese frosting
- Into a large mixing bowl, add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and room temperature cream cheese. Use an electric mixer to beat them together until smooth and creamy.
- Add the cold heavy cream and strawberry compote and beat the mixture until stiff peaks form.
- Top the cooled cake with the frosting and dollop the remaining strawberry compote on top of the cake and make swirls using a butterknife or a toothpick.
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients. It is important that you use room-temperature ingredients like eggs and buttermilk. This step ensures that your mixture mixes into a homogenous mixture and bakes perfectly.
- Use ripe, juicy strawberries for the best flavor in your cake. Look for strawberries that are deep red in color and fragrant.
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with a back of a knife.
- Don’t overmix the batter, you don’t want to develop the gluten in the flour. This step ensures you have a moist cake and not a dense and dry cake.
- Test for doneness carefully. Use a toothpick or cake tester to check if the cake is done. Insert it into the center of the cake; it should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Zest your lemons carefully. When zesting the lemons, avoid the bitter white pith beneath the skin. Use a microplane or fine grater to get the most aromatic zest possible.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl frequently to ensure that you have a homogeneous mixture that has no lumps.
- Line your baking pan with parchment paper! This step helps the cake to bake evenly, and it makes sure that your cake will release easily from the pan.
- Be patient! I know it’s extremely tempting to frost this cake as it is pulled out of the oven, but let the cake cool for at least 1 hour so it will be firmer and won’t crumble up, and prevent the frosting from melting.
Omri says
This cake turned out incredibly good and moist.