This strawberry jam cake is made with a moist and fluffy vanilla cake, filled with strawberry jam, whipped cream, and fresh strawberries, covered in vanilla buttercream, and topped with more fresh strawberries!
If you like making layer cake as much as we do, check out our black forest cake, best ever chocolate cake, super moist carrot cake, lotus biscoff cake, and our Nutella cake!
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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.
For the vanilla cake:
Butter-Â use unsalted butter for this recipe. Only butter will work for this recipe, no margarine, and no coconut oil. Margarine has a weird taste and can ruin the flavor of this dessert.
Egg whites- you will need 4 large egg whites for this recipe. Make sure that your eggs are at room temperature.
Flour– we used all-purpose flour for this recipe. cake flour will work great as well.
Baking powder and baking soda– baking powder and baking soda allow the cake to rise. Make sure that your baking powder and baking soda are not expired.
Granulated sugar– we like to use granulated sugar, also the most common sugar used in baking. Caster sugar will work great as well.
Vanilla extract- adds extra flavor.
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.
Vegetable oil – we used vegetable oil for this recipe. canola oil will work great for this recipe.
Sour cream- use either sour cream or Greek yogurt. Both will work great.
Kosher salt- you will need about ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt for this recipe.
For the whipped cream:
Heavy whipping cream- use cold heavy whipping cream.
Powder sugar- you will need powder sugar for this recipe. you don’t have to buy powder sugar, you can simply make it at home by blending granulated sugar in a blender or food processor.
Vanilla extract- for extra flavor.
For the vanilla buttercream:
Butter- use unsalted butter for this recipe. Only butter will work for this recipe, no margarine, and no coconut oil. Margarine has a weird taste and can ruin the flavor of these delicious cookies.
Powder sugar- you will need powder sugar for this recipe. you don’t have to buy powder sugar, you can simply make it at home by blending granulated sugar in a blender or food processor.
Vanilla extract- adds extra flavor.
Kosher salt- we like to use kosher salt.
Milk- use whole milk for this recipe.
For the assembly:
Strawberries- you will need fresh strawberries, both for the filling and for the top of the cake.
Strawberry jam- you can use your favorite brand of strawberry jam or a homemade strawberry jam!
Instructions
Step 1: Preheat an oven to 180c (350f) and prepare 3 8-inch baking pans with parchment paper.
Step 2: Into a big mixing bowl, add the soft butter, and sugar. Mix with an electric hand mixer until creamy and smooth for about 3 minutes.
Step 3: Into a big measuring cup or a small mixing bowl, add the buttermilk, egg whites, and sour cream, and mix with a whisk.
Step 4: Then into a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Mix with a whisk until combined.
Step 5: Add ½ of the dry mixture and ½ of the wet mixture into the butter mixer and mix it until almost combined.
Step 6: Add the other half of the dry ingredients and the wet mixture until just combined.
Step 7: Divide the batter into 3 8-inch baking pans and bake in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes (depending on your oven) or until a toothpick is inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Let the cakes cool to room temperature and remove them from the pans.
Make the vanilla buttercream
Into a big mixing bowl, add the room temperature butter, powder sugar, vanilla extract, and milk. Mix with an electric hand mixer for a few minutes until the buttercream is light in color and creamy.
Make the whipped cream:
Into a big mixing bowl, add the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and powder sugar. Mix with an electric hand mixer until stiff peaks form.
Assemble the cake:
Pipe a small dollop of the vanilla buttercream on the surface that you will frost on. Lay the first cake layer over the frosting dot.
Pipe a circle around the edges of the cake. Then fill the circle with a few tablespoon of the whipped cream. Top the whipped cream with the strawberry jam, and top the strawberry jam with slices of strawberries.
Top the cake with the second cake layer. Repeat adding the filling, and top with the third cake layer.
Frost the cake with the remaining vanilla buttercream and make a wave pattern with an offset spatula.
Top the cake with plenty of fresh strawberries and serve.
Expert tips
- Use room temperature ingredients. It is important that you use room-temperature ingredients like eggs and butter. This step ensures that your mixture mixes into a homogenous mixture and bakes perfectly. you don’t want to place cold batter into the oven.
- 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.
- Use cake strips! Cake strips give you even and perfectly baked cake layers. Click here for the amazon link.
- Line your baking pan with parchment paper! This step helps the cake to bake evenly, and it makes sure that your loaf cake will release easily from the pan.
- Make sure that your butter is at room temperature. An hour or two before making these cookies, take the butter out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature. The butter should be soft to the touch. If your butter is too cold, it will be harder to mix and there will be lumps of butter in the dough.
- 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 more firm and won’t crumble up, and prevent the frosting from melting.
Faq's
This cake will last up to 4 days stored in the fridge.
We use all-purpose flour for this cake, self-rising flour, and cake flour will work great as well.
Yes! you can bake this cake into a 9x13 inch sheet cake. Change the baking time and keep an eye on the cake so it is fully cooked.
Our biggest tip to make even cake layers is to use a scale and cake strips. Weigh the chocolate cake batter and divide it into two even pans. Then use cake strips to make sure your cake layers bake evenly and don’t develop a dome on top.
Cake strips give you an evenly baked cake with a flat top.
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. This cake tastes amazing the day after.
Freezing
Freeze this cake after it cooled completely in an airtight freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months, some people find the cake tastes better after freezing it.
our tip is not to freeze it decorated or covered with frosting, because it can ruin the decorating on the cake, we suggest freezing the cake and decorating it when you defrost it.
Variations
Zest- We like adding lemon or orange zest to the strawberry mixture. If you do, add 1 teaspoon of lemon or orange zest to the strawberry mixture.
Substitutions
Dairy-free - you can make this cake dairy-free by replacing the butter with vegan butter and replacing the buttermilk with vegan buttermilk. Also, replace the whipped cream with vegan whipped cream.
Make it ahead of time
To make this cake ahead of time, make the vanilla cake 1-2 days ahead of time and assemble it with the whipped cream, buttercream, and strawberry mixture before serving so the cake will stay fresh and not soggy!
More cake recipes you may like:
Carrot cake- This carrot cake is moist, soft, perfectly spiced, and every carrot cake and fall lover’s dream. This carrot cake is made with grated carrots, brown sugar, and fall spices, topped with a creamy cream cheese frosting.
Chocolate cake- This is the best ever chocolate cake ever. I’ve been searching for the best one-bowl chocolate cake recipe for so long and found it and can’t wait to share it with you!
Dark chocolate sheet cake- This dark chocolate sheet cake is super moist, made in one bowl of chocolate cake that is topped with dark chocolate buttercream frosting. This cake was made for us chocolate lovers.
Marble loaf cake- This marble loaf cake is moist and flavorful and topped with a layer of chocolate ganache. Marble loaf cake is one of our favorite desserts to make because it's so beautiful and so delicious and we love the chocolate and vanilla combination!
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📖 Recipe
Strawberry Jam Cake (Vanilla Strawberry Cake)
Ingredients
For the vanilla cake:
- 3 ½ cups Flour
- 230 g Butter
- 1 ½ cups Sugar
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 4 Egg whites
- ½ cup Sour cream or greek yogurt
- 3 teaspoon Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking soda
- 1 â…“ cup Buttermilk
For the vanilla buttercream:
- 320 g butter
- 700 g Powder sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- â…“ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 4-5 tablespoon Milk
Whipped cream:
- 1 ½ cups Heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoon Powder sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
For the assembly:
- 15 Strawberries
- ½ cup Strawberry jam
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 180c (350f) and prepare 3 8-inch baking pans with parchment paper.
- Into a big mixing bowl, add the soft butter, and sugar. Mix with an electric hand mixer until creamy and smooth for about 3 minutes.
- Into a big measuring cup or a small mixing bowl, add the buttermilk, egg whites, sour cream, and mix with a whisk.
- Then into a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Mix with a whisk until combined.
- Add ½ of the dry mixture and ½ of the wet mixture into the butter mixer and mix it until almost combined.
- Add the other half of the dry ingredients and the wet mixture until just combined.
- Divide the batter into 3 8-inch baking pans and bake in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes (depending on your oven) or until a toothpick is inserted into the cake comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool to room temperature and remove them from the pans.
Make the vanilla buttercream
- Into a big mixing bowl, add the room temperature butter, powder sugar, vanilla extract, and milk.
- Mix with an electric hand mixer for a few minutes until the buttercream is light in color and creamy.
Make the whipped cream:
- Into a big mixing bowl, add the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and powder sugar. Mix with an electric hand mixer until stiff peaks form.
Assemble the cake:
- Pipe a small dollop of the vanilla buttercream on the surface that you will frost on. Lay the first cake layer over the frosting dot.
- Pipe a circle around the edges of the cake. Then fill the circle with a few tablespoon of the whipped cream. Top the whipped cream with the strawberry jam, and top the strawberry jam with slices of strawberries.
- Top the cake with the second cake layer. Repeat adding the filling, and top with the third cake layer.
- Frost the cake with the remaining vanilla buttercream and make a wave pattern with an offset spatula.
- Top the cake with plenty of fresh strawberries and serve.
Rocky
This cake is so good! I love the combination of the strawberry jam and the fresh strawberries with the whipped cream!
Jess
One of the best cakes I’ve ever had!
Sharon
This cake turned out so delicious!