This incredible vanilla cake with strawberry filling is moist, tender, and full of strawberry flavor and is made with fresh strawberries!
This delicious cake is made with two layers of moist vanilla cake, filled with homemade strawberry filling, and is topped and frosted with strawberry cream cheese frosting.
If you are a vanilla cake and strawberry dessert lover, you will love this strawberry filled vanilla layer cake! The cake layers are super easy to make and also the strawberry filling!
You can make the strawberry filling from either frozen or fresh strawberries. This cake is the perfect celebration cake for summer events like birthdays, parties, barbecues, and more!
For more strawberry recipes, check out our strawberry tiramisu, strawberry cheesecake cookies, strawberry compote, strawberry cinnamon rolls, strawberry danish, cheesecake with strawberry sauce, mini strawberry cheesecakes.
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Why this recipe works
- Strawberry filling- this vanilla cake is filled with strawberry filling that is made with fresh strawberries and has a delicious strawberry flavor.
- Ease- this cake is made with simple ingredients and comes together in just one bowl!
- Flavor- the flavors of the soft vanilla cake with the strawberry filling and strawberry cream cheese frosting is out of this world and will turn into your favorite combination of flavors!
- Fresh strawberries- This recipe is made with fresh strawberries, so if you are stuck with a lot of strawberries that are about to go bad, make this sauce!
- Texture- the cake is tender and soft and has a melt-in-your-mouth texture that goes perfectly with the light strawberry cream cheese frosting.
How to get flat cake layers
Our biggest tip to make even cake layers is to use a scale and cake strips. Weigh the 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.
Ingredients
Before you start to make this recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and efficiently.
Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
For the cake:
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 this cake.
Eggs- you will need 3 large eggs 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– baking powder allows the cake to rise. Make sure that your baking powder is not expired.
Granulated sugar– we like to use granulated sugar, the most common sugar used in baking. Caster sugar will work great as well.
Vanilla extract- adds extra flavor.
Milk– gives the cake extra moisture. Use whole milk for this recipe.
Vegetable oil – we used vegetable oil for this recipe. canola oil will work great for this recipe.
Vinegar- is the secret ingredient that makes this cake extra moist and tender. You will need two teaspoons of vinegar for this recipe.
Sour cream- use either sour cream or Greek yogurt. Both will work great.
Kosher salt- you will need about ½ teaspoon of kosher salt for this recipe.
For the strawberry cake filling
Strawberries- we used fresh strawberries for the filling, but you can use frozen strawberries as well! If you are using frozen strawberries, there is no need to defrost them. You will have to cook the mixture for longer.
Lemon juice- we used lemon from a fresh lemon. This balances the sweetness of the sauce.
Cornstarch- to thicken the filling.
Sugar- we used granulated sugar for the filling, but you can use caster sugar as well.
For the strawberry cream cheese frosting
Cream cheese- Make sure that you are using full-fat cream cheese, it's important that you use full-fat cream cheese and make sure that it’s at room temperature.
Freeze-dried strawberries- you will need to blend the freeze-dried strawberries in a blender until a powder forms.
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.
Vanilla extract- adds extra flavor. You can use almond extract or strawberry extract as well.
Instructions
Preheat an oven to 180c (350f) and prepare 2 8-inch baking pans with parchment paper.
In a big mixing bowl, add the soft butter, vanilla extract, kosher salt, and sugar. Mix with an electric hand mixer until creamy and smooth for about 3 minutes.
Add the eggs, vinegar, vegetable oil, and sour cream, and mix until creamy.
Add ½ of the flour and ½ of the buttermilk, and baking powder and mix it until almost combined.
Add the rest of the flour and buttermilk and mix until just combined and there are no lumps of flour visible.
Divide the batter into 2 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 inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Make the strawberry filling
In a saucepan, add strawberries that are cut in half, add the sugar, and lemon juice, and mix over medium-high heat.
Decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes mixing occasionally.
Mix the cornstarch in a small bowl with a little bit of water and pour it into the strawberry mixture mixing constantly. Simmer for another 2 minutes.
Set aside and let it cool completely before you fill the cake with the filling.
Let the cakes cool to room temperature and remove them from the pans.
Make the strawberry cream cheese frosting
Into a large mixing bowl, add the softened cream cheese, softened butter, ground freeze dried strawberries, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Mix with an electric hand mixer until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Transfer the frosting to a piping bag with a round tip. Pipe a small dollop of the frosting on the surface you are frosting on and top it with the first cake layer.
Use the frosting to create a border around the edges of the first cake layer.
Then fill the middle with the cooled strawberry filling and smooth it out with a spoon or a spatula.
Top with the second cake layer and frost the cake with the rest of the frosting.
I like scraping some of the remaining frosting to reveal the beautiful layers of the cake for a seminaked cake look, but it's not a must.
Make dollops around the edges of the cake and top the middle of the cake with sliced fresh strawberries. Serve and enjoy!
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 this, 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 batter.
- 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
The best way to put filling in a cake is to make a border around the edges of the first cake layer using your frosting in a piping bag with a round piping tip and then filling the center of the border with the cake filling.
We use all-purpose flour for this cake, self-rising flour, and cake flour will work great as well.
Fill the middle of the cake with a delicious homemade strawberry cake filling. Let the filling cool completely so it will not melt the frosting.
Yes! If you are using frozen strawberries, there is no need to defrost them. You will have to cook the mixture for longer.
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.
Freezing
Freeze this cake after it cooled completely in an airtight freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months.
Our tip is not to freeze it decorated or covered with frosting, because it can ruin the decorating of the cake, and make it soggy. We suggest freezing the cake layers, defrosting them, and assembling them.
Making ahead tips
To make this cake ahead of time, make the vanilla cake 1-2 days ahead of time and assemble it with the cream cheese frosting and strawberry mixture before serving so the cake will stay fresh and not soggy!
Or, you can make this cake ahead by freezing the cake layers ahead of time. Wrap each cake layer with a few layers of plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months.
Thaw at room temperature for 1-2 hours or in the fridge overnight. Then follow the rest of the instructions as written.
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 cream cheese with vegan cream cheese.
Gluten-free - if you want to make this recipe gluten-free, simply replace the flour with gluten-free flour.
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.
Cream cheese frosting- you can make the frosting into a strawberry cream cheese frosting by
Fruit- don't have strawberries? Make this cake with your favorite berry instead like raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries.
Extra strawberries- if you want more strawberries and more strawberry texture in this cake, add thinly sliced strawberries on top of the strawberry filling.
More cake recipes
Chocolate ganache cake- This chocolate ganache cake is made with moist and rich chocolate cake, filled with chocolate ganache, frosted with whipped chocolate ganache, and topped with a chocolate drip.
Ding dong cake- This ding dong cake is a rich and moist chocolate cake, that is filled with a creamy cream center and is topped with silky smooth chocolate ganache.
Pistachio cake- This pistachio cake is made with real pistachios and pistachio paste, full of pistachio flavor, topped and covered with pistachio buttercream frosting, and topped with chopped pistachios.
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📖 Recipe
Vanilla Cake With Strawberry Filling
Ingredients
For the vanilla cake
- 3 oz Butter softened
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 â…“ cups Granulated sugar
- 3 Eggs
- ¼ cup Sour cream
- â…“ cup Vegetable oil
- 1 ½ teaspoon Vinegar
- ¾ cup Buttermilk
- 2 â…“ cups Flour
- 2 teaspoon Baking powder
For the strawberry filling
- 3 cups Strawberries sliced in half
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- ¼ cup Granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch mixed with a little bit of water
For the strawberry cream cheese frosting
- 4 oz Butter
- 8 oz Cream cheese
- 3 ½ cups Powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups Freeze dried strawberries ground
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 180c (350f) and prepare 2 8-inch baking pans with parchment paper.
- In a big mixing bowl, add the soft butter, vanilla extract, kosher salt, and sugar. Mix with an electric hand mixer until creamy and smooth for about 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs, vinegar, vegetable oil, and sour cream, and mix until creamy.
- Add ½ of the flour and ½ of the buttermilk, and baking powder and mix it until almost combined.
- Add the rest of the flour and buttermilk and mix until just combined and there are no lumps of flour visible.
- Divide the batter into 2 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 inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Make the strawberry filling
- In a saucepan, add strawberries that are cut in half, add the sugar, and lemon juice, and mix over medium-high heat.
- Decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes mixing occasionally.
- Mix the cornstarch in a small bowl with a little bit of water and pour it into the strawberry mixture mixing constantly. Simmer for another 2 minutes.
- Set aside and let it cool completely before you fill the cake with the filling.
- Let the cakes cool to room temperature and remove them from the pans.
Make the strawberry cream cheese frosting
- Into a large mixing bowl, add the softened cream cheese, softened butter, ground freeze dried strawberries, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Mix with an electric hand mixer until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag with a round tip. Pipe a small dollop of the frosting on the surface you are frosting on and top it with the first cake layer.
- Use the frosting to create a border around the edges of the first cake layer.
- Then fill the middle with the cooled strawberry filling and smooth it out with a spoon or a spatula.
- Top with the second cake layer and frost the cake with the rest of the frosting.
- I like scraping some of the remaining frosting to reveal the beautiful layers of the cake for a seminaked cake look, but it's not a must.
- Make dollops around the edges of the cake and top the middle of the cake with sliced fresh strawberries. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- 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 this, 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 batter.
- 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.
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