Strawberry Birthday Cake Recipe
This Strawberry Birthday Cake Recipe features a light vanilla sponge layered with fresh strawberry filling and creamy cream cheese frosting. The recipe uses simple, fresh ingredients to create a moist, flavorful cake perfect for celebrations. With easy-to-follow steps and helpful tips, anyone can bake this beautiful, delicious cake. Fresh strawberries add natural sweetness and a vibrant look, making it a favorite for birthdays and special occasions.
Equipment
- 2 mixing bowls
- 1 electric mixer (or hand mixer)
- 1 Spatula
- 2 8-inch round cake pans
- 1 whisk
- 1 Measuring cup and spoons
- 1 Cooling rack
- 1 knife or offset spatula (for frosting)
- Parchment paper (optional, for lining the pans)
Ingredients
For the Filling:
- 40 g 1.4 oz caster or superfine sugar
- 200 g 7 oz fresh strawberries, chopped
- 3 tablespoons sugar syrup store-bought or homemade
For the Vanilla Sponge Cake:
- 2 cups 300g/10.6 oz cake flour
- 1 1/4 cups 310 ml/11 fl oz whole milk
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 stick 113g unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 3/4 cups 385g/13.6 oz caster or superfine sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or extract
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 2 packages 16 oz total powdered sugar
- 2 packages 16 oz total cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup 113g unsalted butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- For Decoration:
- 100 g fresh strawberries halved or sliced
Instructions
Prep the strawberries for filling:
- Start by washing and hulling 200g of fresh strawberries. Chop them roughly and toss with 40g caster sugar and 3 tablespoons sugar syrup. Set aside to macerate while you prepare the cake batter.
Preheat the oven:
- Set your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 8 or 9-inch round cake pans, or line with parchment paper.
Prepare dry ingredients:
- In a bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set this aside.
Mix wet ingredients:
- In a separate large bowl, beat the softened butter with the sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla bean paste.
Combine milk and flour:
- Alternate adding the sifted dry ingredients and milk to the butter-egg mixture. Start and end with the flour mixture. Mix gently until everything is just combined; avoid over mixing.
Bake the sponge cakes:
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool the cakes:
- Let the cakes cool in their pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Make the cream cheese frosting:
- Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, and then beat in the vanilla extract until fluffy.
Assemble the cake:
- Once the cake layers are completely cool, slice each layer horizontally if you want thinner layers. Spread the macerated strawberry filling evenly over the bottom layer, and then add the next layer. Cover the entire cake with cream cheese frosting, smoothing with a spatula.
Decorate:
- Arrange the remaining fresh strawberries on top of the cake for a beautiful finishing touch. Chill the cake for at least 30 minutes before serving to let the frosting set.
Notes
Make sure eggs and milk are at room temperature to help the cake rise evenly. If you don’t have sugar syrup, you can make it by heating equal parts sugar and water until sugar dissolves and cooling it. For best results, chill the cake layers before frosting to avoid the frosting melting. You can swap vanilla bean paste for vanilla extract if needed.