Strawberry Lemonade Cake Lemon Buttercream (Print version)
Fluffy strawberry-lemon layers with tangy buttercream and fresh berry decoration
# What you need:
→ Strawberry Lemon Cake
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→ Creamy Lemon Buttercream
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→ Decoration
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# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper for easy removal.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, approximately 3-4 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Mix in lemon zest and vanilla extract until incorporated.
05 - In a separate measuring cup, whisk together lemon juice, milk, and sour cream until smooth.
06 - With mixer on low speed, alternately add flour mixture and lemon-milk mixture to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
07 - Gently fold chopped strawberries into batter using a spatula. Add food coloring if a pink hue is desired.
08 - Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and smooth tops. Bake for 28-32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
09 - Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then carefully turn out onto wire racks to cool completely before frosting.
10 - Beat butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and 2 tbsp cream. Beat until fluffy and smooth, 3-5 minutes, adding more cream as needed for desired consistency.
11 - Once cakes are completely cool, level tops if necessary. Spread buttercream layer between cakes, then frost top and sides evenly.
12 - Garnish with fresh strawberry halves and lemon slices or zest curls as desired.
# Expert advice:
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- The combination of fresh strawberries and bright lemon creates this incredible balance of sweet and tangy that keeps you coming back for seconds
- Despite looking like it came from a fancy bakery, this cake comes together with manageable steps and ingredients you can actually find
- That buttercream is honestly worth making by itself I caught my husband eating it straight from the bowl more than once
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- I once tried folding in frozen strawberries and ended up with streaks of blue batter and uneven baking, so only use fresh berries
- Adding flour to warm butter chunks creates lumpy batter that you cannot fix, so make sure everything is truly at room temperature before starting
- The toothpick test is your friend, slightly underbaked is better than overbaked, and the cake continues cooking as it cools in the pan
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- Room temperature ingredients are not optional, they are essential for proper emulsification and texture
- Zest your lemons before juicing them, its much harder to zest a squeezed lemon