If you’re looking for a dessert that tastes like sunshine, you’ve found it with this Strawberry Lemonade Cake With Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting. It’s a vibrant cake loaded with juicy strawberries and the zippy brightness of fresh lemon, then generously topped with a thick, tangy lemon cream cheese frosting. Each bite delivers fresh, sweet, tart, and creamy flavors — making it the ultimate treat to celebrate spring, summer, or really any day you feel like something special.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The magic of this Strawberry Lemonade Cake With Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting lies in its simple lineup of fresh ingredients. Each one is carefully chosen to infuse the cake with stunning flavor, irresistible texture, and a burst of color. Here’s what you’ll need — and why each matters:
- All-purpose flour: The sturdy base that gives the cake its light yet tender crumb.
- Baking powder: Gives the cake a lovely lift, helping it rise into fluffy layers.
- Salt: Brings out all the other flavors and balances the sweetness.
- Unsalted butter (softened): Adds richness and creates a moist, flavorful cake.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the cake just enough without overpowering the lemon or strawberries.
- Large eggs: Bind the batter together for structure and add extra tenderness.
- Vanilla extract: Adds warmth and depth to the fruity flavors.
- Buttermilk: Ensures your cake stays super-soft with a hint of tang to complement the lemon.
- Fresh lemon juice: Delivers that unmistakable lemonade zing — fresh is best for flavor!
- Lemon zest: Packs in additional citrus oil, making the lemon pop in every bite.
- Fresh strawberries (diced): Juicy little bursts of berry flavor distributed throughout the cake.
- Cream cheese (softened): The star of the frosting — creamy and tangy perfection.
- Powdered sugar: Sweetens the frosting and whips it up to dreamy, spreadable consistency.
How to Make Strawberry Lemonade Cake With Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Step 1: Prep Your Pans and Preheat
Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 9-inch cake pans with butter or baking spray and dust with flour, tapping out any excess. This prevents sticking and helps your cakes pop right out in perfect shape.
Step 2: Mix Dry Ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. This step evenly distributes the leavening and ensures you won’t have any clumps of dry ingredients hidden in your batter.
Step 3: Cream Butter and Sugar
In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until pale, light, and fluffy — almost like a whipped frosting. Don’t rush this, as it’s what gives your cake its tender crumb and great texture.
Step 4: Add Eggs and Flavors
Add the eggs, one at a time, to your butter mixture, beating well after each addition. Once they’re all incorporated, stir in the vanilla extract, fresh lemon juice, and lemon zest. The combination of citrus juice and zest infuses the batter with that unmistakable lemonade brightness.
Step 5: Alternate Dry Ingredients and Buttermilk
With the mixer on low, alternate adding the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the wet mixture, starting and ending with the dry. This keeps everything light and ensures a silky-smooth batter — don’t overmix, or you’ll lose some of that lovely cake texture.
Step 6: Gently Fold in Strawberries
Scatter the diced strawberries over your batter and gently fold them in with a spatula. Doing this by hand helps keep the berries intact and prevents streaks, so you get little pockets of juicy fruit in every slice.
Step 7: Bake Until Golden
Divide your batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs attached. While your kitchen fills with summery aromas, let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto wire racks to cool completely.
Step 8: Make Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
In a clean bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar (start with 3 cups and add more if needed), then mix in fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Keep beating until the frosting is fluffy, thick, and gorgeously light with a puckery citrus tang.
Step 9: Assemble and Frost
Spread a generous layer of frosting over the first cake layer, stack on the second, and cover the top and sides with the remaining frosting. Smooth it to your taste — rustic swoops or sleek and tidy both look beautiful.
How to Serve Strawberry Lemonade Cake With Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Garnishes
A simple arrangement of halved fresh strawberries, extra lemon zest, or even a few edible flowers sprinkled on top looks beautiful and adds to the fresh, festive feel of Strawberry Lemonade Cake With Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting. A little dusting of powdered sugar offers an extra touch of elegance.
Side Dishes
This cake is a star on its own but pairs fabulously with lighter sides like a scoop of lemon sorbet, a twist of whipped cream, or a tall glass of icy lemonade. For a tea party vibe, serve alongside a fruit salad or a crisp, cold iced tea.
Creative Ways to Present
Try slicing the cake into mini squares for a dessert platter, or serve layered in individual jars for a picnic-ready treat. For spring celebrations, decorate with swirls of Strawberry Lemonade Cake With Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting piped in fun patterns on top.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
If you have leftovers (and that’s a big if!), cover the cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to four days. The lemon cream cheese frosting helps keep the layers moist and even seems to improve the flavor by day two!
Freezing
You can freeze Strawberry Lemonade Cake With Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting whole or in slices. Wrap pieces in plastic wrap and foil, then freeze for up to two months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving for best texture and flavor.
Reheating
This cake is best enjoyed chilled or at room temperature, so remove from the fridge about 20 minutes before serving to soften the frosting and bring out the flavors. No need to reheat in the oven or microwave.
FAQs
Can I use frozen strawberries instead of fresh?
Fresh is best for both flavor and texture, but you can use thawed, drained frozen strawberries in a pinch. Just be sure to pat them dry thoroughly with paper towels to avoid adding excess moisture to the batter.
What’s the easiest way to zest a lemon?
A microplane or fine grater works wonders for zesting lemons. Just remember to grate only the yellow part, as the white pith underneath is bitter.
Can I make the cake ahead of time?
Absolutely! You can bake the cake layers up to one day in advance. Store them wrapped at room temperature, then frost just before serving for the freshest results.
Why is my cake dense or heavy?
Overmixing the batter or measuring flour incorrectly are the most common culprits. For a light, airy cake, gently fold ingredients together and spoon flour into your measuring cup before leveling off.
Is this cake suitable for special diets?
Strawberry Lemonade Cake With Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting is vegetarian, but not vegan or gluten-free. You can experiment with gluten-free flour blends or dairy-free cream cheese for modified versions.
Final Thoughts
So there you have it — a Strawberry Lemonade Cake With Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting that looks as joyful as it tastes. I hope you’ll gather up some fresh strawberries and zesty lemons and bake this cake soon. It’s a burst of citrusy, berry delight that never fails to wow a crowd or make an ordinary day feel like a celebration!
Print
Strawberry Lemonade Cake With Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Indulge in the delightful flavors of spring with this Strawberry Lemonade Cake topped with a luscious Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting. Bursting with fresh strawberries and zesty lemon, this cake is the perfect sweet treat for any occasion.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 cup diced fresh strawberries
For the lemon cream cheese frosting:
- 8 oz cream cheese (softened)
- ½ cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 3–4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven and prepare pans: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease/flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Cream butter and sugar: In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add wet and dry ingredients: Beat in eggs, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Alternately add dry ingredients and buttermilk.
- Fold in strawberries: Gently fold in diced strawberries. Divide batter into pans and bake.
- Make frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla until fluffy.
- Frost cakes: Spread frosting over cooled cakes and stack layers if desired.
Notes
- Use fresh, ripe strawberries for best flavor.
- Adjust frosting sweetness to preference.
- Perfect for spring and summer celebrations.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 38 g
- Sodium: 210 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 52 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
