Description
This Easy Strawberry Lemon Cake is a perfect Mother’s Day dessert—light, refreshing, and bursting with spring flavors. With layers of lemon cake, fresh strawberry filling, and lemon buttercream frosting, it’s a beautiful and delicious homemade treat.
Ingredients
Scale
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 tablespoon lemon zest
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup buttermilk
For the Strawberry Filling:
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, diced
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
For the Lemon Buttercream Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2–3 tablespoons heavy cream (as needed for consistency)
Garnish (Optional):
- Fresh strawberries, halved
- Lemon slices
- Mint leaves
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Mix in vanilla extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix until just combined.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and smooth the tops.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 2: Make the Strawberry Filling
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice.
- Cook for about 5 minutes until strawberries soften and release their juices.
- Stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook for another 2 minutes until the filling thickens.
- Remove from heat and let cool completely.
Step 3: Prepare the Lemon Buttercream Frosting
- In a large bowl, beat butter until creamy.
- Gradually add powdered sugar, beating well after each addition.
- Mix in lemon juice and vanilla extract.
- Add heavy cream one tablespoon at a time until the frosting reaches a smooth, spreadable consistency.
Step 4: Assemble the Cake
- Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread a layer of lemon buttercream on top.
- Spoon the cooled strawberry filling over the buttercream.
- Place the second cake layer on top and frost the entire cake with the remaining buttercream.
- Decorate with fresh strawberries, lemon slices, and mint leaves if desired.
Notes
- For a tangier flavor, replace buttercream with strawberry cream cheese frosting.
- To make it gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
- Store the cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freeze individual slices wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 2 months.
- For cupcakes, divide batter into liners and bake for 18–20 minutes.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cooling & Assembly: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Mother’s Day cake, strawberry lemon cake, easy spring dessert, homemade fruit cake, lemon buttercream frosting