Description
Strawberry lemon cake blends zesty citrus with sweet berries in a delightful dessert. Fresh strawberries and lemon zest create a perfect balance of flavors for summer gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2.5 cups (590 ml) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter (softened)
- 1.75 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk (or 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp vinegar, let sit for 5 minutes)
- 1 cup diced fresh strawberries (tossed in 1 tbsp flour to prevent sinking)
- 2.5 tsps baking powder
- 0.5 tsp baking soda
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
- 0.5 cup (120 ml) fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese (softened)
- 0.5 cup (113 g) unsalted butter (softened)
- 3.5 cups (420 g) powdered sugar
- 0.25 cup fresh strawberry puree (blended strawberries, strained to remove seeds if desired)
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 0.5 tsp vanilla extract
- Fresh sliced strawberries
- Lemon zest
- Whipped cream
Instructions
- Ingredient Preparation: Thoroughly combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl, ensuring uniform distribution of flour, leavening agents, and seasoning.
- Butter Mixture: Cream butter and sugar until achieving a light, voluminous texture with a pale, airy consistency.
- Egg Integration: Add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each, then gently fold in lemon essence and citrus zest to amplify flavor complexity.
- Batter Development: Alternately blend dry ingredients and buttermilk into the wet mixture, using a gentle folding technique to maintain the batter’s delicate structure.
- Fruit Incorporation: Carefully fold diced strawberries throughout the batter, ensuring even distribution without deflating the mixture.
- Pan Preparation: Line circular baking pans with parchment paper and apply a light grease to prevent sticking.
- Baking Process: Evenly distribute batter between prepared pans and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for approximately 30 minutes, or until a testing implement comes out clean.
- Cooling Stage: Allow baked layers to rest briefly in pans, then transfer to a cooling rack to reach room temperature.
- Frosting Creation: Whip cream cheese and butter until achieving a smooth, silky consistency, gradually incorporating powdered sweetener to create a cloud-like mixture.
- Flavor Enhancement: Infuse frosting with strawberry essence, citrus notes, and vanilla extract for a vibrant flavor profile.
- Cake Assembly: Place first cake layer on a serving platform, spreading a generous frosting layer, then carefully position the second layer.
- Final Decoration: Completely cover the cake with strawberry-lemon frosting, garnishing with fresh strawberry segments, delicate lemon zest curls, or optional whipped cream for an elegant presentation.
Notes
- Optimize Strawberry Texture: Gently pat strawberries dry before folding into batter to prevent excess moisture from disrupting cake’s delicate structure.
- Zest Intensification Technique: Massage lemon zest into sugar before creaming to release essential oils and maximize citrus flavor depth.
- Temperature Precision: Allow ingredients like eggs and butter to reach room temperature for smoother blending and more consistent cake texture.
- Gluten-Free Adaptation: Substitute all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free blend, adding xanthan gum for improved structural integrity and moisture retention.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 370
- Sugar: 38 g
- Sodium: 250 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 49 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg