Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Chantilly Cream Frosting

A slice of strawberry cake on a stack of small dessert plates.

4.93 from 26 votes

Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Chantilly Cream Frosting

This Strawberry Cake is packed with real strawberries and topped with a light Chantilly cream frosting for a cake that is as beautiful as it is delicious.

Prep Time40

Cook Time30

Total Time1 10

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Strawberry Cake

Servings: layers

Author: Rachel Farnsworth

Ingredients

Strawberry Cake

1 pound strawberries hulled
3/4 cup salted butter softened
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon strawberry extract
1 cup buttermilk room temperature
3 large eggs room temperature
3 1/2 cups cake flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 drops pink food coloring optional

Strawberry Chantilly Cream

2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1.5 ounces instant strawberry jello
2 cups powdered sugar divided
8 ounces cream cheese softened
8 ounces mascarpone cheese softened

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Strawberry Cake

Add the hulled strawberries to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Transfer the puree to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and reduced by half—this should take about 20 minutes. You should have just over 1 cup of reduced strawberry puree. Set aside for later use in both the cake and the frosting.
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to cream together the softened butter, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, and 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in 1 cup of the reduced strawberry puree, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon strawberry extract. Reserve any remaining strawberry puree (up to 1/4 cup) for the frosting.
In a small bowl or 2-cup liquid measuring cup, whisk 1 cup buttermilk and 3 large eggs together until well combined. Set aside.
In another mixing bowl, whisk together 3 1/2 cups cake flour, 4 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Add one-third of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until just combined. Then, add half of the buttermilk mixture and mix. Repeat, adding the remaining dry ingredients and buttermilk in alternating batches. Be careful not to overmix. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is evenly mixed. For a brighter pink color, stir in 3 drops pink food coloring a little at a time until you reach the desired shade.
Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before layering and frosting.

Strawberry Chantilly Cream

In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to whip 2 cups heavy cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1.5 ounces instant strawberry jello while continuing to whip. Once the mixture thickens, slowly add 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
In a separate mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, 8 ounces mascarpone cheese, and reserved strawberry puree (up to 1/4 cup) until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar and beat until fully combined.
Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese and mascarpone mixture using a rubber spatula. Continue folding until the mixture is smooth and no streaks remain.

Video

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Notes

Be sure to always mix cake batter on a low speed to avoid overmixing which results in a dense cake.
Stop mixing your cake batter as soon as the ingredients are just incorporated.
Use a rubber spatula to gently scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as you go along so that you don't have to do additional mixing.
Frost the cake however you'd like. For rosettes, transfer to a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M piping tip or a large open star tip.

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