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Try our luscious Strawberry Lemonade Cake next time you need a showstopper for birthdays, summer dinner parties or just because! The soft and tender cake is packed with lemon flavor and the strawberry lemonade filling is sharp and intense, in a great way!

An overhead view of a strawberry cake with fresh strawberries halved and placed in a flower design.

Strawberry Lemonade Cake

This cake may look like it’s hard to make, but it’s really not. While it takes a few steps to make each component, both the filling and frosting can be made days ahead.

I’ve provided detailed instructions to make this recipe super easy and feel confident you’ll do great. Remember, I’m not the best cake maker and certainly could do better with my decoration and piping skills. But this cake doesn’t need any of that nonsense 😉 Just use fresh strawberries as a garnish and enjoy!

A collage of ingredients used to make a lemon cake.

Ingredients Overview for Lemon Cake

zest of 2 lemons (no white pith)
granulated sugar
whole milk
lemon juice
egg whites
vanilla extract
cake flour
baking powder
table salt
unsalted butter

Ingredients Overview for Filling and Frosting

For the Strawberry-Lemonade Filling:

frozen strawberries
fresh lemon juice
cornstarch
granulated sugar

For the Strawberry Frosting:

unsalted butter
block cream cheese
powdered sugar
table salt
vanilla extract
reserved strawberry pulp from pilling
fresh strawberries for garnish

Equipment used to make this cake:

three (8-inch) cake pans (affiliate link)
electric mixer
8-inch parchment paper rounds (affiliate link)

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A mixing bowl filled with lemon cake batter with a spatula.

A strainer filled with strawberry pulp set over a saucepan.

Strawberry-Lemonade filling cooling in a glass bowl.

Overview: How to make Strawberry Lemonade Cake

1. First make the strawberry-lemonade filling:

Microwave the strawberries until soft. Press the mixture through a fine mesh sieve set over a saucepan. Press the fruit dry using the back of a spoon. Reserve the pulp for the frosting.

Stir the lemon juice and cornstarch together to dissolve. Add to the saucepan along with the sugar. Bring to a boil and cook for one minute. Remove from the heat and press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the warm jam. Chill until cold.

2. Next make the lemon cake layers:

Preheat the oven and grease and flour three 8-inch cake pans. In a small food processor process the lemon zest with about 1/4 cup of the sugar until the sugar is bright yellow and moist. This helps release all those amazing lemon oils creating more lemon flavor.

Whisk together the milk, lemon juice, egg whites and vanilla.

In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, all remaining sugar, the lemon sugar, baking powder and salt on low until blended. With the mixer running add the butter 1 piece at a time and continue mixing until only pea-size pieces remain.

Add half the egg white mixture and beat until lightly and fluffy. Pour in the remaining egg mixture and blend again until combined. The batter may look slightly curdled. This is okay.

Divide the batter between the three prepared pans. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then remove the parchment rounds and discard. Place on a wire rack and cool completely before frosting.

3. Finally make the strawberry frosting:

Beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Add half the powdered sugar, half the strawberry pulp and the salt. Blend until most sugar is incorporated.

Add the remaining sugar and vanilla. Blend until incorporated. Refrigerate until needed, up to 2 days.

4. Assemble the cake:

Place one cake payer on a plate or cake stand. Pipe a border of frosting around the outside edge to create a wall. Fill the center with half the strawberry filling. Add another cake layer and repeat with a frosting border and filling. Top with the final layer of cake. Frost the sides and top the cake smoothing and or decorating as desired.

A slice of strawberry lemonade cake with the whole cake on a cake stand in the background.

How to store and freeze Strawberry-Lemonade Cake

This cake should be refrigerated until ready to serve. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before serving to bring to room temperature.

Leftovers keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. After a few days the cake will still be good but the strawberry decorations may get juicier. You know, strawberries and sugar, it’s a thing.

You can also freeze individual slices of cake for a few months. I recommend removing the strawberry decorations before freezing. Once thawed they might be mushy. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

Make ahead directions

Both the strawberry lemonade filling and frosting can be made ahead. The filling will keep for a week in the fridge while the frosting keeps well for 2 days.

I highly recommend making the filling ahead as it needs a few hours to chill before using.

A slice of strawberry lemon cake on a plate with a fork.

More great filled cakes

If you love cakes with fresh fruit fillings don’t miss our three layer Lemon Blueberry Cake decorated with spring flowers or this luscious Lemon Curd Cake. Love raspberries? Try this Smashed Raspberry White Chocolate Layer Cake.

A fork cutting into a slice of strawberry cake.

Strawberry Lemonade Cake

Prep Time: 1

Cook Time: 45

Total Time: 3 45

Yield:

Course: Dessert

Author: Tricia

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Luscious strawberries and bright tangy lemon make this delightful cake a flavorful summer treat. While it takes a few steps to make this showstopper, each one is easy and most can be made ahead of time.

Equipment

3 8-inch cake pans
parchment paper
electric mixer

Ingredients

Strawberry-Lemonade Filling:

3 cups frozen strawberries (12 ounces or 345g)
⅓ cup fresh lemon juice (3oz)
4 tablespoons cornstarch (40g)
1 cup granulated sugar (222)

Lemon cake:

zest of 2 lemons no white pith
1 ¾ cups granulated sugar divided (390g)
¾ cup whole milk room temperature (6 ½ oz or 184g)
¼ cup fresh lemon juice (2oz) strained before measuring
6 large egg whites room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (12g)
2 ¼ cups cake flour (260g) like bleached Softasilk
4 teaspoons baking powder (18g)
1 teaspoon table salt (6g)
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (6oz or 170g) cut into 12 pieces and softened but still cool

Strawberry Frosting:

16 tablespoons unsalted butter (226g or 8oz) room temperature
8 ounces block cream cheese room temperature
2 ½ cups powdered sugar (300g) more or less as needed for desired consistency
⅛ teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
half the reserved strawberry solids from filling
fresh strawberries for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Make the jam filling:

Place the strawberries in a microwave safe bowl. Cover and microwave until the strawberries are soft and have released their juice, about 5 minutes stirring halfway through. Press the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve set over a 3 quart saucepan. Firmly press the fruit dry using the back of a spoon. Reserve and refrigerate the strawberry solids for the frosting.
Stir together the lemon juice and cornstarch. Add to the saucepan along with the sugar. Bring the juice to a boil over medium heat and cook stirring constantly for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the warm jam. Chill 2 hours or until cold. Refrigerate for up to 1 week.

To prepare the cake batter:

Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease three 8-inch cake pans then line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper circles. Grease the parchment and flour the pans. Set aside.
In a small food processor combine the lemon zest with 1/4 cup of granulated sugar. Process until the sugar is bright yellow and moist. If you don’t have a food processor combine the sugar and zest in a bowl and blend with your fingers until the zest is broken down and the sugar is bright yellow. You can also muddle the mixture using a mortar and pestle. Set aside.
Whisk the milk, lemon juice, egg whites and vanilla together; set aside.
Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine the flour, all remaining granulated sugar, lemon sugar, baking powder and salt on low until blended. With the mixer running on medium add the butter, 1 piece at a time, and continue mixing until only pea-size pieces remain.
Pour in half the egg white mixture and increase the speed to medium-high. Beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the remaining egg white mixture. Blend again until combined. The batter may look slightly curdled; this is okay. Stir the batter a few times by hand using a spatula scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl until well blended. Do not overmix.
Divide the batter between the three prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake until the tops are lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean, about 18 to 22 minutes. Rotate the pans halfway through baking and don’t over-bake.
Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes the remove and discard the parchment. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

Prepare the frosting:

Using an electric or stand mixer beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add half the powdered sugar, half the reserved strawberry solids and salt. Blend on medium-low until most of the sugar is incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and blend again.
Add the remaining sugar and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until smooth and blended. Taste and check consistency. If needed add more strawberry solids and/or sugar. Scrape down the bowl as needed then fold together using a spatula. Refrigerate until ready to use (up to 2 days). This frosting is softer than regular buttercream due to the added strawberry pulp.

To assemble the cake:

Place one cake layer on a plate or cake stand. Pipe a border of frosting around the outside edge of the cake to create a wall. Fill the center with half the strawberry filling. Add another cake layer and repeat with a frosting border and filling. Top with the final layer of cake. Frost the sides and top of the cake smoothing and/or decorating as desired.
Cake can be refrigerated for 2 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Recipe Notes

You’ll need about 6 large juicy lemons for this recipe.
Baked and cooled cake layers can be wrapped and stored for up to 1 day before assembling.
Frosting can be refrigerated for up to two days before using. Allow the frosting to come to room temperature before using, about 30 minutes.
Refrigerate leftover cake for up to 5 days. Bring the cake to room temperature 30 minutes before serving.
Reverse creaming method adapted from America’s Test Kitchen

Nutritional information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered as an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition

Strawberry Lemonade Cake

Ingredients Overview for Lemon Cake