Pink Strawberry Lemonade Cake (Printer-friendly)

Vibrant moist layers with fresh strawberry and zesty lemonade, finished with creamy pink frosting.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cake

01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
05 - 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
06 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
07 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil
08 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
09 - 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
10 - 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
11 - 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
12 - 1/2 cup strawberry purée from fresh strawberries
13 - Pink or red food coloring (optional)

→ Strawberry Lemonade Frosting

14 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
15 - 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
16 - 1/3 cup strawberry purée
17 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
18 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
19 - Pinch of salt
20 - Pink food coloring (optional)

→ Decoration

21 - Fresh strawberries, sliced
22 - Lemon slices or zest
23 - Edible flowers or sprinkles (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
03 - In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together sugar, softened butter, and vegetable oil until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
04 - Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
05 - Mix in buttermilk, lemon juice, and lemon zest until combined.
06 - Gently fold in strawberry purée. Add pink or red food coloring if a more vibrant hue is desired.
07 - Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in two batches, mixing just until combined. Do not overmix.
08 - Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and smooth the tops.
09 - Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
10 - Allow cakes to cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
11 - Beat softened butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, strawberry purée, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt. Beat until fluffy. Tint with pink food coloring if desired.
12 - Once cakes are fully cool, place one layer on a serving plate. Spread a generous layer of frosting on top. Add the second cake layer and frost the top and sides.
13 - Decorate with fresh sliced strawberries, lemon slices, and sprinkles as desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The strawberry and lemon combo tastes like a secret that shouldn't work but absolutely does, hitting both tart and sweet in one bite.
  • It looks showstopping enough for a celebration but doesn't require professional baking skills to pull off.
  • The cake stays moist for days, which means you can actually enjoy leftovers without them turning dry and sad.
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients are not a suggestion; cold eggs and cold buttermilk won't mix properly into the creamed butter, and you'll end up with a broken, separated batter that bakes into a dense, sad cake.
  • Fresh lemon juice tastes completely different from bottled, and this cake needs that brightness to balance the sweetness, so squeeze your own.
  • Do not overmix once you add the dry ingredients; stir just until you don't see streaks of flour anymore, because the gluten will develop and your cake will taste like a brick.
03 -
  • If you want even more strawberry flavor, slice fresh berries and layer them between the two cake layers along with the frosting.
  • For a gluten-free version, swap in a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend and follow everything else exactly the same; the cake will be slightly less tall but just as delicious.
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