Strawberries and Cream Cake Recipe in 13 Steps

Published: 21 May 2026

Here is a short video explaining the process, scroll down for detailed ingredients and step by step recipe method. Thanks for coming and do not forget to check other recipes on our homepage.

Table of Contents

Ingredients with Exact Amounts

Getting your ingredients right before you start is the single most important thing you can do to set yourself up for success. Read through the full list below, measure everything out, and have it all sitting on your counter before you begin mixing. This approach — called mise en place — keeps you calm, organized, and focused while you bake.

For the Vanilla Sponge Cake Layers

These are your cake layers — the foundation of the whole dessert. The combination of butter and oil gives you the best of both worlds: flavor from the butter and moisture from the oil, which means your cake stays soft and tender even after a day in the fridge.

3 cups all-purpose flour (or cake flour for an even finer, lighter crumb)
2 cups granulated white sugar
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick / 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
½ cup neutral oil (vegetable oil, canola oil, or avocado oil all work)
2 whole large eggs, room temperature
2 large egg whites, room temperature
1 cup whole milk, room temperature
½ cup full-fat sour cream, room temperature
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

For the Whipped Cream Filling

This is what goes between your cake layers along with the strawberries. It needs to be cold and freshly whipped so it holds its structure when the layers are stacked on top of each other. Do not make this too far in advance or it may start to weep.

2½ cups heavy whipping cream, very cold
½ cup powdered sugar (also called icing sugar or confectioners’ sugar)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Cream Cheese Frosting (Outer Layer)

This frosting goes on the outside of the assembled cake. It is slightly tangy from the cream cheese, not overly sweet, and holds its shape really well — which makes it much more stable than plain whipped cream for covering the exterior of a layered cake.

8 oz (225g) full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
½ cup (1 stick / 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
4 cups powdered/confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

For the Strawberry Layers and Decoration

The strawberries are the true star of this cake, so do not cut corners here. Use the freshest, ripest berries you can find. If you can smell them when you walk past them in the store, they are going to be delicious.

2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced (for inside the layers)
1 to 1½ cups fresh whole or quartered strawberries (for the top decoration)
Optional: 3 tablespoons strawberry jam or strawberry puree (to brush on the cake layers for extra berry flavor)
Optional: powdered sugar for dusting on top

Step-by-Step Recipe Method

This is the core of the whole blog post, so read through every step before you start. Nothing here is complicated, but cake baking rewards patience and attention. Follow these steps in order and you will end up with a three-layer strawberries and cream cake that looks and tastes absolutely stunning.

Step 1: Get Your Oven and Pans Ready

The very first thing you need to do — before you touch a single ingredient — is prepare your baking pans and preheat your oven. Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) and let it preheat for at least 20 full minutes. Many home ovens run hotter or cooler than the dial says, and giving your oven enough time to come to a stable temperature makes a real difference in how evenly your cake bakes. While the oven heats up, take two or three 9-inch round cake pans and cut circles of parchment paper to fit the bottoms. Place the parchment inside each pan, then grease the paper and the sides of the pans with butter or non-stick cooking spray. This ensures your cakes will come out cleanly without sticking or tearing, no matter what.

Step 2: Mix the Dry Ingredients

Take a large mixing bowl and add your flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk them together thoroughly for about 30 seconds so everything is evenly distributed. This step matters more than most people think. When your leavening agents are evenly mixed into the flour, your cake rises consistently and you avoid any random pockets of baking soda or powder that can create an unpleasant taste in certain bites. Set this bowl aside and move on to your wet ingredients. If you are using sour cream and milk as your liquid, go ahead and stir them together in a small measuring cup or bowl so they are ready to add when you need them.

Step 3: Cream the Butter and Sugar

In the large bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment — or in a large bowl using a hand electric mixer — add your softened butter and granulated sugar. Beat them together on medium speed for a full 3 to 4 minutes. You are not just combining them here — you are whipping air into the mixture, and that air is what gives your cake its light, fluffy texture. When it is ready, the mixture should look noticeably paler in color, almost white, and should feel light and fluffy when you run a spoon through it. Do not rush this step. If your butter is cold, it will not cream properly, so make sure it has been sitting at room temperature for at least 45 minutes before you start.

Step 4: Add the Oil, Eggs, and Vanilla

Once your butter and sugar are creamed, add the oil and mix on medium speed for another 30 seconds until fully combined. Then add your whole eggs and egg whites, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Adding eggs slowly gives the batter time to properly emulsify, which creates a smoother, more even crumb in the finished cake. After all the eggs are in, pour in your vanilla extract and mix for another 20 seconds. The batter will look smooth and glossy at this point, and that is exactly what you want. Scrape down the sides of your bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure nothing is hiding at the bottom.

Step 5: Add the Dry and Wet Ingredients Alternately

This is one of the most important steps in the whole process, and it is also the one where most people go wrong. You need to add your dry flour mixture and your milk-sour cream mixture to the batter in alternating additions — starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Add one third of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until it is just absorbed. Then add half of the milk mixture and mix again until just combined. Repeat with another third of flour, the remaining milk mixture, and finally the last third of flour. The reason for this alternating method is that it prevents the batter from becoming too wet or too dry at any given moment, which keeps the gluten from overdeveloping. Once the last bit of flour goes in, stop mixing the moment you no longer see streaks of flour. Overmixing at this stage is one of the most common causes of tough, dense cake layers.

Step 6: Bake the Cake Layers

Divide the batter evenly between your prepared pans. If you want to be precise about it, weigh each pan on a kitchen scale to make sure they all have the same amount — this way your layers will all be the same thickness after baking. Smooth the tops of the batter with a spatula or the back of a spoon, then place the pans in the center of your preheated oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Start checking at the 25-minute mark by inserting a toothpick or thin skewer into the very center of one of the cakes. If it comes out clean or with just a few dry crumbs attached, the cakes are done. If it comes out with wet batter on it, give them another 3 to 5 minutes and check again. Do not open the oven door before 22 minutes or the cakes may sink in the middle from the sudden change in temperature.

Step 7: Cool the Cake Layers Completely

Once the cakes are baked, remove them from the oven and set the pans on a wire cooling rack. Let them cool in the pans for exactly 10 minutes — no longer, or they may stick — then carefully run a thin knife around the inside edge of each pan to loosen the sides. Flip each cake out onto the wire rack, peel off the parchment paper, and leave them to cool completely. This step is non-negotiable. Assembling a warm cake will melt your whipped cream filling, cause your layers to slide apart, and turn your beautiful creation into a soggy, drooping mess. Give your cakes at least 1 to 2 hours to cool fully at room temperature, or speed the process up by placing them in the refrigerator for 30 to 40 minutes.

Step 8: Make the Whipped Cream Filling

Pour your cold heavy whipping cream into a clean mixing bowl. If you have time, chill the bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes before whipping — a cold bowl keeps the cream cold and helps it whip up faster and hold its shape better. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, then whip on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Stiff peaks mean that when you lift the beater out of the cream, the peak that forms stands straight up and does not flop over. This is the perfect texture for filling a layered cake because it is firm enough to support the layers above it. Keep an eye on it toward the end — whipped cream goes from perfect to overwhipped very quickly, and overwhipped cream turns grainy and buttery. Put it in the fridge as soon as it is ready.

Step 9: Make the Cream Cheese Frosting

In a clean bowl, beat your softened cream cheese on medium speed for about 2 minutes until it is completely smooth with no lumps at all. This step is easier when your cream cheese has been sitting at room temperature for at least 30 to 45 minutes. Add the softened butter and beat again for another 2 minutes until the two are fully combined and fluffy. Add the sifted powdered sugar in three separate additions, mixing on low speed after each one to avoid a sugar cloud, then increasing to medium once it starts to incorporate. Add the vanilla and a pinch of salt, then beat on medium-high for one final minute until the frosting is creamy, smooth, and spreadable. If it feels too thick, add a teaspoon of milk. If it feels too soft, add a little more powdered sugar. Set it aside at room temperature while you assemble.

Step 10: Slice the Strawberries and Prepare for Assembly

Hull your strawberries by removing the green tops and the small white core underneath with a paring knife or a strawberry huller. Slice them thinly and evenly — about ¼ inch thick. Lay the slices out on a clean paper towel and gently pat them dry. This is an important step that many home bakers skip, but it makes a real difference: excess moisture from the strawberries can cause the cream filling to break down and make your cake soggy over time. Set aside some of your nicest whole or quartered strawberries for the top decoration — these are what everyone will see first, so pick the most beautiful ones you have.

Step 11: Assemble the Cake

Now comes the fun part. Place your first cooled cake layer on your serving plate, a cake board, or a rotating cake turntable if you have one. If any of your layers have domed slightly on top, use a long serrated knife to trim the dome off so it is flat and even — this makes stacking so much easier. If you are using the optional strawberry jam, spread a thin, even layer over the top of the first cake layer using a pastry brush or the back of a spoon. This adds an extra hit of strawberry flavor that really elevates the finished cake. Next, spoon roughly half of your whipped cream filling onto the layer and spread it to within about half an inch of the edge using an offset spatula. Arrange your thinly sliced strawberries on top of the cream in an even layer, overlapping them slightly and pushing some of them right to the edge so they will be visible from the side of the finished cake. Place your second cake layer on top and press it down very gently. Repeat the jam, cream, and strawberry layering process. Place your final cake layer on top with the flat side facing up — this gives you a smooth, level surface for frosting.

Step 12: Apply the Crumb Coat

Before you apply your final layer of cream cheese frosting, you need to do a crumb coat. This is a very thin, rough layer of frosting applied all over the outside of the cake — top and sides — that traps all the loose crumbs and seals them in so they do not end up mixed into your beautiful final frosting layer. Use an offset spatula or a bench scraper to apply a thin, uneven coating of cream cheese frosting all over the cake. It does not need to look perfect — it just needs to cover every surface. Once it is on, place the entire cake in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes until the crumb coat feels firm and dry to the touch. Do not skip this step if you want a clean, professional-looking finish.

Step 13: Apply the Final Frosting and Decorate

Take the cake out of the fridge and apply the rest of your cream cheese frosting over the top and sides. Work in smooth, even strokes using your offset spatula or bench scraper, rotating the cake as you go if you have a turntable. You can make it perfectly smooth for a polished, modern look, or create soft swirls and swoops for a more rustic, homemade feel — both are beautiful. Once the frosting is on, arrange your reserved whole or quartered strawberries on the top of the cake in any pattern you like. A simple circular arrangement works wonderfully. If you want to finish it off, dust everything lightly with powdered sugar just before serving. That is it — your strawberries and cream cake is done.

Variations in the Recipe

Once you have mastered the base recipe, there are so many wonderful directions you can take this cake. These variations use the same foundation but change the flavor profile, the format, or the occasion so that this cake can work for absolutely any moment.

Chocolate Strawberries and Cream Cake

If you want a richer, more indulgent version of this cake, swap the vanilla sponge layers for a chocolate cake. Make a classic chocolate sponge using cocoa powder in place of some of the flour, and keep everything else — the whipped cream filling, the sliced strawberries, and the cream cheese frosting — exactly the same. The bittersweet depth of chocolate against the sweetness of the strawberries and the lightness of the cream is an absolutely stunning combination. You can also melt some dark chocolate and drizzle it over the top of the finished cake for a dramatic, decadent finish that looks like it came from a high-end patisserie.

No-Bake Strawberries and Cream Cake

On a hot summer day when the last thing you want to do is turn on your oven, this no-bake version is a lifesaver. Use store-bought sponge fingers (ladyfingers) or a pre-made vanilla sponge as your base. Layer them with freshly whipped cream and plenty of sliced strawberries in a springform pan or a large glass trifle dish. Cover and refrigerate overnight, and the ladyfingers will absorb the cream and soften into something almost like a mousse cake. It requires zero baking and is just as impressive as the full homemade version when you are short on time.

Gluten-Free Strawberries and Cream Cake

This cake adapts extremely well to a gluten-free diet. Simply replace the all-purpose flour with a good-quality 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend — the kind that already contains xanthan gum for structure. Use it in the exact same quantity as the regular flour and follow every other step identically. The result is a cake that is genuinely just as soft and delicious as the original, and nobody at your table will be able to tell the difference. It is a wonderful option when you are baking for someone with celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity and want to make sure they can enjoy a real slice of something special.

Strawberry Champagne Celebration Cake

For an extra-special occasion like a wedding, an anniversary, or a New Year’s Eve party, try the champagne version of this cake. Add two tablespoons of good champagne or prosecco to your whipped cream filling as you whip it, and brush each cake layer generously with a strawberry-champagne syrup made by simmering equal parts champagne and sugar until slightly reduced. The champagne adds a subtle, effervescent sophistication to the flavor that makes this cake feel genuinely luxurious without being overly complicated. Top it with gold leaf or edible glitter for an even more celebratory finish.

Mini Individual Cupcake Version

If you are making this cake for a party where serving slices gets complicated, turn the same batter into cupcakes instead. Pour the batter into a lined cupcake tin and bake at 350°F for 18 to 22 minutes. Once cooled, hollow out the center of each cupcake with a small spoon or a cupcake corer and fill it with a small spoonful of the whipped cream filling and a piece of fresh strawberry. Pipe cream cheese frosting on top and finish each one with a fresh strawberry half. They are adorable, easy to serve, and every bit as delicious as the full layered cake.

Dairy-Free Vegan Version

This cake can absolutely be made dairy-free with a few smart swaps. Replace the butter with vegan butter sticks (not the spread), the milk and sour cream with full-fat coconut milk combined with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, the heavy cream with canned coconut cream that has been refrigerated overnight, and the cream cheese with a good dairy-free cream cheese alternative. The eggs can be replaced with flax eggs made by mixing one tablespoon of ground flaxseed with three tablespoons of water per egg and allowing it to sit for five minutes until it gels. The texture of the finished cake will be slightly denser than the original, but the flavor is still wonderful and the fresh strawberries make it feel just as fresh and vibrant.

Mistakes to Avoid

Even experienced bakers make mistakes with this kind of layered cake, especially the first time they make it. Knowing what can go wrong in advance means you will be able to avoid these pitfalls and get a perfect result from the very first attempt.

Using Cold Ingredients Straight from the Fridge

This is the single most common mistake home bakers make, and it affects the entire cake from start to finish. When your butter is cold, it will not cream properly with the sugar, which means less air is incorporated and your cake turns out denser and flatter than it should be. When your eggs are cold, they cause the already-creamed butter to seize up and look curdled when you add them. When your cream cheese is cold, it clumps no matter how hard you beat it, and you end up with a lumpy, uneven frosting. Take everything — butter, eggs, cream cheese, milk, sour cream — out of the refrigerator at least 45 minutes to an hour before you start baking. This one habit alone will make a noticeable difference in the quality of your finished cake.

Overmixing the Batter After Adding the Flour

Once flour goes into a cake batter, gluten starts to develop with every turn of the mixer. A little gluten development is fine and actually necessary for structure, but too much results in a cake that is tough, chewy, and heavy rather than light and tender. The key is to stop mixing the moment you can no longer see dry streaks of flour in the batter. At that point, put down the mixer and finish with a few gentle folds by hand with a rubber spatula if needed. The batter does not need to be perfectly smooth — a few small lumps are completely fine and will bake out in the oven.

Measuring Flour Incorrectly

Most people measure flour by scooping their measuring cup directly into the flour bag, which packs the flour down and results in far more than the recipe intended. Too much flour makes your cake dry, dense, and crumbly. The correct way to measure flour is to use a spoon to scoop flour into your measuring cup until it is overflowing, then use the flat back of a knife to level it off. Even better, use a kitchen scale and weigh your flour in grams for total accuracy every time. One cup of all-purpose flour should weigh approximately 120 to 125 grams. This simple habit takes five extra seconds and makes a significant difference in your results.

Opening the Oven Door Too Early

It is very tempting to open the oven and check on your cake every few minutes, especially when it smells so good. But opening the oven door before the cake has had time to set its structure — usually before the 20 to 22-minute mark — causes a sudden drop in oven temperature that can make the center of the cake collapse inward. Once a cake sinks in the middle, there is no fixing it. Leave the oven door closed and use the oven light to peek through the glass if you need a visual check. Only open the door once you are at the minimum suggested baking time.

Skipping the Crumb Coat

A lot of people skip the crumb coat because it feels like an unnecessary extra step, especially when they are in a hurry to see the finished result. But the crumb coat is what separates a messy, crumb-filled exterior from a clean, professional-looking one. Without it, all the loose crumbs from the surface of your cake layers get dragged through your final layer of frosting and you end up with brown specks all over what was supposed to be a beautiful, smooth white surface. It only takes 5 minutes to apply and 15 minutes to chill. That 20 minutes is absolutely worth it.

Overwhipping the Cream

Whipped cream reaches its peak texture very quickly, and it is easy to take it one minute too far. When cream is overwhipped, the fat structure breaks down, the cream loses its silkiness, and it begins to look grainy and separated — heading toward butter territory. Once this happens, there is no going back. To avoid it, watch the cream closely as it thickens and stop the mixer as soon as stiff peaks form. Stiff peaks mean the cream holds its shape when you lift the beater, but still looks glossy and smooth, not chunky or dry. Keeping your bowl and beaters cold also helps slow things down and gives you more control.

Using Watery or Under-Ripe Strawberries

Pale, under-ripe strawberries that are white in the center and have very little smell are going to be disappointing no matter what you do with them. They contribute almost no flavor and their high water content can make the inside of your cake soggy within hours. Always choose strawberries that are deep red all the way through with a strong, sweet fragrance. If you are making this in winter or spring when good fresh strawberries are harder to find, look for smaller, more intensely flavored varieties rather than the large, beautiful-looking ones that are often flavorless. And always pat your sliced strawberries dry before layering them inside the cake — removing that surface moisture makes a big difference in how the cake holds up after assembly.

Conclusion

Strawberries and cream cake is one of those recipes that feels like a genuine achievement every time you make it. It looks impressive, it tastes incredible, and the moment you slice into it and see those layers of cream and red strawberries revealed — that feeling never gets old. The best part is that once you have made it once, you will realize just how approachable it really is. The sponge is simple, the filling comes together in minutes, and the assembly is more satisfying than it is difficult. You do not need to be a professional baker to pull this off. You just need good ingredients, a little patience, and the confidence to follow the steps. Try the base recipe first, then experiment with one of the variations to make it your own. And when you do, share it — this is the kind of cake that brings people together and makes any ordinary day feel a little bit more special. Now grab those strawberries and get baking.

FAQs

How far in advance can I make strawberries and cream cake?

You can absolutely get ahead on this cake by baking the sponge layers up to two days before you plan to serve it. Once cooled, wrap each layer tightly in plastic wrap and store them at room temperature if you will be using them the next day, or in the refrigerator if it will be two days. When it comes to assembly, you can put the full cake together up to 24 hours in advance and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Any longer than that and the strawberries inside the cake will start to release their juices and the cream filling will begin to soften. For the best taste and texture, aim to assemble and serve within the same day if possible.

How do I store leftover strawberries and cream cake?

Because this cake contains fresh fruit and cream-based fillings, it must be stored in the refrigerator — never at room temperature for more than two hours. Cover any leftover cake tightly with plastic wrap or place it under a cake dome and keep it in the fridge for up to three days. After the third day, the strawberries inside the layers will have softened significantly and the cream may start to weep, meaning it will begin to separate and become watery. The cake is still edible at that point, but the texture and appearance will be noticeably less appealing than on the day it was made.

Can I freeze strawberries and cream cake?

You can freeze the unassembled sponge cake layers with excellent results. Wrap each cooled layer individually in two layers of plastic wrap, place them in a zip-lock freezer bag, and freeze for up to two months. When you are ready to use them, transfer the wrapped layers to the refrigerator the night before to thaw slowly and evenly. Do not try to freeze the fully assembled cake — the whipped cream filling and fresh strawberries do not survive freezing well at all. The cream becomes grainy and watery after thawing, and the strawberries turn soft and mushy. Always freeze components separately and assemble fresh.

Can I use frozen strawberries instead of fresh?

For the inside layers and especially for the decoration on top, fresh strawberries are really the only good option. Frozen strawberries release a lot of water when they thaw and become mushy and soft, which would make the inside of your cake soggy and the top decoration look sad and unappetizing. However, frozen strawberries are excellent for making the optional strawberry jam or puree that you brush onto the cake layers for extra flavor. Simply cook frozen strawberries in a small saucepan with a tablespoon of sugar over medium heat until they break down and thicken into a jam-like consistency, then cool completely before using.

What is the difference between strawberries and cream cake and strawberry shortcake?

These two desserts are closely related and are often confused, but they are slightly different things. Strawberries and cream cake generally refers to any cake — whether that is a white butter cake, a chiffon cake, or a sponge cake — that is layered or filled with whipped cream and fresh strawberries. Strawberry shortcake, on the other hand, traditionally refers to a specific British dessert made with a buttery, flaky biscuit or a lightly sweetened sponge, topped with macerated strawberries and freshly whipped cream. In the United States, strawberry shortcake has evolved into many different forms, including versions that look very much like a layered cream cake. The terms are often used interchangeably in modern recipes, but if you want to be precise, the main distinction is in the base: shortcake uses a biscuit or scone-style base, while cream cake uses a traditional baked sponge.

Can I make this cake without a stand mixer?

Absolutely, yes. A hand electric mixer works just as well for every single step of this recipe. The creaming, the whipping, the frosting — all of it can be done with a hand mixer and a large bowl. The one thing to note is that hand mixers can take slightly longer than a stand mixer to reach the same level of aeration, so give yourself an extra minute or two during the butter and sugar creaming stage to make sure it is truly light and fluffy. If you do not own any kind of electric mixer at all, you can technically cream butter and sugar by hand with a wooden spoon and a lot of elbow grease, and the whipped cream can be made by whisking vigorously in a cold bowl — but an electric hand mixer is a very worthwhile investment if you plan to bake regularly.

How do I get clean, even slices when cutting the cake?

The secret to clean, beautiful slices is a sharp, long knife and warm water. Before cutting, dip your knife blade in a tall glass of hot water and wipe it dry with a clean towel. Then make your cut in one smooth, confident downward motion rather than sawing back and forth. After each slice, wipe the blade clean with a damp cloth and dip it in the hot water again before the next cut. This melts through the frosting and cream cleanly without dragging it. If your cake has been in the refrigerator, let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before slicing — the cream softens slightly and the sponge becomes easier to cut through without crumbling.

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