Strawberry Lemonade Layer Cake

If you’ve been following this blog long enough, then you already know I have never tackled a layer cake. Well, that changed recently. I came across this recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod and decided to try it out. While I did change a few things here and there to put my own personal twist on the recipe, for the most part it stayed the same. And can I just say that layer cakes are not nearly as intimidating as I once thought they were?!

• Cake Ingredients:
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp.
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest (you will love how this makes the cakes smell later on)
• 2 1/2 cups AP flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 whole eggs
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup buttermilk (one of the few times I actually bought a milk for a recipe, rather than using cashew or almond milk)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and spray two 9-inch round baking pans with baking spray (I recommend Pam baking spray since it already includes flour).
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fixed with the whisk attachment, beat the butter, sugar, and lemon zest until light and fluffy (have the mixer set to medium speed for this).
3. In a separate mixing bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
4. With the mixer reduced to low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, combining thoroughly in-between. With the mixer still running, add the lemon juice (this will make the batter look nasty and curdled but trust me when I say it is NOT curdled).
5. Add one third of the dry ingredients and 1/2 cup of the buttermilk. Mix then stop and scrape the sides of the bowl. Repeat, adding another third of the dry ingredients followed by the remaining 1/2 cup of the buttermilk. Mix and stop and scrape again. Add the remaining third of the dry ingredients and mix until completely combined and the batter is light and fluffy.
6. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Bake the cakes for 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester (or toothpick) comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely before removing from the pans.

This is what the cakes should resemble fresh out of the oven.

• Frosting Ingredients:
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 5 cups powdered sugar (I might reduce this to 4 cups next time)
• 2 tablespoons whole milk (again, another milk I bought just for this recipe)
• 2-4 large strawberries, chopped
• 8-10 large strawberries, hulled and sliced

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fixed with the whisk attachment, combine the butter and powdered sugar. Mix together on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the milk and chopped strawberries and mix on high speed until the frosting is VERY fluffy and pale pink in color. You should also see flecks of strawberry in the frosting.
2. Invert one of the cake rounds onto a cake plate and generously spread with frosting and top with strawberry slices. Repeat with the remaining layer of cake and frosting. Frost the sides of the cake and feel free to make a pretty decoration using the remaining strawberries on the top of the cake. Allow the frosted cake to set in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Serve at room temperature and enjoy!

This is what your “layer” should look like before placing the other cake on top.

Perfecto.

The part I was waiting to see, the layer! So proud of how this came out!

As I mentioned earlier, this layer cake was much easier than I ever expected it to be. I’m proud of the results and everyone seemed to love it! The cake itself tastes like freshly squeezed lemonade, while the taste of the strawberries really brings the whole thing together. This is definitely a great summer cake since it’s light (even with what appears to be a heavy frosting). So if you, too, are intimidated by layer cakes: don’t be!