Vanilla Cake with Strawberry Frosting

This vanilla cake is perfectly moist with a soft cake crumb and a delicious vanilla flavor that's not too sweet. It's topped with strawberry frosting that's super creamy and made with real berries for a strawberry flavor that truly tastes like fresh berries. This recipe will feed a crowd and is perfect for strawberry season - although the frosting can be made with frozen berries too.

Prep Time1

Cook Time35

Cooling2

Total Time3 35

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Vanilla Cake with Strawberry Buttercream, Vanilla Cake with Strawberry Frosting

Servings: slices

Author: Fiona Dowling

Equipment

9x13 inch (23 x 33 cm) baking pan*

Ingredients

Vanilla Cake

2¾ cup all-purpose flour (343 grams) measured properly
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup unsalted butter (168 grams) softened but not starting to melt
1½ cup granulated sugar (300 grams)
¼ cup vegetable oil (60 ml) or canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs room temperature
1 cup whole milk (240 ml) room temperature
⅓ cup sour cream (80 ml) room temperature

Strawberry Frosting

1 cup sliced strawberries fresh or frozen
1 cup unsalted butter (226 grams) slightly softened but still slightly cool to the touch
3-4 cups powdered sugar (330-440 grams) AKA soft icing sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1-2 tablespoons whipping cream (15-30 ml) if needed

Instructions

Vanilla Cake

Preheat the oven to 350℉ (180℃). Lightly grease and flour a 9x13 inch (23x33 cm) metal cake pan.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk for about 20 seconds. Set aside.
In a separate large bowl, beat together the butter and granulated sugar until creamed - about 2-4 minutes. It should look fluffy and have lightened in color.
Beat the oil and vanilla extract into the butter mixture. Then mix the eggs into the butter mixture 1 at a time. Between adding each egg, turn the mixer off and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Mix the sour cream into the butter mixture.
With the mixer on a low speed, beat the dry ingredients and milk into the butter mixture - alternating between additions. Start by beating ⅓ of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, then mix in ½ of the milk. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Repeat the process until all of the flour mixture and all of the milk is incorporated. I like to do the last few additions by hand using a wire whisk to avoid overmixing. Stop mixing as soon as there are no more lumps.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the middle of the preheated oven for about 32-37 minutes, or until the top is slightly springy to the touch and an inserted toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. The cake should be starting to pull away from the sides of the pan.
Cool the cake in the pan.

Strawberry Frosting

Place the sliced strawberries in a food processor or blender until pulse until smooth.
Pour the puree through a metal sifter to remove the seeds. You will likely need to use the back of a spoon or rubber spatula to push the puree through the sifter.
Transfer the puree (seeds removed) to a small-medium saucepan over low-medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil while constantly stirring. Keep stirring as the puree thickens and darkens in color. When the puree is thick - almost like jam - and about ¼ to ⅓ of the original volume, remove from the heat. You should have about ¼ cup. Remove from the heat and cool fully. You can speed up this process by transferring to a heat proof bowl and then placing in the fridge.
In a large bowl, beat the butter until fluffy. Add in 3 cups sifted powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons of the fully cooled reduced strawberry puree and salt. Beat together, starting with the mixer on a low speed. Once combined, beat in a bit more powdered sugar (about ⅓ cup at a time) or a little more reduced strawberry puree until the desired sweetness and thickness is reached. If the frosting still seems too thick, beat in a little whipping cream - 1 tablespoon at a time.
Frost the fully cooled vanilla cake, using a flat edge offset spatula or the back of a large spoon.

Notes

Flour: Always whisk first, then spoon into dry measuring cups and level off the top. For the most accurate measuring - use a kitchen scale. 1 cup flour weighs 4 1/4 ounces or 125 grams.
Room Temperature Ingredients: The butter, eggs, milk and sour cream must be at room temperature before getting started. Take them out of the fridge at least 30 minutes prior to when you plan to make the cake.
Milk: Instead of whole milk, you can use 2% milk. However, whole milk will give the best results. Do not use skim milk, as it does not have enough fat to produce a tender cake.
Strawberries: Fresh or frozen work. If using frozen, I recommend thawing the berries first to make the process easier.
Storage: Unfrosted cake can be covered and stored at room temperature for up to 48 hours. Frosted cake can be stored covered at room temperature for up to 8 hours, or in the fridge for up to 4 days (fresh cake is always best). If the cake has been in the fridge, let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before enjoying. This ensures that the cake isn't cold and dense.
Nutrition: Details provided are an estimate only based on 1 slice of cake with frosting, assuming the cake yields 15 uniform slices and all the frosting is used. You can easily get 18 smaller slices with this recipe.

Nutrition