Strawberry Velvet Cake (Printable)
A luscious, moist cake with delicate crumb, fresh strawberry purée layers, and creamy cream cheese frosting.
# What You Need:
→ For the Strawberry Velvet Cake
01 - 2 1/2 cups cake flour
02 - 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
03 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
04 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil
05 - 3 large eggs, at room temperature
06 - 1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
07 - 1/2 cup fresh strawberry purée
08 - 2 tsp vanilla extract
09 - 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
10 - 1/2 tsp baking soda
11 - 1/2 tsp salt
12 - 2-3 drops red or pink gel food coloring
→ For the Strawberry Purée
13 - 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped
14 - 1 tbsp granulated sugar
→ For the Cream Cheese Frosting
15 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
16 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
17 - 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
18 - 2 tsp vanilla extract
19 - 1/4 cup strawberry purée
→ For Decoration
20 - Fresh strawberries, halved or sliced
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - Blend strawberries and sugar in a blender or food processor until smooth. Reserve 1/2 cup for the cake and 1/4 cup for the frosting.
03 - In a medium bowl, sift together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
04 - In a large bowl, beat butter, oil, and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
05 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
06 - Mix in the strawberry purée and food coloring, if using.
07 - Alternately add the dry ingredients and buttermilk to the wet mixture, starting and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined; do not overmix.
08 - Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Smooth the tops. Bake for 28-32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
09 - Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until fluffy. Mix in vanilla and strawberry purée until well combined.
10 - Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread a layer of frosting on top. Add the second cake layer and coat the top and sides with the remaining frosting.
11 - Decorate with fresh strawberries. Chill for 30 minutes before slicing for clean layers.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The cake stays incredibly moist for days thanks to the oil in the batter
- Fresh strawberry purée gives authentic berry flavor instead of artificial taste
- The texture is somewhere between velvet and sponge, light enough for spring but rich enough for celebrations
02 -
- Overmixing after adding flour is the number one mistake that makes velvet cake tough instead of tender
- The gel food coloring is optional but that pink hue somehow makes the cake taste more strawberry forward
- Room temperature ingredients are not optional here, cold ingredients will cause the batter to separate
03 -
- Wrap cake pans with damp cake strips for perfectly flat layers
- Add a tablespoon of corn syrup to your frosting for extra shine