May be an image of gelato

Celebrate summer birthdays — Fluffy Strawberry Layer Cake with Creamy Strawberry Frosting

Bright, lightly sweet, and smelling like sunshine — this strawberry cake is exactly what summer birthday parties were invented for. The crumb is cloud-soft, the strawberry flavor comes from both fresh berries and a concentrated puree, and the frosting is silky with a true berry tang (not just pink sugar). Below is a unique, detailed recipe plus tips, troubleshooting, and decoration ideas so your party centerpiece tastes as good as it looks.

Overview

Yield: One 3-layer 8-inch (20 cm) cake, serves 10–12
Prep time: 40 minutes (plus chilling/soaking)
Bake time: 20–25 minutes per layer
Total time: ~2.5–3 hours (includes cooling and chilling)

Ingredients

For the cake (three 8-inch layers)

300 g (2½ cups) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
300 g (1½ cups) granulated sugar
9 g (2 tsp) baking powder
¼ tsp fine salt
170 g (¾ cup) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
240 ml (1 cup) whole milk, room temperature
120 ml (½ cup) plain yogurt or sour cream, room temperature
3 large eggs, room temperature
60 ml (¼ cup) neutral oil (vegetable or canola)
2 tsp vanilla extract
180 g (1 heaping cup) fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped (for puree)
Pink food coloring (optional — a few drops)

For the concentrated strawberry flavor (folded into batter)

150 g (about 1 cup) fresh strawberries, hulled
2 tbsp granulated sugar

For the creamy strawberry frosting (stabilized whipped strawberry buttercream)

225 g (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature (soft, but not melting)
400–500 g (about 3½–4 cups) powdered sugar, sifted (adjust for sweetness/texture)
120–150 g (½–⅔ cup) fresh strawberry purée (recipe below)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1–2 tbsp heavy cream or milk (only if needed to loosen)
1 tbsp instant clear gelatin or 1 tsp unflavored gelatin (optional, if you want extra stability for hot-weather parties)

For the fresh strawberry purée (used in batter and frosting)

Take the 180 g + 150 g above as two separate batches, or make a single batch and reserve amounts below:
- Puree 330 g fresh strawberries with 2–3 tbsp sugar in a blender until smooth. Strain if you want a silkier texture. For the cake batter use 120–150 ml (¼–⅓ cup) of this concentrate (cook down if too watery). For the frosting use 120–150 g. If the puree is loose, simmer it in a small saucepan for 5–8 minutes until reduced slightly to intensify flavor — cool completely before adding to buttercream.

Equipment

Three 8-inch round cake pans (or bake twice if you have 2 pans)
Parchment paper rounds + nonstick spray or butter
Electric mixer (stand or hand)
Small saucepan (for reducing purée if desired)
Offset spatula and bench scraper for frosting finish
Cooling racks

Prep & Important Notes (read before you start)

Room temperature ingredients: Eggs, milk, yogurt, and butter should be at room temperature. This helps the batter emulsify and gives the lightest crumb.
Strawberry purity: Fresh strawberries give the best flavor. If strawberries are very juicy, reduce the purée on the stove to avoid soggy batter. A concentrated purée gives bright flavor without thinning the cake.
Pans: Grease pans, line bottoms with parchment, and grease again for easy release.
Make-ahead: Cake layers and frosting can be made a day ahead. Wrap cooled layers tightly and refrigerate; take out 1 hour before assembly to soften slightly. Frosting should be chilled slightly if very warm.

Step-by-step Method

1. Make the strawberry purée (if not already prepared)

Place berries and sugar in a blender; blend until smooth.
Pour into a small saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced by about one-quarter and slightly thickened (about 6–8 minutes). This step intensifies flavor and removes excess water. Cool completely before use. Measure out 120–150 ml for the batter and 120–150 g for the frosting.

2. Preheat & prep pans

Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F).
Grease three 8-inch pans, line bottoms with parchment, and lightly flour or spray.

3. Dry mix

In a large bowl, whisk together flour (300 g), sugar (300 g), baking powder (2 tsp), and salt (¼ tsp) until evenly combined.

4. Wet mix

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs (3), melted butter (170 g), oil (60 ml), milk (240 ml), yogurt (120 ml), and vanilla (2 tsp) until smooth.

5. Combine and add strawberry

Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet mixture. Using a spatula or mixer on low speed, fold until just combined — avoid overmixing.
Add 120–150 ml of the cooled strawberry purée. If the batter becomes too loose, add 1–2 tbsp more flour; the final batter should be thick but pourable, ribboning off the spatula. (If you want a pinker cake, add 2–3 drops of pink food coloring.)

6. Bake

Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans (use a scale for exactness if possible).
Bake at 175°C (350°F) for 20–25 minutes, or until the tops are springy and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter). Rotate pans halfway through if your oven runs hot on one side.