Strawberry Lemon Cake

Here is a fresh recipe perfect for Springtime with bright fruit flavors. My Strawberry Lemon Cake recipe is a soft fluffy sheet cake with fresh lemon zest and homemade strawberry compote baked right in, topped with a smooth vanilla strawberry cream cheese frosting. I swirl more strawberry compote on top. This cake is just bursting with flavor and easy to make since it is a sheet cake so there is no layering involved. If you love this idea, you will also love my Lemon Raspberry Sheet Cake and my Lemon Raspberry Layer Cake.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

• Soft and fluffy strawberry cake - this recipe makes a fluffy cake with a bouncy crumb texture.
• Fragrant lemon cake - lemon zest adds a lot of flavor to this cake and pairs really well with strawberry.
• Homemade strawberry compote - the compote is really easy to make and it is SO good! You can use this to make ice cream sundaes too! I use the strawberry compote in the cake batter and also in the frosting.
• Cream cheese frosting - this is one of my favorite ways to make frosting. There is NO butter! It's just a combination of cream cheese and whipping cream and it's like a more flavorful, thicker whipped cream. It is luscious!
• Easy to make - this is almost a one bowl recipe. All you need is a whisk and two bowls to make this recipe. It is so super simple!

INGREDIENTS FOR STRAWBERRY LEMON CAKE

• All purpose flour - unbleached all-purpose flour works great for fluffy spongy cake. You could use cake flour, but if you use bleached flour (a lot of cake flour is bleached) then it tends to absorb more water and might give the cake a drier texture.
• Unsalted butter - this recipe uses a combination of butter and oil. Butter adds incredible flavor and I highly recommend that you follow this method for the best results! You can use unsalted or salted butter - it won't make much of a difference here.
• Oil - liquid oil will keep this cake soft and helps with movement of leavening gases through the batter for a nice even rise to create a flat cake. I recommend sunflower for the cleanest taste, but you can use any neutral cooking oil.

• Granulated sugar - simple granulated sugar keeps this cake moist and doesn't interfere with the strawberry and lemon flavor.
• Eggs - two large eggs will add nice structure and help with the moist spongy texture.
• Pure vanilla extract - vanilla will elevate and complement the lemon and strawberry taste. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
• Yogurt - use full fat plain yogurt to add tanginess to this recipe and complement the fruity notes.

• Strawberries- you can use fresh or frozen strawberries in this recipe since it is used to make the compote only and not mixed into the batter directly.
• Lemon zest - the zest from one lemon is enough to give this cake a nice citrus note. If you like more lemon, just use more! You can use up to a tablespoon of lemon zest.
• Milk - any type of milk will do. I prefer whole milk for baking.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

• STEP 1). Infuse the sugar. Add sugar to a large bowl with the lemon zest and rub it together with your fingers or using the back of a large spoon until the sugar is fragrant and takes on a hint of yellow. This helps to release more essential oils from the zest.
• STEP 2). Combine dry ingredients. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into the bowl with the lemony sugar and whisk it to blend evenly.
• STEP 3). Combine wet ingredients. Whisk together eggs, melted butter, oil, yogurt, vanilla, strawberry compote and milk in a medium bowl.

• STEP 4). Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the liquid mixture. Fold gently to combine the ingredients until mostly combined, but a few streaks of flour still remain (i.e. before completely combined).
• STEP 5). Swirl. Take teaspoons of the remaining strawberry compote and dollop it randomly over the batter. Then, swirl it into the batter.
• STEP 6). Bake. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan and bake until evenly golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out with clean. It should spring back when you press it gently. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to the rack to finish cooling.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS FOR STRAWBERRY LEMON CAKE

• Infuse the sugar with lemon flavor. To get the most out of your lemons, rub the sugar with the lemon zest first before mixing with the liquid ingredients. The friction will release the essential oils in the yellow zest and they will coat sugar crystals to carry all of that wonderful flavor through the batter!
• Use room temperature ingredients. Since this is a simple dump and mix (almost one bowl) method, there is minimal mixing steps involved so it is important to have all ingredients at the same temperature (not cold!) in order to help them blend evenly together.
• Sift the dry ingredients. This is optional, but it will minimize the amount of mixing needed to combine the ingredients evenly so that you do not over-mix the batter.
• Do not over-mix the batter. Once the flour is combined then the batter is ready for baking. You can use a whisk and mix by hand if you are concerned about over-mixing.

RECIPE FAQ

Can I make this strawberry lemon cake with all melted butter?

I highly recommend using a blend of oil and butter for this recipe because the oil will blend easier into the batter for a more even rise and a softer texture.

Can I make strawberry lemon cake with all oil?

If you make this recipe using ½ cup total oil, the cake will be very soft but the flavor will be a bit more bland.

What makes cake moist?

Cake will be moist if you do not add too much flour and you bake it until it is just done (ex. not over-baked). The right amount of sugar is also important for this cake recipe since it is a one-bowl method and sugar will help interfere with gluten formation as you are mixing in the flour.

Why is my cake not fluffy?

If your cake turns out dense, then it could be a couple of things: you over-mixed the batter, or your raising agents are not active. Make sure to use fresh baking powder and baking soda. Also, be very gentle with mixing and stop once the flour is just incorporated.

What causes cake to be dry and dense?

Too much flour and not enough sugar is the main reason why cake can turn out dry and dense. It is important to have the right proportions of liquid to dry ingredients in a one bowl cake recipe.

What can I use as a substitute for yogurt?

I really recommend using plain yogurt for this recipe (2-5% fat) because it gives the perfect amount of fat and acidity, however you can make this cake with Greek yogurt or sour cream. The texture will just be slightly firmer from the higher protein content.

Can I use fresh or frozen strawberries?

You can use either! Since the berries are getting cooked down into a compote, it doesn't matter too much. You will be boiling off the excess moisture.

Can I make this in a round cake pan?

Yes, you can make this in two 8-inch round pans to make a layer cake and reduce the bake time by 3-5 minutes. The layers will be about 1-inch thick. Or, you can make this in one 9-inch round pan and add another 5-10 minutes to the bake time.

If you love cake and fruit, check out these recipes!

Video

Strawberry Lemon Cake

Christina Marsigliese

Soft and fluffy strawberry lemon cake with silky cream cheese frosting and homemade strawberry compote. This is the perfect Springtime cake!

4.91 from 10 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Servings 12 servings

Ingredients

  

Strawberry compote:

• 2 cups 260g fresh or frozen strawberries, quartered
• ¼ cup 50g granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon 5ml lemon juice

Cake:

• 1 ⅔ cups 235g all purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup plus 2 tbsp 225g granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest from about 2 lemons
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• ½ cup 120ml full fat plain yogurt
• 1 teaspoon 5ml pure vanilla extract
• ¼ cup 60ml sunflower oil
• ¼ cup 56g unsalted butter, melted
• ⅓ cup 80ml milk, room temperature
• ⅓ cup 80ml strawberry compote
• 3 drops red food colouring optional

Frosting:

• ¾ pkg 6 oz/170g cold cream cheese
• 3 tablespoon 40g granulated sugar, divided
• 1 cup 237ml cold heavy whipping cream
• 1-2 tablespoon 15-30ml strawberry compote
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

 

• First make the compote. Combine strawberries and sugar in a saucepan and place over medium heat. Once the strawberries begin to release their juices and bubble up, adjust heat to a simmer and add the lemon juice. Continue to cook at a simmer for 10-15 minutes until thick like jam, stirring every few minutes so it doesn't catch. Once it is thick enough, pour it out into a clean bowl and let it cool.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch pan with parchment paper.
• Rub sugar with lemon zest in a large bowl until it is fragrant and takes on a yellow tint. Sift in flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and whisk until very well evenly blended.
• Combine eggs, yogurt, vanilla, oil, melted butter, strawberry compote and milk in a medium bowl and whisk until completely smooth. Add food colouring if you choose to use it. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with dry ingredients and whisk by hand or us an electric hand mixer on low speed and beat just until combined and smooth. Do not over-mix the batter.
• Spread the batter into prepared pan and dollop remaining strawberry compote randomly on top. Swirl it in with a knife and bake for 22-25 minutes until lightly golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes before transferring the cake to the rack to cool completely.
• For the frosting, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add just 1 tablespoon of sugar and beat again to help break down the cheese and smooth it out. Add just 2-3 tablespoon of cream and beat until smooth again. Then gradually add a bit more cream and mix until completely smooth and lump-free. Continue to gradually beat in the cream and once smooth, whip until stiff peaks. Mix in sugar and vanilla, then fold in the strawberry compote. If it is too runny after you add 1 tablespoon of the strawberry compote, then you can stop there, but otherwise you can add the other tablespoon. Place the bowl in the fridge for 20 minutes. It will thicken up as it sits.
• Spread the frosting over the cooled cake and then swirl the remaining strawberry compote over top. Serve immediately and then store in the fridge in an airtight container.