Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)

Yield: 12–14 servings (three 8-inch layers)
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours

Quick Ingredients

3 cups (360 g) cake flour
1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
1 tbsp (12 g) baking powder, 1 tsp fine salt
12 tbsp (170 g) unsalted butter, room temp + 1/3 cup (70 g) neutral oil
1 1/2 cups (360 ml) buttermilk, room temp
6 large egg whites (180 g), room temp
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 lb (680 g) strawberries for filling + 3/4 lb (340 g) for topping
1/3 cup (65 g) sugar, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp (8 g) cornstarch
Frosting (choose one): Stabilized Whipped Cream—2 1/2 cups (600 ml) cold heavy cream, 8 oz (226 g) mascarpone, 3/4 cup (90 g) powdered sugar, 2 tsp vanilla; or Cream Cheese Whipped Frosting—8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, 1/2 cup (113 g) butter, 2 1/2 cups (300 g) powdered sugar, 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream, 2 tsp vanilla

Do This

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease, line, and flour three 8-inch round pans.
2. Macerate 1 1/2 lb diced strawberries with 1/3 cup sugar and 1 tbsp lemon juice for 20 minutes. Strain; thicken juices with 1 tbsp cornstarch over medium heat, then fold in berries and chill.
3. Whisk egg whites, buttermilk, and vanilla. In a mixer, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix in butter and oil to sandy crumbs.
4. Add half the liquid; beat 1 minute. Add remaining; beat 30 seconds. Divide batter among pans.
5. Bake 20–24 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes, then turn out and cool completely.
6. Make frosting (choose one). Fill layers with a frosting dam and half the strawberry filling per layer. Crumb coat, chill 20 minutes, frost smooth, and decorate with sliced strawberries.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Classic strawberry shortcake flavors in a show-stopping, sliceable layer cake.
Ultra-tender white cake layers with a fine, velvety crumb.
Fresh, juicy macerated strawberries for a bright, not-too-sweet filling.
Choose your favorite frosting: cloud-like stabilized whipped cream or tangy cream cheese.

Grocery List

Produce: Strawberries (about 2 1/4 lb / 1 kg total), 1 lemon
Dairy: Unsalted butter, buttermilk, heavy cream, mascarpone or cream cheese, eggs (for whites)
Pantry: Cake flour, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, baking powder, fine salt, neutral oil, cornstarch, vanilla extract, optional almond extract

Full Ingredients

Vanilla White Cake (Three 8-inch layers)

3 cups (360 g) cake flour
1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
1 tbsp (12 g) baking powder
1 tsp fine sea salt
12 tbsp (170 g) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into cubes
1/3 cup (70 g) neutral oil (canola or vegetable)
1 1/2 cups (360 ml) buttermilk, room temperature
6 large egg whites (180 g), room temperature
2 tsp (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
Optional: 1/2 tsp almond extract for bakery-style aroma

Macerated Strawberry Filling

1 1/2 lb (680 g) fresh strawberries, hulled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1/3 cup (65 g) granulated sugar
1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest (optional)
1 tbsp (8 g) cornstarch
Pinch of fine salt

Frosting Option A: Stabilized Whipped Cream (Mascarpone)

8 oz (226 g) cold mascarpone cheese
2 1/2 cups (600 ml) heavy cream, very cold
3/4 cup (90 g) powdered sugar
2 tsp (10 ml) vanilla extract
Pinch of fine salt

Frosting Option B: Cream Cheese Whipped Frosting

8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, cold but pliable
1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/2 cups (300 g) powdered sugar
1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream, cold
2 tsp (10 ml) vanilla extract
Pinch of fine salt

To Decorate

3/4 lb (340 g) fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced for the top and sides

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Prep pans, oven, and strawberries

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease three 8-inch round cake pans, line bottoms with parchment, then grease and lightly flour the parchment and sides. Hull and dice 1 1/2 lb (680 g) strawberries. In a bowl, combine berries, 1/3 cup sugar, lemon juice, and optional zest. Let macerate at room temperature for 20–30 minutes, stirring once.

Step 2: Thicken the strawberry juices for a fresh, stable filling

Strain the macerated berries through a fine sieve set over a small saucepan, catching all juices. You should have roughly 3/4 cup (180 ml) juice; if short, add a splash of water. Whisk cornstarch into 2 tablespoons of the cold juice to form a slurry, then whisk it back into the pan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the syrup turns clear, glossy, and thick, 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in a pinch of salt, then fold the thickened syrup back into the macerated berries. Chill until completely cold and softly set, at least 30 minutes.

Step 3: Mix the white cake batter (tender two-stage method)

In a large measuring cup, whisk together buttermilk, egg whites, vanilla (and almond extract if using). In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, combine cake flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix on low to combine. Add the softened butter and oil to the dry ingredients and mix on low until the mixture looks like damp sand with no large butter pieces, about 1–2 minutes. With the mixer on low, stream in half of the buttermilk-egg mixture, then increase to medium and beat for 1 minute to build structure. Scrape the bowl. Add the remaining liquid and beat on medium for 30 seconds more until smooth and satiny.

Step 4: Bake the layers

Divide batter evenly among the three pans (about 500–520 g batter per pan). Smooth tops. Bake 20–24 minutes, rotating pans after 15 minutes, until the centers spring back lightly and a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Do not overbake.

Step 5: Cool, release, and level

Cool in pans on a rack for 10 minutes, then run a thin knife around edges and invert onto racks. Peel off parchment and cool completely, about 45–60 minutes. For neat stacking, level domes with a serrated knife. For easiest frosting, wrap layers and chill or freeze for 15–20 minutes.

Step 6: Make your frosting (choose one)

Option A: Stabilized Whipped Cream. In a chilled bowl, beat mascarpone, powdered sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt on low until smooth (15–30 seconds). With mixer on medium-low, stream in cold heavy cream. Increase to medium-high and whip to medium-firm peaks, 1–2 minutes. Stop as soon as it holds swoops; do not overwhip.

Option B: Cream Cheese Whipped Frosting. Beat cream cheese and butter on medium until smooth, 1 minute. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt; beat on low to combine, then medium until fluffy, 1–2 minutes. Stream in cold heavy cream and whip until light and spreadable, about 30–60 seconds.

Step 7: Fill and stack with a clean strawberry layer

Place the first cake layer on a board. Pipe or spread a 1/2-inch tall ring of frosting around the edge to create a dam. Spoon in half of the chilled strawberry filling and spread it level, keeping it inside the dam. Top with the second layer and repeat with a frosting dam and the remaining filling. Place the final layer on top, bottom-side up for a flat surface. Apply a thin crumb coat of frosting over the entire cake and chill 20–30 minutes.

Step 8: Frost, decorate, and serve

Apply the final coat of frosting, smoothing sides and adding soft swoops on top. Hull and slice the remaining strawberries; blot with paper towels so they do not weep. Arrange slices in concentric circles on top, and press a few along the base if desired. For extra sheen, lightly brush berries with a bit of leftover strawberry syrup. Chill at least 30 minutes to set. Serve slightly chilled; slice with a hot, dry knife for clean layers.

Pro Tips

Weigh ingredients for consistent results and ultra-fine crumb.
Room-temperature buttermilk and egg whites help the batter emulsify smoothly.
Always pipe a frosting dam so the juicy filling stays put between layers.
Chill the cake after the crumb coat; cold layers are easier to finish smoothly.
Blot strawberry slices before decorating to prevent beads of moisture on the frosting.

Variations

Lemon-Shortcake Cake: Add 1 tbsp lemon zest to the batter and 1–2 tsp lemon zest to the frosting. Brush layers with a touch of lemon syrup before filling.
Berry Medley: Replace half the strawberries in the filling with raspberries and blueberries; strain well and thicken juices as directed.
Sheet Cake: Bake in a 9×13-inch pan at 325°F (163°C) for 35–40 minutes. Cool, then top with whipped cream and strawberries.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Cake layers can be baked, cooled, wrapped tightly, and refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen up to 2 months. Strawberry filling keeps refrigerated up to 2 days. Frosted cake with whipped cream should be refrigerated and is best within 24 hours; with cream cheese frosting, it keeps 2–3 days refrigerated. For best texture, remove from the fridge 15–20 minutes before serving. Leftover slices keep 2–3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approximate for 14 servings using whipped cream frosting: 630 calories; 35 g fat; 70 g carbohydrates; 4 g fiber; 50 g sugars; 6 g protein; 220 mg sodium.

Strawberry Shortcake Layer Cake