Strawberry Velvet Cake (Print Version)

Moist, delicate cake layers with fresh strawberry purée and creamy cream cheese frosting. An elegant fruity dessert perfect for spring.

# What You'll Need:

→ 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, room temperature
06 - 1/2 cup buttermilk, 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

→ Strawberry Purée

13 - 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped
14 - 1 tbsp granulated sugar

→ 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

→ Decoration

20 - Fresh strawberries, halved or sliced

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line with parchment paper.
02 - Blend strawberries and sugar until smooth. Reserve 1/2 cup for cake batter and 1/4 cup for frosting.
03 - Sift cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
04 - Beat butter, oil, and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
05 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Mix in vanilla extract.
06 - Mix in strawberry purée and food coloring until evenly combined.
07 - Alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk, starting and ending with dry. Mix until just combined.
08 - Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake 28–32 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans, then remove to wire racks.
09 - Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until fluffy. Mix in vanilla and strawberry purée.
10 - Place one cake layer on plate, spread with frosting. Add second layer and frost top and sides. Decorate with fresh strawberries. Chill 30 minutes before slicing.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The texture is impossibly tender thanks to the cake flour and oil combination
  • Fresh strawberry purée gives genuine berry flavor instead of that fake candy taste
  • The cream cheese frosting strikes the perfect balance between tangy and sweet
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients are non negotiable here cold eggs or butter will seize up your batter and create dense pockets
  • Sifting your powdered sugar before adding to frosting prevents those stubborn tiny lumps that never seem to disappear
  • Chilling the frosted cake for 30 minutes before cutting gives you those clean restaurant style slices instead of messy crumbly ones
03 -
  • If your berries are not very sweet a teaspoon of strawberry extract can boost the flavor without making the cake taste artificial
  • Freeze your cake layers for 30 minutes before frosting to reduce crumbs and make the whole process much less frustrating

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