Strawberry Lemonade Cake That’s the Best Summer Treat

Looking for the ultimate summertime cake? Try out this Strawberry Lemonade Cake that’s beyond perfect for summer!  

When I think of strawberry lemonade, I think of a hot summer day and chilling by the pool! 

I think this strawberry lemonade cake perfectly describes a fantastic summer! 

This Strawberry Lemonade Cake is made with sweet strawberry cake layers, tart lemon buttercream, and creamy strawberry buttercream that’s topped with rock candy! 

The strawberry cake layers are made from scratch and taste just like fresh summer strawberries. But the best part is that you can use fresh or frozen strawberries that make this cake recipe perfect to make all year round. 

The cake design is made with lemon and strawberry buttercream that’s an ombre design with raw edges. 

The cake is topped with clear rock candy, lemon slices, strawberries, and a paper straw to finish the illusion of strawberry lemonade! 

Tips for success: 

• Read through all the ingredients and instructions so you can get a better idea of how much time and what you need to make this cake.
• A single batch of this cake recipe makes three to four 6-inch round cake layers or three 8-inch round cake layers. Make sure to fill each cake pan ⅔ of the way for best results. 
• You need 1/2 cup buttermilk; if you don’t have any buttermilk on hand, you can easily use ½ cup whole milk mixed with 1 ½ teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar to make your own. 
• To make cake flour at home, mix 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour and ¼ cup cornstarch. Sift or whisk together to get rid of any lumps. 
• Be careful not to overmix this cake batter, or else the cake will come out dense. Mix until all ingredients are well incorporated.
• You can bake the cake layers ahead of time. Wrap the cake layers in plastic wrap and freeze for up to one month. 
• You can make the buttercream a day ahead and refrigerate them overnight. Then take them out to come back to room temperature. 
• Ensure the buttercream is at room temperature before re-whipping; if needed, add 1 Tablespoon of heavy cream to make buttercream smooth. 
• Serve at room temperature and use a hot knife to get clean cake slices!

What Tools You May Need:

• 5-quart, Stand Mixer with mixing bowl & paddle attachment
• 3-4, 6-inch cake pans or 2-3, 8-inch cake pans
• Offset spatula 
• 8-inch or 10-inch white cake board 
• Serrated knife or cake leveler 
• Turntable 
• Cake scraper or bench scraper
• Whisk or sifter
• Rubber Spatula
• Non-Stick Cooking Spray and Parchment Paper
• Ice Cream Scooper with Trigger Release (for dividing cake batter evenly)
• Piping Bags (I use reusable silicone bags)
• Baking sheet pan, half sheet
• Mixing bowls
• Measuring cups and measuring spoons 
• Cake Stand, optional
• Paper Straw
• Freeze Dried Strawberry Powder 
• Clear rock candy 

Here’s how to make this Strawberry Lemonade Cake!

Let’s Get Baking! 

How to Make Strawberry Cake Layers

1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Spray three 6-inch round cake pans with non-stick spray, line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper, and spray again. Set aside.
2. In a food processor, pulse fresh or frozen strawberries for 1 minute until cut into small pieces. Then add strawberry jam and buttermilk, pulse until combined. Set aside. 
3. In a medium-size bowl, whisk and stir together the cake four, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. 
4. In the stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, oil, and sugar on medium-high for 5 minutes.
5. Add the eggs, one at a time to the stand mixer bowl and beat on medium until well incorporated.
6. Turn the mixer on low, add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and add buttermilk. Add in the remaining flour mixture and until fully incorporated. 
7. Pour in the strawberry mixture, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and zest. Mix on medium for another 30 seconds and add 1-2 drops of super red gel food coloring. Mix until combined, then scrape down the sides of the bowl. 
8. Evenly distribute the cake batter among the three or four cake pans and bake for about 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
9. Remove cakes from the oven and let cool in pans for 10 minutes before inverting onto cooling racks to cool completely — wrap cakes in plastic wrap and place in the freezer to chill for at least 30 minutes. 

Lemon Gel 

1. In a small saucepot, whisk together lemon juice and cornstarch. Place the pot over medium heat for 2-5 minutes to bring to a boil, stir with a rubber spatula constantly to prevent it from burning on the bottom. 
2. Add lemon zest to the mixture. The lemon should be opaque and thick. Once thick, remove from the heat and place into the freezer to cool quickly. 

How to Make Tart Lemon Buttercream 

1. In the stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
2. Turn the mixer to low and add the cold lemon gel, salt, and vanilla. 
3. Next, gradually add powdered sugar, followed by the heavy cream. Mix on medium-high speed for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. 
4. Place ⅔ cup buttercream into a piping bag fitted with #844-star tip. 
5. Before using, turn the mixer on low and mix for 2 minutes to push out any air bubbles, or use a rubber spatula to push out the air bubbles. (You may need to repeat this step when frosting the outside of the cake). 

How to Make Creamy Strawberry Buttercream 

1. In the stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
2. Turn the mixer to low and add the salt, vanilla, and freeze-dried strawberry powder. 
3. Next, gradually add powdered sugar, followed by the cream. Mix on medium-high speed for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. 
4. Before decorating, turn the mixer on low and mix for 2 minutes to push out any air bubbles, or use a rubber spatula to push out the air bubbles. (You may need to repeat this step when frosting the outside of the cake). 

Putting It All Together

1. Remove the cake layers from the freezer and unwrap the cake layers. Next, use a serrated knife to cut off the dome of the cakes to make the layers flat and even. 
2. Add a small amount of buttercream onto the center of the cake board. Layer one strawberry cake, cut side up onto the cake board. Add a 2/3 cup of lemon buttercream over the cake using an offset spatula to spread buttercream and make it even. 
3. Place another cake layer cut side down over the top. 
4. Repeat the process for another two layers — Crumb coat with lemon buttercream and freeze for 30 minutes. 
5. Add a thicker layer of lemon buttercream to the cold cake. Use an offset spatula and cake scraper to make the sides as smooth as possible – freeze for 10-15 minutes. 
6. In a medium bowl, mix ½ cup lemon buttercream and ½ cup strawberry buttercream. Mix until you have a light pink buttercream. 
7. On the cold cake, add the light pink buttercream to the sides. Frost ⅔ of the way up the cake. The more imperfect the edge, the better. 
8. Use the cake scraper to smooth the light pink buttercream. Leave the top edge rough. Place the cake in the freezer to chill for 10 minutes to set the buttercream. 
9. After the cake has chilled, add the strawberry buttercream on top of the light pink buttercream about halfway up the sides of the cake. 
10. Use the cake scraper to make the strawberry buttercream smooth. Leave the edges rough for the best results. 
11. Place clear rock candy on top of the cake. Insert a paper straw, add a lemon slice and half of a strawberry. 
12. Serve the cake at room temperature and enjoy! 

You May Also Enjoy: 

• Rainbow Drip Cake (recipe)
• Build Cakes Like a Pro(free guide)
• Cake Decorating for Beginners (masterclass)  

I’m so excited to see your Strawberry Lemonade Cake creations. Please feel free to email me here at xokatierosario@gmail.com with any questions you may have; I’ll be happy to help! 

Happy Decorating! 

Hey, if you liked this tutorial, you really should check out Cake Decorating for Beginners, my signature masterclass. I coach you on everything I teach on these cake tutorials on a deeper level so that you can uplevel your baking and decorating skills. We 10x it to get the results you want most impressive cakes that your friends and family will love. Like any new skill, it’s essential to learn from the ground up to build a foundation so that you can take on any cake challenge. It is an investment your future self will thank you for. Check it out at XOKatieRosario.com/cake-masterclass. I will see you there! 

Watch The How-to Video Below: 

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