REAL Strawberry Cake! The perfect summer dessert
While we’ve been know to use a package of our favorite jello mix here and there – they add great flavor, color and usually a nice, thick texture – there’s something really refreshing about going back to basics and making a cake from scratch. Specifically, a lovely, summer strawberry cake. This one bakes in a 9×13 pan, with lots of fresh strawberries tucked into both the cake batter and the frosting. Nothing fake to be found here, just real flavor (and color) from real fruit! We love this and you will too, promise.
To get a light and fluffy cake that’s satisfying to bite into, without being heavy, we used cake flour, baking powder and baking soda. The leaveners give this cake great lift, the Greek yogurt keeps things moist, and the strawberries and lemon juice keep things feeling extra fresh. Win-win-win. We wanted the pink from the strawberries to really shine through, so we just used egg whites instead of whole eggs, to keep the yolks from coloring the batter; we added in a little extra butter to make up for the missing yolks.
INGREDIENTS
Cake:
2 1/2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 egg whites, room temperature
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup whole milk
1 cup strawberries, chopped or diced
Frosting:
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2/3 cup strawberries, diced
PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 350º F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish or a jelly roll baking sheet.
In a medium bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl or mixer, cream together butter and sugar for 3-4 minutes, or until fluffy and lightened in color.
Beat in egg whites, Greek yogurt and vanilla extract, then gradually mix in dry ingredients and milk, being careful not to over-mix.
Fold in diced strawberries, then transfer batter (it will be thick) to 9×13 or baking sheet.
Place in oven and bake for 30-40 minutes (if using 9×13) or 12-16 minutes (if using baking sheet), or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let cool completely.
While cake bakes, start frosting by beating cream cheese and butter in a large bowl or mixer for 2-3 minutes, or until fluffy.
Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, until fully incorporated, then slowly mix in lemon juice.
Once combined, mix in fresh, diced strawberries until thoroughly incorporated.
Once cake has fully cooled, spread frosting on in a nice, even layer, then slice, serve and enjoy!