If you love fruit-forward desserts, you likely have a soft spot for a chiffon cake with fresh berries and whipped cream. Ultra-light and airy cake layers come together with fluffy whipped cream and juicy, sweet berries to make the absolutely delightful strawberry cream cake.
This show-stopping three-layer cake is a must-bake when fresh strawberries are in season. Serve slices of the beautiful chiffon cake for a spring dinner, or dress it up even more for a special party.
Ingredients for Strawberry Cream Cake
- Eggs: Eggs are a key part of this recipe, but note that the egg yolks and egg whites are separated and used individually. It’s easier to separate egg whites from yolks while the eggs are still cold, but once separated, they should sit at room temperature before incorporating them into the batter.
- Lemon: While this isn’t a lemon chiffon cake, a touch of lemon in the batter provides subtle flavor and helps to balance sweetness for a light, fresh-tasting cake.
- Oil: The fat in this recipe comes from canola oil, which enhances the flavor and helps to produce a moist crumb.
- Flour: Flour is necessary to provide structure for this cake, binding to all the other ingredients.
- Whipping cream: Heavy whipping cream is used to make homemade whipped cream, which is the base of the frosting on this cake.
- Confectioners’ sugar: Adding just a bit of confectioners’ sugar to whipped cream will not only bring a touch of sweetness to the mixture, but also help to thicken it, which makes it easier to frost the cake. It’s best to sift the confectioners’ sugar before adding it to the whipped cream.
- Vanilla: Just a touch of vanilla will balance out the flavor of the frosting, adding more depth and taming the sweetness of the confectioners’ sugar.
- Strawberries: These vibrant berries are the star of the show for this strawberry cream cake! You’ll want to use fresh strawberries for this cake—no frozen berries, please! Learn how to store strawberries properly in case you have any leftovers.
Directions
Step 1: Prep the eggs
Place the egg whites in a large bowl, and let them stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks until slightly thickened. Gradually add 3/4 cup sugar, beating until thick and lemon-colored.
Beat in the lemon juice, oil and water.
Combine the flour and salt, and add it to the yolk mixture.
Step 2: Beat the egg whites
Beat the egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add in the remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, while beating on high until stiff glossy peaks form.
Fold one-fourth of the egg whites into the batter, then fold in the remaining whites.
Step 3: Bake the cake
Gently spoon the cake batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Use a knife to cut through the batter to remove any air pockets. Bake the cake on the lowest oven rack for 35 to 40 minutes or until the cake springs back when lightly touched. Remove the cake from the oven, and immediately invert the pan. Let the cake cool completely, about one hour.
Step 4: Make the cream frosting
In a large bowl, beat the whipping cream until it begins to thicken.
Add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla, and beat until stiff peaks form.
Step 5: Assemble and decorate the cake
Run a knife around the sides and center tube of the pan, and remove the cake. Cut the cake evenly into three horizontal layers.
Place one layer on a serving plate, and top it with some of the whipped cream and sliced strawberries. Repeat. Top with the last cake layer, and spread the remaining whipped cream over the top and sides of the cake. Arrange the sliced berries around the sides of the cake, and add halved strawberries on the top for additional garnish.
Strawberry Cream Cake Variations
- Use another cake: You can bake a different type of cake to pair with the whipped cream and strawberries instead. Choose a homemade angel food cake or a butter pound cake to switch things up.
- Include other berries: Strawberries star in this cream cake recipe, but there’s certainly room on the stage for other berries. Consider adding fresh raspberries, blackberries or blueberries to the mix.
- Add citrus zest: Just a touch of lemon or orange zest can go a long way in enhancing the flavor of any dessert. Consider mixing the zest of half of a lemon into the whipped cream topping for a light, lovely citrus flavor.
How to Store Strawberry Cream Cake
Because this cake has a whipped cream topping, it should be stored in the fridge once assembled. For the best results, store the cake with a cake dome over the top, or cut individual slices and store them in airtight containers. Keep this cake in the fridge for up to two days.
Strawberry Cream Cake Tips
How do you keep strawberries from making cake soggy?
To be sure the color and juice of the strawberries don’t seep into the frosting and cake, it’s best to dress up this cake just before serving it. It’s also helpful to gently pat the berries dry with a paper towel after washing them to help get rid of excess moisture.
Can you use store-bought cake for strawberry cream cake?
Love this recipe, but want to take the ultimate shortcut? Use a store-bought angel food cake. Simply slice it into three layers as instructed, then fill it and frost it with the whipped cream as normal.
