Best Vanilla Cake With Strawberry Filling Recipe

Soft, tender vanilla cake, a bright jammy strawberry filling, and a pretty pink finish that looks celebration worthy without feeling fussy. It slices beautifully and tastes fresh – and it’s still easy to make! Scroll down for the ingredients and step-by-step.

Why you’ll love this cake

This is the kind of cake that fits birthdays, Mother’s Day, spring parties, or any weekend that needs something sweet. You can make it ahead to make the celebration day prep even easier!

What you’ll need

• Two 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pans
• Parchment paper (highly recommended)
• Electric mixer
• Medium saucepan
• Wire rack for cooling
• Offset spatula or a butter knife for frosting

If you have a kitchen scale, it makes cake baking more consistent, especially for flour.

Ingredients

Vanilla cake

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (300 g)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder (8 g)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (3 g)
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (227 g)
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (300 g)
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract (15 ml)
• 1 cup whole milk or buttermilk (240 ml)

Strawberry filling

• 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced (about 300 g)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 g), adjust to taste
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (15 ml)
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch (16 g)
• 2 tablespoons water (30 ml)

Frosting and decorating

• 1 tub whipped strawberry frosting, about 12 oz (340 g) – I used Betty Crocker Whipped Strawberry Frosting
• Whole strawberries for decorating (optional)

Step-by-step instructions

1) Make the strawberry filling

1. In a medium saucepan, combine sliced strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Let sit 15 to 20 minutes so the berries release their juices.
2. In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch with water until completely smooth.
3. Set the saucepan over medium heat. Stir gently and cook until the berries are hot and the juices start to loosen.
4. Slowly drizzle in the cornstarch mixture while stirring. Keep stirring as the filling thickens.
5. Once it starts bubbling, let it bubble gently for 1 full minute, stirring constantly, then remove from heat.

Tips that prevent runny filling

• If your berries are very juicy, add 1 extra teaspoon cornstarch (about 3 g).
• For a smoother filling, mash about half the berries in the pan.
• Cool it quickly by spreading it in a shallow bowl or on a plate. Warm filling will melt frosting and make layers slip.

2) Prep pans and preheat the oven

1. Heat oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Grease two 9 inch pans (23 cm). Line bottoms with parchment circles, then lightly grease again. Dust sides with flour.

Parchment is the easiest way to guarantee clean release.

3) Mix the cake batter

1. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape the bowl well.
3. Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each. Scrape the bowl again, then mix in vanilla.
4. Add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with milk (or buttermilk), mixing on low. Stop as soon as the last streak of flour disappears.

Tips for a tender crumb

• Room temperature eggs and milk help the batter mix smoothly.
• Do not overmix after adding flour, it can make the cake tight instead of tender.
• If the mixture looks a little curdled after eggs, add 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture and keep mixing, it will come back together.

4) Bake the cake

1. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
2. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until the centers spring back lightly and a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
3. Cool in pans 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

If your oven runs hot, start checking at 25 minutes. A few extra minutes can dry out vanilla cake.

5) Assemble and frost

1. If your cake layers domed, level them with a serrated knife so they stack flat.
2. Place one layer on your serving plate.
3. Spread a thick ring of frosting around the edge of the layer to create a frosting dam.
4. Spoon the cooled strawberry filling into the center and spread it evenly.
5. Add the second layer on top, gently press to set.
6. Frost the top and sides. If you want the cleanest finish, do a thin crumb coat first, chill 15 minutes, then frost again.

Tip: If the frosting feels soft, chill it for 20 to 30 minutes before using. Store bought whipped frosting spreads best when cool.

6) Chill and serve

• Chill the finished cake for 45 minutes before slicing (longer chill time is even better).
• For neat slices, use a sharp knife and wipe between cuts.

Make ahead and storage

• Filling: Make up to 3 days ahead, store covered in the fridge.
• Cake layers: Bake a day ahead, wrap well, store at room temp.
• Finished cake: Refrigerate covered up to 3 days. Let slices sit at room temp 15 to 20 minutes for the best texture.

Quick troubleshooting

• Filling is too loose: It likely did not bubble long enough. Next time, bubble 1 full minute after thickening.
• Cake is dense: Butter and sugar may not have been creamed long enough, or batter was overmixed after flour went in.
• Layers slide: Filling was still warm, or there was no frosting dam. Chill the cake 15 minutes between stacking and frosting.