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    Home » Recipes » Dessert Recipes » Strawberry Lemon Cake with Buttercream Frosting

    Published: Mar 24, 2021 · Modified: May 17, 2021 by Linda Warren

    Strawberry Lemon Cake with Buttercream Frosting

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Bring out the spring in springtime with this pastel-colored Strawberry Lemon Cake. Moist and tender lemon cake is bursting with fresh strawberries and filled with lemon cream then covered with a real strawberry buttercream frosting. An awesome showstopper dessert for Easter, Mother's Day, or any day.

    Decorated Strawberry Lemon Cake on cake stand with slice in front.

    Table of contents

    • Lemon Cake with Strawberries
    • FAQs - how to make moist cakes
    • Tips for making the best lemon cake
    • How to make Lemon Cake with Strawberry Icing
    • Filling for Lemon Cake
    • Strawberry Buttercream Frosting for Lemon Cake
    • How to assemble
    • More spring dessert recipes

    Lemon Cake with Strawberries

    I love when spring is in the air! My thoughts immediately turn to Easter and all the gorgeous pastel colors that are associated with the season. This Lemon and Strawberry Cake with Buttercream Frosting fits the holiday perfectly! Plus it's great for the warmer spring and summer seasons when the abundance of fresh strawberries makes it even more delicious.

    Strawberry Lemon Cake overhead with slice beside it

    Usually, I make recipes that tend to be on the quicker and easier side, but I couldn't pass up the chance to make something a little more special for Easter.

    And wait until you taste it! This lemon and strawberry cake is as delicious as it is beautiful to look at. It's lighter, moister, and more flavorful than any cake I've eaten. Why? It's all in the ingredients you choose and following a few special tricks and tips.

    FAQs - how to make moist cakes

    Why should I use cake flour instead of all purpose flour?

    Cake flour is finer, lighter, and softer than all-purpose flour. It is made of soft winter wheat and is usually bleached, which results in a lighter color and less dense grain.
    It has an overall lower protein content than all-purpose flour, which in turn produces less gluten. And less gluten means a less chewy cake. Yay! The results will be a noticeably tender, lighter cake with a finer crumb.

    Why is the quality of butter I use so important?

    Premium butter contains less water and more butterfat. This butterfat helps hold a cake together and results in a moister, more flavorful cake.

    A bite of strawberry lemon cake on a fork.

    Now that you know how important the ingredients are to a delicious cake, let me tell you the importance of how you mix them together.

    Tips for making the best lemon cake

    • To make the cake lighter and fluffier, cream the butter and sugar together for at least 5 minutes. This incorporates air into the mixture to give the cake more structure.
    • When mixing dry ingredients into creamed mixture, always start and end with the dry ingredients. The addition of the dry ingredients first will help prevent the batter from curdling. This might happen if the colder wet ingredients are added first. It also coats the flour with fat preventing gluten from developing. This will make the resulting cake more tender. 
    • When alternating dry and wet ingredients, whisk or fold them into the creamed mixture. This will prevent overmixing which would incorporate more air into the batter. If your cakes tend to collapse in the center, overmixing is often the culprit.

    These tips are not hard to do but they are important. And they can help any cake you make in the future come out deliciously moist and tender. And now on to the cake!

    How to make Lemon Cake with Strawberry Icing

    Ingredients for lemon cake.

    Gather the ingredients.

    Lemon Cake prep steps 1-6.
    1. Cream butter and sugar together for 5 minutes. It will be lighter in color and fluffier. (photo 1)
    2. Add eggs, one at a time, while continuing to beat. (photo 2)
    3. Combine dry ingredients. (photo 3)
    4. Using a whisk to combine, add ¼ of dry ingredients first. (photo 4)
    5. Alternate with ⅓ of wet ingredients. Continue until all dry and wet ingredients have been added, ending with dry ingredients. (photo 5)
    6. DO NOT OVERMIX. Just until ingredients are combined. (photo 6)
    Adding lemon zest and strawberries to cake batter.
    1. Fold in lemon zest. (photo 7)
    2. Mix in chopped strawberries. (photo 8)
    Cake batter poured into cake pans on white marble table. Ready to bake.
    1. Pour into 2 prepared 8" cake pans and bake for about 30 minutes.
    Cake layers cooling on metal racks with fruit and colorful pot holders around them.
    1. Remove from oven, let cool 10 minutes, then carefully turn out of pans, set on wire racks, and let cool completely.

    Filling for Lemon Cake

    Smooth, creamy, and a little tart - this lemon filling is the perfect filling for a lemon cake bursting with sweet strawberries.

    Making lemon filling with whipped cream and lemon curd.
    1. Pour heavy cream into a large bowl.
    2. Whip heavy cream until soft peaks form then fold in lemon curd.

    Strawberry Buttercream Frosting for Lemon Cake

    Top it all with an easy strawberry buttercream with vibrant fresh strawberry flavor from a secret ingredient!

    Dried strawberries in chopper to make them into powder.
    1. Pulverize freeze-dried strawberries. Yep, you guessed it! It's the secret ingredient!
    Frosting steps mixing pulverized strawberries with cream cheese mixture.
    1. Cream butter and sugar for 4-5 minutes. Add powdered strawberries, heavy cream and powdered sugar to creamed mixture. 
    2. Beat well. Just look at that gorgeous color!

    How to assemble

    Layer cake on top of cake stand, ready to frost.

    Place bottom layer on a cake stand or plate.

    Spreading lemon cream filling on bottom cake layer.

    Spread lemon cream filling on top of the cake layer. Make sure to keep it about ½" away from edges to make it easier to frost. Carefully place the remaining cake layer on top.

    Frosted cake on cake stand ready to decorate. Fruit on cutting board next to cake.

    Now it's time to frost the cake.

    First, frost the sides of the cake then finish on the top. Decorate with fruit slices, pastel candy, and sprinkles.

    Decorated cake with sprinkle on side in front of tulips.

    Tada! A beautiful lemon and strawberry cake fit for special occasions like Easter or Mother's Day or just to welcome the warm weather.

    Closeup of slice of lemon cake on white plate with pastel candy and lemon slice garnish.

    Take a bite! This strawberry cake is light, lemony, and oh so moist. You won't believe how well you can bake! And remember to keep it in the refrigerator until ready to eat. Enjoy!

    More spring dessert recipes

    Easy Cake Balls are bite-sized treats made with leftover cake. Perfect for Easter or any holiday.

    Carrot Sheet Cake is moist and delicious, bathed in a buttermilk glaze and covered with cream cheese frosting. What a way to welcome spring!

    Lemon Chiffon Cake with sweet and tangy lemon glaze.

    Strawberry Mini Pavlova from Flavor Mosaic

    Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake is a spring/summer version of everyone's favorite NY cheesecake.

    Find lots more dessert recipes here on 2CM!

    topof cake decorated square

    Strawberry Lemon Cake with Buttercream Frosting

    This moist Strawberry Lemon Cake is the perfect springtime & Easter dessert! A tart lemon cake filled with sweet strawberries, creamy lemon filling, and covered with a flavorful strawberry buttercream.
    5 from 8 votes
    Print Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Assembly: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
    Servings: 16 servings
    Calories: 487kcal
    Author: Linda Warren

    Ingredients

    Strawberry Lemon Cake

    • ¾ cup Unsalted butter softened
    • 1 ½ cups sugar
    • 3 eggs
    • 2 ½ cups cake flour
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¾ cups buttermilk
    • ¼ cup lemon juice
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ½ teaspoon lemon extract
    • 1 to 2 Tablespoons lemon zest
    • 1 cup fresh strawberries diced
    • 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
    • Garnishes: sprinkles lemon slices, strawberry halves, Easter candy

    Lemon Cream Filling (from a recipe by Through Her Looking Glass)

    • ½ cup heavy whipping cream
    • ½ cup prepared lemon curd

    Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

    • ¾ cup Unsalted butter room temperature
    • 1 cup freeze-dried strawberries pulverized
    • 2 ½ Tablespoons heavy cream
    • 2 cups powdered sugar

    Instructions

    Strawberry Lemon Cake

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter 2 8” cake pans. Line bottom of each with parchment paper. Butter parchment paper and then dust entire pan with flour.
    • Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, for 5 minutes.
    • Beat in eggs, one at a time.
    • In a large bowl, combine cake flour, baking powder and salt.
    • In a large measuring cup, combine buttermilk, lemon juice and extracts. Stir.
    • Using a whisk to mix, add dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk, starting and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just blended.
    • Toss diced strawberries with 1 tablespoon flour.
    • Fold strawberries and lemon zest into batter.
    • Divide batter between cake pans and bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick in center comes out clean.
    • Let cool in cake pans for 10 minutes then gently turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.

    Lemon Cream

    • Make just before assembling cake.
    • In a clean bowl, beat whipping cream until soft peaks form.
    • Fold in lemon curd.

    Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

    • Beat butter for 4-5 minutes until light and fluffy.
    • Place freeze-dried strawberries in a chopper or blender and pulverize to a powder. You should have about ½ cup.
    • Add freeze-dried strawberries, heavy cream and powdered sugar to butter and beat another 3-4 minutes.

    To assemble:

    • Place one of the cooled cake rounds on a platter or cake stand.
    • Smooth some of the lemon cream over top. Make sure to leave about ½” around outside edge clean so as not to interfere when frosting the cake.
    • Place second cake round on top of lemon cream.
    • Smooth frosting around outside then cover top.
    • Decorate as desired for Easter or spring. I used sprinkles around sides and lemon slices, strawberry halves and candy Easter eggs on top.

    Notes

    Tips
    • To make the cake lighter and fluffier, cream the butter and sugar together for at least 5 minutes. This incorporates air into the mixture to give the cake more structure.
    • When mixing dry ingredients into creamed mixture, always start and end with the dry ingredients. The addition of the dry ingredients first will help prevent the batter from curdling. This might happen if the colder wet ingredients are added first. It also coats the flour with fat preventing gluten from developing. This will make the resulting cake more tender. 
    • When alternating dry and wet ingredients, whisk or fold them into the creamed mixture. This will prevent overmixing which would incorporate more air into the batter. If your cakes tend to collapse in the center, overmixing is often the culprit.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 487kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 126mg | Potassium: 326mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 48g | Vitamin A: 705IU | Vitamin C: 187.4mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 3.7mg

    This post has been updated. It was first published March 24, 2019.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Alice says

      April 15, 2022 at 7:11 pm

      I was wondering if I could use freeze dried strawberries?

      Reply
      • Linda Warren says

        April 28, 2022 at 4:15 pm

        If you are speaking of freeze-dried fruit in the cake batter, yes you can but it needs to soak first or it will absorb too much liquid from the cake batter and will result in a dry cake. To soak or rehydrate, place fruit in a saucepan and cover with water. Heat to a low simmer and cook 3-5 minutes. Drain.

        Reply
    2. Tara says

      March 24, 2019 at 3:16 pm

      5 stars
      This cake is so perfect for Easter! And I adore Plugra butter.

      Reply
    3. Courtney says

      March 24, 2019 at 1:58 pm

      5 stars
      I love the fresh flavour of strawberry and lemon together. This cake will be perfect for strawberry season!

      Reply
    4. Samantha says

      March 24, 2019 at 1:50 pm

      5 stars
      This was such a beautiful cake to celebrate the beginning of spring! Everyone loved the combination of lemon and strawberry flavors.

      Reply
    5. Beth says

      March 24, 2019 at 1:35 pm

      5 stars
      Nothing better than a beautiful delicious cake with Strawberry Buttercream. This is going on my Easter Menu!

      Reply
    6. Alyssa says

      March 24, 2019 at 1:03 pm

      5 stars
      My mouth is watering. It looks so moist, and I absolutely love lemon flavoring in cakes. Need to make this ASAP!

      Reply
      • Linda Warren says

        April 15, 2019 at 4:15 pm

        Lemon is one of my favorites too. Hope you get a chance to give it a try.

        Reply
    7. Rosa says

      March 24, 2019 at 10:20 am

      5 stars
      This looks beautiful and delicious! Will have to try it this Easter. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • Linda Warren says

        April 15, 2019 at 4:14 pm

        Thank you! Hope everyone enjoys it for the holiday.

        Reply
    8. Susan M says

      March 24, 2019 at 9:10 am

      5 stars
      I was looking for a cute Easter cake and this is it! Thanks for the helpful tips along with the recipe.

      Reply
      • Linda Warren says

        April 15, 2019 at 4:16 pm

        Glad I could help. Happy Easter!

        Reply

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    Hey, I’m Linda, the recipe creator, photographer and cocktail lover at 2 Cookin Mamas. Here you’ll find easy recipes that are not only delicious but can get you out of the kitchen ASAP. Come and join me and let me take you on a tasty trip through your kitchen. Thanks for stopping by! Learn more about me

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