Description
Strawberry cream cheese cake brings pure delight straight from my kitchen to your dessert table, delivering creamy smoothness with fresh berry goodness that melts perfectly on your plate.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Base:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1.5 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 0.5 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 0.5 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Strawberry Topping:
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 0.25 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and thoroughly coat two 9-inch round cake pans with butter and flour.
- Beat ½ cup softened butter with 1 ½ cups granulated sugar in a large bowl until the mixture becomes pale and airy, approximately 4 minutes.
- Crack 3 large eggs into the butter mixture, incorporating each one separately and ensuring complete blending after every addition.
- Stir 1 teaspoon vanilla extract into the wet ingredients until fully integrated.
- Whisk 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt in a separate container.
- Alternate adding the dry flour mixture and 1 cup whole milk to the butter mixture, beginning and concluding with flour. Mix until ingredients are just combined.
- Distribute batter evenly between prepared pans, smoothing the surfaces with a spatula.
- Bake at 350F for 27-30 minutes, checking doneness with a toothpick that should emerge clean when inserted into cake center.
- Allow cakes to rest in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks for complete cooling.
- Blend 8 oz softened cream cheese with ½ cup softened butter until completely smooth.
- Gradually incorporate 4 cups powdered sugar, starting on low speed and increasing to medium.
- Fold 1 teaspoon vanilla extract into frosting and adjust consistency with 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream if needed.
- Slice 2 cups strawberries and toss with ¼ cup sugar and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Rest mixture for 20 minutes.
- Position first cake layer on serving plate and spread thick layer of cream cheese frosting.
- Carefully place second cake layer on top and frost entire cake with remaining frosting.
- Arrange macerated strawberries decoratively across cake top before serving.
Notes
- Bring butter and cream cheese to room temperature for smooth, lump-free mixing and easier spreading of frosting.
- Drain macerated strawberries before adding to cake layers to prevent excess liquid from making the cake soggy.
- For a lighter texture, separate eggs and whip egg whites before folding them into the batter for extra volume.
- Refrigerate cake for 30 minutes before serving to help frosting set and make slicing cleaner and more precise.
- Prep Time: 40-45 minutes
- Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 437 kcal
- Sugar: 43 g
- Sodium: 140 mg
- Fat: 26 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 49 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg