• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Barbara Bakes™
  • Home
  • About
  • Info
  • Contact
  • Press
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • Breads
  • Breakfast
  • Dessert
    • Cakes
    • Cookies
    • Ice Cream
    • Pastry
    • All Desserts »
  • Main Dishes
    • Beef
    • Chicken
    • Pork
    • Pasta
    • Meatless
    • All Main Dishes »
  • Side Dishes
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Baking Tips
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Baking Tips
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Dessert » Cakes

    Strawberry Lemonade Cake

    Published by Melissa on June 2, 2022 | Updated June 10, 2022 | 3 Comments

    Pin
    Share
    Tweet
    Jump to Recipe

    This bright and summery Strawberry Lemonade Cake gets its pretty pink color and strawberry flavor from strawberry-flavored gelatin and lemon zest. It’s topped with a fluffy strawberry buttercream frosting and layered with tart lemon curd. Perfect for a summertime celebration!

    whole strawberry cake with lemon curd filling

    ❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe: This cake screams summer, with the nostalgic flavors of strawberry lemonade. It’s a total show-stopper for any occasion. 

    This Strawberry Lemonade Cake recipe is from a beautiful new cookbook, Cake By Courtney, by Courtney Rich. Courtney is a talented baker and her cookbook is filled with fun, fabulous cake recipes, as well as all of her tips and tricks for baking the best tasting and great looking cakes from scratch.

    In the Cake Class chapter, she’s included instructions and step-by-step picture tutorials to help you feel she’s right there in the kitchen with you. 

    Courtney’s also got a terrific Cake by Courtney website and I love following Courtney By Courtney on Instagram.  

    pinterest button for strawberry lemonade cake

    How to Make Strawberry Lemonade Cake 

    Before you start making the cake, let all of your ingredients come to room temperature. This is for easy blending, a uniform consistency, and taller, fluffier layers. 

    These cakes are baked at 325º F to keep the centers from rising into a hump. These cake layers will bake almost flat for easy assembly and frosting. 

    collage of the steps to mix batter for strawberry cake

    Make sure the cake cools fully before you add any frosting. 

    Courtney recommends scheduling your baking over a two to three day period if you’ve got the time. It’s less stressful and gives the lemon curd time lots of time to firm up.

    So on day one make the lemon curd, on day two make the cake layers, and on day three decorate and serve the cake.

    folding ingredients and baking strawberry lemonade cake

    Ingredient Notes 

    The strawberry flavor in the cake comes from Jello. Jello makes two box sizes. You’ll need the smaller box for this recipe, which is 3 ounces. 

    The strawberry flavor of the buttercream comes from a strawberry emulsion. Strawberry emulsion is a mixture that includes a rich red coloring and strawberry flavoring. You can find it at cake supply stores, online, and at some larger grocery stores if they have a cake decorating aisle.

    strawberry buttercream frostin

    Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

    Make sure that your butter and cream cheese are room temperature before you start making the frosting. If your cream cheese or butter are cold they will not blend together.

    If not using your buttercream right away, cover it with a damp paper towel and then a layer of plastic wrap to keep the paper towel damp. This will stop the buttercream from crusting over.

    making lemon curd

    Lemon Curd Filling 

    The lemony part of this strawberry lemonade cake comes from homemade lemon curd. I’ve subbed my favorite lemon curd recipe in the recipe below. 

    You will start the lemon curd in the bowl of a mixer. Simply combine all of the ingredients except the lemon zest. Zest will not be mixed in until the very end.

    Once you move the mixture to a saucepan, be sure to whisk continually so the mixture does not burn on the bottom of the pan.

    The lemon curd mixture is done when it coats the back of a spoon with no dripping. When you run your finger through it, a streak will be left behind.

    making lemon curd for cake

    When transferring your lemon curd to a bowl, don’t scrap off any of the curd that may be sticking to the bottom of the pan if the curd started to burn. 

    Once transferred to a bowl the zest will be folded in and then the mixture will be chilled completely before using.

    You will have leftover lemon curd which can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. (It’s great spread on toast.) 

    frosting strawberry cake with lemon curd

    Assembling a Strawberry Lemonade Cake

    When piping or spreading the buttercream on each cake layer, make sure the outer edge is slightly thicker. This will work as a dam for the lemon curd and will stop it from oozing out the sides of your cake.

    Note that this buttercream is on the softer side. But if it’s too soft, you can chill it for 10 minutes  in the fridge to stiffen it up slightly.

    Sometimes when making a layer cake, the filling, in this case the lemon curd, can cause the cake layers to slide left or right as you are frosting the cake. If this happens, reposition the cake layers so that they are straight again.

    Then insert a dowel (such as a wooden skewer) down into the center of the cake. This will stop the layers from shifting. Refrigerate the cake and remove the dowel once the cake is chilled thoroughly.

    whole frosted strawberry cake

    My version is decorated simply. You just smooth out the buttercream on the sides of the cake using an offset spatula.

    Finish off the top with additional lemon curd and fresh sliced strawberries. (In the cookbook, Courtney piped pretty pink swirls all around the cake.) 

    The cake should be fully chilled to make sure all the layers are set before serving. However, the cake and buttercream are best eaten at room temperature. So take the cake out of the refrigerator 1 hour before serving.

    This is a fun triple layer strawberry lemonade cake that’ sure to be a hit at your next get togther.

    slice of strawberry lemonade cake

    More Pretty Cake Recipes for Summer

    Try these other beautiful cakes this season:

    • Strawberry Angel Food Cake is an easy and classic summertime treat that’s light, airy, and perfect for an afternoon pick-me-up. 
    • Triple Berry Choux Cake has four layers of crisp choux pastry with creamy triple-berry cream. 
    • Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake Recipe is chock-full of juicy blueberries and delicious for breakfast.
    whole strawberry cake with lemon curd filling
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
    No ratings yet

    Strawberry Lemonade Cake

    This strawberry lemonade cake has a pretty pink buttercream and a tangy homemade lemon curd for a summer birthday.
    Prep Time45 mins
    Cook Time25 mins
    Total Time1 hr 10 mins
    Servings: 14 servings
    Calories: 333kcal
    Author: Barbara Bakes LLC
    Prevent your screen from going to sleep

    Equipment

    • CAKE by Courtney
    • USA Pan Bakeware Round Cake Pan, 8 inch, Nonstick Aluminized Steel
    • KitchenAid KG25H0XMC Professional HD Series Stand Mixer, 5 Qt, Metallic Chrome

    Ingredients

    Lemon Curd

    • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened at room temperature
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 2 large eggs
    • 2 large egg yolks
    • ⅔ cup fresh lemon juice
    • 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

    Strawberry Cake

    • 3 cups 345 g cake flour
    • 1 tablespoon 12 g baking powder
    • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
    • ½ teaspoon 3 g salt
    • 1 cup 226 g unsalted butter, room temperature
    • 1 ⅓ cups 266 g granulated sugar
    • 1 3 oz. package of strawberry flavored Jell-O
    • 5 large egg whites room temperature
    • 1 tablespoon 13 g pure vanilla extract
    • 1 cup 240 g buttermilk, room temperature

    Strawberry Cream Cheese Buttercream

    • 2 cups 452g unsalted butter, slightly cold
    • 6 oz. 170 g cream cheese, slightly cold
    • 6 cups 750 g powdered sugar, measured then sifted
    • 1 teaspoon strawberry emulsion
    • 3 tablespoons 42g heavy whipping cream
    • Pinch of salt

    Instructions

    Lemon Curd

    • In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer, until well combined. Add the eggs and yolks and beat for 1 min. Add the lemon juice and mix until blended – the mixture will look lumpy.
    • In a medium, heavy-based saucepan, cook the mixture over low heat until it melts. Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. It should leave a path on the back of a spoon and will read 170°F on a thermometer. Don't let the mixture boil. (Once it was completely melted, mine thickened and reached 170º in just a few minutes, so watch it closely.)
    • Remove the curd from the heat; stir in the lemon zest. Transfer the curd to a bowl. Press plastic wrap on the surface of the lemon curd to keep a skin from forming and chill the curd in the refrigerator. The curd will thicken further as it cools. Covered tightly, it will keep in the refrigerator for a week and in the freezer for 2 months.

    Strawberry Cake

    • Preheat your oven to 325° F. Spray three 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray, line the bottom with parchment paper and spray again. Set aside.
    • In a medium bowl, whisk the cake flour, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt. Sete aside.
    • Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, sugar, and Jell-O. Beat on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes until light in color and fluffy.
    • With the mixer on medium speed, add the egg whites, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions. Continue to beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes until smooth. Add the vanilla and stir to combine.
    • With the mixer on low speed, add in intervals, blending after each addition, ⅓ dry ingredients, ½ buttermilk, ⅓ dry ingredients, ½ buttermilk, ⅓ dry ingredients
    • Scrape down the bowl and mix for another 20 to 30 seconds.
    • Divide the batter evenly between the pans (16 ounces in each). Bake for 23 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs on it.
    • Remove the cake pans from the oven and let the layers cool in pans for about 15 minutes before inverting onto cooling rack to cool completely.*

    Strawberry Cream Cheese Buttercream

    • Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and cream cheese for 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl.
    • With the mixer on low speed, gradually add powdered sugar, mixing to combine after
      each addition. Add cream, strawberry emulsion, and salt. Stir to combine.
    • Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and beat for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl at least twice during the process. The buttercream should be lighter in color and fluffy in texture.

    Notes

    *Cakes can be individually wrapped in plastic wrapped and frozen for a week. If you’d like to freeze them longer than one week, wrap each cake layer in tin foil as well.
    adapted from Cake By Courtney

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 333kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 105mg | Sodium: 151mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g
    Pin
    Share
    Tweet
    « Spicy Chicken Stir Fry
    Chocolate Cake with Strawberries »
    about us

    About Melissa & Barbara

    As of June 2022 Melissa Griffiths now is the one adding recipes. So think of it as Barbara Bakes, and Melissa too! Melissa and Barbara have been blogging friends for over 10 years and when Barbara was ready to retire and spend more time with her family, Melissa took over the site. Read more...

      • Facebook
      • Instagram
      • Pinterest
      • Twitter

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Joseph Donahue

      June 19, 2022 at 1:09 am

      I am truly grateful to the holder of this web site who has shared
      this great paragraph at at this place.

      Reply
    2. Ana Salas

      June 06, 2022 at 10:15 am

      This recipe sounds amazing, and I really want to try it. I wanted to ask if it could be made in a 13 x 9 sheet cake pan instead of the layers?
      thank you in advance for your guidance.
      Anita

      Reply
      • Barbara Schieving

        June 06, 2022 at 10:38 am

        Hi Ana – I haven’t tried it, but it should work well in a 13 x 9 sheet pan. Line it with foil or parchment if you want to remove the cake and cut it in half to fill with lemon curd. Let me know if you try it.

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome!

    Melissa and Barbara smiling

    Baking made easy! Sharing fabulous recipes for cookies, cakes, pies, breads and more. Barbara Bakes (and Melissa too!) Recipes from both of our kitchens to yours.

    Learn More »

    Popular Posts

    A collage of Ace-Blender-Tomato-Basil-Soup-Barbara-Bakes

    Ace Blender Tomato Basil Soup

    collage of Three-Round-Steak-Meals

    Three Easy Round Steak Meals

    Air fryer french fries sitting next to a cup of dipping sauce

    Garlic Parmesan Air Fryer French Fries

    cracked top baked and neat rows of neiman marcus cookies stacked on a white plate

    Neiman Marcus Cookie Recipe

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    SEEN ON

    as seen on promo graphic

    SEEN ON

    as seen on promo graphic

    About

    • Home
    • About
    • Contact
    • Press

    Browse

    • Recipe Index
    • Popular
    • Baking Tips
    • Travel

    Subscribe

    • Newsletter
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    As an Amazon affiliate, and affiliate with other businesses, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 barbarabakes.com. All rights reserved. DISCLOSURE - PRIVACY POLICY.