Strawberry Velvet Cake (Print)
A luscious, moist cake layered with fresh strawberry purée and creamy frosting.
# What You Need:
→ Strawberry Velvet Cake
01 - 2 1/2 cups cake flour
02 - 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
03 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
04 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil
05 - 3 large eggs, room temperature
06 - 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
07 - 1/2 cup fresh strawberry purée
08 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
09 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
10 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
11 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
12 - 2-3 drops red or pink gel food coloring, optional
→ Strawberry Purée
13 - 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped
14 - 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, optional
→ Cream Cheese Frosting
15 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
16 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
17 - 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
18 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
19 - 1/4 cup strawberry purée
→ Decoration
20 - Fresh strawberries, halved or sliced
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - Blend strawberries and sugar until smooth. Reserve 1/2 cup for cake batter and 1/4 cup for frosting.
03 - Sift together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
04 - Beat butter, oil, and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
05 - Add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
06 - Mix in strawberry purée and food coloring if using until evenly distributed.
07 - Alternately add dry ingredients and buttermilk to wet mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined; avoid overmixing.
08 - Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Smooth tops with spatula.
09 - Bake for 28-32 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
10 - Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until fluffy. Mix in vanilla and strawberry purée until fully incorporated.
11 - Place one cake layer on serving plate. Spread frosting layer on top. Position second cake layer and coat top and sides with remaining frosting.
12 - Decorate with fresh strawberries. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before slicing to ensure clean layers.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The texture is impossibly velvety, thanks to the magical combination of butter and oil keeping each tender crumb moist for days
- Fresh strawberry purée creates genuine berry flavor instead of that disappointing artificial strawberry taste you get from boxed mixes
- The cream cheese frosting strikes that perfect balance between tangy and sweet, making it impossible to stop at just one slice
02 -
- Room temperature ingredients are not optional here, because cold eggs or butter will curdle the batter and create dense tough layers instead of velvet texture
- The cake is done when a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs, not completely clean, because those moist crumbs mean the cake will stay tender instead of drying out
- This cake actually tastes better on day two when the strawberry flavor has had time to deepen and mingle with the cream cheese frosting
03 -
- Freeze extra strawberry purée in ice cube trays during peak strawberry season so you can make this cake year round with the best tasting berries
- Add a tablespoon of strawberry jam to the frosting if your fresh berries are not quite sweet enough for that punchy flavor we want