Easy Strawberry Vanilla Cake

This strawberry vanilla cake is a rustic one-layer dessert with a tender buttermilk crumb, a hint of almond, and juicy strawberries baked right into the cake. Top it with vanilla whipped cream and fresh strawberries for an easy spring or summer dessert.

This strawberry vanilla cake is a simple, one-layer cake (like my apple cake and cherry coffee cake recipe) with a tender buttermilk crumb, juicy fresh strawberries, and plenty of warm vanilla flavor. Half of the strawberries are baked directly into the cake, creating jammy pockets of fruit, while the rest are spooned over the top with soft whipped cream.

Unlike a frosted layer cake, this version is rustic, beginner-friendly, and easy enough for brunch, dessert, or afternoon coffee - but still pretty enough for Mother's Day, spring gatherings, or summer celebrations.

Jump to:

• ⭐️ Why You'll Love This Rustic Strawberry Cake
• 🍓 Ingredient Notes
• 🔪 How To Make Strawberry Vanilla Cake
• Make Ahead and Storage
• ⏲ Expert Tips and Tricks
• 🍰 How to Serve Vanilla Strawberry Cake
• 💬 Frequently Asked Questions
• 🍰 More Dessert Recipes
• Strawberry Vanilla Cake Recipe

⭐️ Why You'll Love This Rustic Strawberry Cake

• Tender, fluffy texture: Buttermilk keeps the cake soft and moist, while fresh strawberries bake into the batter for sweet, jammy pockets of fruit.
• Fresh strawberries two ways: Some are baked into the cake, and more are spooned on top with fresh whipped cream before serving.
• Easy but beautiful: This rustic one-layer cake is simple enough for beginners but pretty enough for Mother's Day, Father's Day, or any spring/summer gathering.
• Lightly sweet and versatile: Serve it as dessert, a brunch cake, or an afternoon tea cake with coffee.
• Make-ahead friendly: The cake can be baked ahead, then topped with whipped cream and strawberries just before serving.

🍓 Ingredient Notes

• Yellow cornmeal - Adds subtle texture and natural sweetness. Use finely ground yellow cornmeal so the cake stays tender, not gritty.
• Unsalted butter - Use room temperature so it creams properly with the sugar and creates a light, tender crumb.
• Light brown sugar - Adds moisture and a deeper flavor than granulated sugar alone.
• Buttermilk - Tenderizes your cake, adds moisture, and provides a slight tang that balances the sweetness of the strawberries.
• Vanilla extract - Gives the cake its classic vanilla flavor.
• Almond extract - Optional, but it adds a bakery-style flavor that makes the strawberries taste even better. You can also add a splash of almond extract to your whipped cream!
• Fresh strawberries - Use ripe, sweet strawberries for the best flavor. Half are baked into the cake, and the rest are added on top.
• Lemon juice - Tossing your berries in lemon juice keeps them fresh and prevents oxidation (browning).

🔪 How To Make Strawberry Vanilla Cake

Prep the strawberries:

Toss hulled and sliced strawberries with lemon juice. Cover and chill in refrigerator.

Make the cake:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan, and dust with cornmeal, shaking out the excess. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or electric hand mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Stop once to scrape down sides of bowl, and continue to beat for an additional minute. Add eggs one at a time, beating on medium speed after each addition.

In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, vanilla extract, and almond extract. With mixer on low speed, add dry ingredients in three batches, alternating with buttermilk mixture. Mix just until incorporated, stopping at least once to scrape down sides of bowl.

Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Arrange half of sliced strawberries on top of cake batter and lightly press down on them.

Bake until top is golden brown and firm to the touch, or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool in pan 15 minutes. Use a knife or offset spatula to loosen cake from pan by going around the edge of cake, and unlatch to remove outer ring. Cool to room temperature.

Make the whipped cream:

Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, add heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to bowl. Whip at high speed for several minutes, until soft peaks are formed. Cover and chill in refrigerator.

Assemble the cake:

Once cake is completely cooled, transfer to a serving platter. Add whipped cream to cake and spread evenly. Place remaining strawberries on top in a pretty arrangement.

Make Ahead and Storage

• Storage: Place in an airtight container or wrap in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator (separate from strawberries and whipped cream) for up to 4 days.
• How to freeze: Wrap individual slices of strawberry cake in foil and place in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. To thaw, place in refrigerator overnight. I don't recommend freezing the fresh whipped cream or strawberries.
• Make ahead: Bake the cake up to 24 hours ahead of time. After cooling completely, wrap in plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate until ready to serve. Add the whipped cream and additional strawberries right before serving.

⏲ Expert Tips and Tricks

• Use room-temperature eggs, butter, and buttermilk. This incorporates air into your batter and creates a softer crumb. To quickly bring your eggs to room-temperature, place them in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes.
• Use fine cornmeal. Coarse cornmeal can make the cake feel gritty.
• Don't overmix the batter. Mix just until the flour disappears to keep the cake tender. Overmixing could also cause your cake to sink in the middle. We want to avoid that!
• Press the strawberries lightly into the batter. This helps them bake into the cake instead of sitting loosely on top.
• Cool the cake completely before adding whipped cream. If the cake is warm, the whipped cream will melt.
• Hull the strawberries before slicing; a paring knife works well and helps preserve more of the fruit than slicing off the entire top.
• Top with whipped cream right before serving. This keeps the cake from getting soggy.
• Make your own buttermilk. Making homemade buttermilk is super easy: pour 1 cup of milk into a small bowl and add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar. Give it a stir and let it stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes.

🍰 How to Serve Vanilla Strawberry Cake

I recommend spooning on the whipped cream and strawberries right before serving.

Or, if you only plan on serving a few slices, I recommend placing the whipped cream and strawberries on the table in separate bowls, and topping each slice of cake as it is served. This way, the leftover cake won't get soggy from the whipped cream.

💬 Frequently Asked Questions

🍰 More Dessert Recipes

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