Description
This Easy Strawberry Shortcake Cake Delight is a luscious layered dessert featuring a light vanilla sponge cake filled and topped with sweetened strawberries, strawberry jam, and a creamy mascarpone frosting. Perfect for summer gatherings or a special treat, this cake combines fresh fruit and silky cream for a beautifully balanced flavor and texture.
Ingredients
Cake
- 250 g (2 cups) plain / all purpose flour
- 250 g (1 ¼ cup) caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 1 level tbsp cornflour (cornstarch, can substitute with flour)
- 2 level tsp baking powder
- 115 g (½ cup) softened unsalted butter or margarine such as Stork
- 2 large eggs
- 120 ml (½ cup) milk (semi-skimmed or skimmed ideally)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (or substitute with more milk)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
Strawberries
- 320 g (2 ½ cups) strawberries, sliced into small chunks
- 50 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice or 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
- 130 g (1 cup) strawberry jam, or more as needed
- Fresh strawberries (whole and halved for decoration)
Frosting
- 500 g (2 cups) cold double/heavy cream
- 115 g (½ cup) full-fat cream cheese or mascarpone
- 80 g (⅔ cup) icing sugar (powdered sugar)
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
Additional
- Icing sugar, to dust
Instructions
- Make the vanilla sponge: Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F). Prepare an 8-inch deep cake pan by spraying it with cake release and lining the bottom with parchment paper. This ensures the cake will release easily after baking.
- Mix dry ingredients: Sift the flour, caster sugar, cornflour, and baking powder into a large mixing bowl to aerate and combine them evenly, which helps the cake rise and have a fine texture.
- Combine wet ingredients and batter: Add softened butter, eggs, milk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, beat until the batter is completely smooth and homogenous, ensuring no lumps remain.
- Bake the cake: Spoon the batter into the prepared cake pan, level the surface gently, and bake in the oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, indicating the cake is fully baked. Let it cool in the tin for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Slice the cake: Once cooled, use a cake leveler or a large serrated knife to carefully slice the cake in half horizontally. Remove any crumbs from the surface to ensure a clean layer for frosting and filling.
- Prepare the strawberries: Slice the strawberries and place them in a bowl. Mix with vanilla, granulated sugar, and lemon juice. Let sit for 10-20 minutes to macerate, allowing the strawberries to release their natural juices. Strain the strawberries, reserving the juice to brush over the cake layers later, adding moistness and flavor.
- Make the frosting: In a mixing bowl, combine cold double/heavy cream, icing sugar, vanilla bean paste, and softened cream cheese or mascarpone. Whisk on medium-low speed until the cream holds soft peaks. Be careful not to overwhip to avoid graininess.
- Assemble the cake - bottom layer: Place the bottom cake layer on a serving plate. Pipe a ring of frosting around the edge to contain the fillings. Spread strawberry jam inside the ring and add some of the macerated sliced strawberries. Cover the filling with a layer of the whipped cream frosting and arrange a few more sliced strawberries on top.
- Add the top layer and decorate: Place the second cake layer on top and press gently to set. Spoon cream over the top, piling with remaining sliced strawberries. Decorate the cake with whole and halved fresh strawberries. Spoon a little extra strawberry jam over the top, allowing some to drip attractively down the sides of the cake.
- Chill and serve: For best results, serve immediately or refrigerate for about an hour to allow the cream to firm slightly, making the cake easier to slice. Because it uses fresh cream, keep the cake chilled and consume ideally on the day of assembly for maximum freshness.
Notes
- Use fresh, ripe strawberries for best flavor and sweetness.
- For a lighter alternative, you can substitute mascarpone with full-fat cream cheese.
- Keep the cake refrigerated due to the fresh cream to maintain freshness and food safety.
- Do not overwhip the cream to avoid grainy texture; stop once medium peaks form.
- If you prefer a stronger vanilla aroma, use vanilla bean paste instead of extract.
- Cake can be made a day ahead, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap (without filling), and assembled the next day.
