Fresh Strawberry Shortcake Cake with a Cream Cheese Frosting

This Strawberry Shortcake Cake is made with an easy homemade sponge cake. Crushed and slightly sweetened fresh strawberries is the filling and cake is frosted with a creamy and dreamy cream cheese frosting! This is one of my favorite summer pot luck desserts that will please a crowd.

Forget the pre-fab shortcake cups you find at your grocery store. You know…the ones that were made who-knows-how-long-ago! I do remember this cake, well, and I think about every year when fresh strawberries come into season. I have a few other strawberry themed cakes, I’ve posted since. This recipe is super easy, because it’s a sponge cake recipe.

The texture of the cake is slightly dense, but once you add the crushed and sweetened strawberries– and then the cream cheese frosting– you have a cake that is perfect for a pot luck or backyard barbecue. Here’s how to make it:

I first discovered this recipe on The Pioneer Woman Cooks show on Food Network, and in her cookbook that I bought many years ago. Start by preparing an 8″ cake pan with either butter/flour or non-stick spray. I always line my cake pans with parchment paper. You’ll want to use a stand or electric hand mixer to make the batter. The sour cream cake ingredients will help to insure that the cake will be moist!

One of my cake baking tools is to use baking strips. The strips help the cakes to bake evenly, without the dreaded “dome”. The cake batter will be on the thicker side– and that’s exactly what you want.

Once the cake is baked, allow it to completely cool. NOTE: Hmmm. The cake actually sunk a bit in the middle. No worries! Nobody will notice, once it’s filled with strawberries and frosting.

Meanwhile, cut up and then mash fresh strawberries with a little bit of sugar. Let’s make the frosting, while the strawberries macerate for at least thirty minutes.

Whip room temperature cream cheese, butter and powdered sugar and vanilla until fluffy. It’s time to assemble the cake.

Carefully slice the cake in half and lay them on a baking sheet.

Divide the strawberries and layer on top of each cake layer. Place the cake into the freezer for five minutes, to make layering the frosting a little easier.

Spread about 1/3 of the frosting on top of the strawberry layers.

Frost the top of the cake and the sides. Don’t worry about perfection! This is a rustic cake and that’s absolutely fine. Keep the cake chilled, so that the frosting firms and stabilizes the cake. You’ll want to serve the cake when it’s slightly cool.

TASTING NOTES: Fresh strawberries and cream cheese are a perfect match! While the cake is slightly dense, that’s perfect so it cake absorb the strawberries juice. This cake will be an annual dessert during strawberry season. It’s definitely a family favorite.

This post has been updated with newer photos. The recipe is still the same.

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Strawberry Shortcake Cake

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time50 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Strawberry Shortcake, Strawberry Shortcake Cake

Servings: 10

Calories: 849kcal

Author: Debby – www.AFeastfortheEyes.net

Equipment

• 1 8" cake pan

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 9 tablespoons unsalted butter softened, plus more for greasing
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar plus 2 tablespoons
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup sour cream at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Fresh Strawberries:

• 1 pound strawberries plus more to garnish, optional
• 3 Tbsp granulated sugar according to the sweet or tart levels of the berries

Icing:

• 1 1/2 pounds powdered sugar sifted
• 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
• 2 sticks unsalted butter softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Dash salt

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, and corn starch. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream 9 tablespoons butter with the sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs one at a time, mixing well each time.
• Add sour cream and vanilla and mix well until combined.
• Pour into greased and floured 8-inch cake pan.
• Bake at 350°F for about 45 minutes, or until no longer jiggly.
• NOTE: The cake does bake to a very dark golden brown.
• Remove from cake pan as soon as you pull it out of the oven, and place on a cooling rack. Allow it to cool completely.

For the berries:

• Stem strawberries and slice them in half from bottom to top. Place into a bowl and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons sugar. Stir together and let sit for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, mash the strawberries in two batches. Sprinkle each half with 1 tablespoon sugar and allow to sit for another 30 minutes.

ICING:

• Combine cream cheese, 2 sticks butter, sifted powdered sugar, vanilla and a dash of salt in a mixing bowl. Mix until light and fluffy.
• Slice cake in half through the middle. Spread strawberries evenly over each half (cut side up), pouring on all the juices. Place the cake halves into the freezer for five minutes, just to make icing easier.
• Remove from freezer. Use a little less than 1/3 of the icing to spread over the top of the strawberries on the bottom layer. Place the second layer on top. Add half of the remaining icing to the top, spreading evenly, then spread the remaining 1/3 cup around the sides.
• Leave plain or garnish with strawberry haves. IMPORTANT: Cake is best when served slightly cool. The butter content in the icing will cause it to soften at room temperature. For best results, store in the fridge.

Notes

Recipe source: The Pioneer Woman, Food Network

Nutrition

Calories: 849kcal | Carbohydrates: 119g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Cholesterol: 162mg | Sodium: 336mg | Potassium: 163mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 100g | Vitamin A: 1342IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @afeastfortheeyes or tag #afeastfortheeyesblog!

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