Pink Strawberry Lemonade Cake (Printable)

Moist cake layered with fresh strawberry purée and zesty lemon, finished with pink frosting and fresh decoration.

# Ingredient List:

→ For the Cake

01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
05 - 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
06 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
07 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil
08 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
09 - 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
10 - 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
11 - 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
12 - 1/2 cup strawberry purée
13 - Pink or red food coloring, optional

→ For the Strawberry Lemonade Frosting

14 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
15 - 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
16 - 1/3 cup strawberry purée
17 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
18 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
19 - Pinch of salt
20 - Pink food coloring, optional

→ For Decoration

21 - Fresh strawberries, sliced
22 - Lemon slices or zest
23 - Edible flowers or sprinkles, optional

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together sugar, butter, and oil until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
04 - Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
05 - Mix in buttermilk, lemon juice, and lemon zest until combined.
06 - Gently fold in strawberry purée. Add a few drops of pink or red food coloring for vibrant color if desired.
07 - Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in two batches, mixing just until combined. Do not overmix.
08 - Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and smooth the tops.
09 - Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
10 - Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
11 - Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, strawberry purée, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt. Beat until fluffy. Tint with pink food coloring if desired.
12 - Place one cooled cake layer on a serving plate. Spread a generous layer of frosting on top. Add the second cake layer and frost the top and sides.
13 - Decorate with fresh strawberries, lemon slices, and sprinkles as desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's moist and tender without feeling heavy, thanks to the oil and buttermilk working together in ways that surprised even me.
  • The strawberry and lemon combination feels special and unexpected, making people think you've done something way more complicated than you actually have.
02 -
  • Don't skip letting ingredients come to room temperature—cold eggs and buttermilk won't blend smoothly into the batter and you'll end up with a lumpy, separated mixture that bakes unevenly.
  • The moment you see the toothpick test working is when you learn that cakes keep baking slightly as they cool, so pulling them out when they're just barely done gives you a moister crumb than waiting until they feel completely set.
03 -
  • Room temperature ingredients blend together smoothly without creating a curdled or separated-looking batter, which directly affects how tender your finished cake will be.
  • The combination of butter and oil is the magic formula here—butter alone dries out a cake, while oil alone makes it taste flat, but together they create something impossibly moist with real flavor.
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