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Strawberry Shortcake, sliced on a white pedestal
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4.87 from 23 votes

Strawberry Shortcake (with Pound Cake)

In this Strawberry Shortcake Cake recipe, layers of buttermilk pound cake are filled with fresh strawberries and whipped cream for a truly impressive, flavorful dessert for spring and summer!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 15

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups (339g) unsalted butter, softened (This is the equivalent of 3 sticks of butter)
  • 3 cups (600g) sugar
  • 5 large eggs, room temperature (place in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes to speed up the process).
  • 3 cups (342 g) cake flour (Not self rising. We use Swan's Down, bleached)
  • ½ teaspoon (2)g baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon (3g) salt
  • 1 cup (235 g) buttermilk
  • 2 teaspoons (8g) vanilla extract

Sliced Strawberries

  • 4 cups (578g) sliced, fresh strawberries
  • 3 tablespoons (37g) sugar

Sweetened Whipped Cream

  • 2 cups (480g) whipped cream or heavy cream
  • ½ cup (58g) confectioners' sugar
  • 2 teaspoons (8g) vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Grease and flour three 8 inch round pans. We also like to line the bottoms with parchment paper.
  • Preheat the oven to 350℉
  • In a separate bowl whisk the cake flour, baking powder, and salt to combine, set aside for later.
  • Using an electric mixer (paddle attachment if using a stand mixer), cream the butter on medium speed until smooth. Next, gradually add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy for 3 to 5 minutes.
  • Add the eggs one at a time, blending after each until the yolk is incorporated.
  • Add the vanilla extract to the 1 cup of buttermilk.
  • With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk to the butter/sugar/egg mixture in the mixing bowl. Begin and end with the dry ingredients. I do three additions of dry, alternating with two additions of wet.
  • Divide the cake batter between the three prepared pans.
  • Bake at 350℉ for 20-25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached (or the centers of the layers spring back when lightly touched). Bake times may vary!
  • This makes approximately 7.5-8 cups of batter.
  • Allow to cool in the pans on a wire rack for ten minutes before turning out.

For the Sliced Strawberries

  • Fill a medium sized bowl with the sliced strawberries, sprinkle with 3 tablespoons sugar, and stir to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. The sugar coated strawberries will begin to release strawberry juice as they sit.

For the Sweetened Whipped Cream

  • Chill the mixing bowl and beaters/ whisk attachment in the freezer for 10 minutes.
  • Pour the whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla into the chilled mixing bowl, begin beating on low speed gradually increasing to medium high speed.
  •  The cream begins to thicken (approx. 1 ½ minutes) and soft peaks form. (Peaks that slightly bend over.) Watch closely as this happens quickly.  Do not over mix.

Assembling the Strawberry Shortcake

  • Once the cake layers have cooled, it is time to assemble the cake!
  • Place the first pound cake layer on the cake base or pedestal.
  • Next, poke small holes here and there over the top of the cake with a wooden skewer or the tines of a fork. This allows for better absorption of the strawberry juice.
  • Top with a layer of whipped cream. (Keep in mind that you will need to reserve enough for the next cake layer as well as the top of the cake.)
  • Repeat for the next cake layer. (Poking small holes in the top, adding strawberries, then whipped cream.)
  • Top with the final cake layer and top with the remaining whipped cream.
  • Top with whole or freshly sliced strawberries. If you'd like, you can also press thinly sliced fresh strawberries here and there around the sides of the cake if you would like even more berries to show.
  • Store in the refrigerator under a cake dome or airtight container. Remove from the refrigerator about one hour before serving.

Notes

Substitute for Buttermilk: No Buttermilk? Here is a substitution: Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to a measuring cup. To that, add milk to the 1 cup mark. Stir and allow to sit for a minute or two to thicken.
Substitution for Cake Flour: Using all purpose flour (plain in UK) to make Cake Flour: For each cup of flour in a recipe, remove 2 Tablespoons of flour and replace with 2 Tablespoons cornstarch (cornflour in the UK). This recipe has 3 cups of flour so you will measure out 3 cups of all purpose flour, remove 6 Tablespoons and replace with 6 Tablespoons cornstarch, whisk to blend.
Freezing: The cake layers can be made in advance and frozen for up to three months. Wrap each layer tightly with plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil. To thaw, move to the kitchen counter, still wrapped and thaw for 30-45 minutes before unwrapping. The layers will continue to thaw completely as you assemble the cake.