Best Homemade Strawberry Buttermilk Layer Cake

This Homemade Strawberry Buttermilk Layer Cake is so fantastic and perfect for spring and summer! Loaded with fresh berries in the moist and tender cake layers, it’s frosted with a luscious strawberry cream cheese icing!

GUESS WHO’S BACK?! ME!

Sorry if you were expecting someone else.

Anyway, I apologize for my LONG disappearance. I wish I could say I was pearl diving in Bora Bora or on safari in Zambia but I was at home, in my jams, working tirelessly on my cookbook. Oh yeah, if you didn’t know… I’m writing a THIRD cookbook all on Christmas treats. My studio basically looks like Kris Kringle threw up everywhere but in a cool, magical kind of way.

My head has basically been buried in the sand this whole time as I work on this book. Basically, I started the book when I signed my contract around January 11 of this year… and the deadline to turn everything in is March 15! So I really only have about 2 months to write this thing, and lemme tell you – books are a labor of love. Emphasis on the ‘labor’ part. My dishwasher is working overtime.

So I apologize for being gone so long and neglecting my blog for a good month and a half. I needed the break, but now I’m ready to finally start slowly incorporating some new recipes here. This is my official welcome back present to YOU!

Oh, and before we dive into this cake, have you noticed some new changes around here? While I was MIA, I was actually behind-the-scenes with my graphic designer trying to create a new look for my site. I LOVE IT, and I hope you do, too. I feel like this new design is more user-friendly and easier to navigate. You’ll notice it’s a cinch to search for recipes using the drop-down menu, and the subscribe button is front and center for your convenience.

ANYWAY. THIS CAKE!

Strawberries are so gorgeous and plentiful right now, so I had to create something with this cheery, delicious berry: a homemade from scratch Strawberry Buttermilk Layer Cake. This cake is PACKED with flavor, is completely scratch-made, and is bursting with fresh, REAL strawberry flavor from actual strawberries. Nothing artificial here! My secret (and favorite) ingredient? Freeze-dried strawberries!

The result is a cake brimming with garden-fresh strawberry flavor with a moist and tender crumb. The frosting is a homemade strawberry cream cheese frosting that’s TO DIE FOR. Seriously, this cake received rave reviews from my panel of taste-testers, and one even declared it the “best strawberry cake I’ve had.” Score!

So without further ado, here’s the recipe!

*adapted from Taste of South

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Best Homemade Strawberry Buttermilk Layer Cake

This Homemade Strawberry Layer Cake is the BEST I've tried! So much better than a boxed mix, it's fresh, flavorful, moist and tender with the most decadent strawberry cream cheese frosting ever!

Prep Time45 minutes mins

Cook Time35 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course: Cake, Cakes/Cupcakes, Dessert

Cuisine: American, Dessert

Servings: 8 -10

Author: Hayley Parker, The Domestic Rebel

Ingredients

• FOR THE CAKE:
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter softened
• 1⅔ cups granulated sugar
• 2 ounces (One 2-ounce package) freeze-dried strawberries ground to a powder
• 4 large eggs
• 3 cups self-rising flour
• 1 cup whole buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped fresh strawberries
• Pink food coloring optional
• FOR THE FROSTING:
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 8 ounces (One 8-ounce package) strawberry cream cheese
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• One ounce (One 1-ounce package) freeze-dried strawberries ground to a powder
• 3½-4 cups confectioners' sugar
• Fresh strawberries for garnishing

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray the bottom of two 9" round cake pans. Place a parchment paper round in the bottom of each pan and spray the pan again on the bottom and sides. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, sugar, and freeze-dried strawberry powder together on medium-low speed until fluffy and combined, about 3 minutes. Gradually add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir the vanilla extract into the buttermilk, and alternately add half of the buttermilk, followed by half of the flour, and repeat until all the flour and buttermilk is gone. Fold in the chopped strawberries.
• Pour into the prepared pans, distributing the batter evenly. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Cool completely in the pan.
• For the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla extract until fluffy and smooth, 2 minutes. Gradually add in the powdered sugar until frosting is light, fluffy, and spreadable. Beat in the freeze-dried strawberry powder.
• Place one cake round onto a platter or cake stand. Spread with half of the frosting. Top with the remaining cake layer, and finish it off with the remaining frosting. Garnish the top of the frosted cake with fresh whole berries. Serve immediately, or store leftovers airtight in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Moist, fluffy and utterly irresistible, this cake packs a flavorful punch you don’t want to miss!

Have a super sweet day!

xo, Hayley

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