This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Spring is a pretty wonderful season, wouldn’t you say? Now I know that you most likely haven’t had A LOT of sunny weather yet. If your hometown is anything like mine you’ve been hit with a little sun, snow, wind and rain all living together in the same cozy week. Which gives everyone something to enjoy, I suppose. Kind of like a Weather Pot Luck You Never Know What You Are Going To Get Please Pack A Jacket At All Times, kind of thing.
But despite the occasional snow flurries and windy days, there is something I’ve found to be consistently wonderful this Spring.
The STRAWBERRIES! Holy cow. Each and every time I have purchased them this Spring they are sweet, dark red and wonderful. I’m not sure why, but they are really good this year. What better concoction to make with them than Strawberry Shortcake, my friends. Buttery cake, stacked with sweet strawberries and whipped cream. So simple, yet so wonderful. I’ve been looking for a great from scratch cake recipe to use for strawberry shortcake and I can truthfully say…this is THE one I’ve been waiting for, folks. I found it while looking through a cookbook my husbands coworker gave me for Christmas. (Wasn’t that thoughtful of her? Give her a virtual pat on the back, won’t you?)
Now, don’t get all worked up and worried and start feeling faint because this is a “from scratch” cake recipe. If you know how to soften butter, and put ingredients into a mixer…you’ve got this baby made in the shade. Seriously, it is not difficult and tastes absolutely, FABULOUS.
Make it.
Make it and love it and shout out your front window something like “Hello world. I have baked a cake from scratch. Someone get in here, congratulate me and taste the heavenly confection of wonder before I eat the entire thing myself.”
Something tells me your neighbors would be pleased to oblige.
***NOTE: This cake can be made up to a day ahead. In fact it tastes even better the second day than it does the first. However, this is not the case for the strawberries and the whip cream. The strawberries should be sliced about 15 minutes before you are ready to serve. This will give them enough time to mix with the sugar and get nice and juicy for you. The cream is also best if whipped just before serving.
CAKE:
1 C butter, softened
3 C sugar
3 C flour
1/2 t salt
6 eggs
1 C heavy whipping cream
1 t vanilla
1 t lemon extract
STRAWBERRIES AND WHIP CREAM:
2-3 pounds strawberries + 3-4 T sugar
3 C whipping cream
4 T sugar
1 t vanilla
dash salt
Make The Cake
1. Place 1 cup softened butter and 3 cups of sugar into your stand mixer or large mixing bowl. Cream the two together until light and fluffy with the paddle attachment. Should take about 3 minutes.
2. While the butter and sugar are mixing sift 3 cups of flour and 1/2 teaspoon of salt into a medium sized bowl. Toss the ingredients together to be sure they are well combined.
3. Add 6 eggs to the creamed mixture, TWO EGGS AT A TIME mixing between each egg addition.
4. Add half of the flour/salt mixture to your mixing bowl, and mix it for about 30 seconds.
5. Add 1/2 a cup of heavy whipping cream and mix. Add the remaining flour/salt mixture and then the final 1/2 a cup of whipping cream. Mix the batter well, until it’s nice and glossy. Should take about 3 minutes.
6. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 teaspoon lemon extract. Mix just until combined.
7. Spray a bundt pan with cooking spray, it’s best to use a cooking spray that has flour in it. This Bakers Joy works well. Pam Cooking Spray also has a cooking spray with flour that I recommend.
8. Pour the batter into the bundnt pan and spread it out smoothly.
9. Bake the cake at 325 for 75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
10. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then place a wire rack over the bundt pan, grab hold of both the rack and the pan and invert the cake onto the rack. Allow the cake to cool completely.
Prepare the Strawberries and Whip Cream
1. To make the cream pour 3 cups whipping cream in to your stand mixer. Add 4 tablespoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and a dash of salt. Whip the mixture with the wire whisk attachment for about 3 minutes, or until the cream is nice and whipped.
2. Wash your strawberries. Cut the green tops off with a sharp knife and then cut the berries into slices.
3. Pour 2-3 tablespoons of sugar over the top of the berries. Give it all a good stir and allow the two to hang out together and get nice and juicy. Should take about 15 minutes.
4. Cut the cake into thin slices and serve with the berries and cream.
I have been craving some fresh Strawberry Shortcake, can't wait for strawberries to appear at our market that aren't sour, they aren't quite ready in our area yet. Thanks for the recipe, it sounds delish.
HI Jamie, I have enjoyed several of your recipes and even my super duper picky 6 year old likes some too. LOL Anyway, quick question about the cake. I am allergic to all citrus and was wondering what would you substitute for the 1t lemon extract? Thanks so much!
Hi Anonymous, The lemon extract really gives it a nice little kick. I would replace it with almond extract, or double up on the vanilla. Good luck! Let me know how it turns out. ~Jamie
Strawberry Shortcake is my all time favorite dessert. I can't wait to give this cake a try. I too have been looking for the perfect cake or biscut recipe to go with some lovely strawberries. Thank you for all you share with us.
I had some starawberries in my fridge that I just couldnt pinpoint what to do with so imagine how excited I was to see this recipe. The cake is in the oven as I type this and my husband is sitting in the living room asking when this is going to be done. Looks Delicious! Thanks for the great recipe!
Well, my opinion pbloabry won’t be very popular (!), but I sympathize with the farmers. If they can’t get a price that is high enough to pay for the cost of harvesting and transporting their crop, it should be their choice what to do with it. I do applaud the one farm that allowed local residents and food banks to come and pick the berries, rather than waste them.
This cake was so delicious even by itself. I ended up putting a couple of large slices in the freezer and just had the last few bites this morning with my coffee.
I did not have lemon extract so doubled up on the vanilla and it was great.
I have been craving some fresh Strawberry Shortcake, can't wait for strawberries to appear at our market that aren't sour, they aren't quite ready in our area yet. Thanks for the recipe, it sounds delish.
HI Jamie, I have enjoyed several of your recipes and even my super duper picky 6 year old likes some too. LOL Anyway, quick question about the cake. I am allergic to all citrus and was wondering what would you substitute for the 1t lemon extract? Thanks so much!
Hi Anonymous,
The lemon extract really gives it a nice little kick. I would replace it with almond extract, or double up on the vanilla.
Good luck! Let me know how it turns out.
~Jamie
Strawberry Shortcake is my all time favorite dessert. I can't wait to give this cake a try. I too have been looking for the perfect cake or biscut recipe to go with some lovely strawberries. Thank you for all you share with us.
Oh my goodness, this recipe sounds so good! I love strawberries!
your photos are great!
Thanks for sharing!
I had some starawberries in my fridge that I just couldnt pinpoint what to do with so imagine how excited I was to see this recipe. The cake is in the oven as I type this and my husband is sitting in the living room asking when this is going to be done. Looks Delicious! Thanks for the great recipe!
I took this to my in laws for an Easter treat! So delicious. The cake was scrumptious!! Everyone raved. Thanks so much for the recipe!! LOVE IT!!
Well, my opinion pbloabry won’t be very popular (!), but I sympathize with the farmers. If they can’t get a price that is high enough to pay for the cost of harvesting and transporting their crop, it should be their choice what to do with it. I do applaud the one farm that allowed local residents and food banks to come and pick the berries, rather than waste them.
This cake was so delicious even by itself. I ended up putting a couple of large slices in the freezer and just had the last few bites this morning with my coffee.
I did not have lemon extract so doubled up on the vanilla and it was great.
This is so delicious! I’m making it for the second time and love it! Thanks!