Pink Strawberry Lemonade Cake (Printable)

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

# 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

→ Decoration

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

# Directions:

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.
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 the strawberry purée. Add a few drops of pink or red food coloring for a more vibrant color if desired.
07 - Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two batches, mixing just until combined. Do not overmix.
08 - Divide the batter evenly between the 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 softened butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, strawberry purée, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt. Beat until fluffy and tint with pink food coloring if desired.
12 - Once cakes are fully cooled, place one 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 Tips:

01 -
  • The strawberry purée keeps the cake incredibly tender, almost like it's hugging your tongue with moisture.
  • Lemon zest sneaks in this bright, unexpected note that makes people pause mid-bite and ask what they're tasting.
  • It's the easiest impressive cake to make; nobody will believe you didn't spend three hours on it.
02 -
  • Room temperature eggs and buttermilk aren't just fussy instruction—they actually mix smoothly into the butter mixture instead of breaking the emulsion and making your batter look grainy and sad.
  • The moment you add the strawberry purée, the batter turns this gorgeous pale pink, and it's so pretty you'll want to just eat it straight from the bowl.
03 -
  • Sift your powdered sugar before adding it to the frosting; it's the tiny secret that makes frosting impossibly smooth and dreamy.
  • If you accidentally overmix the batter and realize it mid-way, your cake will still be delicious, just slightly denser—and nobody ever complains about a moist cake.
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