Elegant and bursting with true strawberry flavor, this Vanilla Cake with Strawberry Filling is the perfect way to celebrate any summer occasion.
Rich pastry cream and a luscious roasted strawberry filling are sandwiched between two layers of tender vanilla cake and topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries....it's the perfect show-stopping dessert for any summer celebration, gathering or weekend dinner that you have coming up in the next few months.
So what are we waiting for? Let me introduce you to this delicious (and surprisingly easy) homemade Vanilla Cake with Strawberry Filling.
Why This Recipe Works
- The vanilla cake layers are tender, moist and light in texture....the perfect compliment to the strawberries and cream.
- The simple strawberry filling is roasted in the oven to create a delicious jam-like concoction that tastes deeply of strawberries.
- In addition to the roasted strawberry filling, there is also a layer of rich vanilla pastry cream sandwiched between the cake layers, which provides a luxurious strawberries-and-cream flavor.
- The assembled cake is downright stunning and so easy to put together!
The Ingredients
There are essentially four components to this cake: The cake layers, the roasted strawberry filling, the pastry cream and the whipped cream and fresh strawberries that finish the cake.
For the Cake:
For the Pastry Cream:
For the Filling:
To Assemble the Cake:
A few ingredients that are worth noting:
- Cake flour has less protein than all-purpose flour (and therefore less gluten) and creates an exceptionally tender, delicate crumb in this cake.
- A mixture of canola oil (or another type of neutral vegetable oil) and butter gives this cake both delicious flavor and a moist, tender texture.
- I use half and half (A mixture of whole milk and cream) to make my pastry cream. You can certainly use just milk or just cream, but I really like the balanced richness that comes from a mix of the two. If you don't want to buy half and half in addition to the other dairy products called for in this recipe, you can simply make your own by combining 1 part whole milk with 1 part cream.
Equipment Needed
- 2 9-inch round cake pans
- parchment paper
- heavy-duty stand mixer or hand mixer
- pastry bag with a large pastry tip or a gallon-sized plastic Ziploc bag
How to Make This Recipe
- Begin by roasting the strawberries for the filling: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Toss 1 pound of quartered strawberries with ¼ cup of sugar and a pinch of salt in a square baking dish. Stir to combine. Roast for 20 minutes, and then give the strawberries a stir. Roast for 20 minutes more. Remove from the oven and mash the strawberries with a fork or potato masher until they are a jam-like consistency. Set aside to cool.
- Make the cake layers. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Cut out two 9-inch rounds from a piece of parchment paper. Butter two 9-inch cake pans. Line the bottom of the cake pans with the parchment rounds. Butter the parchment. Dust the inside of the cake pans with flour and tap out the excess. Set aside.
- Whisk the cake flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla together on medium-high speed until light in texture and pale yellow in color, about 2-3 minutes.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients. Mix until just incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Heat the milk in a medium saucepan until it just begins to simmer. Add the butter and oil and stir until the butter has melted completely.
- Return the mixer to low speed and slowly pour the hot milk mixture into the batter. Mix until just smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl and the whisk as necessary.
- Remove the bowl for the mixer and scrape the batter evenly into the two prepared cake pans.
- Bake for about 30 minutes or until cakes are golden brown and a skewer inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean.
- While the cake is baking, make the pastry cream. Whisk the egg yolks, cornstarch, half and half and sugar together in a medium saucepan. Add the butter (it will melt once we start the cooking process). Place pan over medium low heat and whisk constantly until the mixture is smooth and thick, about 3-5 minutes. Strain the pastry cream through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl. Stir in the vanilla. Place a piece of parchment paper directly on top of the pastry cream, followed by a layer of plastic wrap (this prevents it from forming a skin). Refrigerate until you are ready to assemble the cake.
- Once everything has cooled to room temperature, make the whipped cream and assemble the cake. Place the cream, powdered sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on medium-high to high speed until the cream can hold relatively firm medium peaks.
- Spoon ½ a cup of the whipped cream into the bowl with the cooled pastry cream. Whisk to combine. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a wide tip (or simply use a gallon storage bag with ½ inch size hole cut out of one of the corners) with the remaining whipped cream.
- Place one cake layer on the bottom of a serving plate. Make a border of alternating dollops of whipped cream and halved strawberries, cut side down. Spread some of the pastry cream evenly in the center of the border (you will have some pastry cream leftover). Using a slotted spoon, top the pastry cream with some of the roasted strawberries, taking care to leave most of the juices behind in the bowl (again, you will have some roasted strawberries left over).
- Place the second cake layer on top of the strawberry filling layer. Create dollops of whipped cream over the top of the cake and arrange fresh strawberries over the top, finishing with a whole strawberry for garnish. Serve immediately or cover carefully with plastic wrap and chill until ready to serve (up to a few hours ahead).
Expert Tips
- Be sure to gently spoon and level the cake flour when measuring your ingredients. Or better yet, weigh the flour for the most accurate measurement. 2 cups of cake flour should weigh 240 grams.
- Don't overmix the cake batter. Mix at a low speed and just until everything is smooth and comes together. This helps our cake to be tender in texture rather than tough.
- Be sure to strain the pastry cream. Pastry cream contains egg yolks, and even if we are stirring it constantly as it cooks, it's quite likely you might have small bits of cooked egg in the final result. Straining the pastry cream removes any unsightly bits of egg and produces a perfectly smooth and luxurious final result.
- Don't over whip the whipped cream. Whipped cream can go from perfectly billowy to curdled in appearance VERY quickly. Keep a close eye on it as it whips. You want it to hold medium-stiff peaks and not be overly stiff.
- Use a serrated knife to cut the cake. This will create cleaner slices.
FAQs
What makes this cake Swedish/Scandinavian?
The Nordic countries are known for their wild summer berries so it's not surprising that strawberry cake is a classic warm weather dessert all over the region. In Norway this cake is known as Bløtkake and is a popular dessert for Syttende Mai (May 17, Norwegian Constitution Day). In Sweden it is called Midsommartårta and is customarily enjoyed for Swedish Midsummer celebrations in June. The summer strawberry cake is a Scandinavian classic and one that anyone interested in Nordic baking should have in their repertoire.
Can I make this cake in advance?
Most of the components can be made in advance, but it's best to assemble the cake right before serving. The pastry cream can be stored, tightly sealed, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The roasted strawberry filling can be stored, tightly sealed, in the refrigerator for up to a week. The cake layers can be wrapped tightly in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to 24 hours. The cake layers can also be frozen for up to 6 weeks (wrapped in plastic and tightly sealed inside a freezer bag). Wait to make the whipped cream at the time you assemble the cake.
Elegant and bursting with true strawberry and cream flavor, this easy cake is the perfect way to celebrate summer and impress your guests with what is a surprisingly easy baking project. Looking for more Scandinavian-inspired recipes for strawberries? Give these a try:
Recipe
Vanilla Cake with Strawberry Filling (Swedish Midsummer Cake)
A show-stopping celebration cake filled with roasted strawberries and pastry cream and topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries. Perfect for any summer occasion!
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Servings: 10 servings (one 9-inch layer cake)
Calories: 574kcal
Equipment
- 2 9 inch round cake pans
- Stand or hand mixer
- Pastry bag with large tip or gallon-sized plastic storage bag
Ingredients
For the Roasted Strawberry Filling:
- 1 pound strawberries quartered
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- Pinch of fine salt
For the Cake Layers:
- 2 cups cake flour spooned and leveled (240 grams)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¼ cup unsalted butter cut into tablespoons
- ⅓ cup canola or vegetable oil
For the Pastry Cream Filling:
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 cup half and half
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of fine salt
For the Whipped Cream:
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
To Assemble the Cake:
- Roasted Strawberry Filling
- Cake Layers
- Pastry Cream Filling
- Whipped Cream
- 2-3 cups strawberries halved
Instructions
- Make the Roasted Strawberry Filling: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine strawberries, sugar and salt in an 8 inch square baking dish. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir briefly. Return to the oven and roast for an additional 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly. Mash mixture with the back of a fork until it is a jam-like texture. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Filling should be completely cool before assembling the cake. (Filling can be made up to a week in advance).
- Make the Cake Layers: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter two 9 inch cake rounds. Place a 9 inch circle of parchment paper on the bottom of each pan. Butter the parchment paper. Flour the inside of the pans. Set aside.
- Whisk the cake flour, salt and baking powder together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Combine sugar, eggs and extracts in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, mix on medium high until the mixture is light in color and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients. Mix on low until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium-low heat until just simmering. Turn off the heat and add the butter and oil and stir until the butter has melted completely.
- Return the mixer to low speed and slowly pour the hot milk mixture into the batter. Mix until just smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl and whisk as necessary.
- Divide the cake batter equally between the prepared pans. Bake until golden brown and a tester poked into the center of each cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Set cakes aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, make the Pastry Cream Filling: Whisk the egg yolks, cornstarch, half and half, salt and sugar together in a medium saucepan. Add the butter. Place the pan over medium low heat and whisk constantly until mixture is smooth and thick, about 3-5 minutes. Strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl. Stir in vanilla. Place a piece of parchment paper directly on top of the pastry cream, followed by a layer of plastic wrap (this prevents the custard from forming a skin). Refrigerate until you are ready to use. Pastry cream should be completely cool before assembling the cake. (Pastry Cream Filling can be made up to 2 days in advance.)
- When you are ready to assemble the cake, make the Whipped Cream: Place the cream, powderer sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on medium-high to high speed until the cream can hold relatively stiff medium peaks. Spoon ½ a cup of the whipped cream into the bowl with the cooled pastry cream. Whisk to combine. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a wide tip (or simply use a gallon storage bag with ½ inch size hole cut out of one of the corners) with the remaining whipped cream.
- Assemble the cake: Place one cake layer on the bottom of a serving plate. Make a border of alternating dollops of whipped cream and halved strawberries, cut side down. Spread some pastry cream evenly in the center of the border (you will have some pastry cream leftover). Using a slotted spoon, top the pastry cream with some of the roasted strawberries, taking care to leave most of the juices behind in the bowl (again, you will have some roasted strawberries left over).
- Place the second cake layer on top of the strawberry filling layer. Pipe dollops of whipped cream over the top of the cake and arrange fresh strawberries over the top, finishing with a whole strawberry for garnish. Serve immediately or cover carefully with plastic wrap and chill until ready to serve (up to a few hours ahead).
Notes
Be sure to gently spoon and level your cake flour when measuring. Or better yet, weigh the flour instead. 2 cups of cake flour should weigh 240 grams.
Most of the cake components can be made in advance, but it's best to assemble the cake no more than a few hours before serving. The pastry cream can be stored, tightly sealed, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The roasted strawberry filling can be stored, tightly sealed, in the refrigerator for up to a week. The cake layers can be wrapped tightly in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to 24 hours. The cake layers can also be frozen for up to 6 weeks (wrapped in plastic and tightly sealed inside a freezer bag). Wait to make the whipped cream at the time you assemble the cake. Once the cake is assembled, lightly (and carefully) cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.
Using a serrated knife will help make clean cake slices.
Nutrition
Calories: 574kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 170mg | Sodium: 378mg | Potassium: 281mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 48g | Vitamin A: 1152IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 165mg | Iron: 1mg
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Meeti says
Hi I have made this cake on many occasions and we love it. My son is obsessed with blueberries and wanted to see if I can do a blueberry filling instead of a strawberry middle? will it change the cake too much?
Kristi says
You can totally do that! Sounds delicious. If you are making the blueberry filling from scratch, I might add a bit of cornstarch to make sure it is thick enough and stays put in the cake. Please report back if you give it a try!
Kristi
Cris says
This has never not been a hit. It’s light but sweet, making it perfect for sharing in the summer heat.
Personally, due to a family member being horrendously lactose-intolerant, I switch out the heavy cream with County Crock and it ends up feeling even lighter when eaten than when using traditional cream.
All in all, not only does this recipe take substitution of ingredients well, but it holds up tasting as delicious as ever!!! Highly recommend!
Kristi says
Thanks so much for your feedback, Cris! I'm glad it's been so adaptable for you.
Kristi
Peter says
Hello. Lovely recipe. My cakes came out very thin. How much height should they get? I’m worried I over mixed. Should I remake the cake?
Kristi says
Hi Peter,
Mine are usually an inch and a quarter or an inch and a half thick. I think I would use them even if they are thinner than you would like. I'm sure they will taste great. I wonder if your leavener was possibly old and not working properly?
Kristi
Peter says
Even though it was a little less than an inch and a quarter thick, I served it and it was delicious! It was a hit. Thank you.
Kristi says
So glad to here that! Thanks for getting back to me!
Kristi
Kristi says
Hi Christine! So glad it was enjoyed by all. Thanks so much for your feedback!
Kristi
Christine says
It was a hit! I made the cakes jam and pastry cream the night before and then did the whipped cream in the morning and assembled. Left it in the fridge until serving. Not a single crumb was left and everyone raved about it! It was the perfect midsummer desert. I used all purpose flour since I couldn’t find cake flour, it probably wasn’t a fluffy as it could have but still moist and tender. Also used Mexican vanilla since I was just gifted some. I used all of the pastry cream and jam, didn’t have any remaining. Thanks for a wonderful recipe - I will definitely make again!
Libby says
The best cake recipe EVER! I made this once last year and again this year for a celebratory cake. It's basically a week-long process of prepping each component but everything comes out so perfect and I follow the recipe to a T. Only thing is that the pastry cream definitely takes longer to thicken than 3-5 minutes. After the butter melts it takes closer to 10-15 mins. Definitely will plan on making this yearly!
Kristi says
Libby,
Thanks so much for your comment! I'm so glad you enjoyed the cake. It's definitely one of my favorites!
Kristi
Christine says
I’m thinking of making this for a midsummer party but I’d love to be able to assemble it a bit early before my guests arrive. How long would you say the cake would last in the fridge fully assembled? Could I get away with assembling this in the morning and serving in the evening? Thanks in advance!
Kristi says
Hi Christine,
You definitely could assemble it in the morning. Gently cover with plastic wrap before storing it in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. Hope this helps!
Kristi
Steph says
The salt was not mentioned in the pastry cream. The batter is very liquid— is that right?
Kristi says
Hi Steph,
Thanks for letting me know! I edited the recipe just now. The batter should be pourable.
Kristi
Kristi says
An easy, elegant summertime cake!
Lynn says
Thank you, thank you! The cake for my granddaughter’s birthday was a success! It was absolutely delicious and enjoyed by all. I only had 8 inch rounds so I used those instead of the 9 inch and it was wonderful. Looking forward to more of your delicious recipes!
Kristi says
Hi Lynn,
Yay! I'm so glad the cake was a big hit. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave me your feedback! It is greatly appreciated.
Kristi
Lynn says
Hi, if I can’t find fresh strawberries, can I use whole thawed frozen strawberries? Thank you. I want to make this for my granddaughter’s birthday.
Kristi says
Hi Lynn!
You can definitely use frozen strawberries for the filling. Sometimes once they are defrosted, frozen berries don't "look" as nice as fresh berries so I'm not sure if they will work as well for the top. But they will still taste great either way!
Kristi
Lynn says
Perfect! Thank you! I’m making it this weekend for my granddaughters birthday.
Kristi says
Hi Lynn!
Enjoy the cake! It's so perfect for any celebration. And happy birthday to your granddaughter!
Kristi
Carol says
I made this for a bunch of Swedes lol and they loved it ! I made a 9" and an 8" because I thought the 9" so thin and they both came out beautiful except the pastry cream I could not get it right and just the butter just solidifies
on top I don't know what I was doing wrong but I used a different pastry cream recipe and it worked great. I'm going to try it again to see what I did wrong lol.
Kristi says
Hi Carol,
I'm so glad you enjoyed the cake! Thanks for taking the time to let me know how it turned out. That's interesting about the pastry cream....I wonder what happened? I will double check my recipe instructions and make sure I haven't missed something on my end. Happy baking to you!
Kristi
HollyC says
Thank you! I will try this recipe and I love that your roasted the strawberries.
Kristi says
Hi Holly! I tried several different fillings before landing on the roasted strawberries. They are SO delicious and worth a little extra effort. Let me know how it turns out!
Natalie says
I love strawberry desserts! This cake looks and sounds so delicious!
Kristi says
Thank you, Natalie! I love strawberry desserts, too. I've got another one coming later this week so stay tuned!