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If you’ve ever wondered whether you could get all the flavors you love about strawberry shortcake in a cake that’s actually easy to slice and serve, give this recipe a try. It’s not your usual butter-laden sponge here, oil keeps things moist without making the crumb heavy, and the whipped cream topping is fluffy enough to make even a warm kitchen feel doable. I’m not saying it’s foolproof, but you’ll probably be surprised by how well everything holds together, slice after slice.

Instead of relying on some fancy technique, this cake really comes down to a few baking basics done right. Oil coats the flour more evenly than butter tends to, preventing those tough patches that sometimes show up in less forgiving cakes. There’s also a careful balance between baking powder and a little acid from the strawberries, which seems to keep the rise even and helps the cake avoid the dreaded gumminess that can happen with juicy fruit. And, honestly, using room temperature eggs and milk? It’s one of those small things that somehow makes a noticeable difference your batter just whips up smoother, and you’ll end up with a lighter crumb. Maybe not as light as something with egg whites or meringue, but for an easy, everyday cake, it’s impressive.

Let’s talk ingredients.

You’ll need 200 grams of all-purpose flour (that’s about 1 2/3 cups), 30 grams of cornstarch (¼ cup) to keep things tender, 8 grams of baking powder, a pinch of salt, and 220 grams of sugar. Then grab 3 eggs at room temperature, 90 grams of neutral oil (sunflower works, or vegetable), 120 grams of whole milk, 5 ml of real vanilla extract, 400 grams of fresh strawberries, and for topping, 480 grams of heavy cream (at least 35% fat) and 45 grams of icing sugar. If you’re nervous about your whipped cream, throw in a teaspoon of cornstarch or a tablespoon of milk powder to help it stay put.

What You Need To Make It:

You’ll want two 8-inch round cake pans make sure they have sides at least 2 inches high plus mixing bowls, a kitchen scale (trust me, it’s worth it), a whisk or electric mixer, and an oven that fits both pans at once. An offset spatula isn’t essential, but it does make spreading the cream a lot easier. Use a chilled metal bowl for whipping, if you can.

Here’s how you make it:

1. Prep and Preheat: Butter your pans or line them with parchment; set your oven to 175°C (350°F).

1. Dry Mix: Sift together your flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt—you want this looking fluffy, no lumps.

1. Wet Mix: Beat the eggs and sugar together for a couple of minutes until things look pale and have thickened up a bit. Add oil, milk, and vanilla, and mix just until everything’s combined. No need to overdo it.

1. Combine: Add the dry ingredients to the wet, folding in gently until there are no more streaks. The batter should fall off your spatula in a thick ribbon.

1. Bake: Divide your batter between pans, give each a couple good taps on the counter (to knock out air bubbles), and bake for 25–30 minutes, swapping racks halfway. When a skewer comes out clean and the edges barely pull away, you’re good.

1. Cool: Let the cakes cool in their pans for 10 minutes, then flip out onto a rack. Once they’re cool, trim the tops if needed.

1. Strawberries: Hull and slice your berries, toss with a spoonful of sugar, and let them sit for 10 minutes to sweeten and release a little juice.

1. Cream: Whip the cream in your chilled bowl until soft peaks form, add the icing sugar a bit at a time, and stop when the cream barely holds its shape. Don’t over-whip, or you’ll break the cream—better to err on the side of floppy.

1. Assemble: Stack your cakes with a thin layer of cream and half the strawberries in between. Frost the sides and top lightly, leaving the sides mostly “naked.” Decorate with more berries, whole or halved.

If things go sideways:

• Sunken cake? It’s probably underbaked or maybe you added a bit too much baking powder. Bake longer, and measure everything carefully.
• Dry? Easy to overbake, so check a bit earlier next time, and don’t skimp on the oil.
• Dense or gummy? Did you sift and fold everything in evenly? Uneven mixing can give you gooey spots.
• Cracked top? Oven might run hot, or maybe the temp spiked. An oven thermometer could help here.
• Cream falls apart? Over-whipping, or maybe your kitchen’s too warm. Try stabilizing with cornstarch next time.

For the folks with special diets:

• Egg-free: Swap in yogurt; the cake will be a bit denser but still moist.
• Dairy-free: Use coconut milk and coconut cream instead.
• Gluten-free: Try a certified blend, but avoid overmixing.
• Flavor swap: Add lemon zest or a pinch of cinnamon for something different.

If you’re scaling up or down, just remember: reduce everything by 25% for 6-inch pans, or make a bunch of cupcakes (bake for 18–20 minutes).

This cake is best eaten within a day on the counter, but you can keep it in the fridge (the berries will weep a bit, but nothing major). You can even freeze the unfrosted layers for a couple of months—just wrap them up tight—and assemble later.

Serve it with a spoonful of extra macerated berries, maybe a drizzle of vanilla custard, or just a light dusting of powdered sugar.

A few kitchen notes:

The first time I tried this with butter instead of oil, the cake was a little dry. Oil gave it a closer-to-perfect crumb. Also, I once tried to save time by skipping the stabilizer in the whipped cream, and let’s just say it didn’t end well—now I always chill my bowl and add milk powder, and I’ve never looked back. As for the berries, 400 grams seems to be the sweet spot. Too many, and your cake layers will slide.

Nutrition estimate: Around 290 kcal, 18 g fat, 28 g carbs, 4 g protein per slice. (Of course, this depends on brands and serving sizes, so take it with a grain of salt.)

Easy Strawberry Shortcake Cake for Any Occasion

Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy, Medium

Servings

10

servings

Prep time

25

minutes

Cooking time

25

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Total time

1

hour 

40

minutes

Cooling & Assembly: 45 minutes

A light and airy vanilla sponge layered with fresh strawberries and sweetened whipped cream, this Strawberry Shortcake Cake delivers the nostalgic flavors of strawberry shortcake in a slice‑friendly cake form. Moist crumb, stable cream, and a balance of tart berries with creamy sweetness make this cake perfect for birthdays, tea times, and summer celebrations.

Ingredients

Cake Layers (8‑inch, 2 layers)

• 200 g (1 ⅔ cups) all‑purpose flour

• 30 g (¼ cup) cornstarch

• 8 g (2 tsp) baking powder

• 3 g (½ tsp) fine salt

• 220 g (1 cup + 2 tbsp) granulated sugar

• 3 large eggs, room temperature (150 g without shell)

• 90 g (½ cup) neutral oil (sunflower/vegetable)

• 120 g (½ cup) whole milk, room temperature

• 5 ml (1 tsp) pure vanilla extract

• Filling and Topping

• 400 g (about 3 cups) fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

• 1 tbsp granulated sugar (for macerating strawberries)

• 480 g (2 cups) heavy cream, minimum 35% fat, chilled

• 45 g (6 tbsp) icing sugar (powdered sugar

• Optional stabilizer: 1 tsp cornstarch or 1 tbsp milk powder

Directions

• Prep oven and pans
  Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F).
  Line cake pans with parchment and lightly grease sides. Place rack in middle.
• Mix dry ingredients
  Sift together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  Visual cue: mixture should look light and clump‑free.
• Mix wet ingredients
  In a large bowl, whisk eggs and sugar for 2–3 minutes until pale and slightly thick.
  Add oil, milk, and vanilla. Whisk until glossy and smooth.
• Combine batter
  Fold dry ingredients into wet in 2–3 additions.
  Visual cue: batter should ribbon off spatula for 5–6 seconds. Do not overmix.
• Bake the cakes
  Divide batter evenly between pans. Tap pans gently on counter to release air bubbles.
  Bake 25–30 minutes, rotating pans halfway through.
  Doneness test: golden top, edges pulling away, skewer clean, internal temp 96–98°C (205–208°F).
• Cool and level
  Let cakes cool in pans 10 minutes, then invert onto rack.
  Once fully cooled, level the tops with serrated knife if needed.
• Prepare strawberries
  Toss sliced strawberries with 1 tbsp sugar. Let sit 10 minutes to release juices.
• Whip cream
  Chill bowl and beaters before starting.
  Whip cream to soft peaks. Add icing sugar gradually.
  Whip to medium peaks (tips bend like a hook). Avoid over‑whipping.
• Assemble cake
  Place one cake layer on plate. Spread whipped cream, then half the strawberries.
  Top with second cake layer, repeat cream and strawberries.
  Cover top and sides with thin coat of whipped cream (semi‑naked style).
  Decorate with extra strawberries.
  

Notes

• Storage and Make‑Ahead
  Counter: 1 day in covered cake carrier.
  Fridge: Up to 3 days; bring to room temp before serving. Stabilized cream holds better.
  Freezer: Cake layers (unfrosted) freeze up to 2 months. Wrap well, thaw overnight in fridge then 1 hour at room temp.
  Not freezer‑friendly: Whipped cream and fresh strawberries.
• Recipe Notes & Tips
  Use oil instead of butter for a consistently moist, tender crumb.
  Always let eggs and milk come to room temperature for better aeration.
  Chilled bowl + milk powder in cream = longer stability.
  400 g strawberries is the sweet spot. More tends to cause slipping between layers.