Strawberry Shortcake Cake
” This strawberry shortcake cake is the bees knees!! Fluffy cream cheese whipped cream frosting and sweet fresh strawberries on a decadent sour cream almond cake! “
Watch me make this strawberry shortcake cake from start to finish!
My brother FINALLY got married last month, and it was truly one of the most breathtaking outdoor weddings I’ve ever attended.
The ceremony took place on the stunning sound in Salvo, North Carolina, and the setting was nothing short of magical. The sun that day had a vibrant halo rainbow around it, and a gentle breeze swayed through the cattails and carried the bride’s long veil like something straight out of a romance novel.
It’s like Mother Nature pulled out all the stops to make that day a show stopper, concluding with the most ethereal orange and purple sunset that looked like the perfect photoshop.
The ceremony itself was super intimate, filled with heartfelt speeches, funny stories, and moving tributes to close family members who have passed away, like my mother and Grandma Barb.
Instead of a mother-son dance, my brother called my sisters and me up to dance with him to one of my mother’s favorite songs. “Heaven” by BB & CC Winans.
The entire atmosphere was charged with so much love, support, and family. Words don’t even do it justice.
And then there was the food: tender grilled steak, whipped garlic potatoes, and a crisp pear salad.
The vibe was the perfect blend of classy elegance and playful charm, just like the couple themselves. Instead of a traditional wedding cake, they served gourmet ice cream sandwiches—a fun, unexpected twist that everyone loved.
Bring on the Strawberry Shortcake Cake
If my husband and I could do our wedding all over again, I’d definitely skip the tiered cake too and go with something more personal and nostalgic, like strawberry shortcake cake served in little parfait glasses. Simple, elegant, and down to earth.
The strawberry shortcake cake recipe I’m sharing with you today is exactly that- laid-back enough to serve after a casual BBQ and elegant enough for special occasions.
It’s inspired by these strawberry shortcake bars, but with a sour cream almond cake instead!
I think you’ll love it!
The almond sour cream cake
What kind of cake is best for strawberry shortcake? While traditional Southern strawberry shortcake is usually served on a biscuit, I absolutely love this almond sour cream cake as a base.
It’s a nice break from the popular chiffon, sponge, angel food cake, or vanilla cake. And let me tell ya, it has the BEST buttery flavor and texture. It gives wedding cake vibes for sure!
The hint of almond pairs so well with strawberries and cream. The flavors are just incredible together. I don’t think I can ever go back to any other cake for strawberry shortcake at this point!
The Whipped Frosting
Unlike a traditional strawberry shortcake that uses only whipped cream or Cool Whip, this strawberry shortcake cake has a frosting that uses tangy cream cheese!
The homemade whipped cream is combined with the sweetened and whipped cream cheese to create a heavenly frosting that you’ll want to devour plain.
Fresh strawberries or frozen strawberries
You can use fresh or frozen strawberries for this strawberry shortcake cake. If using frozen strawberries, be sure to let them thaw out all the way and drain. If your fresh strawberries are already sweet, you can totally skip this sugar.
How to make a strawberry shortcake cake
INGREDIENTS
Strawberries
- Strawberries, hulled and diced
- granulated sugar
Whipped Cream Frosting
- heavy whipping cream, cold
- powdered sugar
- cream cheese, room temperature
- vanilla extract
Cake
- All-purpose flour
- baking powder
- salt
- granulated sugar
- unsalted butter, room temperature
- sour cream
- large eggs
- heavy whipping cream
- almond milk (Use Original)
- water
- vanilla extract
- almond extract
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and lightly flour a 9×13-inch glass pan. Set aside.
- Add the diced fresh strawberries to a large bowl and stir in the granulated sugar. (You can add a squeeze of lemon if desired. If your strawberries are sweet, you can skip the sugar. Set aside.
- To make the whipped cream frosting, add heavy whipping cream, 1/4 cup of powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to a medium bowl and mix just until the mixture can hold stiff peaks when the beaters are lifted. Set aside.
- Add cream cheese and remaining powdered sugar to a separate large mixing bowl. Mix on high speed until light and fluffy.
- Fold in the stabilized whipped cream by hand or on low speed until well combined. Place in the fridge to chill.
- To make the cake, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and add the butter and sour cream.
- Mix only the butter and sour cream. Next, add the eggs, heavy whipping cream, almond milk, and water to the well and mix until combined.
- Slowly begin mixing in the flour mixture until it is well combined. (It’s ok if the batter is slightly lumpy)
- Mix in the almond extract and vanilla extract.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 35 minutes on the middle rack. (Total time may vary) It’s done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs clinging to it.
- Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack until completely cooled. Set aside.
- To arrange the cake, spread the whipped cream mixture over the cooled cake. Using a slotted spoon, top with the diced strawberries.
- Chill for about 30 minutes if desired before slicing to make slicing neater.
- Slice and serve the same day. Garnish with fresh mint if desired.
- Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days.
Tips for making the BEST strawberry shortcake cake
- Put the strawberry shortcake together a few hours before you want to serve it, if possible. This will keep all the layers fresh. To save time, you can prepare the cake a day ahead. It comes together really quickly.
- Use the best ingredients. Fresh eggs, full-fat sour cream, heavy cream, ripe strawberries, and quality extracts are the way to go!
- Refrigerate leftovers. Leftovers will remain fresh for 2-3 days, however the strawberries will begin to lose their color a bit. Be sure to cover tightly.
- Use the right whipped cream. A full-fat heavy whipping cream or whipping cream with at least 36% fat will make for the best whipped cream. Be careful not to overmix the heavy whipping cream, or it will deflate.
- You can add a bit of lemon juice or even strawberry jam to the strawberries if desired.
- Feel free to add a 1/2 teaspoon of strawberry extract to the whipped cream if desired.
How to store strawberry shortcake cake
This cake is best served within 24 hours of making it. I like to assemble it a few hours before serving just to ensure that everything tastes as fresh as possible.
Leftover strawberry shortcake cake can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days.
This strawberry shortcake cake does not freeze and thaw well, so I don’t recommend freezing it.
Fun Twists
Looking to change it up? Here are a few fun and delicious versions to try.
- Add chocolate! Chocolate and strawberries are a match made in heaven! Try garnishing with a few tablespoons of melted chocolate.
- Add other mixed fruits. Add other colorful mixed fruits like kiwi, blueberries, peaches, and pineapples, along with strawberries.
- Make it lemony! Think strawberry lemonade, and can add a bit of lemon zest to the batter. Swap out the salmon extract for lemon extract.
FAQS
Can I make this as a layer cake? Sure can! You can use 3 round cake pans. The layers will be thin enough to stack.
Can I use Cool Whip instead of whipped cream? Yes, you can use 16 ounces of Cool Whip. However, the rich flavor and texture will not be the same.
Do I need to add baking soda to this recipe? No, this sour cream almond cake does not contain or need baking soda.
Can I line the pan with parchment paper instead of greasing and flouring it? Yes, you can. I prefer to grease and flour when making in a sheet pan, though.
Can I use vegetable oil instead of butter? Butter gives the cake flavor and texture, making it so amazing as the base for strawberry shortcake. Stick to butter!
Can I add different extracts? Sure, you can increase the teaspoons of vanilla extract, add strawberry extract, or more almond extract.
Can I add gelatin to the strawberries? I’ve never tried this before.
Looking for more strawberry shortcake desserts? Check these out!
Get the Recipe:
Strawberry Shortcake Cake
Ingredients
Strawberry Topping
- 2 lbs fresh strawberries (washed, stemmed, hulled and diced)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
Whipped Cream Frosting
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream, cold (atleast 36% fat)
- 1¼ cup powdered sugar, divided
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 16 oz cream cheese, room temperature
Almond Sour Cream Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, very soft
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup almond milk (Original)
- ¼ cup water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 teaspoons almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and lightly flour a 9×13-inch glass pan. Set aside.
Prepare the Strawberry Topping (see note below)
- Add the diced fresh strawberries to a large bowl and stir in the granulated sugar. (You can add a squeeze of lemon if desired) Set aside to allow the strawberries to get syrupy.2 lbs fresh strawberries (washed, stemmed, hulled and diced), ¼ cup granulated sugar
Make the Whipped Frosting
- To make the whipped cream frosting, add heavy whipping cream, 1/4 cup of powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to a medium bowl and mix just until the mixture can hold stiff peaks when the beaters are lifted. Set aside.2 cups heavy whipping cream, cold, 1¼ cup powdered sugar, divided, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add cream cheese and remaining powdered sugar (1 cup) to a separate large mixing bowl. Mix on high speed until light and fluffy.16 oz cream cheese, room temperature, 1¼ cup powdered sugar, divided
- Fold in the stabilized whipped cream by hand or on low speed until well combined. Place in the fridge to chill.
Make the Cake
- To make the cake, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl.2 cups all-purpose flour, 2½ teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup granulated sugar
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and add the butter and sour cream.½ cup unsalted butter, very soft, 1 cup sour cream
- Mix only the butter and sour cream. Next, add the eggs, heavy whipping cream, almond milk, and water to the well and mix until combined.2 large eggs, room temperature, ½ cup heavy whipping cream, ½ cup almond milk (Original), ¼ cup water
- Slowly begin mixing in the flour mixture until it is well combined. (It's ok if the batter is slightly lumpy)
- Mix in the almond extract and vanilla extract.1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1-2 teaspoons almond extract
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 35 minutes on the middle rack. (Total time may vary) It's done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs clinging to it.
- Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack until completely cooled. Set aside.
- To arrange the cake, spread the whipped cream mixture over the cooled cake. Using a slotted spoon, top with the diced strawberries.
- Chill for about 30 minutes if desired to make slicing neater.
- Slice and serve the same day. Garnish with fresh mint if desired.
- Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days.
I made this cake 2x. The first one I threw out because it was hard (like using inside) so I made another and same thing. Is their baking soda missing from the ingredients? The taste is very good but definitely not fluffy, more like pudding wet. I’m a very good baker not sure what went wrong 2x.
This was fantastic! Delicious and very fresh tasting!
If I make this into a layer cake and place some of the frosting and strawberries between the layers, will the cake get soggy? I was thinking about cooking the strawberries down a bit in a pan first.
This should be fine!
For years I have been adding almond extract to strawberries — anything I make with strawberries, in fact, even jam. I thought it was my secret ingredient. Now my secret is oiled!
Can I just use half and half for all the liquid? Or will it mess it all up!