Strawberry filled white cake is an elegant dessert made with layers of tender vanilla cake and fresh strawberry filling. Perfect for spring, summer, Valentine's Day, or any special occasion.

A slice of strawberry filled white cake on a white plate.

After several reader requests, I've turned my popular strawberry filled cupcakes recipe into a layer cake! This recipe is made with the same tender white cake, fresh strawberry filling, and whipped buttercream frosting you know and love, but now in an eye-catching two layer cake.

Cake flour and egg whites make this layer cake incredibly tender, soft, and light. Fresh strawberry filling adds the perfect amount of flavor and brightness that pairs perfectly with the sweet buttercream frosting.

Serve strawberry filled white cake at your next birthday party, potluck, anniversary, picnic, or summer party. It's perfect any time of year, but really shines in the spring and summer months when strawberries are in season.

Cake ingredients

Cake flour - I do not recommend substituting the cake flour in this recipe. Cake flour gives your cake its tender texture and small crumb. If substituted with all-purpose flour, your cake will have a coarser crumb that readers often describe as a 'cornbread' texture.
Leavening - Baking powder cannot be substituted with baking soda - the two are not interchangeable.
Salt - Enhances the flavor of your cake without making it "salty".
Unsalted butter - Adds flavor and moisture to your cake. If needed, unsalted butter can be substitute with salted butter. You'll also want to reduce the listed salt in half.
Granulated sugar - Adds the perfect amount of sweetness and moisture to your cake. Granulated white sugar is a must if you'd like your cake to turn out white. Substituting with natural cane sugar or brown sugar will change the color and (potentially) the texture of your cake.
Vanilla extract - Adds vanilla flavor to your cake.
Egg whites - Egg whites from a carton or from fresh eggs both work in this recipe. You'll need six large (US) egg whites, which is 180 grams or ¾ liquid cup.
Milk - I recommend whole milk, which adds the most moisture to your cake. This recipe will work with lower fat milks, but your cake may turn out less moist and will dry out faster.

Filling ingredients

Strawberries - Fresh, in-season strawberries, or frozen, thawed strawberries are best for this recipe.
Granulated sugar - Adds a hint of sweetness to the filling and helps act as a preservative for the fruit filling.
Lemon juice - Brightens the flavor of the filling, helps balance the sweetness with a little acidity, and helps prevent discoloration. Does not make it taste lemony.
Cornstarch - Thickens the filling made with the juices from the strawberries, lemon juice, and sugar. Depending on the juiciness of your strawberries, you may want to add a few tablespoons of water. I've made this recipe dozens of times - the juiciness of your strawberries can vary greatly. Fresh picked, in season strawberries are usually very juicy and require no extra water. Out of season strawberries tend to be a little dry in comparison.

Frosting ingredients

Unsalted butter - Unsalted butter and salt can be substituted with salted butter if desired. Make sure your butter is room temperature so that your frosting turns out smooth and velvety.
Confectioner's sugar - Necessary for a smooth texture and can't be substituted with granulated sugar. Confectioner's sugar also adds stability and structure to the frosting. I don't recommend reducing the amount of sugar listed (yes, it is a lot, it is a sweet frosting) because a less sweet buttercream frosting tastes mostly of butter. Because there are so few ingredients in this recipe, the two main ingredients (butter and sugar) can't be reduced or omitted.
Vanilla extract - Adds vanilla flavor to the frosting.
Salt - Cuts the sweetness and enhances the flavor of the frosting.
Heavy cream - Necessary to create the light and fluffy whipped texture of this frosting.

Frosting alternatives

Whipped buttercream frosting is a traditional bakery frosting that is very sweet and made primarily with butter and confectioner's sugar. It is popular because it's very easy to prepare and requires no cooking or special techniques.

If you'd prefer a less-sweet frosting, I highly recommend trying my recipe for ermine frosting. It's cooked on the stovetop and contains much less sugar than buttercream frosting.

The tangy flavor of cream cheese buttercream frosting would be a great choice for this strawberry filled cake as well.

What size pan to use

This recipe will work with two 9-inch round or 8-inch round cake pans. 8-inch round cake pans make a slightly thicker cake, which can take a few minutes longer to bake in the oven. I've included baking time estimates for both sizes in the recipe card below.

Tips and tricks

Baking a layer cake in two pans and cooking a strawberry filling in a saucepan.

Make sure your butter, egg whites, and milk are all room temperature before beginning (not melted, not cold). Room temperature ingredients emulsify when mixed and create a creamy, even batter that bakes up fluffy in the oven.
Sift or whisk your dry ingredients together. This removes clumps and helps make a smooth, even batter.
Mix your dry ingredients just enough to incorporate them into the batter. Overmixing can overwork the gluten, causing your cake to turn out tough.
I recommend using a hand mixer on medium speed for creaming together your butter, sugar, and egg whites. Then, switch to low speed for the dry ingredients and milk.

How to prevent dry cake

Here are some of my favorite tips, taken from my post 10 tips for baking cake, to help make sure your strawberry filled white cake turns out moist and tender!

Do not substitute ingredients. The fats and sugar (butter, whole milk, granulated sugar, and egg whites) in this recipe help keep your cake moist. Substituting those ingredients will change the texture and moisture in your cake.
Properly measure your flour. Too much flour can cause your cake to turn out dry. Either use a kitchen scale to weigh your flour (this is what I do and recommend), or spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level off with a knife. Scooping with the measuring cup directly from a bin of flour compacts it into the cup, adding up to 25% extra flour to the recipe.
Do not overbake your cake. If you haven't substituted ingredients, the only other reason your cake will turn out dry is from overbaking.
Watch your cake, not the time. Ovens are inconsistent and can run hotter or colder than the next oven. The time that worked for me may not work for you. Start checking your cake 5 minutes early for doneness.
If your oven bakes unevenly, rotate your cake pan(s) halfway through baking.
Three easy ways to check for doneness: 1. Does your cake jiggle a lot when you move the pan? It's not done yet. 2. Gently press on the top of the cake with your finger. If the cake pops back up immediately, it's done. If an indentation is left, your cake needs more time. 3. Poke a toothpick into the center of your cake - if it comes out clean or with dry crumbs, your cake is done.
Do not slice into hot cake. Wait until your cake has cooled completely to room temperature before slicing. Otherwise, you'll release steam (moisture) from the cake if it's still warm.
This is a baker's secret (optional, but effective!) - brush simple syrup over your cake before frosting. A layer of simple syrup helps keep the cake moist for longer. Simple syrup is a 1:1 ratio of water and granulated sugar, brought to a boil on the stove top until dissolved, then cooled to room temperature. I'd suggest about ¼ cup or more for this size cake.

Cake assembly

Assembling a white cake with strawberry filling.

Gently flip and remove cooled cakes from their pans. Trim the rounded tops with a serrated knife to make flat layers. Place a dab of buttercream on your cake plate (to secure your cake) and top with one cake layer (cut side down). Pipe frosting around the top edge of this layer to create a wall to hold your filling.
Pour strawberry filling into your frosting wall and spread to the edges in an even layer.
Top with the second cake layer (cut side down).
Carefully spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake in an even layer.

Cake storage

Lifting a slice of white cake with strawberry filling from a cake plate.

Strawberry filled white cake is best enjoyed the same day as baking, if possible. If not serving the same day, cake should be stored in the refrigerator due to the fresh fruit filling.

Frosted whole cake will keep for 2-3 days in the refrigerator and will dry out over time. The fresh fruit filling will also begin to break down. Sliced pieces will dry out faster than if the cake is left whole (the frosting helps insulate and protect the cake).

Allow refrigerated cake to sit at room temperature for one hour before serving.

Buttercream frosting melts around 90 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit and should not be displayed outdoors in direct sunlight, especially in warmer or tropical weather.

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