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A rectangular piece of cake with white cream frosting and strawberry jam filling is on a round plate with a silver spoon.

Vanilla Strawberry Cake

This vanilla strawberry cake is light, creamy, and full of fresh strawberry flavor. A soft, airy sponge is layered with homemade strawberry jam and a rich cream cheese frosting that holds everything together beautifully. It looks impressive, but it's much more approachable than it seems, and every bite is worth it.
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Chilling: 4 hours
Total Time: 5 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 10 pieces
Calories: 430kcal
Author: Anna

Equipment

  • 1 11 x 16-inch (28 x 40 cm) jelly roll pan
  • 1 Hand mixer
  • 1 Rubber spatula
  • 3 Mixing bowls
  • 1 Parchment paper
  • Piping bags

Ingredients

For the jam (you can use store-bought jam if you want)

  • 300 g strawberries frozen or fresh
  • 180 g white sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • Pinch of salt ½ teaspoon vanilla extract optional

For the sponge

  • 5 large eggs at room temperature, egg yolks and egg whites separated
  • 70 ml milk at room temperature
  • 50 g vegetable oil such as canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 125 g all-purpose flour or cake flour
  • Pinch of salt
  • ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 100 g white granulated sugar

Frosting

  • 300 g cream cheese cold
  • 180 g heavy cream cold
  • 80 g powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

For the jam

  • Combine all the ingredients in a cooking pot.
  • Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat and cook for around 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally. To check for doneness, coat a spoon with the jam and quickly trace a line across the back of it with your fingertip.
  • Pour the hot jam into a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze until cold but not frozen.

For the sponge

  • Preheat the oven to 355F (180C). Line an 11 x 16-inch (28 x 40 cm) jelly roll pan with parchment paper so the bottom and sides are covered. Use nonstick silicone-coated parchment, a Teflon mat, or a perforated silicone mat. Alternatively, fold parchment paper to create a pan of the required size with sides about 1 inch (2 cm) tall, then place it on a baking sheet.
  • In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks, milk, oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk until well mixed.
  • Sift in the flour and salt. Whisk until smooth and no dry ingredients remain.
  • In another bowl, add the egg whites, cream of tartar, and sugar. Whip with a hand mixer, gradually increasing the speed, until medium peaks form.
  • Fold one-third of the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture until combined.
  • Add the remaining egg whites and gently fold until the batter is homogeneous.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly using an offset spatula. Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until the top just begins to turn lightly golden.
  • Remove from the oven and let rest for 1 minute. Turn the cake out onto a fresh sheet of parchment paper and carefully peel off the parchment from the bottom.
  • Allow to cool completely and cut into two even pieces before assembling.

Frosting and assembling

  • Into a bowl, add all frosting ingredients. Whip with a hand mixer to stiff peaks. Be careful not to overwhip the cream! Place the cream into a piping bag and cut off the end.
  • Place one layer of the sponge cake onto a serving plate. Add approximately ½ cup of the strawberry jam and spread in an even layer.
  • Pipe ⅔ of the frosting in an even layer on top of the jam layer. Gently even it out with an offset spatula. I don't advise dumping the frosting in one spot and then trying to spread it over the jam — the cream will slide on top of the jam. Alternatively, if you don't have a piping bag, you can apply the frosting first in an even layer and then spread the jam on top.
  • Place the second sponge cake layer on top and apply the rest of the frosting on top in an even layer. Place into the fridge for 4–6 hours.
  • Slice the cake into 10 even pieces and decorate each piece separately or decorate the whole cake as one. I sliced mine into 10 pieces and piped some strawberry jam on top.

Video

Notes

Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Do not freeze.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Vanilla Strawberry Cake
Serving Size
 
1 piece
Amount per Serving
Calories
430
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
24
g
37
%
Saturated Fat
 
12
g
75
%
Trans Fat
 
0.04
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
4
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
6
g
Cholesterol
 
133
mg
44
%
Sodium
 
832
mg
36
%
Potassium
 
185
mg
5
%
Carbohydrates
 
46
g
15
%
Fiber
 
1
g
4
%
Sugar
 
22
g
24
%
Protein
 
7
g
14
%
Vitamin A
 
802
IU
16
%
Vitamin C
 
18
mg
22
%
Calcium
 
69
mg
7
%
Iron
 
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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