Soft and Decadent Classic Strawberry Cake with Vanilla Bean Buttercream
Soft and tender strawberry cake layers with a luscious vanilla bean buttercream.
Ingredients
Strawberry Cake
- 3/4 cup buttermilk room temperature
- 2/3 cup sour cream or plain greek yogurt room temperature
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
- 3 whole large eggs room temperature
- 1 15.25oz Strawberry Cake Mix I used Duncan Hines
Vanilla Bean Buttercream
- 3 sticks (or 1 1/2 cup) unsalted butter left at room temp for about 10 minutes
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1/4 cup heavy cream + more if needed to thin
- 7-8 cups powdered sugar
Garnishes
- 1 cup sliced strawberries dapped dry with a paper towel
Instructions
For the Strawberry Cake Layers
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees, prep two 8" cake rounds with spray or parchment paper or cake goop to prevent sticking. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, hand whisk all the ingredients together except for the cake mix. Sift in the cake mix, then gently stir to combine. Split equally between the two cake layers, then bake for 20-22 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack and then wrap in plastic wrap to freeze for at least a couple hours before frosting.
For the Vanilla Bean Buttercream
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip up the butter until it's light and fluffy, then add in the salt, vanilla, vanilla bean paste, and heavy cream. Slowly add in the powdered sugar and whip up on high speed until light and fluffy. Add in more heavy cream if needed by the tablespoon until your desired consistency is reached.
Assembly
- Place down a cardboard cake round onto a cake turntable. Add on a little buttercream, then place down the first cake round. Add on a layer of buttercream, then another cake layer. Crumb coat the cake, then freeze. Add on the final layer of buttercream, press on the strawberry slices, then pipe on the buttercream dollops on top with a #866 piping tip. Enjoy!