Strawberry lemonade cake with soft lemon sponge layers, strawberry filling, and a fresh lemon mascarpone cream, finished with a light lemon curd drip.
This strawberry lemonade cake is inspired by classic summer flavors, combining lemon and strawberry in a layered birthday-style cake.
It’s a homemade layer cake recipe I often make for warm-weather celebrations, using fresh fruit flavors and balanced, not overly sweet, fillings.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Bright lemon and strawberry flavors that feel fresh, not heavy
- Soft lemon sponge layers paired with creamy, light fillings
- A beautiful layer cake for birthdays, summer parties, or special occasions
Ingredients Notes
- Lemon sponge cake: Cake flour, butter, eggs, sugar, buttermilk, fresh lemon juice and zest, and vanilla.
- Lemon mascarpone frosting: Mascarpone, heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, and lemon curd.
- Strawberry filling: Fresh or frozen strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice.
- Strawberry buttercream: Egg whites, sugar, butter, vanilla, and strawberry purée.
- Lemon drip: White chocolate, heavy cream, lemon curd, and yellow food coloring.
Tips for this recipe
- Let the cake layers cool completely before assembling to keep the fillings stable.
- Pipe a buttercream dam around the edges of each layer to hold the fillings neatly in place.
- Apply a thin crumb coat to trap crumbs before the final layer of buttercream.
- Use acrylic cake discs for sharper edges and smoother sides.
- Let the cake sit at room temperature before serving so the buttercream softens slightly.
How to Make Strawberry Lemonade Cake
This cake is made using my buttermilk cake recipe, which creates soft yet stable layers.
Beat the softened butter with powdered sugar and lemon zest until light, then add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until fluffy.
Fold in the flour mixture, then add the buttermilk and lemon juice and mix gently until smooth.
Divide the batter between three lined round pans and bake at 165°C / 329°F for about 35 minutes, until set in the center.
Unmold and cool the cakes upside down on wire racks.
Use my strawberry compote recipe for a smooth, flavorful filling that holds well between the layers.
Combine the sliced strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan and cook for 5–10 minutes until thick and jam-like.
Mash if needed, then chill completely in the refrigerator, covered.
Heat the egg whites and sugar over a double boiler until the sugar dissolves, then whip at high speed to stiff peaks.
Add the softened butter gradually, beat until smooth, then mix in the strawberry purée and vanilla until fully combined.
Combine the cold mascarpone, heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, and lemon curd, then whip on medium speed until smooth and firm
Level the cake layers, then place the first layer on a cake stand and pipe a buttercream border.
Fill the center with strawberry compote and lemon mascarpone cream, stack the remaining layers, then crumb-coat the cake with pink buttercream and chill for 15–20 minutes
Frost the cake with a thicker layer of buttercream and smooth with a scraper, then chill until firm.
Drip with slightly cooled white chocolate, decorate with piped buttercream and lemon or strawberry slices, then chill briefly or serve.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the strawberry lemonade cake slightly chilled for clean slices and balanced flavors.
It’s perfect for birthdays, summer parties, or any special occasion.
Storage
Store the strawberry lemonade cake in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, well covered.
Let the cake sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving for the best texture.
Recipe Variations
- Simpler version: Skip the drip and finish the cake with fresh buttercream swirls.
- Different frosting: Replace the strawberry buttercream with vanilla or lemon buttercream.
- More lemon flavor: Add extra lemon zest to the sponge or the mascarpone cream.
- No mascarpone: Use whipped cream stabilized with gelatin instead.
- Sheet cake: Bake the lemon sponge in a pan and layer with strawberry filling and frosting.
This cake can also be adapted into strawberry lemonade cupcakes for a smaller, individual format.
Recipe Questions
Can I make this cake ahead of time?
Yes, you can assemble the cake a day in advance and keep it refrigerated.
Can I use frozen strawberries for the filling?
Yes, frozen strawberries work well for the cooked strawberry filling.
Can I freeze this cake?
Freezing is not recommended once assembled, but the sponge layers can be frozen separately.
Can I skip the lemon curd?
Yes, but it adds a brighter lemon flavor to the cake.
More Strawberry Cakes
I hope you’ll love this recipe! If you try this recipe, feel free to leave a comment. It always helps. Happy baking!
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Strawberry Lemonade layer Cake
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 10 slices
Description
Layer cake with lemon sponge, strawberry filling, lemon mascarpone whipped cream, and strawberry Swiss meringue buttercream (6-inch cake, serves 8–10)
Ingredients
Lemon Cake
- 150 g (⅔ cup) unsalted butter – softened
- 280 g (2¼ cups) powdered sugar
- 3 medium eggs – at room temperature
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- 260 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 10 g (1 tbsp) cornstarch
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- 210 ml (¾ cup + 2 tbsp) buttermilk
- Juice and zest of ½ lemon
Strawberry Filling
- 400 g (about 2½ cups) strawberries – fresh or frozen
- 60 g (⅓ cup) granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- 6 large egg whites – at room temperature
- 150 g (¾ cup) granulated sugar
- 300 g (1⅓ cups) unsalted butter – softened and cubed
- 100 g (½ cup) strawberry purée – homemade, fully cooled
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- Red gel food coloring – optional
Lemon Mascarpone Chantilly
- 200 g (7 oz) mascarpone – cold
- 200 ml (¾ cup) heavy cream – full fat and cold
- 80–100 g (⅓–½ cup) lemon curd
- 50 g (½ cup) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Lemon White Chocolate Drip
- 50 g (1.8 oz) white chocolate
- 50 ml (¼ cup) heavy cream
- 2 tsp lemon curd
- Yellow gel food coloring – optional
Instructions
Lemon Cake
- Preheat the oven to 165°C / 325°F and line three 15 cm / 6-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with powdered sugar and lemon zest for 2–3 minutes until creamy.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and beat again for 3–5 minutes until smooth.
- Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the buttermilk mixed with lemon juice, folding gently with a spatula until smooth.
- Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake for about 30 minutes, until golden and set in the center.
- Let cool briefly, then unmold and cool completely on a wire rack.
Strawberry Filling
- Combine the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan.
- Cook over medium heat for 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened but slightly chunky.
- Cool completely, then transfer to a jar and refrigerate.
- Before assembling, blend 100 g of the compote into a smooth purée for the buttercream.
Swiss Strawberry Buttercream
- Heat the egg whites and sugar over a double boiler, whisking constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture reaches 160°F / 71°C.
- Whip in a stand mixer until stiff, glossy, and completely cool.
- Add the butter gradually, then beat until smooth and thick.
- Mix in the strawberry purée and vanilla just until combined.
- Switch to the paddle attachment and mix on low for 1–2 minutes to smooth the buttercream.
Lemon Mascarpone Frosting
- Combine the cold mascarpone, heavy cream, lemon curd, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a bowl.
- Whip on low to medium speed for about 2 minutes, until smooth and firm.
Cake Assembly
- Level the cake layers if needed.
- Place the first layer on a cake board and pipe a buttercream border, then fill with strawberry compote and lemon mascarpone cream.
- Repeat with the remaining layers.
- Apply a thin crumb coat of strawberry buttercream, then frost with a thicker layer and smooth using a spatula or icing scraper.
- Chill the cake for at least 2 hours (or 30 minutes in the freezer).
Lemon Drip
- Melt the white chocolate and heavy cream over a double boiler until smooth.
- Stir in the lemon curd and yellow food coloring.
- Let cool to 30°C / 86°F, then drip over the chilled cake.
- Decorate with piped strawberry buttercream and lemon slices.
- Remove the cake from the fridge 20–30 minutes before serving.
Notes
Storage: Store the cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Let it sit at room temperature for 20–30 minutes before serving.
Tips:
- Use a kitchen scale for accurate measurements, especially for the sponge and buttercream.
- Chill the cake well before adding the lemon drip for clean, even drips.
- Keep all cream ingredients very cold to achieve a stable mascarpone frosting.
- Do not overcook the strawberry compote to keep enough purée for the buttercream.
- Assemble the cake on a turntable for easier, smoother frosting.
- Prep Time: 50 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: cake, layer cake
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 402
- Sugar: 32.4 g
- Sodium: 173.3 mg
- Fat: 18.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Protein: 5.7 g
- Cholesterol: 93.8 mg
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