Treat yourself to this irresistible strawberry lemonade cake recipe bursting with fruity and tangy flavors like these strawberry lemonade cupcakes! It boasts a fluffy lemon sponge, homemade strawberry filling, luscious lemon mascarpone cream, and a vibrant strawberry buttercream.

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If you love the combination of fruity and tangy flavors, you'll adore this strawberry lemonade cake! It's a delightfully indulgent treat, perfect for special occasions.
This cake features a soft lemon cake, filled with homemade strawberry compote and topped with a lemon mascarpone whipped cream. It's all wrapped up in a fresh strawberry Swiss meringue buttercream.
Perfect for lemon and strawberry lovers, this summer cake is ideal for celebrating birthdays, graduations, or any occasion that calls for a delicious fruity dessert.
Why you'll love this recipe
Looking for more lemon desserts? Give these a try: Lemon mascarone cupcakes, lemon meringue cake, ultimate lemon pound cake, lemon meringue tart.
Ingredients Notes
You need these ingredients to make this lemon strawberry cake:
- Lemon Sponge Cake: Made with cake flour, baking powder and baking soda, softened unsalted butter, granulated sugar, room temperature eggs, buttermilk, fresh lemon juice and lemon zest, vanilla extract, and salt.
- Lemon Mascarpone Whipped Cream: Following my mascarpone whipped cream recipe with cold mascarpone, cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, and homemade lemon curd made with egg yolks.
- Strawberry Filling: My homemade strawberry compote is made with fresh strawberries or frozen strawberries, a bit of granulated sugar, and fresh lemon juice.
- Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream: My Swiss meringue buttercream made with egg whites, granulated sugar, softened unsalted butter, vanilla extract, and homemade strawberry purée with a touch of food coloring.
- Yellow Drip: A flowing glaze made with white chocolate, heavy cream, a bit of lemon curd, and a touch of yellow food coloring.


How to Make Strawberry Lemonade Cake
Here are some quick visual instructions. Don't forget that full recipe instructions with exact ingredients can be found in the recipe card below!
Lemon Cake layers
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with the powdered sugar and lemon zest, then add the eggs and vanilla extract and whisk again until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.
- Gently fold in the flour mixture and the buttermilk and lemon juice mixture using a spatula until you have a smooth batter.
- Divide the batter into three round cake pans lined with parchment paper and bake in a preheated oven at 165°C (329°F) for about 35 minutes until golden and fully cooked in the center.
- Remove the cakes from the pans and let them cool upside down on wire racks.


Strawberry filling
- Place the sliced strawberries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan.
- Cook for 5-10 minutes until it reaches a compote-like texture.
- Mash with a fork if needed, then let the strawberry reduction cool completely in the fridge covered with plastic wrap.


Strawberry buttercream
- Cook the egg whites with the granulated sugar in a double boiler, stirring constantly for about 4 minutes until the sugar is dissolved.
- Place the large mixing bowl on your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip at high speed for about 10-15 minutes until you get a stiff Swiss meringue.
- Reduce the speed and add the softened butter pieces, then return to high speed until you achieve a smooth buttercream.
- Add the strawberry puree and vanilla extract, and beat again for 2 minutes to incorporate.


Lemon frosting
- In a large mixing bowl, place the cold mascarpone, cold heavy cream, sifted powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon curd.
- Whip with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes until you achieve a smooth and firm frosting.


Cake Assembly
- Trim the tops of the cake layers (remove the crust if desired).
- Place the first cake layer on a cake plate placed on a rotating cake stand, apply a border of buttercream using a piping bag.
- Fill the center with a layer of strawberry compote and cover with a layer of lemon mascarpone whipped cream.
- Cover with the second layer and repeat until you reach the final third cake layer.
- Cover the entire cake with a thin layer of pink buttercream applied with an offset spatula and place the cake in the fridge or freezer for 15 - 20 minutes if needed.


Smoothing and decoration
- Cover the entire cake with a thicker layer of buttercream and smooth it out using a cake scraper (you can use the acrylic sheet method for a straight finish).
- Place the strawberry lemonade layer cake back in the fridge for 1 hour or in the freezer to firm up the frosting.
- Prepare the white chocolate drip and let it cool slightly before drizzling it over the top of the cake.
- Decorate with the remaining buttercream using a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip, and adorn with fresh lemon slices or strawberries.
- Allow to cool slightly in the fridge or enjoy immediately.


Serving Suggestions
- Fresh Berries: Serve slices of the cake with a side of fresh strawberries or mixed berries for an extra burst of fruity flavor.
- Whipped Cream: Serve with a dollop of whipped cream on the side or on top of each slice for a light and airy contrast to the rich cake.
- Lemon Sorbet: Pair slices of the cake with a scoop of lemon sorbet for a refreshing and tangy dessert combination.
- Sparkling Lemonade: Accompany the cake with glasses of sparkling lemonade or a lemon-infused beverage for a delightful and celebratory touch.

Tips for this recipe
Conservation
Fridge: The strawberry lemon cake can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap. After an extended period in the fridge, let the cake sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
Freeze: You can freeze it for up to 3 months in the freezer, then allow it to thaw slowly in the refrigerator.
Variations & Substitutions
Recipe Questions
Can I substitute lemon juice for lemon extract in the cake batter?
Yes, you can substitute lemon juice for lemon extract in the cake batter. However, keep in mind that lemon juice is more acidic.
Can I use strawberry jam instead of strawberry puree for cake filling?
Yes, you can absolutely use strawberry jam as a filling for your strawberry lemon cake instead of strawberry reduction.
More Strawberry Cakes

I hope you love this strawberry and lemon cake. If you make it, be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Happy Baking!
Print
Strawberry Lemonade Cake
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 10 slices
Description
Indulgent cake with flavors of strawberries and lemon, featuring a lemon sponge cake, a strawberry insert, and a lemon mascarpone chantilly cream, covered with a Swiss meringue buttercream with strawberry (for a 6 inch/15 cm cake - 8-10 servings).
Ingredients
Lemon Cake
- 150 g (1 ¼ cups) unsalted butter - softened
- 280 g (1 ¼ cups) powdered sugar
- 3 medium eggs - at room temperature
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 260 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 10 g (1 tbsp) cornstarch
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- 210 ml (¾ cup + 2 tbsp) buttermilk
- Juice of ½ lemon + zest
Strawberry filling
1 portion of homemade strawberry compote
Strawberry Swiss Buttercream
1 portion of my Strawberry Swiss Buttercream
Lemon Mascarpone Chantilly
Follow the recipe for Lemon Mascarpone Frosting
Drip chocolat blanc citron
- 50 g (1.76 oz) white chocolate
- 50 g (¼ cup) heavy cream
- 2 tsp lemon curd
- Yellow food coloring
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, mix and sift the dry ingredients: flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In another large bowl, place the softened butter with the powdered sugar and lemon zest, then beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for about 2-3 minutes until creamy.
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat again with the electric mixer for about 3 to 5 minutes until smooth.
- Mix the buttermilk with the lemon and incorporate it with the dry ingredients mixture alternately and gradually using a spatula until you have a homogeneous cake batter.
- Pour the batter into the 3 pans and bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes until they are golden on top and cooked in the center. (Insert a toothpick into the center to check for doneness; if it comes out clean, the baking is done, otherwise, extend for 5 minutes)
- Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool for a few moments before unmolding them and letting them cool on a cooling rack.
Strawberry filling
- Prepare my homemade strawberry compote and let it cool completely.
Swiss Strawberry Buttercream:
- Follow my Strawberry Swiss Buttercream
Lemon Mascarpone Frosting
- Follow the recipe for Lemon Mascarpone Frosting.
Cake Assembly:
- Trim if necessary the dome (and crust) of the 3 sponge cakes using a cake leveler.
- Place a first cake layer on a cake board on your turntable and apply a border of strawberry buttercream using a piping bag, fill with a layer of strawberry compote, and cover with lemon mascarpone chantilly.
- Cover with the second sponge cake layer and repeat the last step until the 3rd sponge cake layer.
- Cover the entire cake with a thin layer of strawberry buttercream to seal in the crumbs, spread with an offset spatula.
- Then cover with a thicker layer of buttercream and smooth with the spatula, then with a steel icing smoother. (Use the technique of 2 acrylic plates for perfect smoothing).
- Let the cake chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours (or about 30 minutes in the freezer).
Lemon drip
- Melt the white chocolate, chopped, with the heavy cream over a double boiler until smooth.
- Add the lemon curd and a touch of yellow food coloring and mix to incorporate.
- Let the glaze cool for about 20 minutes or until it reaches 30°C (86°F), then pour it over the chilled cake and let it drip down the sides.
- Decorate the top of the cake with the remaining strawberry buttercream in a piping bag with a decorating tip (here 489) and decorate with lemon slices.
- Take the cake out 20 - 30 minutes before serving to soften the buttercream.
Notes
Storage: Up to 4 days in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic wrap or in a storage container, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Replace the buttermilk with the same amount of semi-skimmed milk with a little white vinegar or lemon juice, or half milk and half heavy cream or plain yogurt.
If you don't have baking soda, use a whole packet of baking powder.
Tips:
Allow the sponge cakes to cool completely before assembling the layer cake.
Securely encase the strawberry compote in the center to prevent it from leaking during assembly.
Use the technique of the 2 acrylic plates to achieve a well-cylindrical shape and a smooth glaze.
Let the cake cool in the refrigerator or freezer before pouring the lemon glaze, which should not be too hot (around 86°F/30°C).
Let the cake sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before serving to soften the buttercream and prevent it from being difficult to eat.
- 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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