Strawberry Lemonade Cake

by Rachel Piercey

A fresh spring dessert great for any special occasion, or just to treat yourself with! This cake has homemade strawberry compote sandwiched between lemon cake, finished with lemon and strawberry icings!

makes one 4 layer six inch cake

Cake Batter:
4 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups butter
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
5 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp lemon juice
zest of two lemons
Strawberry Compote:
2 cups frozen strawberries
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp arrowroot starch
2 tbsp water
Lemon Icing:
1 1/2 cups room temp butter
6 cups icing sugar
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp lemon juice
yellow food colouring if desired
Strawberry Icing:
1 cup room temp butter
4 cups icing sugar
2-3 tbsp strained strawberry compote
red food colouring if desired

  1. Make the strawberry compote ahead of time by combining the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium sauce pot. Place over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Mix the starch and water in a small bowl and slowly add into the pot while stirring. Let simmer until thickened. Remove from heat and store in the fridge.
  2. Preheat oven to 325F and line a half sheet pan with parchment paper.
  3. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl combine the milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
  4. Cream together the butter and sugar, then add in the eggs one at a time with the mixer on low. Then add in the vanilla.
  5. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the milk mixture into the mixer, being careful to not over mix the batter. Remember to scrape down the sides frequently!
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared sheet pan, filling it about 2/3 to 3/4 full. Any extra batter makes great mini cupcakes. Bake sheet cake for about 35 minutes, it is done when the cake springs back up to the touch. (if baking any mini cupcakes they take about 1o minutes in the oven.)
  7. For the lemon icing, cream the butter for a few minutes on high, it will get much lighter in colour, almost white. Then add in the icing sugar and continue beating for a minute or so. Drizzle in the lemon juice and add food colouring if using.
  8. Repeat the process for the strawberry icing, using the strained strawberry compote in place of the lemon juice.
  9. Assemble the cake with the order going: cake round, thin layer of icing (either lemon or strawberry), a ring of icing around the edge (to keep the filling from spilling over the edges), 1-2 tbsp strawberry compote, next layer of cake and so forth. Ice the whole cake with the crumb coat of lemon icing and then place in the fridge until the icing has set and firmed up.
  10. Cover the cake with another layer of lemon icing and then finish the top with a strawberry icing border with your piping tip of choice. I used a Wilton 1M tip. Place in fridge again.
  11. Place a couple spoonfuls of compote on the top of the cake right before serving.