Show-Stopping Strawberry Shortcake (Layer Cake)

Summer is almost here! There will be tons of patriotic holidays, barbecues, and summer entertaining in the months ahead. This strawberry shortcake (layer cake) is the perfect dessert to bring to feed a crowd- much easier to assemble than individual cakes and what a stunning presentation thanks to the piped whipped cream! Not overly sweet- it’s airy, light and juicy- the kind of dessert that’s made just for summertime! My favorite part of the cake is the cake-crumb-crust…yaaaaaasss!!! Here’s my recipe!

For the Cake

• 2 sticks  butter of butter at room temperature
• 2 cups of sugar
• 3 cups of cake flour
• 1 tablespoon of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 1/2cup of  milk
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract 

For the Strawberries

• 2 cups of strawberries, sliced
• 3 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract

For the whipped cream:

• 2 cups of heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup of  sugar
• 3 tablespoons of  vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour three 8 or 9 inch baking pans. Meanwhile begin preparing the cake batter.  

In an electric mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar.

In a medium bowl combine all the dry ingredients whisking them together until they are thoroughly combined. In another medium bowl combine all the wet ingredients using a whisk. 

Then add in 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and beat using a spatula to incorporate all the ingredients. Add 1/3 of the wet ingredients to the mixing bowl. Continue this process of mixing in the wet and dry ingredients separately in thirds until all the cake batter is mixed. 

Transfer batter into cake pans and bake for 35-40 minutes until cakes are golden brown. When they are done let them cool for at least an hour.  

While the cake is baking slice strawberries and toss them in the sugar and vanilla extract in a medium bowl, set aside.

 To make the whipped cream, beat the sugar, vanilla extract and heavy whipping cream in an electric mixer until medium peaks form.

 -Assemble cake layers by piping whipped cream on the cake and adding strawberries and repeat. I pipe the whipped cream with star-tipped pipe for a show-stopping presentation

Tips:

You can make this cake ahead as the whipped cream will hold it’s shape. But I feel like the cake tastes best and is the most moist the day you make it. If you are going to make it ahead of time brush simple syrup on the cake layers before you refrigerate them or assemble the cream and strawberry layers for refrigeration so the cake stays moist.