Fall is quickly approaching, bringing with it the much-anticipated sights and smells of warm apple crisps and pumpkin pies. However, if you’re looking for one last summer treat before the end of the season, we have the perfect suggestion. Celebrate late summer with this tasty strawberry lemonade cake, which tastes exactly as it sounds — delicious!
    

This cake is perfect for an engagement party, bridal shower, or as a tasty complement to a dinner at home for two. If you enjoy baking from scratch, give the following recipe a whirl. If you’re pressed for time (or patience!), simply use a lemon-flavored cake mix and top with the homemade strawberry frosting outlined below.

Cake ingredients:

1 cup of butter at room temperature (2 sticks)
1 3/4 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons of fresh lemon zest
2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
4 large eggs
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup of buttermilk
8-10 large strawberries, sliced

Directions:

In a bowl, mix the butter, sugar, and lemon zest and beat until the texture is light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, mix all the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Mix the ingredients in the first bowl on low speed and slowly add in the eggs, one at a time, making sure to combine fully in between. Add the lemon juice and mix. (It’s normal for the batter to look curdled at first!) Add in about 1/3 of the dry ingredients and 1/2 of the buttermilk. Once it is mixed thoroughly, add another 1/3 of the dry ingredients and the other 1/2 of the buttermilk. Mix thoroughly. Finally, add the remaining 1/3 of the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Dividing the dry ingredients will help give the batter a light and fluffy texture.

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray two round 9-inch pans with baking spray and distribute the cake mix evenly into them. Bake for about 25-30 minutes. Make sure to let the cakes cool before removing them from the pans. While the cakes are cooling, make the strawberry buttercream frosting.

Strawberry buttercream frosting ingredients:

1 cup of butter, softened
5 cups of powdered sugar
2 tablespoons of whole milk
2-4 large strawberries, chopped

Directions:

Put the butter and powdered sugar in a large bowl and mix on medium speed. Mix until the frosting is pale and fluffy. (This usually takes about 3 minutes.) Add the milk and the chopped strawberries and mix together on high speed. You should mix the frosting until it is extremely fluffy and a light pink color with flakes of strawberries.

Once the cakes have cooled, place one on a cake plate. Carefully frost the cake and add a layer of sliced strawberries on the top. Place the second cake on top of that and add frosting. Carefully add frosting to the outside edges of the cake and top it off with sliced strawberries. Put the cake in the fridge for about 30 minutes for the frosting to set. Then, serve at room temperature.

Want even more strawberry flavor? To round out dessert, pair it with a colorful (and flavorful) strawberry cocktail.

This tangy-sweet cake is a perfect way to reflect on the past season while looking forward to the autumn days ahead!

— Story by Heidi LaPoint