This strawberry orange layer cake is the kind of cake that disappears quickly: orange-scented layers separated by mounds of whipped cream, with strawberries piled generously between each. It feels equal parts summer dinner party and afternoon treat — the sort of thing best served slightly chilled, with a cup of coffee and the kitchen crowded with your favorite people.
It’s not spring or summer without a big strawberry cake. It’s the kind of tradition that happens naturally and never really goes away. Every strawberry season brings at least one strawberry cake into this kitchen, always served with generous amounts of softly whipped cream. It’s one of those simple pleasures that makes an ordinary day feel a little more special.
This recipe is adapted from this Sicilian Whole Orange Cake. This recipe is adapted from a Sicilian whole orange cake. It strikes the perfect balance between fruity and citrusy while staying wonderfully moist and tender. To turn it from a humble coffee cake into a layered affair, I borrowed Claire Saffitz’s simple stacking technique. It’s genius in its simplicity: placing whole strawberries evenly around the bottom layer elevates the top layer so the cream doesn’t squish out as you slice the cake!
The recipe might look slightly overwhelming at first, but only because I tried to be as detailed as possible. For me, the beauty of this cake is in its rustic, unfussy look. It isn’t supposed to look perfect, but slightly messy and carefree, like summer itself.
How to Make Strawberry Orange Layer Cake
This cake comes together much like a classic butter cake, but a few small details make a big difference. To highlight the citrus notes, start by rubbing the orange zest into the sugar before mixing. This helps release the oils from the zest, giving the cake a much stronger orange flavor without needing extracts or syrups. It’s a small step, but one worth taking.
The batter calls for Greek yogurt and orange juice, two acidic ingredients that keep the crumb moist and give the cake a bright, slightly tangy flavor. That profile works especially well with the whipped cream and strawberries. The cake stays sturdy enough to support all the filling and topping, while still feeling light and tender — which is, of course, essential.
For the filling and topping, fresh strawberries are macerated with sugar, vanilla, and orange juice until glossy and juicy. Some of those juices soak into the cake layers, infusing them with even more flavor.
When whipping the cream, stop once soft peaks form. This keeps the texture smooth and luxurious rather than grainy or buttery, creating the perfect base for the macerated strawberries.
And then finally, it’s all about assembling: a few whole strawberries are tucked between the layers to support the top cake layer, a simple trick that keeps the whipped cream from spilling out as you slice into the cake. The final result is a wonderful mix of messy and relaxed, which feels exactly right for this kind of dessert.
Tips for the Best Strawberry Orange Layer Cake
- Once the flour is added, mix only until combined. Overmixing develops gluten, which can make the cake dense and slightly chewy rather than light and tender.
- Cream the butter and sugar thoroughly. Beating them together until light and fluffy incorporates air into the batter, helping the cake rise properly and creating a finer crumb.
- Rub the orange zest into the sugar before mixing. This physically releases the oils from the zest, distributing the orange flavor more evenly throughout the batter.
- If you can, use room temperature butter, yogurt, and eggs. Cold ingredients can cause the batter to split or curdle, which is not the end of the world, but can affect the final texture of the cake.
- Allow the strawberries enough time to macerate. The sugar draws moisture out of the fruit through osmosis, creating a syrup that soaks slightly into the cake layers and carries the strawberry flavor throughout the dessert.
- Let the cake cool completely before slicing into layers. A warm cake is much more fragile and likely to tear or compress while assembling.
FAQs
Why did my orange cake turn out dense?
A dense cake is usually caused by overmixing after adding flour or not properly creaming the butter and sugar. Overmixing develops gluten, which makes the cake heavy and chewy instead of light and tender.
Can I make this cake ahead of time?
Absolutely, although it’s best assembled the day you plan to serve it. The cake layers can be baked a day in advance, but once assembled with cream and strawberries, it’s best within a few hours.
Can I use frozen strawberries?
Fresh strawberries are best. Frozen strawberries release excess liquid as they thaw, which can make the filling watery and affect the structure of the layers.
If you make this Strawberry Orange Layer Cake please be sure to leave a comment! I’d love to hear from you.
More Recipes Using Strawberries
Strawberry Mascarpone Tart: A no-bake tart shell filled with a light mascarpone cream and topped with fresh strawberries. Simple but elegant, perfect for a summer dessert.
Strawberry Shortcake with Basil Whipped Cream: Classic strawberry shortcake made served with whipped cream infused with basil. The basil adds a subtle herbal note that beautifully complements the strawberries.
Strawberry Summer Cake: A simple vanilla cake made with fresh strawberries. It’s unfussy and straightforward, the kind of cake that’s best in peak strawberry season when the fruit doesn’t need much else.
Fried Halloumi and Strawberry Salad: Crisp fried halloumi paired with fresh strawberries and greens. The combination is sweet, salty, and slightly sharp.
Strawberry Orange Layer Cake
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup all purpose flour (275g)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup sugar (250g)
- 1 large orange, zest and juice (300g)
- ⅓ cup butter, at room temperature (100g)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt (100g)
Filling & Topping:
- 1 ½ lb strawberries, hulled (about 4 cups) (680g)
- ¼ cup sugar (50g)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
- 2 cups heavy cream (454g)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Butter a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, place the sugar and orange zest. Using your fingertips, rub them together to release the oils in the zest.
- Add the butter and beat with a mixer until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating until well combined and fluffy. Add in vanilla.
- Reduce the speed to low. Add the flour mixture alternating with the yogurt, mixing just until combined. Stop and scrape down the bowl as needed.
- Add in orange juice mixing just until combined. Add batter to prepared pan.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Macerate the berries: Select 5 of the largest strawberries you have, trim them so they’re all the same height, and set aside. Slice the remaining berries lengthwise. Toss the sliced berries into a large bowl with the sugar, vanilla, and orange juice. Allow to sit until juicy and syrupy, about 30 minutes.
- Whip the cream: Meanwhile, in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or using a hand mixer, beat the heavy cream, starting on medium-low and increasing the speed gradually to high as the cream thickens, until you have soft peaks. Refrigerate until you’re ready to assemble the cake.
- Split the cake into two layers: Using a serrated knife, score a horizontal line all around the side of the cake at the midway point. Using the same knife, carefully cut through the cake along the indentation. Lift the top layer off the cake and set aside.
- Assemble the cake: Arrange the 5 trimmed berries that you set aside hulled-side down over the bottom layer, placing one in the center and the other 4 spaced evenly around - these help keep the top layer elevated so you don’t squish out all the cream as you slice the cake. Spoon two-thirds of the sliced berries and any juices over the bottom layer, arranging them around the 5 berries. Spoon half the whipped cream over the berries.
- Place the top layer onto the bottom layer, cut-side down. Spread the remaining whipped cream over the top and spoon the remaining berries and juices on top. Serve.
