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Deliciously Moist Vanilla Cake with Strawberry Filling

A foolproof recipe for a moist vanilla cake layered with a delectable strawberry filling, perfect for any occasion.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Cake, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 350
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Vanilla Cake
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour The everyday kind
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt Table salt is fine
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened Not melted, but don’t panic if it’s a bit soft
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs Room temperature if remembered
  • 1 tablespoon REAL vanilla extract The good stuff, not imitation
  • 1 cup whole milk 2% will do in a pinch
For the Strawberry Filling
  • 2 cups fresh strawberries, chopped Or thawed from frozen if it’s February
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch For thickening

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease two 8-inch cake pans. Optionally, line the bottoms with parchment.
  2. Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
  3. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.
  4. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Alternate adding the flour mix and milk to the butter-sugar mixture, starting and ending with flour.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 28-32 minutes, until golden and a toothpick comes out just barely clean.
Strawberry Filling
  1. In a saucepan, combine chopped strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch.
  2. Simmer for 7-10 minutes, stirring often until thick and jammy.
Assembly
  1. Let the cake layers cool completely before assembling.
  2. Spread the strawberry filling evenly between the cake layers, being careful not to fill too close to the edge.

Notes

If your cake turns out extra crumbly, you probably overmixed the batter. Room temperature eggs yield taller, fluffier cakes. For storing, keep the assembled cake in the fridge for up to 3 days. The strawberry filling can be stored in the fridge for a week. Cakes taste best at room temperature.