This one layer strawberry shortcake cake is a stunning (yet totally manageable!) ending to your meal. This single layer vanilla cake uses the reverse creaming method, which guarantees a uniquely moist and soft crumb. Top the small cake with vanilla whipped cream and plenty of juicy strawberries. It’s summery, refreshing, and wonderfully light!
I love a good dessert mash up.
- Blueberry Muffin Cookies? Yes.
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Layer Cake? Oh yes.
- Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcakes? Definitely.
Today we’re combining the delicious force of vanilla cake with the undeniable lure of strawberry shortcake. Though I’m sad to see the beloved biscuit go, we’re swapping it for something… dare I say… even better. This strawberry shortcake cake totally looks like a masterpiece, but it couldn’t be easier. It’s a nice manageable size for a small gathering and tastes light and refreshing during these warmer months. I’m officially obsessed.
3 Parts to Strawberry Shortcake Cake
- Vanilla Cake: This small vanilla cake comes together with 9 ingredients. If you occasionally bake, you probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry already. Bake the vanilla cake first, then let it cool completely before topping with whipped cream and strawberries.
- Whipped Cream: Homemade whipped cream is always better (and creamier!) than the store-bought variety. And crazy easy to whip up at home. 😉
- Juicy Strawberries: The epitome of sweet springtime and summer freshness!
Reverse Creaming Method
Do you remember when I shared Tessa’s Blackberry Lavender Cake recipe? Prior to that cake, I had only used the reverse creaming method a few times. But I just loved her cake’s texture and wanted to replicate it here. Instead of starting with creaming butter and sugar together, the reverse creaming method begins with the dry ingredients and ends with the eggs. This method produces a lighter crumb with more spring. The cake is tight like pound cake, but not dense. It’s velvet soft and practically creamy.
You only need 1 mixing bowl. Sift the dry ingredients, including the sugar, into the bowl. Sifting with a fine mesh strainer is imperative because it aerates the dry ingredients and leaves behind larger sugar crystals. Remember, we aren’t creaming sugar and butter together where larger sugar crystals are usually broken down. Next, mix in cubed room temperature butter, a little milk, and the vanilla extract. There isn’t too much butter in this cake, so some milk and the vanilla allows the combination to blend. (Pictured above, right.) The butter coats the flour and this is where all the texture magic takes place. The coating of fat minimizes the flour’s formation of gluten, which helps result in a finer cake crumb. It’s uniquely good!
After that, we’ll add the rest of the liquids including the remaining milk, 1 egg, and a little oil. Avoid over-mixing the batter and don’t worry if there’s a few tiny lumps.
The Perfect One Layer Vanilla Cake
Isn’t it nice to have a recipe for a simple 1 layer vanilla cake? Not a layer cake or a sheet cake, but a simple 8-inch or 9-inch vanilla cake that’s baked in a basic cake pan. How convenient, right? Keep this cake recipe in your back pocket because even if you don’t dig the whipped cream and strawberries, you can top this with vanilla buttercream, chocolate buttercream, strawberry frosting, and more.
By the way, if you need a layer cake with these same flavors, you’ll enjoy my fresh berry cream cake. I also have a 1 layer chocolate cake and it’s actually gluten free! See my flourless chocolate cake.
Small one layer cakes have eluded me for years. They’re always too tall, dense, and/or spongey. I desperately wanted this recipe to work and I’m thrilled with the results. In addition to using the reverse creaming method, I encourage you to follow the ingredients and ratios closely. This includes using cake flour for an ultra light crumb, bringing cold ingredients to room temperature, and adding a little oil for extra moisture.
Strawberries & Whipped Cream
Strawberries: Don’t you just love the glistening strawberries? Grab some fresh strawberries, slice them up, then toss with a little sugar and strawberry jam. The jam is optional, but it gives the strawberries extra sparkle and shine. I recommend mixing the strawberries, sugar, and jam together as the cake cools. This gives the strawberries time to release their natural juices which will seep down into the whipped cream and vanilla cake beneath. This is a VERY GOOD thing!
Whipped Cream: Did you know that you only need 3 ingredients to make real homemade whipped cream? Well technically, you only need 2, but vanilla extract is always a must. Whip cold heavy cream, a little sugar, and vanilla extract together in a large mixing bowl until medium peaks form. When you lift the beater out from the bowl, a slightly sturdy peak should form on it. The peak will slightly droop down, but not lose its shape entirely. Don’t be afraid to stop the mixer and check the consistency of the whipped cream as you go.
Room temperature or warm heavy cream won’t whip, so make sure the cream is extra cold. Pile it high on the cooled cake, then top with a mountain of strawberries. You may be thinking that all the whipped cream and strawberries won’t fit but I assure you… they do!!
Strawberry Shortcake Cake Video Tutorial
I wasn’t going to film a video for this recipe because it’s on the easier side, but the cake’s reverse creaming method is different from what I usually publish. I knew a quick video seeing the cake come together would be helpful!
More Simple Summer Desserts
- Key Lime Pie
- Fruit Pizza
- No Bake Cheesecake
- Peach Cobbler
- Mixed Berry Galette
- Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie
- Berry Icebox Cake
For more summer dessert inspiration, see my roundups of favorite Memorial Day recipes and BBQ cookout dessert recipes.
PrintOne Layer Strawberry Shortcake Cake
- Prep Time: 2 hours, 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours, 40 minutes
- Yield: serves 8
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This one layer strawberry shortcake cake combines vanilla cake, fresh juicy strawberries, and homemade whipped cream. It’s a refreshing, light, and totally manageable summertime dessert that’s perfect for a smaller crowd. This single layer vanilla cake uses the reverse creaming method, which guarantees a uniquely moist and soft crumb.
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/4 cups (148g) cake flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2/3 cup (130g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup (4 Tablespoons; 56g) unsalted butter, cubed and softened to room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk, at room temperature and divided
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) canola oil or vegetable oil
Strawberries
- 1 and 1/2 cups (240g) sliced strawberries
- 1 Tablespoon (20g) strawberry jam
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
Whipped Cream
- 1 cup (240ml) cold heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
- 2 Tablespoons confectioners’ sugar or granulated sugar*
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease an 8-inch cake pan or 9-inch cake pan, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. (If it’s helpful, see this parchment paper rounds for cakes video & post.)
- Sift the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. (Or if using a handheld mixer, any large mixing bowl.) Add the butter, vanilla, and 1/4 cup milk. Mix on medium speed until the dry ingredients are moistened, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl.
- Whisk the remaining milk, the egg, and oil together. With the mixer running on medium speed, add the egg mixture in 2 additions, mixing for about 15 seconds between. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl if needed, then mix for about 15 more seconds or until batter is completely combined. Avoid over-mixing. Some small lumps are OK.
- Pour batter into cake pan. Bake for around 20-22 minutes or until the cake is baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done. Cool cake completely in the pan set on a wire rack.
- Mix the strawberries: When the cake is just about cooled, mix the sliced strawberries, jam, and sugar together. Let it sit at room temperature or in the refrigerator so the strawberries release some of their juices.
- Make the whipped cream when the cake is cooled: Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, about 3-4 minutes. Medium peaks are between loose peaks and stiff peaks and are the perfect consistency for topping on cakes.
- Place the cooled cake on your serving plate or cake stand. Pile whipped cream on top, then gently spread it out to the edges. Top with strawberries.
- Slice and serve cake immediately or refrigerate for up to 4 hours before serving. Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Freezing & Make Ahead Instructions: The cake layers can be baked, cooled, and covered tightly at room temperature overnight. For best taste, make the whipped cream and strawberries the day of serving. For freezing, bake and cool the cake, then wrap tightly in 2 layers of plastic wrap. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter, then continue with the recipe.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 8-inch Cake Pan or 9-inch Cake Pan | Fine Mesh Sieve | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand)
- Cake Flour: For the lightest, softest crumb, I recommend using cake flour. The same amount of all-purpose flour works too and the cake will be soft, just not as fluffy. If you can’t get your hands on cake flour, use this cake flour substitute instead.
- Sugar in Whipped Cream: Some bakers swear by granulated sugar in whipped cream; others swear by confectioners’ sugar. If you’re only working with a couple Tablespoons of sugar, it doesn’t really make a difference. Use either.
What a beautiful and delicious cake! I made it for my best friend’s birthday today and I was so surprised at how elegant such a simple recipe turned out. Wish I could leave a photo to share.
Wow! We loved this cake and it became a new family favorite! We loved how light and refreshing it was, and it’s perfect for when we don’t want a huge cake around all week. It was easy but presents nicely for entertaining. I can tell we will be making this a lot during the spring and summer. Thanks for another great recipe Sally!
Hi Sally, I am a big fan of your recipes!!! My favorites so far are your sugar cookies and cinnamon rolls which both came out fabulous! I really appreciate the detailed, step by step instructions you provide. For this particular recipe, my cake came out really dry. Do you have any possible reasons why this happened? We did end up eating the cake two days later from when it was made. It was sitting on my counter on a dish wrapped in plastic wrap, unfrosted- I frosted it the day we ate it. My cake was also pretty short as another reviewer described. Any suggestions you can provide would be very appreciated!!!
Hi Mel, Thank you so much – I’m so happy you enjoyed the sugar cookies and cinnamon rolls! This is a pretty short/small cake so nothing wrong there! You can check out my post How To Prevent a Dry or Dense Cake to help troubleshoot a dry cake.
Hello! I am interested in trying this recipe! I have had great success with some of your other cakes! Three questions:
1. Could I add a bit or simple syrup on top of the cake before frosting to make it extra moist?
2. My husband doesn’t like whipped cream. What would you suggest as an alternative frosting for this cake? I would still like to add fresh strawberries to the top.
3. Could I add real strawberries cut up to the cake batter?
Thanks! Kayla
Hi Kayla! Happy to help. 1) I don’t find that necessary here, but feel free to add it. 2) Vanilla buttercream or cream cheese frosting (I’d use 1/2 of either recipe or less) works to replace the whipped cream 3) You can definitely try it. The cake may taste a bit wet and will need longer in the oven.
I made this yesterday for Easter and it was perfection! A light and fresh delicious dessert! I doubled the strawberry mixture just because my kids love strawberries and I thought they might want more to top their cake with. They did, and asked me to make the same dessert again tomorrow 🙂 Thank you!
I followed the recipe exactly and the cake turned out delicious! thank you so much for this easy recipe. Do you have any thoughts on adding shredded coconut to the batter? I LOVE your coconut cake for large celebrations but was thinking for a quick version i could maybe just add coconut to this batter? What do you think?
Hi Ashley, You can certainly try adding pulsed sweetened coconut to this batter like I do in the coconut cake. I have not tested it so I’m unsure if reducing the sugar would be necessary to make up for the added sweetness. You can also add coconut extract for extra flavor.
Hi Sally, can I use self-raising cake flour? If so, what do I omit from the rest of the recipe? Also, can I use almond milk instead of whole milk? Thanks heaps.
Hi Jeannie! No I don’t recommend self-raising cake flour. Stick with regular cake flour. You can use almond milk though.
I’ve made many of your recipes. this one was good but not my favorite. Might have been user error but my cake came out a little too dense for my liking. great base recipe though, I’ll tweak the ingredients slightly in the future!
I’ve been a fan of you and your blog for 2 years already because this is the only site that have recipes that NEVER turns into a major failed baked good, even if I add some twists to the recipe.
One week to this day I plan to follow this recipe and make it into a 2 or 3 layer cake. Even if this will be my first time to make a cake because those two years are cookies, bars and muffin era I have no doubts about your recipe but I’m a little anxious about the whipped cream if I can make that for its icing outside or if I should make a buttercream icing instead. I’m concerned about the icing holding/keeping its place before D-day. I have to make it ahead of time because I’ll be busy the day before my mom’s birthday. Could you please help/enlighten me on what to do.
Hi Victor, Thank you so much for trusting my recipe for the past 2 years! I’m so excited for you to make your first cake! If you are making this cake ahead of time you can do one of two things. You can either make the cake the day before and wait to assemble it until right before it’s served. Or you can certainly make it with vanilla buttercream instead of whipped cream.
Hi Sally. Hi m making this cake today. Can I use a 10 inch for this cake or should I add 1/2 of this recipe more?
Hi Karen, This would not be enough batter for a 10 inch cake pan. One and a half times the recipe should work for a 10 inch pan. Enjoy!
This recipe was soooo amazing!!! The cake was soo moist but still fluffy and the strawberries paired so perfectly with the sweetness!
Love your recipes thank you endlessly for sharing
I just made this cake. Although the flavor is good and it is fluffy inside, it is very short in height (unlike your photo ) and I used an 8 inch baking pan. I like the reverse creaming method but the cakes seem to shrink up. I followed your directions exactly and measured all ingredients with a scale and the ingredients were at room temp. In addition, I did not beat for longer than you specified and not at a higher speed (as I know that can shrink if you over mix or have your mixer on too high of a speed). Can you please tell me why this cake shrinks up ? Is there anything I am doing without realizing it ? I also have an oven thermometer and the temperature was accurate. Thank you.
Hi Stephanie, It does sound like you are doing everything right – and this is not a tall cake! How was the crumb/texture of the cake when you ate it? It should be like a soft pound cake – but not super dense.
Sally thank you for replying. Yes, it was very good. Good texture. Yes like a soft pound cake but it was only an inch tall. When it came out of the oven it was taller. Then it shrunk up. This has happened to me several times with the reverse creaming method, and I cannot figure out why !! It’s like hit or miss !! And when you use so many expensive ingredients and your time, you want to be sure it works …
I made this recipe for the first time exactly as written and it came out absolutely perfect! This is an AMAZING cake and there really aren’t enough adjectives to describe how good it is. Thank you for sharing. I’m a huge Strawberry Shortcake fan and this was by far the best I’ve had. It was extremely easy and quick to come together and short cooking time. This will be in my recipe arsenal forever. I would have shared a photo but I don’t see anyway to attach.
Hi Sally,
I tried this recipe over the weekend and WOW – it came out amazing! This was my first try at something outside of box-mix cupcakes, and I am so pleased with the results; it didn’t last longer than about an hour after completion, so safe to say this was a crowd favorite! I was tasked with making this as an 80th birthday cake for this coming up weekend, and I am curious what your thoughts are on adapting this to a two-tier cake with a layer of whipped topping & strawberries between the two?
I’m thrilled that you made you first ever cake from scratch, Sarah!! You can absolutely make this cake into two layers by doubling it and it would be amazing with whipped cream and strawberries between them. I hope it’s a great 80th birthday celebration!
I’ve made 3 of your recipes now and I’m officially a fellow baking addict. All 3 have come out wonderfully!
I am in the process of making this beauty right now Wednesday night for a dinner party Friday night that I have to drive 3 hours to (we are staying for the weekend). I didn’t think twice about keeping this fresh as I thought it would be like typical “cake layers”, and that saran wrap at room temperature would ensure freshness.
After coming across your directions however, you only state “next day”, or the freezer as options. Would this start to become stale after two days, properly wrapped at room temp?
It’s coming out beautifully already, and I’m eager to protect my cake for the party. Thank you so much for your beautiful recipes – I’ve become a baking nerd completely because of you!
Hi Alessa! This cake is absolutely fine for a couple days if you store it in the refrigerator. It’s obviously best fresh (as most cakes are), but you can get away making it 1-2 days in advance. Hope everyone loves it!
I made this cake yesterday (doubled the recipe and spread into a 9×13-inch pan, bake for 40 minutes) to use in mini trifles, and it turned out great! I have made this once before (as written), and both times I have made it, my batter turned out a bit gritty and lumpy. It bakes up into the most beautifully springy and soft cake, but in your pictures, the batter looks creamy and smooth…any ideas as to why this could be occurring? In any case, the trifles turned out great! I cubed the cake and layered them in little jars along with strawberries, blueberries, whipped cream, and homemade crème pâtissière. Our guests were very impressed, and it was the perfect light, refreshing dessert to serve after a hefty meal of homemade burgers and scalloped potatoes. Love this recipe! <3 <3 <3
Hi Erin! I know exactly what you’re talking about and the batter looked like that for me for awhile. It’s little bits/pockets of flour and sugar that haven’t been mixed in. They dissolve in the batter as it bakes, so the cake always tastes fine! Make sure you are mixing the cubed butter/dry ingredients with a little milk and vanilla which helps break up those small pieces of flour/sugar.
Fantastic cake! My 10 year old made this as a base for an ice cream cake and it was perfect! Dense enough to hold up the ice cream, but tender and moist. It was happy to be frozen as well and didn’t crumble when cut semi-thawed. I am going to try this recipe with some cocoa powder subbed in for a few tablespoons of flour. I did use AP flour and organic cane sugar without sifting issues, so I am hopeful that a chocolate cake can be achieved, too. Thanks for a keeper of a recipe!
I’m so happy this recipe was a hit! If you try it with cocoa powder let me know how it goes 🙂
Loved this! Used a mix of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, and it turned out great – very fresh, and just right level of sweetness. Big hit with everyone at our dinner party. Thanks, Sally!
Great cake, but the ads on your website are so annoying, you’ve got to do something about them. I’m trying to teach my kids how to follow a recipe and the ads keep jumping around and causing the text to move and they can’t follow or keep up where they are. I know you need to make money, but you should limit the spots where the ads can go so they don’t interfere with the text in your recipe.
Thanks so much for the feedback! I do not allow pop-ups ads or ads to block my content or jump around, so let me look into the issue. Appreciate it!
Awesome! The cake was amazing. Can’t wait to make it again.
Hi Sally.
Can I add regular sprinkles to this batter please? I think it would be very pretty and fun. Please let me know. Do you have a chocolate cake that uses the reverse creaming method?
You can definitely add sprinkles to this batter. I suggest around 1/3 – 1/2 cup. I usually make chocolate cake with all oil instead of butter, so I don’t have any recipes using this method for a chocolate flavor.
Hi Sally,
I absolutely love love love your blog and have made many of the recipes, with some success I must add :-).
I was wondering if I could use this cake as a base for an ice-cream cake ( with vanilla ice-cream and mango). Or would you recommend any of your other cakes? I have managed a good chocolate base for an ice cream cake, but a plain basic vanilla base eludes me.
Would love your thoughts.
YES! This cake is a fantastic one layer cake “base” for ice cream cake. Let me know how you like it! Mango and vanilla is quite the delicious pair. 🙂
First time using the reverse creaming method, it was sooo easy! Sifting all the dry ingredients together in the beginning makes this come together so quickly, I love it! Everything about this cake is perfect….taste and texture is spot on and it rose beautifully. I baked in an 8 inch round pan and sprayed well with Baker’s Joy spray and it did not stick. So happy this came out, I was a little worried since I do not like the taste of cake flour (especially in white/vanilla cake recipes), and never use it, it seems to have a bleach taste to it, anyone else ever notice this?! I am definitely more sensitive to certain tastes. In its place I used (and now officially swear by) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour for all of my cake/cupcake recipes. What I do is measure (spoon & level as Sally recommends) the correct amount of flour called for in the recipe then remove 2 Tbl for every cup called for in the recipe….so for this recipe I removed 2 Tbl + 2 tsp of flour then sifted with the dry ingredients and continued with recipe. It worked beautifully!! Tastes amazing!! I ate some plain and then some with leftover chocolate buttercream, taste delicious both ways. Can’t wait to try with fresh whipped cream and strawberries!
Loved reading this, Monica! Thank you so much for sharing and it’s cool to see how you use AP flour instead of cake flour in some recipes! So glad you loved this cake.
Wow, Sally! This is by far the best strawberry dessert I have ever made, all of it was gone in only a few minutes. Thank you for your amazing recipes!
Hi Sally!
I made this cake today and I was completely blown away! The texture is absolute perfection! And the flavor was delicious! I was intrigued by the reverse creaming method, since I had never tried it before. The batter was lumpy, almost gritty, but when baked it was pure heaven! I have a feeling I’ll be making this many times over again this summer… 🙂 I doubled the recipe and used a 9 times 13″ pan, and baked it for 40 minutes at 350 F. Thanks again for another great recipe 🙂 Oh, and for future reference to other bakers, I doubled the whipped cream recipe too cover the cake and it turned out well. Also, I didn’t have strawberry jam, but the strawberry flavor was definitely there! Such a lovely recipe
Sally, this cake was one of the best things I have ever made. It’s outstandingly delicious! The cake batter was quite lumpy/gritty, but once baked it was amazing! The cake itself is SO moist, soft, and fluffy, with a wonderful flavor. I was slightly concerned that my cake was shrinking away from the edges and the edges looked a little crisp, but the inside was perfect! I baked it in a 9×13″ pan, doubling the recipe, and baked it for forty minutes. I didn’t have any strawberry jam on hand, but the strawberry mixture was still delicious and definitely there! Homemade whipped cream was the crowning glory on this fabulous cake, and altogether, the flavours were phenomenal. Definitely one of my new favourite cakes! I have a feeling I’ll be making this again and again over the summer! Thank you for this lovely recipe, Sally! It truly was the perfect light, refreshing dessert to serve to our guests after a heavy dinner! Everyone went back for seconds, and we polished off nearly the entire pan full of cake! Good thing I made a bigger cake 😉 Again, thank you for this wonderful recipe! I really loved it!
I made this at the spur-of-the-moment last night for a family get-together. I keep a can of The Saco Pantry powdered buttermilk blend in the fridge at all times because I do love to bake but can’t use up fresh buttermilk fast enough to keep it from going bad. It worked perfectly in this recipe. My entire family (even Mr. I-don’t-like-shortcake, it’s-always-so-dry) had a second helping!! The butter and buttermilk together worked like magic to make a moist, dense, flaky biscuit that made the sweetened fresh strawberries absolutely POP with flavor. I doubled the amount of homemade whipped cream because I know my family loves to pile it on, and and used 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1 tsp almond extract and it was amazing. And Sally’s suggestion on using less sugar in the whipped cream was spot on. Again, the strawberries really had a chance to shine without everyone feeling like they were just eating spoonfuls of pure sugar. 10/10 will keep this in the summer rotation!!!
I made this recipe and it was so good. I’m in love with the reverse creaming method! My adult kids and little grandchildren have decided that this is their favorite vanilla cake. Can I use this same recipe for cupcakes?
Yes, absolutely! Should yield around 12 cupcakes.
Would it be okay to double this and bake in a 9×13 pan? I’d love to try the reverse creaming method and prefer some oil in my cake but saw that you suggested a different recipe to those asking to make this into a layer cake?
Hi Beth! You know, I feel doubling this recipe would be fine as the original recipe is so small. I would use a 9×13 inch pan. Should take about 40-45 minutes at 350F, but use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Hi Sally,
I love this simple yet delicious one layer cake! So yummy!!
We are a farm family and give farm tours a couple times a year, for people to come and see the farm, animals and what we do.
We serve them a simple dinner and we have strawberry shortcake on the menu-but I need enough to serve 50.
Can this recipe be increased enough to handle this need???
Thank you!
Kathy
Hi Kathy! You could likely double this batter with no issue, but I wouldn’t triple or quadruple it. Instead, double it a few times to yield enough.
I used an 8 inch pan and cake came out one inch tall
So I had to make a second cake and serve as a layer cake
Too dense I think for a layer cake
Nice flavor , a little dense and I followed instructions.
My husband, though, LOVED it
“This reminds me of a shortcake”,
So your purpose was achieved!!