Obsessed Cakes

Strawberry Shortcake Cake Batter Cake

Soft sprinkle-filled cake batter layers, barely cooked strawberries, and cloud-like vanilla buttercream in one bright, nostalgic cake.

Prep
55 min
Bake
22-24 min
Total
About 3 hr, including cooling and assembly
Yield
One 8-inch three-layer cake

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Ingredients

Vanilla Cake Batter Cake Layers

  • 300 g (2 1/2 cups) cake flour
  • 20 g (2 tablespoons + 2 1/2 teaspoons) cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 285 g (1 1/2 cups) granulated sugar
  • 120 g (1/2 cup) neutral oil
  • 200 g (7/8 cup) plain unsweetened yogurt
  • 240 g (1 cup) milk
  • 15 g apple cider vinegar (1 tablespoon)
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla bean paste
  • 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon cake batter extract
  • 70-80 g rainbow sprinkles (about 1/2 cup), plus more for topping

Fresh Strawberry Filling

  • 350 g (2 1/8 cups) fresh strawberries, finely diced
  • 20-25 g (1 tablespoon + 1 3/4 teaspoons to 2 tablespoons) granulated sugar
  • 10 g lemon juice (2 teaspoons)
  • Pinch of fine sea salt
  • 3 g (2 teaspoons) freeze-dried raspberry powder

Whipped Cake Batter Buttercream

  • 340 g (1 1/2 cups or 3 sticks) butter, room temperature
  • 490 g (3 7/8 cups) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
  • 1/4 teaspoon cake batter extract
  • 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 50-60 g (3 tablespoons + 1 1/2 teaspoons to 1/4 cup) heavy cream, room temperature

For Assembly

  • Reserved strawberry juice
  • Fresh strawberries
  • Rainbow sprinkles

Instructions

  1. Prepare the pans and oven. Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease three 8-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment.
  2. Mix the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, oil, yogurt, milk, apple cider vinegar, vanilla bean paste, almond extract, and cake batter extract until smooth and emulsified.
  3. Mix the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk the cake flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  4. Finish the batter. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two additions, whisking gently just until the batter is smooth. Fold in the sprinkles with a spatula at the very end, reserving some for the tops.
  5. Divide and bake. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans and tap them lightly to release excess air bubbles. Sprinkle a few additional sprinkles over each top. Bake for 22-24 minutes, until the tops spring back lightly and a tester comes out with a few moist crumbs.
  6. Cool the layers. Let the cakes cool in their pans for 15 minutes, then turn them out onto racks and cool completely.
  7. Macerate the strawberries. Combine the diced strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and salt in a saucepan. Let the mixture stand for 10-15 minutes to release its juices.
  8. Cook the filling gently. Cook over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring gently, just until the berries soften slightly and form a light, glossy syrup. Do not reduce the mixture heavily or cook it into jam.
  9. Finish and chill the filling. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the freeze-dried raspberry powder. Strain the juice from the strawberries without pressing on them and reserve the juice for the cake layers. Chill the strawberries completely.
  10. Make the buttercream. Beat the room-temperature butter until smooth and fluffy. Gradually add the powdered sugar and continue beating until lightened. Add the vanilla bean paste, cake batter extract, and salt, then beat until fully smooth and creamy.
  11. Whip in the cream. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly stream in the room-temperature cream until the buttercream is light, silky, and cloud-like. Chill it briefly if it becomes too soft for assembly.
  12. Build the first layer. Place one cake layer on a cake board and lightly brush the top with reserved strawberry juice. Spread on a thin layer of buttercream, then pipe a complete buttercream dam around the edge. Add enough strawberry filling to cover the cake in a single layer.
  13. Repeat the filling. Add the second cake layer and repeat the strawberry juice, thin buttercream layer, buttercream dam, and single layer of strawberries.
  14. Finish the cake. Place the final cake layer upside down for a flat top. Frost the cake with the remaining buttercream, then decorate with fresh strawberries and rainbow sprinkles.
  15. Chill and serve. Keep the assembled cake refrigerated. Chill until stable before slicing, then let individual slices soften briefly before serving.