This Strawberry Lemonade Cake Recipe is the ultimate dessert for your summer cookout or barbecue! A moist strawberry cake is topped with a creamy lemon frosting — it’s fresh and fruity and made with real strawberries! Easy to make ahead and freezer friendly.

Hey everyone! It’s Ashley back again from The Recipe Rebel with another one of my favorite summer treats — this Strawberry Lemonade Cake!

Strawberry and lemon is one of the best combos for summer — the flavours are so fresh and light and they are the perfect complement to those burgers or steaks on the grill. Plus, strawberries are best around this time and there is nothing like freshly picked strawberries to take this cake to over the top delicious!

I like to try to bake from scratch and use natural flavors wherever I can, which is why I loaded this cake with fresh strawberry puree.

If you’re looking for a brighter pink color, you can definitely add a few drops of food coloring, and if you’re looking for a little more color and a punchier flavor, one or two tablespoons of strawberry Jello powder will do the trick (although it is definitely not necessary!).

To contrast the moist, sweet, homemade strawberry cake I made a creamy but tangy lemon frosting.

You can add as much or as little lemon zest as you like to the frosting depending on your tastes! If you like a milder lemon flavor, you can skip the lemon zest and just prepare the frosting with freshly squeezed lemon juice.

If you are a true lemon lover, you can add the zest of one lemon to the strawberry cake recipe for even more intense flavor!

This cake will absolutely be a hit at your next summer cookout! The bright, fresh flavors are something everyone starts craving once the sun starts shining again.

If you’re looking for more fresh, fruity offerings for your barbecue, try this Homemade Pink Lemonade or these Lemon Sour Cream Sugar Cookies!

Strawberry Lemonade Cake Recipe

 

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This Strawberry Lemonade Cake Recipe is the ultimate dessert for your summer cookout or barbecue! A moist strawberry cake is topped with a creamy lemon frosting -- it's fresh and fruity and made with real strawberries! Easy to make ahead and freezer friendly.

Author: Ashley

Serves: 12 pieces

Ingredients

• ½ cup canola oil
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2½ cups fresh strawberry puree (about 1lb strawberries)
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt

Frosting:

• ½ cup butter, room temperature
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• juice and zest of 1 lemon

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9x13" baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together oil and sugar until combined.
3. Add strawberry puree, eggs and vanilla and whisk until combined.
4. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and slowly stir just until moistened. Spread batter into prepared cake pan.
5. Bake for 40-45 minutes, just until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Let cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:

1. In a large bowl, beat butter until smooth with an electric mixer.
2. Add the powdered sugar, cream and lemon zest and beat until smooth. Gradually add lemon juice and beat just until desired consistency is reached.

Notes

*This cake can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 2 days, or stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.