One of the signs of summertime in the UK is that the Wimbledon Tennis Championships begins. Strawberries and cream was served at the first Wimbledon back in 1877 and has continued to be a winning combination ever since. This Strawberries & Cream Cake is the ultimate celebration of this delightful mix of sweet fruit and rich cream. It's made up of a generous vanilla sponge, filled with sweetened mascarpone cheese and strawberry jam, topped with whipped cream, freeze dried and fresh strawberries - it screams "summer is here!" The sponge of this Strawberries & Cream Cake is lovely and light and the sweet jam and strawberries set off the cream and the filling perfectly - it's a combination that has stood the test of time for a reason!
Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information
- Make sure all your ingredients (particularly the butter and eggs) are at room temperature before you start baking.
- I used a baking spread for the cake, but you can use unsalted butter too.
- You can swap the strawberries for raspberries, and the strawberry jam for raspberry jam if you prefer.
- Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales*. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
- For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons* and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.
For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.
How to make Strawberries & Cream Cake
Start by mixing together caster sugar and butter until it is light and fluffy. Then whisk in eggs and vanilla extract until smooth, then mix in self raising flour.
Divide the mixture between two cake tins. Bake for 35 minutes until golden brown and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
When the sponges are fully cool, make the filling by mixing together mascarpone cheese, full fat cream cheese, vanilla extract and icing sugar. Spread strawberry jam over the sponge, then add the filling leaving about 2 tbsp. Add the second sponge and spread the remaining filling on the top. Whip up double cream with icing sugar and vanilla, pipe it around the edges of the cake. Sprinkle freeze dried strawberries in the centre and add fresh strawberries all round the edges of the cake.
Can you make this cake with plain or all purpose flour?
Self raising flour, which is very commonly used in the UK where I am based, already contains a raising agent and a little salt too. Therefore if you want to swap it for plain or all purpose flour, you will need to add some additional baking powder and also a little salt if you like. Some people like to add salt to cake recipes and some don't, so I'll leave that up to you as it won't affect the bake. The general advice is to add 2 teaspoons baking powder (a measuring teaspoon, not the kind you stir your coffee with) per every 200g plain or all purpose flour. So for this recipe you'd need to add 3 ½ teaspoons baking powder. Please note, I have not tested this recipe using plain or all purpose flour.
How long does this cake last for and can you freeze it?
The cake will keep in an airtight container for 2-3 days in the fridge. You can freeze the sponges on their own. Once the sponges are fully cool, wrap them well with cling film or put them in an airtight container with some baking paper between them. Freeze for up to 3 months. Once the cake is decorated I do not recommend freezing it.
Can this cake be made in different sized tins?
If you would like to make this cake in different sized tins, please check my Conversion Guide to find out how to adjust the recipe.
Can this recipe be made gluten or dairy free?
Yes! For gluten free you can replace the self raising flour with a gluten free self raising flour blend. If you only have a gluten free plain flour blend, you will need to add additonal baking powder. The general advice is to add 2 tsp baking powder per 200g flour, so for this recipe you'd need to add 3 + ½ teaspoons baking powder. You may also like to add ½ tsp Xanthan Gum for better texture. For a dairy free version, use a dairy free baking spread for the cake and dairy free cream and dairy free cheese for the filling and topping. Please check the labels of everything you use if serving to someone with an allergy or intolerance.
Troubleshooting
If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!
Recommended equipment & ingredients*
- Mixing bowls
- Cooling rack
- 8" cake tins
- Round cake tin liners
- Cake tester
- Kitchen scales
- Electric hand mixer
- Piping bags
- Freeze dried strawberries
- Jem 1E Piping nozzle
*I earn a small amount of money if you buy the products after clicking on the links. You will not be charged anything extra for this. Thank you for supporting The Baking Explorer!
More strawberry recipes...
Strawberries & Cream Cake
Ingredients
For the sponge
- 350 g Caster sugar
- 350 g Baking spread or Butter softened, unsalted
- 6 Eggs large
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract
- 350 g Self raising flour
For the filling
- 250 g Mascarpone cheese
- 50 g Full fat cream cheese
- 5 tbsp Icing sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 6 tbsp Strawberry jam
For the decoration
- 200 ml Double cream
- 2 tbsp Icing sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 18 g Packet of freeze dried strawberries
- 9 Fresh strawberries
- Red sprinkles
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 160C Fan/350F/Gas Mark 4 and grease and line two 8" sandwich tins (that are at least 2" deep)
- To make the sponge, mix together the caster sugar and baking spread using an electric mixer until it is light and fluffy
- Whisk in the eggs, two at a time, mixing between each addition
- Then mix in the vanilla extract, followed by the self raising flour
- Separate the mixture between the sandwich tins. You can do this by eye, or use scales for accuracy
- Bake them for 35-40 minutes or until they are golden brown and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean
- Once the sponges are baked, remove from the oven and run a butter knife around the edges of the tin to loosen them, then carefully tip them out onto a cooling rack and leave to cool completely
- To make the filling use an electric hand whisk or food mixer to whisk together the mascarpone cheese, full fat cream cheese, vanilla extract and icing sugar
- Put one of the sponges on your chosen cake stand or serving plate and spread the strawberry jam all over it, then spread the filling over the jam leaving about 2 tbsp in the bowl
- Top with the second sponge and spread the remaining 2 tbsp of the filling on top in the centre, it doesn't need to reach the edges
- Whip up the double cream and icing sugar either by hand, with an electric hand mixer, or food mixer. Put it into a piping bag with an open star nozzle and pipe it all around the edge of the cake
- Smash up the freeze dried strawberries if they are whole (you can also buy pieces that won't need smashing up) and sprinkle them in the centre
- Add the fresh strawberries on top of the whipped cream all around the edge of the cake, and sprinkle the red hundreds and thousands, if using, all over the cake
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge place and eat within 2 days
Video
Notes
- Make sure all your ingredients (particularly the butter and eggs) are at room temperature before you start baking.
- I used a baking spread for the cake, but you can use unsalted butter too.
- You can swap the strawberries for raspberries, and the strawberry jam for raspberry jam if you prefer.
- Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales*. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
- For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons* and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.
Angela / Only Crumbs Remain
Wow Kat, that seriously looks glorious. So clean and summery....and i had no idea that strawberries & cream at Wimbeldon went back just that far!
Angela x
Kat (The Baking Explorer)
Thank you Angela! I had no idea either until I wrote this post, it's so fascinating!
Kate - gluten free alchemist
Now that is a perfect summer cake! There is something perfect about a simple sponge with strawberries and cream....... and yes..... a great tribute to Wimbledon xx
Kat (The Baking Explorer)
Thanks Kate! I agree, I kept the sponge simple so the strawberries and cream could be the stars of the show!
Julie McPherson
If there was ever a cake to say Wimbledon then this is it. It's a real strawberries and cream showstopper of a cake. Commenting as BritMums Baking Round-up Editor. 🙂 x
Kat (The Baking Explorer)
Thank you Julie!
Lauren
Made this today and it has turned out a million times better than I expected for my first time! Such a fantastic recipe that you can really make your own!
thebakingexplorer
Thank you so much Lauren! Your cake looks amazing!