Strawberry Lemonade Cake is a soft and fluffy cake bursting with bright flavors. It has a sweet lemon glaze and is topped with strawberry buttercream. Perfect for any spring or summer occasion, this delicious cake recipe will have everyone asking for more!
Have you seen our Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes? They're adorable cupcakes made with a doctored-up lemon cake mix and topped with homemade strawberry buttercream.
They're a popular spring and summer recipe that our readers love! I've taken those cute cupcakes and turned them into a cake that's out of this world!
This time I'm using a white cake mix and a few extra ingredients to make sure it's super soft and packed with lemonade flavor. Next, this cake gets a sweet lemon glaze for extra flavor and moisture.
Top all that off with our homemade strawberry frosting for the softest, fluffiest, most moist cake you'll have this spring!
How to Make a Strawberry Lemonade Cake:
Scroll to the recipe card below for ingredient amounts and full instructions.
To Make the Lemonade Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and lightly grease a 9x13-inch pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to combine the cake mix, water, eggs, pudding mix, sour cream, vegetable oil, lemonade mix, and vanilla. Mix until combined but don’t overmix the batter.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
To Make the Lemon Glaze:
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice. Don't let this mixture sit too long, because it firms up.
- When the cake comes out of the oven, pour the mixture over the warm cake. Use a spatula to smooth the lemon glaze over the cake.
- Let the cake cool completely before adding the buttercream.
To Make the Strawberry Buttercream:
- Place the strawberries into a food processor (or blender) and process until smooth. Pour the puree through a mesh strainer to remove the seeds. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to combine the powdered sugar and softened butter. Slowly begin to add in the strawberry puree until the frosting reaches the desired consistency.
- Frost the cooled cake with a pastry bag and piping tip or a spatula. Add lemon or strawberry slices. Enjoy!
How to Store a Lemon and Strawberry Cake:
Refrigerator: Store leftover cake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freezer: Unfrosted strawberry lemonade cake freezes well for up to 2 months. Make sure to wrap it in plastic wrap and aluminum foil.
Tips and Notes:
- The lemon glaze is optional, but it adds a ton of moisture to the cake. Sometimes we'll take a fork or a small skewer and poke holes in the surface so some of the glaze sinks into the cake. It's too thick for a poke cake but is great for keeping the cake soft.
- The strawberry frosting is written for a single batch and is enough for a thin layer across the cake. If you want a thicker layer of frosting or want to decorate the cake using a pastry bag, consider making an extra half batch or doubling the batch.
- You may not need all of the pureed strawberries. Add as much as you need to reach the desired frosting consistency.
Can you use lemon cake mix?
Yes, lemon cake mix works. You'll want to reduce the lemonade mix to 1 ounce.
Can you use lemon juice instead of lemonade mix?
No, not in the cake batter. Lemon juice is too acidic and interacts with the other ingredients. Not to mention, that's too much liquid for the cake batter, and it won't bake properly.
Is the lemon glaze necessary?
The lemon glaze is optional. Feel free to omit it if you'd rather not use it.
Lemon curd is a great substitute in place of the glaze. It's not as sweet, so the cake would have a tart layer in place of the sweet layer.
Can you use store-bought frosting?
Sure! If there's another frosting that you love, use it in place of the strawberry buttercream.
Are there other pan sizes that would work?
Yes, there are. If you don't have a 9x13-inch pan, try two 8-inch pans or two 9-inch pans instead. The baking pan may need to be adjusted slightly.
Recipe Card with Ingredient Amounts and Instructions
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 15.25 ounces white cake mix, 1 box
- 1 cup water
- 3 large eggs
- 3.4 ounces vanilla instant pudding
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 4 ounces lemonade mix, similar to Country Time
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For the Lemon Glaze (Optional)
- 1 cup sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
For the Strawberry Buttercream
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, washed and hulled
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
Instructions
To Make the Lemonade Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and grease a 9x13-inch pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to combine the cake ingredients. Mix until combined but don’t overmix the batter.15.25 ounces white cake mix1 cup water3 large eggs3.4 ounces vanilla instant pudding¾ cup sour cream½ cup vegetable oil4 ounces lemonade mix2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
To Make the Lemon Glaze:
- Whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice. Don't let this mixture sit too long, because it firms up.1 cup sweetened condensed milk½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- When the cake comes out of the oven, pour the mixture over the warm cake. Smooth it into an even layer.
- Let the cake cool completely before adding the buttercream.
To Make the Strawberry Buttercream:
- Place the strawberries into a food processor (or blender) and process until smooth. Pour the puree through a mesh strainer to remove the seeds.1 cup fresh strawberries
- Use a hand mixer to combine the powdered sugar and softened butter. Slowly begin to add in the strawberry puree until the frosting reaches the desired consistency.4 cups powdered sugar1 cup unsalted butter softened
- Frost the cooled cake and add lemon or strawberry slices. Enjoy!
- Scroll up and see the post for tips, FAQs, and storage options.
Pamala says
Can you use milk instead of water?
John says
Good Morning Pamala, we used water because that's what the cake mix instructions used. However, if your cake mix states to use milk then it should be okay. Either way, you could try using milk in place of water. We've never done it, but I feel like it would be okay. Thank you for asking your question. Have a lovely day 🙂