Lemon Cake With Strawberries and Cream

By David Tanis

Published April 14, 2025

Lemon Cake With Strawberries and Cream
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.
Total Time
1 hour 15 minutes, plus cooling time
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour, plus cooling time
Rating
4(72)
Comments
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For dessert, a bowl of strawberries and cream is always a winner. But instead, consider this lemony spongecake topped with strawberries and cream, which may well generate applause. It’s worth seeking out smaller strawberries, which tend to be riper and sweeter than the large, white-shouldered type. The spongecake may be baked in advance, up to 2 days ahead. It’s fun to hide the strawberries under a thick layer of whipped cream, but you can serve the cream on the side if preferred.

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Ingredients

Yield:8 servings

    For the Cake

    • 1tablespoon unsalted butter
    • 1⅓cups/140 grams sifted cake flour, plus more for the pan
    • 6large eggs
    • ¾cup/150 grams granulated sugar
    • 1teaspoon grated lemon zest
    • ½teaspoon vanilla extract
    • Pinch of salt

    For the Glaze

    • ¾cup/92 grams powdered sugar
    • 2tablespoons lemon juice
    • 2tablespoons limoncello or triple sec
    • 1cup/240 milliliters heavy cream
    • ½pound/225 grams ripe strawberries, hulled, rinsed and thickly sliced, quartered or halved
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

374 calories; 16 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 49 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 34 grams sugars; 7 grams protein; 82 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan and set aside.

  2. Step 2

    Prepare the cake: Place the flour in a large bowl and set aside. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat eggs at medium speed. Add granulated sugar, lemon zest, vanilla extract and salt. Beat until mixture is quite thick and nearly holds peaks, about 10 minutes. Quickly fold into the flour.

  3. Step 3

    Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Bake until a skewer emerges cleanly when inserted into the middle of the cake, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on a rack in the pan. (It's fine to make the cake a day or two in advance.)

  4. Step 4

    Flip the cake onto a platter, leaving the flat surface on top.

  5. Step 5

    Make the glaze: Stir together ½ cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and the limoncello until all the sugar has dissolved. Brush all of the glaze over the cake.

  6. Step 6

    Whip cream and 2 tablespoons of the remaining powdered sugar to form very soft peaks — don’t overwhip.

  7. Step 7

    In a medium bowl, toss strawberries with remaining tablespoon lemon juice and the remaining 2 tablespoons powdered sugar.

  8. Step 8

    Spoon strawberries on the cake and top with whipped cream to cover the berries. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours, if desired. Cut into wedges to serve.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
72 user ratings
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Comments

Beate

@Janet and @ Confused, sponge cakes do not incorporate butter or oil into the recipe. The fat comes from the eggs, the lightness of the cake comes from beating air into the batter.

Laura S.

@Jennifer Caravaggio in step 1 it says to butter and flour the cake pan.

Margaret

The directions are indeed confusing. If the tablespoon of butter is only for greasing the pan, that should be noted. That said, fatless sponge cakes are a thing, and it would appear that this is one of them.

Carol M.

Made this recipe for a group of friends - the red, white and blue colors were perfect for a July 4 celebration. That said, I found the instructions to be perfectly clear - no butter in the recipe! I do think I’m not a big fan of sponge cake as I found it a bit dry. Having the whipped cream and berries helped but probably wouldn’t make again.

My thoughts

@JR cake was undercooked in the middle. Eggs are temperamental - see cheesecake cracks, and they don't like going from a super hot oven to a cold room!

Rachel

I would recommend not making this recipe. I followed this recipe to a T and it didn't turn out. The cake was underbaked (left it in the 25 mins), sticky and weird texture on the bits that were fully baked, not good. Huge disappointment after buying a specialty ingredient (cake flour) and spending an hour or so on it. Should've just done the shot of limoncello instead...

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