I baked a strawberry vanilla layer cake with light, airy vanilla layers dotted with fresh raspberries and strawberries and a lemon whipped cream cheese frosting tucked between the tiers and barely spread on the outside for a bright, naked summer centerpiece.
I almost don’t want to tell you how silly simple this Berry Vanilla Naked Cake is, but here goes. I layered a featherlight vanilla sponge made with cake flour and tucked whole strawberries and raspberries into each tier so every slice surprises you.
The lemon whipped cream cheese frosting keeps things bright, just enough tang to cut the sweetness, and I leave the sides barely frosted so the berries peek through, giving it that Strawberry Vanilla Layer Cake vibe. If you like a showstopping summer dessert thats honest and a little undone, this Berry Cake Recipe will make you smile.
Ingredients
- Cake flour makes cakes tender; all purpose works, but a bit denser.
- Adds rich fat and moisture, helps crumbs, gives cake mellow flavor.
- Oil keeps cake super moist, a neutral taste, no dairy added.
- Provide structure and protein, trap air for lift, yolks add richness.
- Pure vanilla gives warm, sweet aroma, makes flavors feel rounder.
- Milk and sour cream add moisture, tang, and tender crumb, slight acidity.
- Cream cheese adds tang and creaminess, butter makes it fluffy and rich.
- Sweetens frosting, gives structure and smooth texture when sifted, very sweet.
- Strawberries and raspberries bring bright tartness, fiber and vitamin C.
- Adds fresh citrus lift, balances sweetness with sharp, lively acidity.
Ingredient Quantities
- 3 cups cake flour, sifted (if you dont have cake flour use 3 cups all purpose)
- 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temp (for cake)
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs, room temp
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole milk, room temp
- 1/2 cup sour cream, room temp
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened (1 block)
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (for frosting)
- 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup heavy cream, chilled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for frosting)
- Pinch of fine salt (for frosting)
- 12 ounces strawberries, hulled and sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 8 ounces raspberries (about 1 cup)
- 1/4 cup simple syrup or light syrup, optional
- Extra berries and lemon zest for garnish, optional
How to Make this
1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease and line three 8 inch round cake pans, flour lightly; if you only have 2 pans you can bake in batches. Sift 3 cups cake flour (or 3 cups all purpose), 2 1/4 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp fine salt together and set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, cream 1 cup room temp unsalted butter (for cake) with 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup vegetable oil and mix until combined.
3. Add 4 large room temp eggs one at a time, beating after each until just combined, then stir in 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract. Scrape the bowl so everything mixes evenly.
4. In a measuring cup whisk together 1 cup whole milk and 1/2 cup sour cream. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix on low and don’t overbeat.
5. Toss the sliced 12 ounces strawberries and 8 ounces raspberries gently with a teaspoon of the sifted cake flour to keep them from sinking and bleeding. Fold the berries into the finished batter very gently so they dont break up too much.
6. Divide batter evenly among the prepared pans (use a kitchen scale for accuracy) and bake 22 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Rotate pans halfway if your oven bakes unevenly.
7. Let cakes cool in the pans 10 minutes, then run a knife around edges, invert onto wire racks and cool completely. If you want extra moist layers brush each layer with up to 1/4 cup simple syrup or light syrup while still slightly warm.
8. Make the lemon whipped cream cheese frosting: beat 8 ounces softened cream cheese with 1 cup softened unsalted butter (for frosting) until smooth. Gradually add 4 cups sifted powdered sugar, then 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1 tbsp lemon zest, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and a pinch of fine salt. Add 1/3 to 1/2 cup chilled heavy cream as needed and whip until light and spreadable.
9. Assemble the cake: level tops if needed, place first layer on a cake board or plate, spread a layer of frosting, add some extra sliced strawberries and raspberries, repeat with second layer, more frosting and berries, then top with final layer. Apply a thin coat of frosting to the sides and top for that naked cake look, leaving bits of cake showing. Chill 15 to 30 minutes to set if you want cleaner slices.
10. Garnish with extra berries and a little extra lemon zest, slice with a hot clean knife for neat cuts, and serve. Store leftovers covered in the fridge up to 3 days.
Equipment Needed
1. Oven, preheat to 350 F
2. Three 8 inch round cake pans (or two and bake in batches), plus parchment paper and nonstick spray or butter for greasing
3. Stand mixer or hand mixer with paddle/beaters
4. Mixing bowls (at least two) and a rubber spatula for folding
5. Fine mesh sieve or flour sifter for dry ingredients and powdered sugar
6. Measuring cups and spoons plus a liquid measuring cup; kitchen scale is great for even layers
7. Whisk and a sturdy wooden spoon or silicone spatula for batter mixing
8. Wire cooling racks, an offset spatula or bench knife for frosting, and a serrated knife for slicing neat pieces
FAQ
Berry Vanilla Naked Cake Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Cake flour (3 cups) substitute: use 3 cups all-purpose flour, remove 6 tablespoons, then add 6 tablespoons cornstarch and sift well — gives a lighter crumb like cake flour.
- Sour cream (1/2 cup) substitute: plain Greek yogurt 1:1 for same tang and texture, or buttermilk in the same amount if you dont mind a slightly thinner batter.
- Cream cheese (8 oz) substitute: mascarpone 1:1 for richer, creamier frosting, or Neufchatel 1:1 for a lower-fat swap; mascarpone may make the frosting a bit looser so chill to firm up.
- Heavy cream (1/3–1/2 cup) substitute: use half-and-half 1:1, or make a quick heavy-cream stand-in by mixing 3/4 cup whole milk with 1/4 cup melted butter and scale that down to the amount you need.
Pro Tips
1. let everything really come to room temperature. cold eggs or cream cheese make batter and frosting seize or get lumpy. if you forgot, tuck eggs in warm water for 10 minutes and sit the cream cheese in a bowl over warm water for a bit, but dont melt the butter.
2. stop the berries from sinking and bleeding into the crumb. toss them in a little flour or cornstarch right before folding, fold them in at the very end and as gently as you can. if you want brighter, juicier pockets, toss a few berries with a teaspoon of sugar and a squeeze of lemon and let sit 10 to 15 minutes then drain some liquid before adding.
3. do not overmix the batter. mix slow, alternate dry and wet, and stop as soon as it looks combined, overworking makes a dense cake. use a kitchen scale to split the batter evenly between pans so layers bake the same and you dont end up with one giant layer.
4. for stable, fluffy frosting and neat assembly chill between steps. whip the heavy cream separately to soft peaks and fold it into the cream cheese mixture so the frosting stays light and doesnt go runny. chill the layers briefly before frosting and for clean slices run a hot knife under warm water, wipe it dry, then cut each slice, repeat. store in the fridge and bring to room temperature 20 to 30 minutes before serving so flavors shine.
Berry Vanilla Naked Cake Recipe
I baked a strawberry vanilla layer cake with light, airy vanilla layers dotted with fresh raspberries and strawberries and a lemon whipped cream cheese frosting tucked between the tiers and barely spread on the outside for a bright, naked summer centerpiece.
12
servings
920
kcal
Equipment: 1. Oven, preheat to 350 F
2. Three 8 inch round cake pans (or two and bake in batches), plus parchment paper and nonstick spray or butter for greasing
3. Stand mixer or hand mixer with paddle/beaters
4. Mixing bowls (at least two) and a rubber spatula for folding
5. Fine mesh sieve or flour sifter for dry ingredients and powdered sugar
6. Measuring cups and spoons plus a liquid measuring cup; kitchen scale is great for even layers
7. Whisk and a sturdy wooden spoon or silicone spatula for batter mixing
8. Wire cooling racks, an offset spatula or bench knife for frosting, and a serrated knife for slicing neat pieces
Ingredients
3 cups cake flour, sifted (if you dont have cake flour use 3 cups all purpose)
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, room temp (for cake)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs, room temp
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk, room temp
1/2 cup sour cream, room temp
8 ounces cream cheese, softened (1 block)
1 cup unsalted butter, softened (for frosting)
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/3 to 1/2 cup heavy cream, chilled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for frosting)
Pinch of fine salt (for frosting)
12 ounces strawberries, hulled and sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
8 ounces raspberries (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup simple syrup or light syrup, optional
Extra berries and lemon zest for garnish, optional
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease and line three 8 inch round cake pans, flour lightly; if you only have 2 pans you can bake in batches. Sift 3 cups cake flour (or 3 cups all purpose), 2 1/4 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp fine salt together and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, cream 1 cup room temp unsalted butter (for cake) with 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup vegetable oil and mix until combined.
- Add 4 large room temp eggs one at a time, beating after each until just combined, then stir in 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract. Scrape the bowl so everything mixes evenly.
- In a measuring cup whisk together 1 cup whole milk and 1/2 cup sour cream. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix on low and don’t overbeat.
- Toss the sliced 12 ounces strawberries and 8 ounces raspberries gently with a teaspoon of the sifted cake flour to keep them from sinking and bleeding. Fold the berries into the finished batter very gently so they dont break up too much.
- Divide batter evenly among the prepared pans (use a kitchen scale for accuracy) and bake 22 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Rotate pans halfway if your oven bakes unevenly.
- Let cakes cool in the pans 10 minutes, then run a knife around edges, invert onto wire racks and cool completely. If you want extra moist layers brush each layer with up to 1/4 cup simple syrup or light syrup while still slightly warm.
- Make the lemon whipped cream cheese frosting: beat 8 ounces softened cream cheese with 1 cup softened unsalted butter (for frosting) until smooth. Gradually add 4 cups sifted powdered sugar, then 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1 tbsp lemon zest, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and a pinch of fine salt. Add 1/3 to 1/2 cup chilled heavy cream as needed and whip until light and spreadable.
- Assemble the cake: level tops if needed, place first layer on a cake board or plate, spread a layer of frosting, add some extra sliced strawberries and raspberries, repeat with second layer, more frosting and berries, then top with final layer. Apply a thin coat of frosting to the sides and top for that naked cake look, leaving bits of cake showing. Chill 15 to 30 minutes to set if you want cleaner slices.
- Garnish with extra berries and a little extra lemon zest, slice with a hot clean knife for neat cuts, and serve. Store leftovers covered in the fridge up to 3 days.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 275g
- Total number of serves: 12
- Calories: 920kcal
- Fat: 54.4g
- Saturated Fat: 28.8g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Polyunsaturated: 2.9g
- Monounsaturated: 10g
- Cholesterol: 174mg
- Sodium: 283mg
- Potassium: 292mg
- Carbohydrates: 100.3g
- Fiber: 2.7g
- Sugar: 77g
- Protein: 7g
- Vitamin A: 2083IU
- Vitamin C: 22mg
- Calcium: 55mg
- Iron: 0.7mg
