This post may contain affiliate sales links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This Strawberries and Cream Cheesecake Cake is perfect in every way! With two layers of strawberry cake and a creamy layer of vanilla cheesecake in the middle, this cake is no joke.
If you like this cheesecake recipe, you’ll also love my Strawberry Shortcake Cheesecake!
Strawberries and Cream Cheesecake Cake
So you may or may not have noticed that I added a new little section to the blog towards the end of last year. If you view the site on a desktop computer, it’s easier to find (top left). If you view it on mobile it’s more difficult, but I’m working on fixing that. It’s a new lifestyle section. It’s what I’ve been calling my section. It’ll ebb and grow with time, but for now it’s my place to share all the other things I’d like to share. Life beyond the baking, so to speak. So if you’ve ever enjoyed reading my Stitch Fix posts, or getting the newest update in our journey to try and start a family, or want to follow any other shenanigans, that is now where you will find those things. In fact, the most recent update on our [in]fertility journey went up yesterday, so be sure to check it out if you’re into that sort of thing. 🙂 You can even sign up to get emails for those new posts now.
And if all you want are the cakes and recipes, then you are already in the right place! This cake today is two cakes in one – cake and cheesecake. Does it get any better than that?!
When I decided to make this cheesecake cake, I looked back to see what other cheesecake cakes I had on the blog and to my dismay, I found only ONE – this Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Cake! There’s even two of them in my cookbook! How are there not more on the blog?! Well today we fix that, my friends. Starting with this fabulous combination of strawberries and cream.
How to Make This Strawberry Cake
This cake really isn’t hard to make, but it does take some time because of the two different cake elements. I usually make my cheesecake layer first and let it set overnight. Then the next day I bake the cakes and put everything together. You could do it all in one day, but waiting for the cheesecake to set can take a bit.
One thing you want to be sure of when making the three layers is that they are all the same size. If you have a springform pan that doesn’t leak (they are hard to come by for me), then bake all the layers in that. If not, or if you just would prefer a regular cake pan, you can also use 9 inch cake pans. I did that this time around and it was a breeze. To set the pan up for the cheesecake, I just pressed aluminum foil into the bottom of the cake pan and had it sticking up over the sides of the pan. I used the foil to lift the cheesecake out of the pan once it was cool and firm. Easy peasy and the perfect size to make the cake layers.
To frost the cake, I used a cream cheese whipped cream. Because the cake is fairly heavy with the cheesecake layer in the center, I decided to go lighter on the frosting. The whipped cream is super light and has a subtle cream cheese flavor to it. It’s nice and stable, so no worries about it “melting”. It can soften when it sits out though, so when applying it to the cake, don’t let it sit out for an extended period of time or it’ll be a little harder to work with.
Because the frosting is a whipped cream and therefore is softer than my normal frostings, I wasn’t able to use my typical paper towel method of smoothing a cake. I used my offset spatula to apply the cream to the sides of the cake and smoothed it with my icing smoother. I finished the cake off with some fresh slices of strawberries. If you are going to be serving the cake at a later time after putting it together, you may want to add the strawberries shortly before serving so they don’t dry out.
This cake was a HUGE hit! Not only did the hubs and I love it, my mom was dying over it. My nieces also came over and dug right in. We were all big fans and found it hard to resist! The strawberry cake paired with the creamy vanilla cheesecake and cream cheese whipped cream was delicious! I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
Watch How To Make It
Similar Recipes You’ll Love
Homemade Strawberry Cake
Easy Lemon Strawberry Trifle
Easy Strawberry Shortcake
Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes
Strawberry Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Strawberry Shortcake Cheesecake
Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes
Strawberries and Cream Cheesecake Cake
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 14-16 Slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Strawberries and Cream Cheesecake Cake is perfect in every way! With two layers of strawberry cake and a creamy layer of vanilla cheesecake in the middle, this cake is no joke.
Ingredients
VANILLA CHEESECAKE
- 24 oz (678g) cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup (207g) sugar
- 3 tbsp (24g) all purpose flour
- 1 cup (230g) sour cream
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
STRAWBERRY CAKE LAYERS
- 3/4 cup (168g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups (310g) sugar
- 3/4 cup (173g) sour cream
- 2 tbsp strawberry extract
- 6 large egg whites, room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups (325g) all purpose flour
- 4 tsp (18g) baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (120ml) milk
- 1/2 cup (120ml) strawberry puree*
- 7–8 drops pink food color
CREAM CHEESE WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING
- 16oz (452g) cream cheese, room temperature
- 3 cups (720ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
- 1 1/4 cups (144g) powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 6–10 strawberries, sliced
- 3 strawberries, cut in half
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 300°F (148°C). Line the entire inside of a 9-inch (23cm) cake pan with aluminum foil. Press it into the pan to get it as flat as you can. You’ll use the aluminum foil to lift the cheesecake out of the pan when it’s baked and cooled.
2. In a large mixer bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar and flour together until combined. Use low speed to keep less air from getting into the batter, which can cause cracks. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. Add the sour cream, and vanilla extract and mix on low speed until well combined.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing slowly and scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition.
5. Pour the cheesecake batter into the lined cake pan.
6. Place the cake pan inside another larger pan. I use a larger cake pan, but you can use a roasting pan or any other larger baking pan. Fill the outside pan with enough warm water to go about halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Bake for 1 hour.
7. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door closed for 30 minutes. Do not open the door or you’ll release the heat.
8. Crack oven door and leave the cheesecake in the oven for another 30 minutes. This cooling process helps the cheesecake cool slowly to prevent cracks.
9. Remove cheesecake from oven and chill until firm, 5-6 hours.
10. To make the cake layers, preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Line the bottoms of two 9-inch (23cm) cake pans with parchment paper and grease the sides.
11. In a large mixer bowl, cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light in color and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
12. Add the sour cream and strawberry extract and mix until combined.
13. Add the egg whites in two batches, mixing until well combined after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is combined.
14. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Combine the milk and strawberry puree in a measuring cup.
15. Add half of the flour mixture to the batter and mix until combined.
16. Add the milk mixture to the batter and mix until combined.
17. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure everything is being combined. Stir in the food coloring.
18. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Bake for 27-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with a few crumbs.
19. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes, then remove from pans to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
20. To build the cake, make the frosting. Add the cream cheese to a large mixer bowl and beat until smooth, then set aside.
21. Add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to another bowl and whip until soft peaks form.
22. Add the cream cheese to the whipped cream and whip until stiff peaks form. It will happen fairly quickly. Set whipped frosting in the refrigerator.
23. Use a large serrated knife to remove the domes from the top of the cakes.
24. Place the first layer of cake on a serving plate or a cardboard cake round. Spread about 1 cup of frosting evenly on top of the cake layer.
25. Use the aluminum foil to lift the cheesecake out of the cake pan, remove the foil and place the cheesecake on top of the cake.
26. Spread another cup of frosting evenly on top of the cheesecake, then add the second layer of cake on top. If the sides of the cake don’t line up, use a serrated knife to trim off the excess cake or cheesecake.
27. Frost the outside of the cake.
28. Pipe swirls of the whipped frosting around the top edge of the cake. I used the Ateco 844 icing tip.
29. Place sliced strawberries around the bottom edge of the cake. Place strawberry halves on top of the cake around the inside of the swirls.
30. Pip a small shell border around the bottom edge of the cake.
31. Store the cake (in an airtight containter, if possible) in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Cake is best for 2-3 days.
Notes
* If you’ve never made a strawberry puree before, don’t worry, it’s very easy. All you need to do is place them in a food processor and pulse them until the berries are smooth.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Slice
- Calories: 700
- Sugar: 48.2 g
- Sodium: 403 mg
- Fat: 41.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 69.6 g
- Protein: 14.8 g
- Cholesterol: 168 mg
Categories
Enjoy!
This post contains affiliate links.
Thank you for such an awesome recipe!! I used this recipe to create strawberry cheesecake crunch cupcakes and they were a huge hit! I omitted the extract and used strawberry instant jello pudding in its place!
Beautiful cake!! Would you suggest using this cake recipe for a strawberry layer cake (no cheesecake layer)? I’ve seen several others posted on your blog and I’m having a HARD time deciding which to try!
Depends on what you are looking for in the flavor. This one has some strawberry extract in it, so the flavor isn’t as “natural”. This one uses all strawberries for the flavor. For the flavor to really come through you need strawberries that are very flavorful or it will be lacking.
Loved the cake. The strawberry cake was so delicious! The whole cake in itself was a disaster, mostly my fault, I didnt realize how much time one actually needed to actually do the cake. A tip though, if doing it in a springform pan keep in mind it takes a whole lot longer to bake. I didnt keep that in mind and instead of 30 minutes took about 50minutes to a little over an hour, would also lower the temperature to 325F, my cake cracked big time because I didnt lower temp. That time wasted on baking killed me since i had to be somewhere at a certain time. Will definitely try again, this time in two 9-inch cake pans, and with enough prep time. I dont take it as a fail attempt, more like a lesson learned, now I know what not to do. Thank you for the recipe! I will do better next time
Lindsey, I want to make a 5 layer cake with 2 layers of cheesecake. Can I split this cheesecake recipe into 2 pans or would I have to make double the recipe?
Yea, you should be able to bake it in two layers. You’ll just want to reduce the baking time.
im sorry, I have never baked a cheesecake. Can you estimate the time difference? Or can I bake into 1 pan and then slice in layers like a cake with a cake slicer?
i have a question- could I substitute raspberry extract, puree and fruit and make a raspberry cheesecake cake?
I would imagine that would be fine.
I’ve made this twice in the last month for guests–they all felt it to be a very special treat! I ran out of strawberry extract and discovered all of the grocery stores around us have stopped carrying it (Hey, Dillons/Kroger & Target, what’s up with that?). So, of course the cake supply shop was out as well but they did have one bottle strawberry emulsion left. For a lemon raspberry cheesecake that I make, the recipe claims the emulsion gives a more real lemon flavor with no aftertaste that extracts can often leave–the flavoring is great in that so I thought why not? However, it’s much stronger so I just used a generous 2 teaspoons and it worked really well, plus added some red color. I thought I’d share in case anyone else ran into the issue I did. Thanks for a great recipe that really impresses!
Thank you so much for sharing your recipe! It was absolutely delicious!! I made it for a friend’s surprise going away party and everyone loved it! I will definetly be checking out your other recipes 🙂
Awesome! Glad to hear it was a hit!
Hello Lindsay! This cake looks gorgeous and I’ll use it as inspiration for my little one’s 1st bday cake on Sunday! Can you tell me before Saturday if the egg white are added to the cake without first beating them? Thank you!
The egg whites are not beat or whipped first. I hope you enjoy the cake!
Your recipe is delicious! I made this cake to celebrate a birthday, and I’m going to be sure to make it again in the future. Everyone LOVED it – a huge hit! It’s the first cake I’ve made, so it was kind of a challenge (!!) but I’m relieved it came out so well. Great recipe – thanks for sharing!! 🙂
Awesome! I’m so glad to hear it was successful and you enjoyed it! Thanks Lauren!
Can I use egg whites from a carton or do they have to be egg whites from shelled eggs? Thank you!
I’ve never used egg whites from a carton, but I would think that would be fine.
Loved this idea and all went well until took cakes out , hardly risen and seem quite dense.
I have made a few cakes over the years so understand the need for creaming thoroughly which I did but cant understand why this has happened.
The cake does seem to have a lot of liquid with sour cream , milk and puree cant understand what has gone wrong tried in normal and fan oven ?
How deep are the cake layers supposed to be ?
Hmm, it’d be hard for me to say what happened. The whole cake is quite tall. I’d say the cake layers are each around 1 1/2 to 2 inches in height.
Had the same result. Creamed everything well and the cakes were done and didn’t shrink,but they didn’t rise. No dome either. They are half an inch each… haven’t tried them yet so I don’t know if they’ll be dense. I hope not! I thought maybe my baking powder was bad but now I’m reading some
People had the same issue. Maybe the oven….?
Hi Lindsay,
your cake looks more than amazing. I am searching for ideas for by daughter’s bday cake and I think I found what I was looking for 🙂 the only question I have is : I hate buttercream frostings so I always use cream cheese one but it is never that stiff to frost the cake and decorate it. Now I see you use it with whipped cream so I believe (and see in your video) that it is pretty stiff. Do you think I can drip white chocolate garnache (coloured in pink) on the frosted cake? Will it hold it?
million thanks for your advise!!!!!
It might be ok. You’d want your ganache to not be too warm and your frosting to have set in the fridge for a bit, just to be careful.
Hi! Thanks for the great recipe! I just finished my cheesecake and tomorrow I’m making the cake layers but I couldn’t find strawberry extract I found instead McCormick strawberry flavor, do you think that one will work? And if it does, should I put 2 tbsp of that one too?
That should be fine. I’d try using the same amount.
This cake is amazing! Everyone that tried it loved it. My only problem was that my cheesecake cracked, but because I flipped it over (and it’s layered between two cakes) nobody knew. The only thing I did differently was I used a spring form pan for the cheesecake. Water baths make me nervous, so I didn’t want to put the cake in it, but I did fill a roasting pan with water and put it on the rack below the cheesecake (It’s been successful before). I’m sure I know where I went wrong that caused the crack, but since I’m being asked to make it again, I should be able to fix that error.
If i was going to halve the recipe and do it in a 6in pan, How long should I bake it?
I haven’t ever made it in a 6 inch pan. Not sure.
I made the cheesecake layer last night and baked it for 40 min, haven’t tried it yet but it looks right.
Hi! I made this for my daughters birthday and it was wonderful! Now i want to make it for a baby shower. I was wondering if i could make the cakes and cheesecake ahead and freeze them and then thaw them and decorate when its time for the shower? Have you ever tried freezes the cakes and cheesecake?
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I haven’t tried freezing it and it wouldn’t be as fresh, but I think it’d be ok.
HI! I just made this cake for my birthday and it did not turn out as expected. The cheesecake portion was excellent but the strawberry cake portion came out excessively thick and kind of tough. The cake was very dense. Is this how it was suppose to come out? And if not, is there any reason why you might think it came out like this? Thank you.
No I wouldn’t expect it turn out that way. Should be pretty light and fluffy, in my opinion. I find that the most common issue is not fully creaming the butter and sugar, which adds air to that batter. If the cake kind of shrunk and became dense after pulling it out of the oven, that’s the most likely culprit that I know of.