Desserts
Sour Cream Vanilla Cake w/ Fresh Strawberry Frosting
Tender, sour cream–soft vanilla cake crowned with pink strawberry frosting.
Prep
20 min
Cook
25 min
Serves
16
Ingredients
- Sheet Pan (18×13):
- 2 ¼ sticks (18 Tbsp) butter, room temperature
- 2 ½ cups sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp sea or kosher salt
- — or —
- 9×13 Pan (or Two 8-Inch Rounds):
- 1 ½ sticks (12 Tbsp) butter, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup milk
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp sea or kosher salt
Method
- 1
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 18×13 sheet pan, 9×13 pan, or two 8-inch round cake pans.
- 2
In a mixer or large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together for 3–4 minutes, until light, fluffy, and pale. The butter should be room temperature but still slightly cool — it should dent slightly when pressed, but not feel greasy. Creaming incorporates air for a light, fluffy cake.
- 3
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition to keep the batter smooth and properly emulsified.
- 4
Mix in the vanilla, milk, and sour cream. The batter may look slightly curdled — that's normal and will smooth out once the dry ingredients are added.
- 5
Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Using a spatula, gently mix until just combined — no streaks of flour, but don't overmix. The finished batter will be thick and smooth.
- 6
Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan with an offset spatula. It will be thick — that's what you want.
- 7
Bake until the center springs back lightly and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Sheet pan: 20–25 minutes. 9×13 or rounds: 25–30 minutes. Start checking early — overbaking dries the cake quickly.
- 8
Let the cake cool completely before frosting with fresh strawberry frosting.
Frosting Instructions
- 1
Blend thawed strawberries into a smooth purée. For best results, make sure the purée is completely cold before adding (chill 20–30 minutes if needed). Warm purée can cause the frosting to separate.
- 2
In a mixer or large bowl, beat butter and salt until light and fluffy. The butter should be softened but still cool to the touch — not melty or greasy.
- 3
Gradually add powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
- 4
Add vanilla. With the mixer running on medium-low, add the cold strawberry purée 1 tablespoon at a time, allowing it to fully incorporate before adding more. Sheet pan: start with ½ cup purée, add more if needed. 9×13: start with ¼ cup purée, add more if needed.
- 5
Once all purée is incorporated, increase speed to medium-high and beat 2–4 minutes until smooth, fluffy, and spreadable.
Tips
— If it looks slightly separated at first, keep mixing — it should come together.
— If the frosting still looks split: chill the bowl 10–15 minutes and rewhip, or add 1–2 tablespoons powdered sugar and beat again.
— If the frosting becomes too soft, add a little more powdered sugar until it thickens.
Wellness benefits
- — Sour cream keeps every bite tender
- — Pink strawberry frosting that tastes like summer
- — Scales easily — sheet pan, 9×13, or rounds
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