The Best Vanilla Strawberry Cake You’ll Ever Make (That Tastes Like a Box Mix—But Isn’t)

You know that moment when you bite into a boxed cake mix and think, “Wow… why can’t scratch cakes taste this soft?”
Yeah, same.

So I went on a mission to make a real cake—no box, no mystery powder packet—that still had that nostalgic, impossibly fluffy texture. The result? This Vanilla Cake with Real Strawberry Filling and Light Swiss Meringue Buttercream. It’s basically the box mix’s cooler, fancier cousin who shops at farmer’s markets and owns a stand mixer.

🍓 Why This Cake Works (and Feels Like a Box Mix… Without Being One)

This cake doesn’t just work—it wows. Here’s why:

• Butter + oil = flavor + tenderness. Butter brings the flavor; oil keeps it soft and moist (because science, baby).

• Reverse creaming method. Coat the flour in butter before adding liquids for that tight, bakery-style crumb.

• Swiss meringue buttercream. Light, silky, not toothache-sweet, and feels like frosting from a fancy bakery.

• Real strawberry filling. Slightly jammy, a little tart, and won’t make your layers slide apart like strawberry soup.

Basically, this cake has all the chemistry of a great bake, plus the personality of a summer picnic.

🧁 The Recipe

Vanilla Cake

(Makes two 8-inch layers or three thinner ones)

• 2½ cups (300g) bleached cake flour

• 1¾ cups (350g) sugar

• 2½ tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp fine salt

• 6 Tbsp (85g) unsalted butter, room temp, cubed

• ½ cup (120ml) neutral oil

• 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, room temp

• 3 large eggs + 2 yolks, room temp

• 2½ tsp vanilla extract

Strawberry Filling

• 1 lb (450g) strawberries, chopped

• ½ cup (100g) sugar

• 2 Tbsp lemon juice

• ½ cup (120ml) water, divided

• 2 Tbsp cornstarch

• Pinch salt

• Optional: 1–2 Tbsp freeze-dried strawberry powder for that pop

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

• 5 egg whites

• 1¼ cups (250g) sugar

• 1½ cups (340g) unsalted butter, cubed

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• Pinch salt

🔥 Directions (the Short & Sweet Version)

1. Cook the filling.
   Stir everything but the freeze-dried powder together in a saucepan. Simmer until glossy and thick—like loose jam. Chill before spreading.

2. Bake the cake.
   Mix dry ingredients. Add butter until it looks like damp sand.
   Pour in the buttermilk/egg/oil mix in two rounds. Bake at 350°F for 25–30 minutes. Cool completely (tough, I know).

3. Make the buttercream.
   Heat egg whites + sugar until no grit remains. Whip to glossy peaks, then add butter slowly. Add vanilla.
   If it curdles or melts? Chill it, rewhip it, say a kind word to it—it’ll come back.

4. Assemble.
   Spread a buttercream “dam,” fill with strawberry goodness, layer it up, and frost. Garnish with berries if you’re feeling fancy.

💡 Tips from the Hill

• Don’t overbake—pull it at 205–210°F for perfect moisture.

• Want stronger strawberry flavor? Stir a spoon of freeze-dried powder into the buttercream.

• Make ahead: cakes and filling can chill for a day. Frosting keeps 3–4 days in the fridge.

• Pair it with: cold brew, prosecco, or any excuse to celebrate literally anything.

🍰 Serving & Nutrition (per slice, based on 12 servings)

NutrientAmountCalories~485Total Fat25gSaturated Fat13gCarbs58gSugar38gProtein6gFiber1gSodium210mg

This cake feeds about 12–14 happy people (or 6 if you’re having that kind of week).

🐓 Final Thoughts from the Farm

This cake is the real deal—fluffy, moist, and bursting with fresh strawberry flavor. It’s homemade but hits you with that nostalgic “I can’t believe this isn’t from a box” energy. Around here at Farm at Fox Hill, we like to keep things simple, soulful, and sweet—without the extra fuss.

So go ahead. Bake the cake. Eat the cake. Tell everyone it’s “from scratch” (because it is). And if someone asks what your secret is, just smile and say, “It’s the butter. And the oil. And maybe a little magic.”