This strawberry chiffon cake is a delightful surprise. Sponge cake, creamy buttercream, and sweet strawberries provide a pampering snack! Loaded with strawberries (2 lb), this is one of the great ways to use strawberries when they’re in season. This is a stunning cake recipe that tastes as amazing as it looks!

Strawberry Chiffon Cake
The strawberry season has started again. And every day, I harvest quite a few strawberries from the garden. And you can eat them out of hand or on a biscuit because these strawberries from our garden have a full, sweet taste.
But of course, you can also use this summer fruit for baking! If you want, if you have strawberries, you can make delicious cakes and pies. For example, I can recommend this chiffon cake. Chiffon cake means that the cake biscuit is fluffy and creamy with oil and egg whites instead of butter.
All these Delicious Flavors in One Cake
The chiffon cake consists of two layers of sponge cake filled with homemade buttercream and fresh strawberries, molded against the baking pan (for a fantastic view of upright strawberries) as it is. This is a cake with a WOW factor.

What do you need for a Strawberry Sponge Cake?
To prepare this Strawberry Chiffon Cake, you need the following ingredients. You can find the correct amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the blog:
Ingredients for a Biscuit

- Flour - Use regular All-purpose flour in this recipe.
- Baking powder and cream of tartar - Both are used to get some air in the biscuit. Cream of Tartar is prepared from natural raw materials. In contrast to baking powder, which is made out of chemical substances. The reaction it gives in your batter is the same. So you can replace the cream of tartar with baking powder and the other way around.
- Vegetable oil - use a neutral oil, like sunflower oil.
- Vanilla extract - For a touch of vanilla flavor in the biscuit. You can also replace this with one teaspoon of vanilla sugar.
- Egg whites - give extra air to the biscuit. Make sure no egg yolk is present (not even a trace). The egg whites won’t stiffen when it’s there. When beating, make sure your bowl and mixer hooks are fat-free. Thus, wash them in hot water with detergent before using.
- Egg yolks - make the biscuit rich and creamy.
Ingredients Buttercream, sugar syrup, and filling

- Milk, cream, egg, and mascarpone - make sure the buttercream becomes rich and creamy.
- Vanilla extract - To give a hint of vanilla to the buttercream.
- Corn starch - Thickens the cream when brought to a boil a bit. That way, it won’t drip off your cake later on.
- Gelatin - You can buy it as sheets or as gelatin powder. When purchased in sheets, you first have to soften it in some cold water. And then you’ve got to dissolve it in a hot liquid. When using gelatin powder, you can use ¾ teaspoon (which is equal to 1 ½ sheets - 3 grams). So one teaspoon of gelatin powder corresponds to 3 grams of gelatin. It doesn’t matter which sort of gelatin you use.
How to prepare a Chiffon Cake with Strawberries and Cream?
You can find a printable recipe with a step-by-step description at the bottom of this blog.

- Mix the flour, ½ cup of sugar, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl and mix. Mix oil, egg yolks, water, vanilla, and lemon zest in a second bowl. Pour the liquids into the first bowl and mix until smooth. Add the egg whites to a clean bowl and mix until stiff. Then sprinkle the tartaric acid on top and mix until stiff. Add the remaining sugar, so the egg white becomes shiny. Add the egg whites to the flour mixture and gently incorporate with a spatula. The beaten egg whites are added in two portions and not all at once. You do this to let the butter and egg whites mingle better, so the cake will get airier.
- Pour the batter into a spring form. And bake for 55 minutes in a preheated oven of 320 °F (160 °C) until the biscuit is done. With a skewer, you can check the doneness of the cake. Prick with a skewer into the center (the thickest part) of the cake. When the skewer comes out dry, then the cake is done.
- Mix the water with the sugar in a saucepan, bring to a boil and dissolve the sugar while whisking. Let it cool to room temperature.
- Heat the milk with vanilla extract and salt until you see steam. Turn off the heat. Mix the corn starch, sugar, and eggs in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour the hot milk little by little with the egg mixture until all milk is mixed. Keep whisking when adding the milk. Pour everything back into the pan and warm until the custard thickens (keep whisking). Remove from the heat and strain the custard mixture. Mix the gelatin with hot water and whisk through the custard. Cover with a plastic foil to keep a sheet from forming and let it cool for 15 minutes.
- In a bowl, mix the mascarpone with the cream until stiff. Fold the cream mixture through the custard with a spatula (don’t use a whisk or mixer). You want to preserve as much air as possible in the cream. Mixing with a mixer or whisk would make the cream less airy!
- Line a springform with plastic foil. Half the biscuit horizontally and put one half on the bottom. Sprinkle sugar syrup on top. Place halved strawberries with the sliced side against the side of the tin. Pipe some buttercream between the strawberries and a thin layer on the cake.
- Cut the remaining strawberries into quarters and spread them on top of the buttercream—pipe buttercream on top of the strawberries. Make sure to keep four tablespoons of buttercream behind. You need it for the topping. Flatten the buttercream and place the second biscuit on top.
- Sprinkle the remaining sugar syrup on the top biscuit. Pipe the remaining buttercream on top, and even with a spatula. Decorate with the strawberries you use for garnish and cover with plastic foil. Let it stiffen in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours (but you can refrigerate it overnight). Before serving, remove the springform and plastic foil. Sprinkle confectioner's sugar on top and serve!

Did you make this recipe? Tag #byandreajanssen via Instagram. I enjoy seeing what your creation looks like. Video recipes can be found on my YouTube channel. And don't forget to save the recipes on Pinterest so you can easily find them next time!
📖 Recipe
RECIPE CARD
Equipment
- Spring form 8 inches / 20 cm diameter
- A conventional oven is used. When using a convection oven (with air fan) decrease the temperature with 30 °F / 20 °C
- Hand Mixer
- plastic foil
- Parchment paper
- Silicon spatula
Ingredients
Biscuit
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 3 egg yolks , size L
- 6 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon lemon , grated
- 5 egg whites , size L
- ¼ teaspoons cream of tartar
Buttercream
- ¾ teaspoon gelatin powder
- ½ tablespoon water
- 1 cup milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 egg , size L
- 2 tablespoons butter , unsalted
- ⅓ cup mascarpone
- ⅔ cup cream
Sugar syrup
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup water
Garnish and filling
- 2 lb strawberries, use ¼ lb for garnish
- confectioners sugar, for dusting
All my recipes are written both in Metric (gram / ml) and US Customary (cups / pounds). Here you can select which type of amount you would like to see.
Instructions
Biscuit
- Preheat the oven to 320 °F (160 °C).
- Line a springform with baking paper.
- Mix the flour, ½ cup of sugar, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl.1¼ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ cup sugar, ½ teaspoon salt
- Mix the oil, egg yolks, water, vanilla, and lemon zest in a second bowl.¼ cup vegetable oil, 3 egg yolks, 6 tablespoons water, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¾ teaspoon lemon
- Pour the contents of the second bowl into the first and mix well with a spoon until you get a smooth mixture.
- Put the egg whites in another bowl and whisk until stiff with the help of a mixer.5 egg whites
- Add the tartaric acid and continue mixing until peaks are forming.¼ teaspoons cream of tartar
- Add the remaining sugar, little by little until the egg whites are firm and shiny.
- Spoon about ⅓ of the egg white mixture through the flour mixture with a plastic spatula. Fold it carefully until it is mixed. Then you fold the rest of the egg white mixture through it.
- Pour the dough into the springform and bake the cake in the oven for 55 minutes.
- Check that the cake is good with a satay stick.
- After baking, pour the cake on a rack and let it cool down. Turn the cake over and remove the baking paper. The cake can be baked four days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
Buttercream
- When using sheets, soak the gelatin sheets in cold water. If you use gelatin powder: Sprinkle the gelatin on the water (½ tablespoon) and let it soften for a few minutes. Warm in the microwave for a minute.¾ teaspoon gelatin powder, ½ tablespoon water
- Pour the milk into the pan and add the vanilla and salt.1 cup milk, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Warm on medium heat and bring it to a boil (when you see steam but no bubbles yet) while stirring now and then.
- In the meantime, mix the cornstarch and the sugar in a bowl.2 tablespoons cornstarch, ⅓ cup sugar
- Add the eggs and beat with the whisk until you’ve got a smooth mixture.1 egg
- When the milk almost boils, pour the hot milk with the cornstarch drip at a time while continuing to beat. Pour the mixture back into the pan (still whisking) and warm until the custard thickens.
- Remove from the heat and mix the gelatin into the hot custard. Stir until the gelatin is dissolved.
- Strain the custard mixture.
- Divide the butter into four and add one lump at a time while whisking.2 tablespoons butter
- Cover with a plastic foil that touches the top of the custard, so no sheet will form.
- Allow the mixture to cool for 15 minutes.
- In a second bowl, mix the mascarpone with the cream until stiff peaks form.⅔ cup cream, ⅓ cup mascarpone
- Fold the cream mixture through the custard with a spatula.
Sugar Syrup
- Mix the water with the sugar in a small saucepan.⅓ cup sugar, ⅓ cup water
- Bring to the boil, and let the sugar dissolve.
- Turn the heat of and let it cool down slightly
Cake preparation
- Line the sides of the springform with plastic foil (not the bottom).
- Slice the biscuit, horizontal, in half.
- Put the first layer of biscuit in the springform.
- Sprinkle three tablespoons of syrup over the cake.
- Remove the crowns from the strawberries. Halve as many strawberries as needed to rest against the inside of the springform.2 lb strawberries
- Place the strawberries against the sides of the baking tin on the first layer of cake.
- Pipe some buttercream between the strawberries and a thin layer on the cake.
- Cut the remaining strawberries into quarters. And spread them on top of the buttercream.
- Hold four tablespoons of buttercream apart and pipe the rest on top of the strawberries.
- Place the second biscuit layer on top.
- Sprinkle the remaining syrup on the cake.
- Smear the buttercream on top of the second biscuit. Garnish with the remaining strawberries and cover the cake with a plastic foil.
- Let stiffen in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
- Before serving, remove the spring form and gently peel the plastic away.
- Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar and serve immediately.confectioners sugar
Notes
- Refrigerator - Wrap the cake in plastic foil and store it for three days.
- Freezer - You can freeze this Strawberry Chiffon Cake. Put the cake back in the springform and let it freeze overnight. Take out the cake and remove the springform. Wrap the cake as tightly as possible in plastic foil and repeat it (two layers of plastic foil). And then pack it in aluminum foil. Put back in the freezer. Let it defrost for 2 to 3 hours at room temperature.
Stephanie says
This strawberry chiffon cake is so light and airy. Strawberry season is almost upon us so I can see us making this again soon!
Gloria says
Fresh berry season is just around the corner. What a great way to celebrate the season with this delicious cake.
Andréa says
It sure is!
Andréa says
It sure is!
Rachael says
This strawberry chiffon cake came out amazing! Super cute and delicious. Thank you for the detailed recipe!
Elizabeth says
Looks so fluffy and moist! Perfect for Mother's Day brunch!
Oscar says
Loved this spongy strawberry cake. I made it for friends get-together and everyone really enjoyed it. Great recipe.
Jerika says
I love strawberries!:) But haven't tried to make Strawberry Chiffon Cake before. I'll make this on Friday. I'm sure it will be perfect to my coffee. Thanks!
Andréa says
Great to hear it turned out amazing! You're welcome!
Andréa says
It sure is!
Andréa says
Thank you and great to hear you all enjoyed it!
Andréa says
It will be great, I'm sure. Have a nice weekend!
Conchetta says
This cake came out great. I shared the recipe with friends. I love your site.
Nora says
This strawberry chiffon cake is simply divine! The creamy filling, a fluffy dough, combined with those juicy strawberries! So good!
Mary says
What a lovely strawberry chiffon cake! Your generous notes and tips were very helpful because I am not the best baker.
Mina says
Awwe this cake looks so delicious and pretty! I love how it turned out!
Andréa says
Thank you so much Mina
Andréa says
I'm glad to help!
Andréa says
That are my thoughts too! Thank you!
Andréa says
Thank you. Glad to help!