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Think spring: soft vanilla–chamomile layers, just-sweet whipped frosting, and plenty of juicy strawberries. It’s simple, pretty, and perfect for showers, Mother’s Day, or any sunny afternoon.
We keep the “naked” finish minimalist—so you get more cake, less frosting, and a relaxed, bakery-style look you can pull off at home.
Happiest FRIDAY!! I am very excited the weekend is here, and hoping for a little bit of down time after a busy week. We have been working endlessly over here on multiple projects, the biggest one being the studio barn. There has been lots of decision making and hair pulling, so I know everyone over here is ready for a bit of a reset. We probably will not get it, but hey, it’s all going to be worth it in the long run!
Thankfully, a lot of my “hard” work and days spent in the kitchen this week resulted in a few beautiful creations, like this strawberry cake that makes ending the work day, extra, extra sweet.
As most of you probably know, I am normally all about the chocolate desserts. Read, the more chocolate the better. See this cake for example. BUT that’s not to say that I don’t still love a good fruity dessert. Granted it took me a while to warm up to fruit based desserts, and I do still think of them as more of a brunch type of item than dessert, but regardless, I now love them.
With spring on its way and Easter coming up in less than two weeks, I knew I needed to share this strawberry chamomile cake that I’ve literally been thinking about since December. I’ve said this before, but sometimes I get ideas in my head months and months before I actually create them. Sharing a strawberry cake in December really does not make sense, so I waited and waited and finally the time has come.
And guys? To be expected, I LOVE this cake.
For one, it’s covered in chamomile flowers, which you all know I am obsessed with.
Two, and most importantly, this cake honestly is so DELICIOUS. It’s light, springy, perfectly sweet, hinted with warm chamomile flavors, and studded with fresh springtime strawberries.
Basically, this cake is spring in cake form, and it is good! I also say this often, but you need this cake in your life. My grandpa said it was the best cake he’s ever eaten!
I made this cake with Easter in mind, but it’s obviously great for any and all spring (and summer) occasions. Mother’s Day, a spring brunch, or just a simple weekend treat.
It’s pretty easy to make, and I love that it’s a naked cake, as opposed to a cake covered completely in frosting. Naked cake means easy, peasy, and doesn’t require any fancy decorating or really any decorating skills at all. Layer everything up, add strawberries, and done.
Yes, please!
The cake base is my favorite vanilla cake with sweet strawberry jam swirled throughout. It’s simple, but really delish. I used a strawberry jam instead of fresh berries in the cake because I found that using jam was easier. The jam actually resulted in a better strawberry flavor, and baked up prettier than using fresh berries in the cake.
For the topping, originally I was planning on doing a frosting, but during my second attempt at the cake I realized that a lighter topping would compliment the cake much better, so I made a chamomile cream to slather all over cake layers. I love that the cream is hinted with the warm tones of chamomile tea and has just the right amount of sweet. It’s perfect topped with plenty of fresh strawberries.
Make-Ahead, Storage & Reheat
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Bake ahead: Wrap cooled layers tightly; refrigerate up to 2 days or freeze up to 2 months. Assemble the day of serving for best texture.
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Frosting ahead: Whipped frostings are best same day; rewhip briefly if made a few hours in advance.
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Leftovers: Refrigerate slices in an airtight container. Add fresh berries right before serving to avoid weeping.
FAQ:
Can I use chamomile tea bags instead of loose flowers?
Yes—use the same steeping approach and taste as you go. Strain well so no tea flecks end up in the batter or frosting.
How do I keep strawberries from making the cake soggy?
Macerate with a little sugar, then drain off juices before layering. Add a thin frosting barrier between cake and berries to keep crumbs dry.
Can I assemble this cake the night before?
You can stack and crumb-coat, then chill overnight; finish the outer swipe and add fresh berries the day you serve for the prettiest look.
What if I don’t want a “naked” finish?
Go for a full frosting coat using the same recipe; chill briefly between coats for smooth sides and sharper edges.
Strawberry Chamomile Naked Cake
Servings: 28 servings
Calories Per Serving: 314 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 cup canola oil
- 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 3 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup high quality strawberry jam
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
- honey, for drizzling
Chamomile Cream
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 6 chamomile tea bags
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter/spray with cooking spray.2. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand-held mixer) beat together the canola oil, yogurt, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and buttermilk. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and mix until just combined. Gently swirl in the strawberry jam, leaving large streaks and not fully incorporating the jam. 3. Pour the batter among the 3 cake pans and bake 28-30 minutes, until the tops are just set and no longer wiggly in the center. Remove and let cool five minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the pan and turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack. Cover and let the cakes cool completely before assembling.4. To make the chamomile cream. Add 1 cup cream to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer, but do not boil, simmer 1 minute and remove from the heat. Add the tea bags, cover and steep for 5-10 minutes. Remove the tea bag and place the cream in the fridge to chill completely. Next, beat the cream cheese in a stand mixer until fluffy, add the chilled chamomile cream and remaining 1 cup cream and whip until stiff peaks form. Stir in the powdered sugar. Keep stored in the fridge. 5. To assemble, place one cake layer on a serving plate or cake stand and drizzle lightly with honey. Spread 1/3 of the chamomile cream over the cake and add a handful of fresh chopped strawberries. Repeat with the remaining 2 cake layers. Be careful not to over fill your layers with fruit or the cake will be hard to slice. Serve or store in the fridge for up to 1 day. If desired, decorate the cake with chamomile flowers.
Layers and layers of spring strawberry perfection.
This post was originally published on March 16, 2018
I made this cake on the weekend and it is gloriously good! The cake part is perfect. I struggled with the cream. I made a first batch and when I added the tea infused cream my cream lost it’s stiffness and peaks. It had no structure. I got more cream and tried again. Same thing. I had no choice but to assemble it because it was my daughter’s birthday cake. It looked less than pretty but it did taste amazing. I only layered two bc all the cream just ran out all over the place. Would love to hear advice on this bc the taste was incredible.
Hi Joanne! Did you chill the chamomile cream before adding to the chilled cream? That is a very important step. Also, did the cream ever boil? That can cause issues as well. Any details you can give me would be so helpful in problem solving. So sorry for any trouble. Glad you still enjoyed the cake! Thank you! xTieghan
My cream frosting “curdled” when I added the powdered sugar. Do you know what would have caused that?
Hey Carly, Did the cream boil at any point? That is the only think I can think that would have made the cream curdle. Hope the cake still turned out for you!
I prepared this cake yesterday to celebrate the first day of Spring. It was easy to prepare and was absolutely delicious.
THIS IS ONE GORGEOUS CAKE!!!! I made a few minor modifications- cake flour instead of all purpose, I decreased the salt to 3/4 tsp and instead of the chamomile tea infusion I added almond extract. I also increased the powdered sugar by 1/4 cup.
My whole family raved about this cake and commented that it is the “perfect cake” because it is not too sweet. In fact, I allowed my daughter to eat some for breakfast this morning:)
I can’t wait to make it again and this time I will try infusing the cream with chamomile tea as written.
Thank you so much Denise! This is such a special treat for the first day of Spring! Oh, no judgment on cake for breakfast, I love that!! Thank you so much Denise! xTieghan
Can I use a long cake pan 13×9, instead of the 3 layers?
HI! This is too much batter for a 9×13 inch pan. I’d recommend reducing the amount of batter by a 1/3 and then it will fit into a 9×13. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTiegha
This cake was my introduction to your blog last week, and I have to say it was one of the best cakes I’ve ever made! It was beautifully balanced and unfussy. So glad I stumbled onto it.
Thank you Allison! xTieghan
Hi. Making this today!!! I would like to know if I can make this cake ahead of time? Or if the icing will make the cake soggy?
HI! You can make the cake 1 day ahead of time and keep in the fridge. Do not drizzle the cake with honey until ready to serve. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan ?
Could I make this cake but use your whipped ricotta cream instead? I want to bake a cake for my father and he doesn’t like Chamomile. Just wondering if you had a recipe for a simple cake
HI! Yes, the whipped ricotta will be amazing with this cake. Sounds awesome! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! x Tieghan
Hi There – I love this cake! I made the strawberry cake with vanilla buttercream for my sons birthday in April. My daughter now wants it for her birthday party next weekend, but I have recently been diagnosed with Celiac :(. Do you know if this might translate to Gluten Free with a one-for-one GF flour mix (Ie Bob’s red mill). And insight you can give is appreciated!
HI! So glad you love this cake! I have not tested this with gluten free flour, but I recommend either bobs red milk or king Arthur GF flour. I think either should work great for the cake. Please let me know if you have other questions. Again, glad you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
Would this work for cupcakes…use the same batter for cupcakes, the frosting on top, and add a strawberry on top?
HI! This will work great as a cupcake, but it will make a lot of cupcakes, maybe about 32-40 cupcakes. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
This looks so beautiful and delicious! Where can you purchase the flowers? Are yours edible?
Hi Sandy! Mine are edible and I will leave the link of the website down below!
http://shop.gourmetsweetbotanicals.com/Edible-Flowers_c3.htm
Hi Tieghan, I am absolutely in love with this cake, it looks so fresh and beautiful. I decided to make it for tomorrow’s 4th of July Celebration, and I already bakes the 3 cake layers. I am a real beginner in the kitchen and I like to plan ahead, can I also make the cream a day in advance?
Hi Tieghan, i simply fell in love with this cake, it is just beautiful and so fresh! I decided to make it for tomorrow’s 4th of July celebration. I am really a beginner in the kitchen especially in baking so I like to plan ahead in order not to have bad surprises. I have already baked the 3 layers of cake, but I wanted to know if I could make the Chamomile cream 1 day in advance as well. Thanks a lot 🙂
Hey Vanessa! You can certainly make the cream the night prior…and so sorry for the late response. Hope the cake was a huge hit and you had a great 4th! Please let me know if you have other questions. Thanks! 🙂
Oh wow I just came across this recipe it’s so beautiful I can’t wait to try it. Can I use cake flour and does the measurement have to be the same?and also can I use whole milk? Thank you
I am not too familiar with cake flour, but yes I think you can use it in a an equal amount to regular flour. Whole milk will be great. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
Hi can I please use whole milk in place of buttermilk since it isn’t sold where I live or can I make a substitute thank you
Thank you Titi!
I made this cake and it was delicious and so fun to make! The frosting is the perfect flavor, not too sweet and very fluffy. soooo good!
Thank you so much Kim!