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Strawberry Chamomile Naked Cake…because it’s SPRING!
Or it will be on Tuesday, so close enough. And Yes, I know that a lot of you are still covered in snow right now, but I think this cake will bring on the spring vibes, and in turn the weather will play along. It’s all about positive thinking, right?
Yes, right.
Also, 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.
SO, what do you think? Is this your new Easter cake? Are you going to make it next week to celebrate the start of spring? Or maybe save it for Mother’s Day? Whatever you decide, just be sure to make this cake. The sooner the better, because as soon as you make it this cake will be come your new go-to fruity dessert.
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 looks absolutely beautiful and sounds delicious. We are huge HBH fans at our house!!
Where did you get this cake stand? It’s gorgeous.
Hey Cheryl,
Thanks so much! So sorry I do not have a link for this cake stand. Let me know if you give the recipe a try! xTieghan
Made this one for a special birthday celebration. Of course like all your cakes it was a huge hit! I will be making this one for many more special occasions in the future! Also loved discovering that chamomile flowers are the perfect added touch on a very yummy cake!
Hey Iris,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a go, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan!
The cake looks beautiful! I would like to make it next week but would like to get some advice on your use of edible flowers
– On average how long are you able to keep your edible flowers?
– How long can this cake last? Does the cream begin to flop after a few hours or does it stay firm like butter cream?
Thank you so much in advance!
Hey Tony,
My edible flowers usually last about 1 week, I order from Gourmet Sweet Botanicals. You will want to serve the cake immediately or store in the fridge for up to one day. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This looks amazing! Would like to make this for our Greek Orthodox Easter coming up on May 2nd, but I can’t find fresh chamomile flowers anywhere! Where can I order from?
Hey Maria,
I like to order mine from Gourmet Sweet Botanicals. I hope you love this cake, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Made this cake again this last weekend forgot how easy it is. And how delicious. It’s not too sweet, not too heavy, tastes like summer.
Hey Deana,
Awesome! So so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! xxTieghan
Loved this one. Made last weekend for Easter ??
Thanks for sharing your great recipes. ? Yve
Hey Yve,
I am so excited that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! ?Tieghan
This is the best cake I have ever eaten in my entire life – and everyone who ate it said the same thing. It is perfectly fluffy and moist. The cake is so light yet so flavorful and yummy. I will definitely be making this 10000 more times.
Hey Sarah,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
I was wondering what elevation you live at? I am at 5,000 ft and need to compensate for every other cake I make….but wondering if you are high elevation as well and whether I need to make some adjustments to your cake recipes or not? Thank you!!!!
Hey Nikki,
You can follow the recipe as is, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Lovely cake! The frosting was surprising to make but easy. ?
Hey Kimberly,
Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Hey!
I’m just baking your cake and I’ve got something to mention: next time I’ll totally halve the amount of sugar. I think that’s a plenty of sugar and it’s really sweet, not to mention that even honey should be drizzled on it. I think I’ll skip that step this time.
But overall, I like your recipe! 🙂
Have a nice evening!
Cheers,
Luca
Let me know how the cake tuns out:) xTieghan
This sounds so good! I was wondering though, could you make the cake batter strawberry too, or would that be too much strawberry going on?
Hey Brandyl,
I think that is personal preference, if you really love strawberry it could be great! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Loved the cake , super easy to make and turned out beautifully. I did add some cream of tartar to set the cream , as I live in a hot country and wasn’t sure how fast the cake would be gobbled up.
I am so glad this turned out so well for you, Gemma! Thank you! xTieghan
Hello, when making the frosting, do I use the paddle attachment, or the wire whip attachment? Thanks!
Hey Ellen,
I like to use the wire attachment for frosting. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Do you use powdered buttermilk or liquid buttermilk?
Hey Tamara,
I use liquid buttermilk. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Your picture looks so beautiful!! I plan to make this for my moms birthday coming up but I had a couple of questions:
-I wanted to use three 6 inch round cake pans. What quantities would you suggest?
-Also, while beating the oil, yoghurt, sugar and vanilla are we looking to cream them together for a while like in a sponge cake or just till combined?
-When in the oven are we looking to see if the toothpick will come out clean or just till the top is set?
Thanks in advance! 🙂
I tried this recipe and it’s amazing. Just one question if I want to go with a 2 layer only how can I reduce the ingredients?
Hi Jawaher,
You can make 2/3 of the recipe and divide between 2 cake pans. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan