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A tempting slice of vanilla layer cake with strawberry filling and white frosting, next to fresh strawberries.

Matcha Vanilla Swirl Cake

This recipe makes a vanilla layer cake with stabilized whipped cream and fresh strawberries. The instructions guide you through preparing the cake layers, making the whipped cream, and assembling the final dessert.
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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Cooling Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 1 cake
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Vanilla Shortcake
  • 10 ounces Milk, room temperature, divided evenly divided evenly into two measuring cups
  • 3 ounces Canola oil
  • 1 Tablespoon Vanilla extract
  • 3 Large Eggs, room temperature room temperature
  • 13 ounces Cake flour
  • 13 ounces Sugar
  • 3 teaspoons Baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon Baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 8 ounces Unsalted butter, room temperature room temperature
Stabilized Whipped Cream and Filling
  • 24 ounces Heavy whipping cream
  • 4 ounces Powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons Gelatin I use KNOX brand
  • 3 Tablespoons Cold water
  • 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
  • 1 Tablespoon Heavy whipping cream for the gelatin
  • 16 ounces Fresh strawberries, washed and sliced for the filling

Equipment

  • Food scale
  • Stand mixer with paddle attachment
  • Stand mixer with whisk attachment
  • Two 8"x2" round cake pans
  • Serrated knife
  • Cooling rack

Method
 

  1. Bring all your ingredients to room temperature. The milk, eggs, and butter should not be cold. This helps the batter mix correctly for a better rise and texture.
  2. Preheat your oven to 335ºF. Prepare two 8"x2" round cake pans with pan release and parchment paper.
  3. Measure your ingredients using a food scale.
  4. Divide your milk in half. Add the oil to one half of the milk. Add the eggs and vanilla to the second half of the milk. Set these mixtures aside.
  5. Place your cake flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
  6. Add the softened butter and mix at low speed until the flour mixture looks like coarse sand.
  7. Add your milk/oil mixture and increase the speed to medium. Mix for 2 full minutes. Scrape the bowl after 1 minute if needed. The texture should be light, white, and fluffy after 2 minutes.
  8. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the milk/egg mixture in a steady stream over about 1 minute. Once the egg mixture is mixed in, the cake batter is ready.
  9. Divide the cake batter evenly into your cake pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the center bounces back when you lightly touch it.
  10. Let the cakes cool in the pan for 15 minutes, or until the pan is barely warm to the touch.
  11. Turn the cake out onto a cooling rack to finish cooling, or place them in the freezer to cool faster. This takes about an hour until they are chilled and ready. You can fully freeze the wrapped cakes to keep moisture sealed in.
  12. Add the powdered gelatin to the cold water and let it bloom for 5 minutes.
  13. Mix the 24 ounces of heavy cream in the stand mixer with the whisk attachment until it looks thick and foamy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla.
  14. Continue mixing until you see lines forming on the surface of the whipped cream (soft peaks).
  15. Microwave the gelatin for 15 seconds and stir until the granules look transparent. Add another 5 seconds if they are not fully melted.
  16. Add 1 Tablespoon of heavy cream to the melted gelatin and stir.
  17. Drizzle the gelatin mixture into the heavy cream mixture and continue mixing on medium until firm peaks form. Do not over-mix.
  18. Slice your cakes length-wise with a serrated knife so the layers are thinner.
  19. Slice 1 lb of washed strawberries, keeping 4 to 5 whole berries for decorating the top.
  20. Place the first cake layer onto your cake board or platter and spread a thin layer of stabilized whipped cream.
  21. Arrange a single layer of sliced berries on top of the whipped cream.
  22. Cover the sliced berries with another layer of whipped cream so the top is flat.
  23. Stack your next cake layer on top of the berries and whipped cream and repeat the process.
  24. Finish with a few dollops of whipped cream and the whole berries on top of the cake.

Notes

Refrigerate the cake until you plan to eat it; this makes slicing easier. If you refrigerate the cake overnight, wrap it in plastic wrap first to prevent it from drying out.