Strawberry Bucket Cake (family recipe)

If you like strawberry shortcake, then you are going to absolutely love this recipe. This is a recipe my mother made all the way back in the 80’s when I was little and even before. She made this from scratch and then adapted it to an easier recipe over the years. When summer hits, this is my most requested recipe to date. It never disappoints, and it is so versatile. This recipe will be broken down into a few other recipes that you will need if you make this from scratch. If not, I will leave all details in the notes of every recipe related to this bucket cake. That way, you can adapt as you go for your budget and what you have on hand or want to buy. There are no special ingredients that you need to order or pre-order for this cake.

This is just a simple cake that you can make from scratch or with items from the store. Whatever is easier for you and your family. The only thing you will need for this cake is an ice cream bucket with a lid. I have had the same ice cream bucket for years, and it is specifically for this cake. I just keep it stored in the cabinet. (see note below)

Let’s get started.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE CAKE:

1/2 Stick Butter – unsalted, melted, and cooled.
1 1/2 Cups Flour – all-purpose
2 Tbsp. Cornstarch
1 Tsp. Baking soda
1/4 Tsp. Fine salt
1 1/4 C. Sugar – I use raw cane sugar, but granulated sugar will work also.
3 Lrg Eggs – Room temp
1/3 C. Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt – ( or 1/3 cup buttermilk minus 2 tbsp)
2 Tsp. Vanilla

DIRECTIONS FOR THE CAKE:

1. Preheat the oven to 350*. Use my cake goop (see recipe on blog) and liberally grease 2 cake pans. Line each cake pan with a parchment round to make sure that your cake does not stick. Set aside.
2. Add strawberry slices to a bowl ( see below ingredients ) and add the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Toss the berries and cover with a plate or plastic wrap and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, sugar, eggs, sour cream or yogurt, and vanilla until smooth.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Make sure to mix well so there are no lumps of cornstarch or baking soda.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk together until just smooth. Do not overmix this batter. The batter will be thick. It’s ok.
6. Pour the batter evenly into the 2 prepared pans. The cakes will not be thick. These are specifically for this recipe, so they will be on the thinner side. Bake for 25-30 minutes (depending on how hot your oven runs) or until done. A toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs.
7. When the cakes are done, remove them from the oven and let them cool on the stove or a wire rack for 5 minutes. Run an offset spatula or butter knife along the edges to loosen. Flip the cakes onto the wire rack and then gently flip them back over so the bottom is touching the wire rack. Let them cool completely. This is important. Make the glaze if you are making it from scratch.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE LAYERS:

1 to 2 large containers of strawberries, cleaned and sliced 1/4 in thick
1 -2 Tubs of strawberry glaze – or homemade (see recipe on blog)
2 tbsp Sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon
1-2 Tubs Whipped cream – or homemade (see recipe on blog)

CONTINUED RECIPE:

1. Strain the berries through a mesh strainer into a bowl. Keep the liquid from the berries. You will need that in a minute.
2. Add the glaze to a bowl and add the berries. Mix well.
3. Make the whipped cream if making it at home, or set the whipped cream out on the counter while you layer the cake.
4. Now comes the fun part. Assembly.
5. Now that your cakes are cool, the berries are in the glaze, and the berry juice waiting you can not assemble the cake in the bucket.
6. Grab your bucket and add 1 cooled cake to the bottom.
7. Add half of the berry glaze mixture and spread it out evenly.
8. Add half of the whipped cream and spread it out evenly.
9. Repeat with the other cake, the other half of the berry glaze mixture, and the other half of the whipped cream.
10. Attach the lid and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour. This is about all my family allows it to sit every single time I make it. lol.
11. Grab a big spoon and scoop out some of this delicious cake. Make sure to scoop all the way to the bottom so you get all the layers. Place in a bowl and enjoy. My husband always adds extra whipped cream to his, and my daughter always adds extra berries.

NOTES:

• If you do not want to make the cake from scratch, then you can certainly use a store-bought cake mix. A yellow or butter cake mix will do just fine. You want that buttery flavor of the cake. Now the boxed cake mixes will make the cake a tad bit too thick, but there is no need to worry. You can cut down on the filling layers or not. That is up to you.
• Don’t worry if the cakes crack or break when putting them in the bucket. No one will ever know.
• If you want to make the glaze from scratch, you can grab the recipe for it here on my blog.
• If you want to make the whipped cream from scratch, you can also grab that recipe here on my blog.
• If you want a thinner layer-to-cake ratio, then use 1 tub glaze ( or 1 glaze recipe), 1 container of berries, and 1 tub of whipped cream ( or 1 recipe of whipped cream).
• Taste the berries before adding the sugar. Adjust the sugar to the sweetness of the berries. Add more or less sugar if needed.
• If you have no sour cream, you can swap it for the same amount of plain Greek yogurt or the same amount minus two tbsp of buttermilk. You can also add the same amount of milk, add 2 tsp of plain white vinegar, and let it sit for 5 minutes. The cake needs the acidity to rise properly.
• If you are using a boxed cake mix, you can follow the package directions or swap the flour in the boxed recipe for the cake recipe and add the other ingredients as stated above. Whatever you want to do.
• If you do not like strawberries, this cake works well with any other berry or fruit. You simply swap out the fruit and use the same amount as stated in the recipe. (see glaze recipe for extra notes)
• SEE RECIPES FOR GLAZE AND WHIPPED CREAM. Only if you want to make everything from scratch. There will be no picture noted for these recipes.