Published on April 26, 2025

There are many stunning layer cakes in the Southern dessert canon, from Carrot Cake to Coconut Cake. But as much as we love these towering sweet treats, there's one dessert that towers above all the rest.

Hear me out. It's hard to beat a good coconut cake, but lots of folks out there don't care for the chewy texture of coconut flakes. As a fairly recent coconut convert, I get it. Then there's carrot cake, which is also one of my favorites. But folks have all kinds of issues with carrot cake. Some hate nuts. Others hate raisins. Many balk at the idea of vegetables in their desserts.

But I've never met a soul who doesn't like strawberry cake. Strawberries are universally loved by everyone, and they're even better when cake is involved. Here are three reasons why this particular cake is our ultimate spring dessert of all time.

The combination of soft wheat flour, loft-lending baking powder, and plenty of butter yields cake layers that are light and fluffy, yet sturdy enough for layering all of the strawberry goodness in this recipe. The layers are actually cut into halves, creating a four-layer cake that will impress even the most critical mother-in-law.

Slathering a cake with this classic cream cheese frosting is just about the most perfect thing you can do to a dessert. Thanks to the softness of the cream cheese, this frosting is easy to apply and forgiving if you need to fix any accidental bumps on its way to the party,

Starring just four ingredients—fresh strawberries, sugar, vanilla, and rum, this ruby-red filling is super easy and supremely delicious. No food dyes, no goopy corn syrup—just fresh, springy flavors. You can even skip the rum if you like.

Put everything together and whaddya got? Our most popular spring dessert of all time. Give it a try and we bet you'll agree. Happy Baking!