October 2, 2023: I am making a small tweek to this recipe. A couple months ago I became aware of Strawberry Powder- dried strawberries crushed into a powder. It is a game changer. Just a small amount of strawberry powder adds a BIG boost to the strawberry flavor. And the best part: It’s JUST STRAWBERRIES! No artificial ingredients. If you like strawberry bakes, I encourage you to invest in some strawberry powder. A little goes a long way. I ordered mine online.
Spring is here, and soon grocery stores and gardens (including my strawberry patch), will be full of strawberries. Time to celebrate this wonderful fruit with some amazing strawberry cake!
THE INSIDE SCOOP
When both volumetric and weight measures are provided, the volumetric measures should be considered approximations. The standard measure for a cup of sugar is 192 grams. By volume, this measure will typically be less than 1 cup.
STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER!
When strawberries are baked, that amazing strawberry flavor becomes very faint. I tried boosting the strawberry flavor with strawberry-flavored gelatin, but that left a very gummy taste. Baking with just strawberry puree didn’t give enough flavor and baking with cut up strawberries left an uneven taste or a very heavy-bottomed cake. Then I tried concentrating the strawberry flavor by reducing the strawberry puree and that was the game changer! The reduced puree didn’t add excessive moisture, which had caused earlier attempts at the cake to collapse, but it added flavor. To create more strawberry flavor, I also used strawberry extract. And a touch of lemon extract enhanced the strawberry flavor to perfection!
DON’T LET YOUR CAKE BE A CLING-ON.
This is a very moist cake and tends to stick to the cake pans. To prevent this, line the bottom of the cake pans with parchment paper. To do so, place the cake pans on the parchment paper. Use a permanent marker to trace around the bottom of the cake pans. Cut out the circles by cutting inside the pens marks. Spray the pan with non-stick cooking spray and then place the parchment paper on the bottom of the cake pan. If you prefer to make cupcakes, cupcake paper liners should also be sprayed so that the cake doesn’t stick to the paper liners.
This is a high-doming cake, which is NOT helpful when you go to layer it. To prevent excess doming, soak 2 cake wraps, if available, in ice water for at least 15 minutes, then squeeze out the excess water and wrap around the cake pans. The cold cake warp prevents the edge of the cake from baking before the center of the cake, thus producing a more level cake. Of course, if you don’t have cake wraps, you’ll just have to cut off the excess dome and enjoy your treat!
I’M EGGCITED ABOUT EGGS!
Be sure eggs are at room temperature. Warm eggs hold more air than cold eggs, which means a lighter cake. To quickly bring eggs to room temperature before cracking, place eggs in a bowl of warm (not hot) water for 10 minutes.
Crack eggs into a small bowl before adding to the batter. That way, it is easy to remove any bits of eggshell or bloody eggs. Whisk the eggs and vanilla extract together before adding to the batter.
FEELING MIXED UP?
Combine the cake flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon or cardamom in a large bowl. Whisk until all dry ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the flour; this helps to ensure an even rise.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the softened butter and sugar until they are light and fluffy. This is important because the butter and sugar mix traps air, which makes for a light cake.
Add the eggs slowly to the butter sugar mix, beating until eggs are fully incorporated. Adding the room temperature eggs slowly is important to prevent the eggs from curdling.
Distribute the batter evenly between the 2 cake pans. This is easiest to do if you use a food scale to measure the amount of batter in each pan.
If possible, use a metal cake tester (I use a metal kebab skewer) to test for doneness. Metal cake testers are more accurate that toothpicks.
GO AHEAD, BUTTER ME UP.
The buttercream recipe makes enough to frost the cake without scalloping any edges. Who needs more frosting when your cake is full of strawberries? Frost the bottom layer of the cake, then top with sliced strawberries-the more decadent, the better.
But be sure to save enough strawberries for the top of the cake.
A showstopper, exceptionally moist strawberry cake that is made with real strawberries and finished with a buttercream frosting and more strawberries! Your friends will beg you for the recipe! To Reduce the Strawberries: Hull 400 grams/ 14 ounces of fresh strawberries. Working in batches, place the strawberries in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. In a large saucepan, cook pureed strawberries on LOW heat until reduced by 40%-50%, stirring frequently. Do not allow strawberries to boil. Pureed strawberries will have a consistency similar to tomato paste. Cool completely. Measure out 175 grams of strawberry puree; set aside. To Make the Cake: If cake wraps are available, soak 2 cake wraps in ice water for 30 minutes. Squeeze out the excess water. Grease and flour two 9” cake pans. Line the bottom of the cake pans with parchment paper. Wrap cake wraps around pans and pin tightly in place; set aside. Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, strawberry powder, and cinnamon or cardamom; set aside. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter and sugar; beat on medium speed until smooth. Add the eggs; beat until eggs are completely incorporated. Add the vanilla, strawberry extract, lemon extract, ½ & ½, and prepared strawberry puree; beat 1 minute until smooth. Add the flour mix; with a stand mixer, beat on LOW for 30 seconds until combined or fold together by hand. Pour approximately 24 ounces of batter into each cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until a metal cake tester, when inserted into the middle of the cake, comes out clean. Place cake pans on cooling racks for 15 minutes. Run the flat side of a knife around the edge of each cake pan to loosen the cake from the pan. Tip out the cake, with parchment paper still attached, and place on cooling racks; cool completely. To Make the Frosting: In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the unsalted butter and the vegetable shortening on medium speed. Add the powdered sugar, mix on LOW speed, or by hand, until combined; increase speed and beat until smooth. Add the extract and salt, if desired, and beat until smooth. To Assemble: Cut strawberries in half, for small berries, or thirds or fourths, for larger berries, so that the berries can be placed level on top of the bottom cake layer. Reserve some berries for decorating the top of the cake. Place one cake layer, top side down, on a cake plate or desired serving surface. Remove the parchment paper. Spread approximately ¾ cup of frosting on top of this layer; gently press the cut strawberries into the frosting. Remove the parchment paper from the second layer and place, top side up, on top of the bottom layer. If desired, spread a very thin layer of frosting, called a “crumb coat” on the top and side of the cake; refrigerate for approximately 30 minutes until crumb coat is set. Reserve 2 tablespoons of frosting to hold the berries on top of the cake; spread the rest of the frosting evenly on the top and side of the cake. Place the reserved frosting in the middle of the top of the cake and “stick” the reserved strawberries in it to decorate the top of the cake. Enjoy!Strawberry Cake
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