Strawberry Cake

Serves: 10-12

Prep Time: 1 hour 30 min

Cook Time: 25 min

Total Time: 6 hours

We love strawberries, and we love cake. Nothing beats a great cake accompanied with fresh fruit!

Ingredients

Option 1: 2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour, store bought

Option 2: Homemade cake flour: 2 ½ cups flour, remove 5 tbs, add 5 tbs cornstarch, sift 3x

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1.5 sticks of unsalted butter, room temp

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar

5 large egg whites

1/3 cup plain yogurt

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 cup reduced strawberry puree

Frosting

~1/2 cup strawberries (fresh or dried, chopped and processed)

1/2 cup of strawberry jam

8 oz of cream cheese

1 stick of unsalted butter, room temp

3 cups confectioners’ sugar

Note: You'll want the frosting to be cool enough to move/maneuver, and not too warm that it drips everywhere (like mine did). I had to pop my frosting into the fridge occasionally as I used fresh strawberries which contained liquid that made the frosting runnier.

Instructions

1. Make the reduced strawberry puree and allow it to cool completely.

2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).

3. Butter and flour the two 9-inch cake pans. If you have “bake even bands’, you can use them at this step to help your cake rise evenly.

4. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.

5. In a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar on high until it is smooth and creamed. Scrape down the sides with a spatula as needed.

6. Add in and beat the egg whites on high for 2 minutes. Then add in the yogurt and vanilla.

7. Then with the mixer on low speed, add dry ingredients in. Slowly add in the milk until it is fully incorporated. Lastly, whisk in the ½ cup of puree.

8. Pour the batter into the cake pans. Bake for 25 minutes or until the cakes are baked through, and on their way to browning.

9. Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans on a wire rack.

10. In a food processor, chop the strawberries into a puree. You should have around 1/2 cup.

11. Make the frosting in the standing mixer using a paddle / flat edge beater. Beat the cream cheese for 1-2 minute on high speed until completely smooth. Then add in the room temperature butter. Add the confectioners’ sugar, and strawberry puree, jam and beat on medium-high speed until well combined.

12. The frosting might be a little more pliable than ideal, so throw it into the fridge for about 15-20 minutes before decorating the cake.

13. Using a serrated knife, slice off a thin top layer of one of the cakes, as to create a flat surface. Place the cake with the top cut off first on a cake stand, and then spread a thin layer of the frosting on it. Place the next layer of cake on top. Cover the top, and the sides with frosting.

14. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes before serving.

15. Enjoy!