10 to 12 servings
YouTube instructional video is at the bottom.
What you’ll need
Cake flour or all-purpose flour
Sugar
Salt
Baking powder
Baking soda
Creme of tartar
Unsalted butter (Room temp)
Large eggs (Room temp)
Whole milk (Room temp)
Sour cream (Room temp)
Heavy whipping cream (Room temp)
1 pound frozen strawberries (Thawed)
1 large lemon (Room temp)
Vanilla extract
Butter extract
Strawberry extract
Red gel paste or liquid food coloring
Confectioners’ sugar
Tools you’ll need
Baker’s joy non-stick baking spray
Two 9-inch round cake pans
Small food processor
Disposable piping bag (with tip cut off)
Small stainless steel bowl (Frosting)
Offset spatula
Thermometer
Preparation of ingredients
Strawberry puree
Step 1- Add 1-pound frozen strawberries (Thawed) into a small food processor. Blend for 30 seconds to 1 minute and set aside. Cut 1 large lemon in half
Preheat fire to medium heat.
Step 2- Add pureed strawberries, 2/3 cup sugar, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and place a mesh strainer over the pot and squeeze half of 1 large lemon into a medium-sized pot. Stir all ingredients together. Let simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. Once done turn fire off and let it cool completely. From there add it into an airtight container or bowl and place into fridge for 2 to 4 hours or overnight. You can also make these 1 to 2 days in advance.
Dry ingredients (Cake flour or all-purpose flour mixture)
Step 3- Sift 2 1/2 cups cake flour or all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon salt into a medium-sized bowl. Stir until combined and set aside.
Wet ingredients (Strawberry creme mixture)
Note- Ingredient amounts for the milk, sour cream, heavy whipping cream, and strawberry puree will be differ depending on if you are using cake flour or all-purpose flour. Cake flour tends to be more or a drier crumb and all purpose flour has more of a moist crumb so the ingredient amounts have to be increased or decreased to produce the same result.
Step 4- If you are using cake flour, add 1/3 cup whole milk (Room temp), 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream (Room temp), 1/2 cup sour cream (Room temp), and 1/2 cup strawberry puree (Room temp) into a separate medium-sized bowl. If you are using all-purpose flour, add 1/4 cup whole milk (Room temp), 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream (Room temp), 1/4 cup sour cream (Room temp), and 1/3 cup strawberry puree (Room temp) into a separate medium-sized bowl. From there add 2 teaspoons strawberry extract, 1 teaspoon butter extract, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon red gel paste or liquid food coloring. Stir all ingredients together and set aside.
Cake batter
Step 5- Add 2 sticks unsalted butter (Softened and at room temp), and 2 1/4 cups sugar into stand mixer bowl. You can also use a hand mixer as well. Mix on high speed for 6 minutes. Stop mixer and scrape down the sides of bowl periodically during the 6 minutes to ensure the batter is mixed properly.
Step 6- Add 4 large eggs (Room temp) one at a time while mixing on a medium speed. Scrape down sides of bowl.
Step 7- Add the Cake flour or all-purpose flour mixture and the strawberry creme mixture into a batter 3 separate times. Mix on a medium-low speed each time for 15 to 20 seconds or until combined. Make sure you scrape down the sides of your mixing bowl each time as well.
Baking the cake
Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with Baker’s joy non-stick baking spray.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Step 8- Add prepared strawberry cake batter into two 9-inch round cake pans. Spread batter around the baking pans using the back of a spoon. Shake both pans to make batter more even.
Step 9- Place into a preheated 325-degree oven on the middle rack and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Once the baking time has completed, remove the cakes from the oven. Toothpick inserted into each cake layer should come out clean. Let cool for 2 to 3 hours before removing them from the pans.
Making the Strawberry butter meringue frosting
Step 10- Separate 3 egg whites from 3 egg yolks. Make sure your eggs are at room temperature. Add the egg whites into a small stainless-steel bowl and add the egg yolks in a separate small container. We’re only using the egg whites for this recipe. The egg yolks can be used to make a custard for ice cream or pudding.
Step 11- Add 2/3 cup sugar and 1/8 teaspoon salt into stainless steel bowl with egg whites. Stir all ingredients together until combined.
Preheat fire to medium-low heat.
Step 12- Add 1 1/2 or 2 cups water into a small pot and let come to a simmer. Add stainless steel bowl with the egg whites on top of the pot. Stir continuously until the temperature of the egg whites reaches 120-degrees F. From there quicky remove the stainless-steel bowl from the pot and set aside. Make sure you turn your fire off as well.
Step 13- Add 1 teaspoon creme of tartar into bowl with egg whites and stir until combined. Let the mixture cool completely.
Step 14- Add egg white mixture into stand mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment. You can also use a hand mixer as well. Mix on high speed for 5 to 7 minutes or until the mixture reaches stiff peaks.
Note- After step 14, replace the whisk attachment with the paddle attachment on your hand or stand mixer.
Step 15- Add 1 stick unsalted butter (slightly softened and at room temp) and 1 cup confectioners’s sugar into stand mixer bowl fitted with paddle attachment. Mix on a medium low speed for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until combined. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl.
Step 16-Add 1 stick unsalted butter (slightly softened and at room temp) and 1 cup confectioners’ sugar. Mix on a medium low speed for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until combined. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl.
Step 17- Add 1/2 stick unsalted butter (slightly softened and at room temp), 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, 1 teaspoon strawberry extract, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1/2 teaspoon butter extract. Mix on a medium low speed for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until combined from there turn your mixer up to the highest setting and mix on high speed for 3 to 4 minutes or until the frosting thickens.
Frosting troubleshoot Step- If your frosting does not thicken or if it is runny, place the bowl of your hand or stand mixer into the fridge or freezer for 10 to 15 minutes, from there place the bowl back onto your stand mixer and mix on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes or until the mixture thickens.
Step 18- Add 3 tablespoons or 1/4 cup strawberry puree (Cold) and 1/4 teaspoon red gel paste or liquid food coloring. Mix on a medium-low speed for 30 seconds or 1 minute or until combined. From there turn mixer up to highest setting and mix on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 19- Trim off the top (Domed section) of each of your cake layers and set aside.
Decorating your cake
Step 20- Spread a small amount of the strawberry frosting onto a cake pad. This ensures the cake stays in place. Place the first layer of strawberry cake upside down on to the cake pad and press down slightly.
Step 21- Add 1 1/2 cups strawberry frosting into a disposable piping bag with the tip cut off. Pipe a border around the edge of the bottom cake layer and fill in the rest with the frosting. Spread the frosting around the cake with an offset spatula.
Step 22- Add the second strawberry cake layer upside down on top of the strawberry frosting and press down slightly. Spread a small amount of the strawberry frosting on the top and sides of the cake. This prevents the cake crumbs from appearing on the final coating of cake. Place into fridge or freezer for 15 to 30 minutes.
Step 23- Add the rest of the frosting (3 to 3 1/2 cups) on top of the cake. Spread the frosting around the top of the cake. As you spread the frosting toward the outer edge of the cake, it will start to free fall down the sides. Take the offset spatula and spread the frosting around the sides of the cake as well. From there smooth out the frosting and let set for 15 to 30 minutes before serving.
YouTube instructional video
