Home made Strawberry Cake | Life, Love and Sugar

June 14, 2023

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This strawberry layer cake is really each strawberry lover’s dream. From strawberry-packed cake layers to strawberry cream cheese frosting, this three-layer cake is completely brimming with mouthwatering strawberry taste from actual fruit. It’s the right summertime deal with.

A slice of strawberry cake on a plate with a fork near fresh strawberries.

The Greatest Strawberry Cake Recipe

Contemporary strawberries are top-of-the-line issues about summer time. I’ve all the time liked them – consuming them recent or baked right into a cake. I like a great strawberry cake combine, however this cake isn’t that. This one is all about the true, recent strawberry taste. It may be a problem to get sufficient recent strawberry taste to taste a complete cake, nevertheless it’s value it. It took just a few renditions to get it proper, however this wonderful dessert was the ultimate end result, and my oh my was it value it.

Three layers of moist, completely tender cake are loaded with strawberry taste from a strawberry discount constituted of recent strawberries. The layers are stuffed and frosted with a wealthy cream cheese frosting that derives its taste (and it’s pretty pink colour) from powdered freeze-dried strawberries. The result’s a fully scrumptious, stunning, festive summertime cake that can have you ever and your friends coming again for seconds.

Homemade strawberry cake on a cake stand near fresh strawberries.

Why You’ll Love This Layer Cake

There are lots of causes to like this cake. Listed below are just a few causes I believe it’s completely excellent.

Actual strawberry taste. The strawberry taste within the cake and the frosting come from REAL strawberries. No synthetic flavoring right here.
Texture. The reverse creaming technique used on this cake provides it a novel texture. It’s comfortable, tender and has a beautiful density to it that makes it a bit extra substantial than different truffles. I find it irresistible.
Festive. That is the right cake for a spring or summertime celebration. I believe it could be excellent for a child bathe as a result of it’s so cute and pink, however it could additionally make an amazing dessert for an Easter celebration or a warm-weather celebration.

Ingredients for strawberry cake separated into bowls.

What You’ll Want

Here’s a checklist of substances wanted to make this colourful strawberry cake. Make sure to scroll to the recipe card beneath for actual measurements.

Strawberry Cake

Quartered strawberries – Be sure that your strawberries are ripe, juicy, and flavorful. In case your strawberries lack taste, your cake will too.
Bitter cream – So as to add additional moisture to the cake.
Milk – For moisture.
Eggs – Make sure to use giant measurement eggs.
Vanilla extract
All-purpose flour – Be at liberty to make use of your favourite 1:1 gluten-free flour as an alternative.
Sugar – Sugar provides sweetness, nevertheless it additionally provides moisture and impacts the feel of the cake.
Baking powder and Baking soda – For the right rise and texture.
Salt – To intensify the flavour of the cake. Don’t go away it out.
Unsalted butter – The butter must be at room temperature in any other case it is not going to crumble correctly through the reverse creaming course of.
Pink meals colour – That is non-compulsory. It can flip your cake an excellent shade of pink, quite than being form of brown-ish colour.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

Freeze-dried strawberries – Cream cheese frosting tends to be thinner, so I like to make use of freeze dried strawberries and never skinny it out with recent strawberries. However in case you’d favor to not use freeze-dried strawberries, you should utilize recent strawberry discount as an alternative, much like my Home made Strawberry Frosting.
Cream cheese – It’s best if the cream cheese is at room temperature. Whether it is too chilly, you’ll find yourself with a lumpy frosting. I additionally advocate full-fat cream cheese. Lowered fats tends to be thinner and will provide you with a thinner frosting.
Unsalted butter – The butter must be at room temperature. Whether it is too chilly, the frosting will probably be lumpy. Whether it is melted, the frosting will probably be runny.
Powdered sugar – To not solely sweeten the frosting, but additionally to thicken it and provides it quantity.
Vanilla extract
Salt
Chopped strawberries – For layering between the cake layers and frosting.

Make Strawberry Layer Cake

Able to make the very best strawberry cake you’ve ever tasted? Right here’s the right way to do it. Don’t neglect to scroll to the recipe card beneath for extra detailed directions.

To make the truffles

Make the strawberry discount. Puree the strawberries in a meals processor or blender till clean. Intention for 1 1/2 cups of puree.
Cook dinner the puree. Carry the puree to a boil in a medium-sized saucepan over medium warmth. Cook dinner for 20-25 minutes till the combination has thickened and decreased to three/4 cup. Stir constantly.
Cool the decreased puree to room temperature.
Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line the underside of three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper. Grease the edges with baking spray.

Reduced strawberry puree in a measuring cup.

Mix the moist substances. Combine collectively the strawberry discount, bitter cream, milk, eggs, and vanilla extract. Take away about 1 cup of the combination and put aside.
Mix the dry substances. Whisk collectively the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt within the bowl of a standup mixer.

Wet ingredients for cake batter separated into 2 measuring cups.

Whisking together dry ingredients for cake batter.

Reverse cream. Add the butter about 1 tablespoon at a time to the dry substances, mixing on low velocity till included after every addition.
Add the moist substances. Add the bigger portion of the egg combination. Stir on low velocity to include. Scrape the edges of the bowl. Beat on medium-high velocity till gentle and fluffy. Combine within the remaining egg combination and the pink meals coloring (if utilizing) on low velocity. Scrape the edges of the bowl. Combine on medium-high velocity till nicely mixed.

Mixing butter into dry ingredients for cake batter (reverse creaming method).

Adding the wet ingredients to the butter-dry ingredient mixture in the reverse creaming method.

Bake. Divide the batter evenly between the three cake pans and bake for 24-26 minutes.
Cool. Take away the truffles from the oven and permit them to chill of their pans for 2-3 minutes. Switch them to cooling racks to chill fully.

Strawberry batter in 3 cake pans ready to be baked.

Three layers of strawberry cake before stacking and frosting.

For the frosting

Mix. Add the freeze-dried strawberries to a meals processor and grind them right into a powder.
Beat the cream cheese and butter collectively till clean.
Sweeten it up. Add half of the powdered sugar and the vanilla extract and blend till clean. Add remaining powdered sugar and strawberry powder and blend till clean. Add some salt, to style.

Adding freeze-dried strawberries to a food processor.

Powdered freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor.

Take away the domes from the tops of the truffles with a serrated knife.
Layer. Place one cake on a serving plate. Unfold 1 cup of strawberry frosting evenly over the cake. Press half of the chopped strawberries into the frosting. Repeat with the second layer. Prime with the third layer.
Frost the surface of the cake and, with the remaining frosting, pipe shells across the backside and prime edges of the cake. Add just a few strawberries on prime.

Adding chopped strawberries to the second layer of cake and frosting in homemade strawberry cake.

3 layers of strawberry cake staked and filled.

What’s The Reverse Creaming Technique?

This cake is exclusive in its use of the reverse creaming technique. Usually, when making a cake, you’ll cream the butter and sugar collectively, then alternate including the remaining moist substances and dry substances. The reverse creaming technique is a bit completely different. Right here’s the right way to do it.

Mix the moist substances (apart from the butter).
Mix the dry substances.
Slowly combine the butter into the dry substances till you obtain a sandy texture.
Add the moist substances in two elements, mixing nicely after every addition.

That’s all! “Why use this technique?” you may ask. Nicely, it’s fairly straightforward and the ensuing cake has a beautiful, distinctive texture. It’s so tender and silky with simply the correct amount of crumble. It’s a bit denser than a conventional cake nevertheless it isn’t too heavy. It’s excellent.

Homemade strawberry cake with a slice taken out of it near fresh strawberries.

Ideas for Making Strawberry Cake from Scratch

Layer truffles can appear intimidating however I promise that you are able to do it. I’ve compiled just a few easy ideas and methods that can assist set you up for fulfillment. Right here they arrive.

Get the strawberries proper. The overwhelming majority of strawberry taste on this cake is coming from actual, recent strawberries. So ensure to select additional candy, flavorful berries. In any other case, you gained’t get the flavour you’re on the lookout for.
Maintain it transferring. When decreasing the strawberry puree, be sure you stir constantly. The pure sugars within the strawberries are vulnerable to burn. Retaining the combination transferring will assist forestall that.
Be affected person. When cooking the strawberry puree, It is vital that it reduces to three/4 cup, in any other case the cake batter could have an excessive amount of moisture in it. Be affected person and don’t neglect to measure.
Begin with room-temperature substances. The butter within the cake batter in addition to the butter and the cream cheese within the frosting should be at room temperature. The butter within the batter is not going to crumble correctly through the reverse creaming course of whether it is too chilly or in any respect melted. On the subject of the frosting, utilizing cream cheese or butter that’s too chilly will end in a lumpy frosting. Moreover, If the butter within the frosting is melted, the frosting will find yourself runny. So assume forward and let your substances sit out at room temperature for a bit earlier than utilizing.
Scrape. When combining the moist and dry substances, you will need to scrape the edges of the bowl periodically. This can convey any substances clinging to the bowl again into the batter to be blended in.
Let it cool. Earlier than stacking and frosting, enable the truffles to chill fully. In any other case, the frosting will slide proper off. Nobody desires that.

Adorning Concepts

The pink frosting and the recent strawberries on this cake are fairly sufficient, however if you’re feeling additional festive, listed below are some adorning concepts that can take this cake to the following degree.

Flowers. I like the concept of including recent, edible flowers to the highest of this summertime cake.
Coloured frosting. Put aside about 1 cup of frosting earlier than including the powdered freeze-dried strawberries. Coloration it with gel icing colour and use the coloured frosting to pipe shells across the backside and prime edges of the cake.
Sprinkles. I like a great cake coated in enjoyable sprinkles.

Overhead of strawberry cake near fresh strawberries.

Retailer Leftover Strawberry Cake

If you end up with leftover do-it-yourself strawberry cake. Retailer it in an hermetic cake service. I like to recommend this cake service. You would additionally wrap the cake in a double layer of plastic wrap. Use toothpicks to prop the plastic away from any decorations. Already sliced the cake? Prepare the slices in a single layer in an hermetic container. In any case, retailer the cake within the fridge for as much as 4 days. Permit it to return near room temperature earlier than serving.

Can I Freeze This?

You’ll be able to, simply remember that the strawberries in between the layers could get a bit mushy. Pop the cake within the freezer for a few hours to agency up earlier than wrapping it in a double layer of plastic wrap and returning it to the freezer. In case you already sliced the cake, prepare the slices in a single layer in an hermetic container and place it within the freezer. Complete or sliced, it may keep there for as much as 3 months. Permit the cake to thaw within the fridge earlier than serving.

Extra Strawberry Desserts

It’s strawberry season and I’m so excited. This strawberry layer cake is just about pretty much as good because it will get however listed below are just a few different excellent strawberry desserts so that you can attempt. Pleased baking!

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