Description
Delectable strawberry cake highlights seasonal berries in a moist, layered dessert perfect for summer celebrations. Luscious cream cheese frosting and fresh strawberry garnish complete this irresistible sweet treat for passionate bakers.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups fresh strawberries, pureed (or frozen, thawed)
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 large eggs
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
- ½ cup freeze-dried strawberry powder (or ¼ cup strawberry puree)
- 2 ½ tsps baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 23 tbsps heavy cream or milk
- Few drops of red food coloring (optional, for a deeper pink color)
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Strawberry Puree Preparation: Simmer strawberries in a saucepan over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, reducing liquid to concentrate flavors. Cool puree completely to room temperature.
- Oven Preparation: Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Thoroughly grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans, ensuring complete coverage to prevent adhesion.
- Dry Ingredient Composition: Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl, creating a uniform dry mixture.
- Butter Mixture Technique: Cream butter and sugar using an electric mixer until light, fluffy, and significantly increased in volume, about 2-3 minutes.
- Wet Ingredient Integration: Add eggs individually, blending thoroughly after each addition. Incorporate vanilla extract, ensuring complete mixture.
- Batter Finalization: Fold cooled strawberry puree into wet ingredients. Alternate adding flour mixture, milk, and sour cream. Optional: enhance color with red food coloring for vibrant pink appearance.
- Baking Process: Evenly distribute batter into prepared pans, smoothing surfaces. Bake for 28-32 minutes, testing doneness with a clean toothpick inserted into cake center.
- Cooling and Finishing: Rest cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Allow complete cooling before frosting or decorating.
Notes
- Concentrate Strawberry Flavor: Slowly reduce strawberry puree to intensify natural sweetness and create deeper, more robust flavor profile for the cake.
- Prevent Cake Sticking: Meticulously butter and flour cake pans, ensuring complete and even coverage to guarantee smooth cake release without tearing.
- Achieve Perfect Texture: Avoid overmixing batter after adding flour to maintain tender, light crumb and prevent developing tough, dense cake structure.
- Customize Dietary Options: Substitute dairy ingredients with plant-based alternatives like almond milk and vegan butter for gluten-free or dairy-free versions of the strawberry cake.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 34 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 43 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg