Fresh Strawberry Cake

4.89 from 34 votes

This strawberry cake is made with freeze-dried strawberries and a quick strawberry jam giving the cake an intense all-natural strawberry flavor and pale pink color.

Prep Time50

Cook Time50

Total Time4

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 697kcal

Author: Cheryl Norris

Equipment

3 8-inch cake pans
Stand Mixer

Ingredients

Quick Strawberry Jam

1 pound (454 grams) fresh strawberries sliced
3 tablespoons (38 grams) white granulated sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice

Cake Pan Release

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted

Strawberry Cake

3 cups (342 grams) cake flour
2 cups (42 grams) freeze dried strawberries
2 1/4 cup (450 grams) white granulated sugar
16 tablespoons (228 grams) unsalted butter room temperature, 68 degrees
4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
6 (180 grams) egg whites room temperature
3/4 cup whole milk

Strawberry Ermine Frosting

1 1/2 cups (300 grams) white granulated sugar
1/4 cup (35 grams) all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces (228 grams) fresh strawberries
3/4 cups whole milk
24 tablespoons (340 grams) unsalted butter room temperature, 68 degrees
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

For the Quick Strawberry Jam

Hull and slice the strawberries. Combine the strawberries with the sugar and lemon in a 3- quart saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the jam is thickened and reduced. You will have about 1-1/2 cups of jam.
Pour the jam into a 2-cup measuring cup to ensure you have 1-1/2 cups. Cool to room temperature, about 70 degrees F. If you need the jam to cool more quickly pour it into a shallow bowl or pie pan.

For the Cake Pan Release

Melt one tablespoon of butter in the microwave and add one tablespoon of flour. Stir until the mixture forms a paste. Use a pastry brush to brush the bottom and sides of the three 8-inch cake pans. Line the pans with 8-inch rounds parchment paper.

For the Strawberry Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
Place the egg whites in a separate bowl or a measuring cup.
Combine cake flour and freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor and grind to form a powdery, pale pink flour with no visible pieces of dried fruit.
Combine the sugar, butter, baking powder and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. With the paddle attached mix first on low speed to combine the ingredients and then increase to medium speed and beat until lighter in color and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
Add the egg whites in 4 batches, mixing on medium speed after each addition until the egg white is fully incorporated. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Mix on medium speed for about 5 seconds to make sure it is well-mixed.
Add about one-third of strawberry flour and mix on low speed until combined. Add one-half of the strawberry jam and one half of the milk. Mix on medium speed until well combined. Repeat with remaining flour, strawberry jam, and milk, with the flour as the last addition. Scrape the sides and bottom of the pan. Mix on medium speed for 10 seconds to thoroughly combine the ingredients.
Evenly divide batter between 3 pans, which will be about 590 grams per pan of cake batter. Bake the cake layers for 25-30 minutes. Alternatively, bake 2 layers at once and finish the third when they’re done. Use a cake tester to verify that the cakes are done. The cakes will also start to pull away from the sides of the pans when they are done.
Remove the cake the from the oven and allow to cool in their pans for 20 minutes. Lightly spray a cooling rack with non-stick spray and invert the cake unto the rack. Cool the cake to room temperature, about 40 minutes.

For Strawberry Ermine Frosting

This recipe makes 5 cups, enough for a 9-inch two-layer cake or an 8-inch three-layer cake.
Remove the caps from the strawberries and puree in a food processor until it is smooth and there are no chunks. There should be about 3/4 cup of puree
In a 3 or 4-quart nonreactive pan whisk together the sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt. In a 2-cup measuring cup combine the milk and the strawberry puree. Slowly whisk the in the strawberry-milk mixture until smooth. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly and scraping the corners of the saucepan, until the mixture boils and is very thick, about 6-10 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a wide bowl or glass pie plate and let cool completely, about 2 hours.
Using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the butter (which should be between 65-68 degrees F) on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5-minutes. Turn off the mixer, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and add the cooled strawberry-milk mixture and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until combined. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.

Cake Assembly

Level the cakes with a serrated knife. Use a pastry brush or your finger tips to knock off any loose crumbs. Place 1 layer on a cake board or directly on a cake plate. Place the cake board or plate on a cake turntable. Add 3/4 cup of frosting and spread evenly over the cake layer around the center of the cake. Add the second layer and repeat steps with the frosting. Add the third layer on top.
Cover the entire cake with a thin layer of frosting to lock in remaining crumbs. This step is called crumb coating and will prevent crumbs from getting into the final frosting layer. At this point you can either refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes to harden the frosting or add your final coat of buttercream. Decorate the cake with some of the remaining frosting, with fresh fruit or crumbled freeze-dried strawberries.

Notes

If you want enough frosting for more elaborate decorations, make 6 cups.

Increase sugar to 1 3/4 (350 grams) cups, increase the flour to 5 tablespoons (43 grams), increase the cornstarch to 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons, increase the strawberry puree to 1 cup, increase the butter to 30 tablespoons (425 grams) and increase the vanilla to 1 tablespoon.

If you want a plain vanilla frosting, leave out the strawberry puree and increase the milk to 1-1/2 cups.

Nutrition