Description
This delightful Strawberry Cake Recipe features a moist, tender cake infused with fresh strawberry puree and topped with a luscious fresh strawberry buttercream. Perfect for spring and summer celebrations, this cake combines the rich flavors of real strawberries in both the batter and the frosting for an irresistibly fresh and fruity dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cake
- 1½ pounds fresh strawberries (to be pureed)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 2½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup milk (room temperature)
- 1½ cups strawberry puree (from above)
For the Fresh Strawberry Buttercream
- 1 cup strawberry puree (from above)
- 1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 4–5 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans to ensure the cakes don’t stick during baking.
- Puree Strawberries: Puree the fresh strawberries in a blender until smooth. This should yield about 2½ cups of puree to be used in both the cake batter and buttercream.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set this mixture aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, cream the room temperature butter and granulated sugar together with an electric mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add Eggs and Wet Ingredients: Beat in the eggs, one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated. Then stir in the sour cream and vanilla extract for added moisture and flavor.
- Combine Dry and Wet Mixtures: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, alternating with the milk. Begin and end with the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined to avoid overmixing.
- Fold in Strawberry Puree: Gently fold in 1½ cups of the strawberry puree to infuse the batter with fresh berry flavor.
- Divide and Bake: Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make Strawberry Buttercream: In a large bowl, beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Gradually add sifted powdered sugar, one cup at a time, alternating with small amounts of the strawberry puree until all is combined. Beat in the vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Adjust the consistency by adding more powdered sugar or strawberry puree as needed for spreading.
- Assemble the Cake: Once the cake layers are completely cool, level the tops if domed by cutting them flat. Spread a layer of the strawberry buttercream over one cake layer, then place the second layer on top. Spread the remaining buttercream evenly over the top and sides of the cake.
- Garnish and Serve: Decorate with fresh strawberries on top if desired. Slice and serve this refreshing strawberry cake for a delightful treat.
Notes
- Ensure the butter and milk are at room temperature for smooth batter consistency.
- Puree the strawberries thoroughly to avoid lumps in both cake and frosting.
- Do not overmix the batter once the dry ingredients are added to keep the cake tender.
- Adjust the buttercream thickness by adding more powdered sugar for stiffer frosting or more puree for a softer spread.
- Store the cake covered in the refrigerator; bring to room temperature before serving for best flavor.
