Strawberry Cake From Scratch Food

STRAWBERRY POKE CAKE (FROM SCRATCH)

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 350F/ 175C. Grease and line a 13X9" baking pan with parchment paper. Leave extra paper hanging on the side so that it's easy to lift up the cake later.
• In a bowl, patiently beat the butter and sugar together for 3-4 minutes till light and fluffy. If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment or else just use a hand mixer.
• Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after every egg to make sure its combined well into the mixture. Also stir in the vanilla extract and baking powder.
• Alternate between adding the flour and milk and mix until just combined. Alternating the dry and wet ingredients means that you add 1/3 of the flour first, mix and add half the milk; mix and then add 1/3 of the flour again, mix add the remaining milk and then the flour. This helps incorporate everything well and avoids over mixing.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared baking tin and bake for approximate 45 minutes or till a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Once the cake is baked, let it cool for 15 minutes.
• In the meanwhile, prepare the jello according to package instructions.
• Once the cake is cooled, poke the cake with the back of wooden spoon or thick skewer and make holes in the cake at every inch. Pour the jello into the holes and refrigerate the cake for 3-4 hours.
• An hour before serving, spread whipped cream over the cake and decorate with strawberries slices. Refrigerate again for an hour or till ready to serve. This cake keeps well in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

HOMEMADE STRAWBERRY CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• *For the strawberry puree, clean and remove the stems on about 1 quart of strawberries. Cut them in half and place them in a food processor to blend them into a puree. You should end up with about 3 cups of strawberry puree.
• Place the strawberry puree in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often to prevent burning, until the strawberries have reduced to 1 1/2 cups of puree. I've found this to take about 30-45 minutes.
• Allow the reduced strawberry puree to cool completely. (I often make this a day in advance so it has plenty of time to cool.)

HOMEMADE STRAWBERRY BUNDT CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Place strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
• Cook for about 5-6 minutes, or until the mixture starts to boil. Reduce the heat slightly to medium-low heat and continue cooking for about 15-16 minutes, or until the strawberries have cooked down and the sauce has thickened up.
• Allow the sauce to cool to room temperature (as it cools, it will continue to thicken).
• *You will use only 1/3 cup of the sauce for the cake and about 1-2 Tbsp for the glaze (you may still have a couple Tbsp of sauce leftover).
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cream butter until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add in sugar and lemon zest; cream the mixture until well combined.
• Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• In a separate bowl, sift together salt, baking powder, flour and cornstarch.
• Alternately add the dry ingredients (the flour mixture) and the milk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined.
• Add in 1/3 cup of strawberry sauce, sour cream, vanilla extract and crushed freeze dried strawberries. Mix until just combined.
• If using red or pink gel food coloring, add in 2-3 drops and gently stir the coloring in until combined.
• Grease a bundt pan very well and pour the batter into the pan evenly.
• Bake for about 45-50 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean (mine took exactly 48 minutes).
• Allow the bundt cake to cool about 10 minutes, then remove the cake from the pan and allow it to finish cooling on a wire rack.
• Whisk 2 Tbsp of strawberry sauce with 1 cup powdered sugar and 3 tsp of lemon juice. If the glaze is too thin, add in more powdered sugar. If it is too thick, add in more strawberry sauce.
• Drizzle the glaze over the cake and allow it to set before serving. If desired, top with fresh strawberries.
• Enjoy!

STRAWBERRY CAKE FROM SCRATCH

Steps:

• Combine sifted flour and baking powder in a bowl and set aside. Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar. Add eggs 1 at a time; mix well after each addition. Next add pureed strawberries and extract and combine well. Gradually add the flour (and baking powder) and the milk alternating between them until completely mixed. Then add lemon zest and juice and mix well.
• Lightly grease and flour a 13 X 9 pan or (2) 8" round pans. Pour batter into pans and bake at 350 degrees for 25 - 30 min or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. I did (2) 8" pans and it was done perfectly right at 25 minute Oven times may vary.
• For the icing : using a mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter until nice and smooth. Add the extract and pureed strawberries. Gradually add the powder sugar until it has the consistency and sweetness you desire. You can alter this to your liking. If you make it a bit too sweet, add just a little bit of lemon juice. This will help balance out the sweetness.

BEST EVER STRAWBERRY CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Grease and flour two 8-inch cake pans.
• Mix pureed strawberries, milk, eggs, and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract together in a small bowl; transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer.
• Beat flour, white sugar, baking powder, and salt into strawberry mixture on Low; add butter and continue beating on Low until evenly combined.
• Stop mixer, scrape sides, and beat again for about 30 seconds.
• Divide batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pans for about 10 minutes; transfer to wire racks to completely cool, about 30 minutes.
• Beat cream cheese and butter together in a medium bowl until smooth. Gradually beat confectioners' sugar into cream cheese mixture until creamy and fluffy; stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
• Spread about 1/2 the frosting on top of 1 cake. Place second cake on top of frosting layer; spread the remaining frosting on top of second cake and around sides of both cakes.

FRESH STRAWBERRY CAKE WITH STRAWBERRY BUTTERCREAM RECIPE

Steps:

• I recommend making this reduction the day before you're ready to make your cake.
• Place fresh or thawed, frozen strawberries into a medium saucepan. Optional: blend strawberries with an emersion blender if you prefer a smoother texture of strawberry reduction.
• Heat on medium-high and add in sugar (if desired), lemon zest, lemon juice and salt. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
• Once bubbling, reduce heat to medium-low and slowly reduce until berries begin to break up and the mixture has reduced by about half. This will take about 20 minutes. If your mixture has reduced by half and is still watery, continue to cook until all of the liquid is out.
• Occasionally stir the mixture to prevent burning. You should end up with about 2 cups of thick strawberry reduction that looks like tomato sauce. Transfer to another container and let cool before use.
• You will use some of the reduction for the cake batter, some for the frosting and the rest for filling between the cake layers for extra moisture. Leftover reduction can be stored in the fridge for up to one week or frozen for 6 months.
• NOTE: It is SUPER IMPORTANT that all the room temperature ingredients listed above are room temperature and not cold or hot.
• Make sure to take your strawberry reduction out of the refrigerator 1 hour before making your cake so that it comes to room temperature.
• Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 350ºF/176ºC.
• Grease three 8" cake pans with cake goop or preferred pan release
• In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the milk, strawberry reduction, strawberry emulsion, vanilla extract, lemon extract, lemon zest, lemon juice, and pink food coloring.
• In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• Add room temperature butter to your stand mixer with the paddle attachment and beat at medium speed until smooth and shiny, about 30 seconds.
• Gradually sprinkle in the sugar, beat until mixture is fluffy and almost white, about 3-5 minutes.
• Add the egg whites one at a time, beating 15 seconds in between. Your mixture should look cohesive at this point. If it looks curdled and broken, your butter or egg whites were too cold.
• Mix on low speed and add about a third of the dry ingredients to the batter, followed immediately by about a third of the milk mixture, mix until ingredients are almost incorporated into the batter. Repeat the process 2 more times. When the batter appears blended, stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. If it looks like ice cream, you did it right!
• Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.
• Bake cakes at 350ºF/176ºC until they feel firm in the center and a toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs on it, about 30-35 minutes.
• Place pans on top of a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Then flip your cakes onto the racks and cool completely.
• Once cooled, wrap each layer in plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze before assembling your cake.
• Place egg whites and powdered sugar in a stand mixer bowl. Attach the whisk and combine ingredients on low and then whip on high for 5 minutes
• Place pasteurized egg whites and powdered sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer. Add the whisk attachment and combine ingredients on low, then whip on high for 5 minutes.
• Add in your softened butter in chunks and whip on high for 8-10 minutes until it's very white, light and shiny. It may look curdled and yellow at first, this is normal. Keep whipping.
• Add in strawberry reduction, vanilla extract and salt and continue whipping until incorporated.
• Optional: Switch to a paddle attachment and mix on low for 15-20 minutes to make the buttercream very smooth and remove air bubbles.
• Place your first layer of strawberry cake onto a cake plate or cake board. Trim off the dome if needed with a sharp knife so the top of the cake is flat.
• Add a very thin layer or your cooled reduction over the cut surface. This helps soak into the cake and adds moisture and strawberry flavor.
• Add a layer of strawberry buttercream, I shoot for about 1/4". Smooth it with your offset spatula until it's flat.
• Frost the outside of your cake with the leftover buttercream and decorate with some fresh. strawberries if desired.

HOMEMADE STRAWBERRY CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 cake pan with parchment paper, or spray with a non stick baking spray. Set aside.
• Add the freeze dried strawberries to the food processor and pulse until it is a fine powder.
• Spoon the freeze dried strawberry powder to a large mixing bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine.
• In a medium size bowl add the 1 and 1/2 cup of the strawberry puree (keep the remaining 1/4 cup for the frosting), sugar, eggs, vanilla and oil. Stir to combine.
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry and gently stir the batter together until just mixed.
• Pour into the cake pan and bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool while you prepare the frosting.

STRAWBERRY CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray; line the bottom with parchment paper.
• Combine the eggs and 1 cup of the sugar in a medium bowl and beat on high speed with a handheld mixer until thick, pale and doubled in size, about 4 minutes. Add the yogurt, melted butter and vanilla; beat for another minute. Add the flour, baking powder and salt; mix until just combined, 30 seconds. Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly to the edges. Sprinkle the sliced berries on top. Pour the remaining batter over the berries; spread evenly once again. Top decoratively with the strawberry halves and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. Serve with honey whipped cream.

STRAWBERRY CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350º F. Prepare three 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick baking spray or prepare with butter and flour. Remove any excess flour.
• Blend the strawberries in a blender on medium speed until pureed, about 3 minutes. This should result in 3/4 cup strawberry puree. Set aside.
• Cream together the butter and shortening with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Slowly add the sugar, one cup at a time, making sure to fully incorporate each cup before adding another. Add eggs one at a time, making sure to fully incorporate each egg before adding another.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Pour milks, vanilla, and the strawberry puree into a measuring cup and whisk together with a fork. Alternately add the flour mixture and the milk mixture to the butter and shortening, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
• Gently stir all ingredients until well combined. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, making sure to have all ingredients well mixed.
• Evenly distribute the batter between the cake pans and place the pans into the preheated oven. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the cake releases from the edges of the pan and springs back to a light touch. Remove the pans from the oven and allow to cool in the cake pans for about 10 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto wire racks and let them cool completely.
• Frost cake with strawberry buttercream frosting.

GLUTEN FREE STRAWBERRY CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• To make the concentrated strawberry purée, add the strawberries, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt to a blender canister or food processor. Blend until completely smooth.
• Add the purée to a small saucepan. Simmer on medium low heat until the purée is reduced by half, stirring occasionally. It'll take about 20-30 minutes to reduce. Cool to room temperature before making the cake.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray 3 8-inch round cake pans with non-stick spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, cornstarch, xanthan gum, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and granulated sugar. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, buttermilk, melted butter, oil, vanilla extract, concentrated strawberry purée, and food coloring (if using). Set aside.
• Add the egg whites and cream of tartar to a separate, clean medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium-low speed until the egg whites hold a stiff peak. Then set the the egg whites aside.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Add half of the whipped egg whites to the batter and gently fold in with a spoon. When it's mostly folded in, add the remaining egg whites. Gently fold in until no white streaks remain. Make sure you're folding and not stirring/mixing so you don't deflate the egg whites. It may take a minute or two to fully incorporate.
• Transfer the batter to the prepared pans, making sure it's distributed evenly and spread the batter in the pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-24 minutes.
• Cool the cakes in the pan for 25 minutes then remove them from the pans and cool completely on wire racks. Once the cakes are cooled, frost them with the strawberry cream cheese frosting.

HOMEMADE STRAWBERRY CAKE

Steps:

• Make the reduced strawberry puree and allow it to cool completely. See note. You can make it a few days ahead of time and store it covered in the refrigerator or cover and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw before using in the recipe.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease and lightly flour two 9-inch cake pans.
• Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
• Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamed, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Beat in the egg whites on high speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Then beat in the sour cream and vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients until just incorporated. With the mixer still running on low, slowly pour in the milk *just* until combined. Do not overmix. Whisk in 1/2 cup of reduced strawberry puree, making sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick. Stir in food coloring, if desired. (I use 1 small drop.)
• Pour batter evenly into cake pans. Bake for around 24-25 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it is done. Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.
• Using a blender or food processor, process the freeze-dried strawberries into a powdery crumb. You should have around 1/2 cup crumbs. Set aside. In a large bowl using a hand-held or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese for 1 minute on high speed until completely smooth and creamy. Beat in the butter until combined. Add the confectioners' sugar, strawberry powder, 1 Tablespoon milk, and vanilla and beat on medium-high speed until combined and creamy. Add 1 more Tablespoon of milk to slightly thin out, if desired. Taste, then add a pinch of salt if needed. Yields about 3 cups of frosting.
• First, using a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. Discard (or crumble over ice cream!). Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with frosting. Top with 2nd layer and spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides. Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes before slicing. This helps the cake keep its shape when cutting- it could slightly fall apart without time in the fridge.
• Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for 5 days.

HOMEMADE STRAWBERRY CAKE FROM SCRATCH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray or grease two 9-inch round cake pans. Cut out 9-inch parchment paper circles, and press them down in the bottom of each pan. (Trace the pan for perfect circles.)
• For the Strawberry Layer Cake: In the bowl on an electric stand mixer, cream the butter and 1 3/4 cups sugar together for 1 minute. Then add in the oil and beat until the mixture is very smooth. (Cream: Beat on high to break down the sugar crystals.)
• In a separate bowl, mix the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Place the ripened strawberries in the blender with 2 tablespoons sugar. Puree until smooth. (Or use an equal amount of thawed sliced strawberries in syrup. Drain and puree. No need to add sugar.)
• Once the butter and sugar are well creamed. Scrape the mixing bowl with a rubber spatula. Then turn the mixer on low and beat in the eggs, vanilla extract, strawberry extract, strawberry puree, and buttermilk.
• Scrape the bowl again. Turn the mixer back on low and slowly add the flour mixture until well combined. Beat in the food coloring if desired, then turn off the mixer.
• Pour the batter evenly into the two prepared pans. Bake on the middle rack, undisturbed for 30 minutes. If the center of the cakes are puffed up, check the cake by inserting a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, take them out of the oven. If the toothpick has batter on it, bake another 5-10 minutes and recheck.
• Allow the cakes to cool 10 minutes in the pans. Then carefully flip them out on a cooling rack. Remove the parchment paper and cool completely.
• For the Frosting: Once the cakes are room temperature, place the cream cheese and butter in a clean stand mixer bowl. Beat until fluffy. Then scrape the bowl and turn on low. Mix in the strawberry jam, vanilla extract, and salt. Then add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, beating to incorporate. After adding 4 cups of powdered sugar, turn the mixer up to beat out any clumps. Check the consistency of the frosting. If it is too loose, add another 1-2 cups of powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add food coloring if desired
• To Assemble: Move one cake to a cake stand or platter. Scoop about 2 cups frosting onto the cake. Use a large flat spatula to spread the frosting out evenly.
• Set the second cake on top of the frosting, being careful to center the cake. Gently press the cake a little to level the top. Then scoop all remaining frosting on top of the cake. Use the spatula to work the frosting over the top and down the sides.
• Turn the cake stand to smooth out the sides with the flat edge of the spatula. Once you are satisfied with the sides, use the spatula to make swooping marks on the top of the cake. Use a wet paper towel to clean up the cake stand. Top with whole fresh strawberries, or sliced strawberries if serving on the same day.
• Cover and keep the cake at room temperature for up to 4 days, or refrigerate for up to a week. When ready to serve, make sure the cake is at room temperature... All classic layer cakes taste best at room temperature.

2 INGREDIENT STRAWBERRY ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a mixing bowl combine the cake mix and the strawberry pie filling. Do not follow the directions on the box. You do not have to add water.
• Mix with a hand mixer and it will break up some of the chunks of strawberries in the pie filling.
• Pour into an UNGREASED 9x13 baking pan.
• Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until the top begins to brown.
• Cut and serve. I like to serve with whipped cream and fresh strawberries.

STRAWBERRY CAKE FROM SCRATCH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degreees F. Greese and flour two 9 inch round cake pans.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and dry strawberry jello until light and fluffy.
• Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each is added.
• Combine the flour and baking powder; stir into the batter alternately with the milk. Blend in vanilla and strawberry puree. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
• Bake for 25-40 minutes in the oven until a knife or toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool in their pans on a cooling rack at least 10 minutes before tapping out to cool completely.
• Garnish with fresh strawberries if desired.

STRAWBERRY CAKE POPS RECIPE

Steps:

• Put ½ lb of strawberries in a blender or food processor and make a puree, making about a ½ cup or a little over. Simmer this in a pot over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes OR until you are left with about 1/4 cup of puree left. Remove this from the heat and let cool completely. I put mine in the fridge/freezer to speed up the process. You can make this the day before to ensure that it cools completley in the fridge overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a 9x9 round cake pan with non stick spray.
• In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until combined and set aside.
• Using an electric mixer, in a large bowl cream together the room temperature butter and sugar until smooth (about 2 minutes). Add in the egg white and beat on high speed until combined (about 2 minutes). Add in the vanilla and greek yogurt, mixing until combined. Slowly add in the dry ingredients until just incorporated. Slowly pour the milk in while your mixer is on low speed, just until it's combined. Be careful not to overmix! Mix in the completely cooled ¼ cup of strawberry puree until just incorporated. You can add a few drops of red or pink food coloring here as well if you would like to have a more pink cake.
• Pour batter into the greased cake pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you notice your cake starting to brown a bit too much on top, you can cover it with tinfoil while baking.
• Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan on a wire cooling rack.
• Using a blender or food processor, blend the freeze-dried strawberries into a powder. You should have about a ¼ cup. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream the butter using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar, strawberry powder, 2 tsp of milk, and vanilla. Mix on medium-high for about 2-3 mintues, until smooth and creamy. If needed, add another 1-2 tsp of milk to get the right consistency.
• Once your cake is completely cooled, crumble the entire cake into the bowl of frosting, making sure there are no large lumps. If you had any hard/burnt pieces of cake, feel free to discard them. Turn the mixer on low until the cake and frosting combine.
• Measure 1 tbsp of cake mix and roll into a ball, then place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Place the sheet in the freezer for about 30 minutes, or the fridge for an hour. Cake pops come together easier when the cake balls are very cold.
• Once they are chilled, melt the chocolate melts or chips in a deep measuring cup (I use a 2-cup one linked above). If using chocolate chips: reminder to use ½ tbsp oil for each cup of chocolate melted.
• Take your cake balls out of the freezer. Dip the tip of a lollipop stick into the chocolate and press into the center of the cake ball, inserting about halfway through. Repeat for all the cake balls and place back into the freezer for another 10-15 minutes.
• Taking about 3-4 cake pops out of the freezer at a time, dunk the cake pop into the chocolate coating fully, making sure to get all the way to the lollipop stick. Gently tap the stick on the side of the measuring cup to remove excess coating. Place your cake pop either upright in a styrofoam board or a box (see pictures above) or you could always place them down on another parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Decorate each one immediately as they dry pretty quickly since they are cold. Cake pops should be completely dried within an hour. I like to keep mine in the fridge before serving.

STRAWBERRY CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• For the puree: Pulse the strawberries in a food processor, scraping as needed, until a smooth puree forms. Add the strawberry puree to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the puree reduces by half (to about 1 cup). Transfer the puree to a bowl and set aside to cool.
• For the cake: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick baking spray. Line the bottoms with parchment rounds; lightly coat parchment with nonstick spray.
• Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a large bowl until combined. Beat the butter, granulated sugar, oil and vanilla in another bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the whole eggs and yolks one at a time, beating to blend between additions and occasionally scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl, until the batter is completely combined, smooth and creamy. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Fold in 1/2 cup of the cooled strawberry puree. Reserve the rest of the puree for the frosting.
• Scrape the batter evenly into the prepared pans. Smooth the tops. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until the cakes are a light golden brown and a tester inserted into the centers comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let the cakes cool for 30 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the cakes and invert onto the wire rack. Remove the parchment and let the cakes cool completely.
• For the frosting: Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and fluffy. Gradually beat in the butter, beating until smooth. Sift the confectioners' sugar into the bowl and beat until smooth. Add the vanilla and beat until light and fluffy. Remove 3 cups of the frosting to a medium bowl and set aside. Fold the reserved strawberry puree into the remaining frosting. Refrigerate both until slightly chilled and firm, about 20 minutes.
• To assemble the cake: Place one cake domed-side down on a platter. Spread 1 1/2 cups of the strawberry frosting evenly over the top. Place the remaining cake domed-side up on top. Spread the top and sides of the cake with 1 1/2 cups of the white frosting. Smooth out completely to make an even crumb coat. (It's okay if some of the cake shows through. This is just a base layer.) Refrigerate for 30 minutes to let the frosting set.
• Spread the remaining white frosting on the top of the cake and the upper half of the sides. There should be a band all around the bottom of the cake with the crumb coat exposed. Fill in the exposed area with 1 cup of the strawberry frosting. Use a large offset spatula to smooth the top and sides of the cake. The strawberry and white frostings should blend together during smoothing to create an ombre effect. Transfer the remaining strawberry frosting to a piping bag or resealable plastic bag fitted with a medium star tip. Pipe 8 rosettes evenly spaced along the top border of the cake.

STRAWBERRY CAKE (LIKE BOX MIX BUT BETTER)

Steps:

• To make the strawberry reduction for the cake layers, add the strawberries to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. You should have about 1 1/4 cups of puree. Strain it through a fine mesh sieve and you should end up with about 1 cup of puree.
• Add the puree to a medium sized saucepan and cook over medium heat. Allow the mixture to come to a slow boil, stirring consistently to keep it from burning, until it has thickened and reduced by half to 1/2 cup, about 15-20 minutes. To measure, pour the puree into a measuring cup. If it's more than 1/2 cup, add it back to the pan and continue cooking.
• When the puree has thickened and reduced, pour into a measuring cup or bowl and allow to cool to at least room temperature. This strawberry mixture can be made ahead, if you like, and stored in the fridge.
• To make the cake layers, preheat oven to 350°F (176°C) and prepare three 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper in the bottom and baking spray on the sides.
• Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
• Add the butter, sugar, oil, strawberry extract and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl and beat together on medium speed until light in color and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Do not skimp on the creaming time.
• Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until mostly combined after each. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated.
• Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until mostly combined.
• Slowly add the milk, strawberry reduction and 8 drops of food color and mix until well combined.
• Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until well combined and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated. Do not over mix the batter.
• Gently fold in additional food color until you have your desired shade of pink.
• Divide the batter evenly between the cakes pans and bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs.
• Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool for about 2-3 minutes, then remove to cooling racks to cool completely.
• To make the frosting, add the cream cheese and butter to a large mixer bowl and beat until well combined and smooth.
• Add about half of the powdered sugar and mix until well combined and smooth.
• Add the vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
• Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until well combined and smooth. Add more or less powdered sugar, as desired for consistency purposes.
• To put the cake together, use a large serrated knife to remove the domes from the top of the cakes so that they're flat, if needed.
• Place the first cake on a serving plate or a cardboard cake round.
• Spread about 1 cup of frosting evenly on top of the cake,
• Add the second layer of cake and another cup of frosting.
• Top the cake with the remaining layer and frost the outside of the cake. Refer to my tutorial for frosting a smooth cake, if needed. To make the line pattern in the side of the cake, run a 9 inch offset spatula around the outside of the cake while turning your turntable. Start with the line at the bottom and work your way to the top.
• Pipe shells of frosting on the top edge of the cake and the bottom, then decorate with strawberries, if desired.

TRIPLE-LAYER STRAWBERRY CAKE WITH FRESH STRAWBERRY BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• Combine fresh strawberries and two tablespoons of sugar in a blender. Pulse until strawberries are reduced to a pulp. DO NOT blend until smooth. (You will use ½ cup of the puree for the cake. Reserve the remaining puree to use in the frosting.) Set aside and allow to macerate further while you perform next few steps.
• Preheat oven to 350°F | 175°C. Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans.
• Whip eggs whites until they form medium peaks. Set aside.
• Combine sifted flour and baking powder. Set aside.
• Whisk together milk, strawberry puree, lemon zest, and vanilla. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, sugar, dry strawberry Jell-O®, and salt. Beat in eggs yolks one at a time.
• Stir flour mixture into batter alternately with strawberry-milk mixture.
• Gently fold in whipped egg whites.
• Pour batter evenly into the three prepared cake pans. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick or skewer comes out clean.
• Allow cakes to cool in their pans over wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Carefully tap out onto wire rack to cool completely.
• Using an electric mixer, beat butter on medium-high until light and fluffy.
• With mixer on low, add powdered sugar to the whipped butter alternately with ⅓ cup pureed strawberries. Combine thoroughly into a soft, creamy mixture that will hold its shape. Cool in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, or until it has firmed up slightly.
• Spread the top of the bottom layer of cake with frosting. Add the middle layer and refrigerate again until the frosting has firmed up a bit. Add the top layer and frost sides and top of cake. For a cleaner frosting, apply a crumb coat first to keep the crumbs out of your final frosting. If you are spreading the frosting on thick, you may want to refrigerate the cake after you apply the frosting between each layer until the frosting has firmed just a bit; about 10-15 minutes for each layer. (If you are frosting it thin, you probably won't need to do this.)
• Decorate with fresh strawberries if desired.

EASY STRAWBERRY CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Liberally grease and flour 2 - 8" round cake pans. I prefer Baker's release. Set aside.
• In a large mixer bowl, stir together the cake flour, AP flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
• Add the cubed butter and mix until it looks like coarse, moist crumbs.
• Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
• In a measuring cup, combine the milk, strawberry puree, and vanilla. Stir until well combined.
• With the mixer on low, carefully pour the milk/strawberry mixture into the flour/butter mixture, slowly beating until smooth.
• Add in food color until you reach the desired color. Keep in mind that the color will intensify as it bakes.
• Divide the batter between the two prepared cake pans.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the toothpick test comes out clean.
• Cool completely before removing from the pan and frosting. I like to freeze mine for at least 1-2 hours before decorating as it keeps the crumbs from getting in the frosting.
• Place the butter in a large mixer bowl and beat on high until light and fluffy.
• Add the vanilla and salt, mix until just combined.
• Slowly beat in the confectioner's sugar, 1 cup at a time making sure it is completely incorporated each time before adding the next cup.
• Fold in the strawberry puree or jam.
• Beat in the food color- if using.
• Combine the strawberries and sugar in a small food processor or blender and pulse until it reaches the consistency of thin jam.
• Remove one of the cakes from the pan and place it on a cake plate or cardboard round. You can add a small dollop of frosting underneath to keep it from shifting on the plate.
• Use a cake leveler or sharp knife to trim off the dome if your cake did not bake flat.
• Add some of the frosting in an even layer on top of that bottom round of cake. You can also add about 1/4 cup of additional strawberry puree or jam on top of the frosting for additional flavor and visual interest.
• Remove the second cake from the pan, trim the cake as you did the first layer to make sure it is nice and evenly flat.
• Place that layer on top of the filling layer.
• Using an offset spatula, spread a thin coat (this is the crumb coat) of frosting around the whole cake, tops, and sides. You should be able to see through it. I like to freeze the cake at this time to set the frosting and make it easier to work with for the decorating.
• Once frozen, add another thicker layer of frosting to the top and sides of the cake.
• Transfer the remaining frosting to a piping bag and decorate as desired. I use a medium open star tip for this one.
• Top the cake with a single strawberry in the center.
• Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

STRAWBERRY CAKE FROM SCRATCH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and dry strawberry gelatin until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Combine the flour and baking powder; stir into the batter alternately with the milk. Blend in vanilla and strawberry puree. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a small knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool in their pans over a wire rack for at least 10 minutes, before tapping out to cool completely.