Strawberry Filled Take Along Cake With Brown Sugar Frosting Food

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.

FRESH STRAWBERRY CAKE WITH STRAWBERRY BUTTERCREAM ICING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 2 round 9-inch cake pans that are at least 1 1/2 inches high.
• Sprinkle strawberries with sugar in a bowl and let sit for at least 20 minutes, or until juices accumulate.
• Puree strawberries in a blender until smooth and set aside.
• Combine sugar, butter, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl and beat with an electric mixer. Add eggs and beat until smooth. Add 1 cup strawberry puree, oil, strawberry extract, and food coloring. Mix well. Add flour, gently folding until well mixed. Pour batter evenly into the prepared cake pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Run a table knife around the edges to loosen. Invert carefully onto a serving plate or cooling rack. Let cool, about 30 minutes.
• Make the frosting while the cakes cool. Combine confectioners' sugar, butter, heavy cream, 4 tablespoons of strawberry puree, and vanilla extract in a bowl. Whip thoroughly, adding more puree to color and taste as needed.
• Sandwich cake layers with frosting. Cover the top and sides with remaining frosting.

STRAWBERRY CAKE FILLING

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine the first 4 ingredients. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Stir in lemon juice. Transfer to a small bowl. Refrigerate until chilled.

WHITE LAYER CAKE WITH WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING AND STRAWBERRY FILLING

Steps:

• Rough-chop 1½ pounds (about 3 cups) strawberries.
• Halve the remaining 1 pound of strawberries and reserve for the topping.
• In a large saucepan, whisk together the water and cornstarch until smooth.
• Add strawberries, sugar, and salt; stir well.
• Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring often. After the strawberries cook about 3 minutes, mash about half of them.
• Continue cooking and stirring the mixture until thickened, about 15 minutes.
• Remove from heat.
• Add lemon juice and stir well.
• If desired, add red food coloring; stir well.
• Pour the mixture into a heat-resistant, airtight refrigerator container. Cool to room temperature, stir, cover and refrigerate until ready to use (at least 2 hours and up to 5 days).
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the whipping cream on medium-high speed until thickened. Add ½ cup powdered sugar and whisk until very stiff peaks form. Set aside.
• Place cream cheese, ¼ cup powdered sugar, vanilla, almond, and salt in another mixing bowl. Whisk on medium-high speed for 4 minutes, scraping downs the sides as needed, until creamy and fluffy.
• Add the whipped cream and whisk, on low speed, until fully incorporated.
• Increase the speed to medium-high and whisk until light and fluffy and the mixture has firm peaks.
• Keep refrigerated in an airtight container up to 24 hours
• Adjust the oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 325°F.
• Line 2 (if making a 4-layer cake) and 3 (if making a 3-layer cake) 8x3-inch aluminum cake pans with parchment and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
• Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl; set aside.
• Add butter, coconut oil, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment. Set the mixer to low to moisten, then switch to medium speed and cream until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping as needed.
• With the mixer running, add egg whites, one at a time.
• Add vanilla and almond extracts and mix 30 seconds.
• Scrape down the bowl and paddle.
• Set mixer to low speed and slowly add one-third of the flour, followed by one-third of the buttermilk. Mix just until each addition is roughly incorporated. Add the remaining flour and milk, alternately, one-third of each at a time. Mix just until smooth.
• Turn off the mixer and use a rubber spatula to scrape all dry ingredients from the bottom. Mix on low speed just until dry ingredients are incorporated.
• Divide batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake about 40 minutes or until the cakes internal temperature registers 210°F. The cakes should be pale, brown around the edges and firm. A toothpick inserted in the middle of each cake should come out almost clean - with just a few crumbs attached.
• Transfer cakes to a wire rack and cool 15 minutes. Remove cakes from the pans and remove the parchment. Return them to the wire racks to cool completely.
• If not serving the cake within a couple of hours, wrap the cake layers tightly with plastic wrap up to 24 hours ahead. Keep the frosting and filling refrigerated until ready to frost.
• If the Whipped Cream Frosting is too stiff to spread, leave it on the counter for about 15 minutes, stir or beat it for a few seconds and it should be good as new.
• Place one cake layer on a plate or cake stand and spread about 1½ cups Whipped Cream Frosting on top. Spread it evenly while building a ½-inch "barricade" of frosting around the edge to keep the filling from leaking out.
• Add about ½ cup Fresh Strawberry Filling in the middle of the frosting and spread it out evenly to the frosting "barricade".
• Add the next layer of cake and add the filling and frosting as before.
• After adding all the layers, frost the sides of the cake with Whipped Cream Frosting.
• For the top of the cake, arrange halved strawberries as desired.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve and serve within 6 hours.