Strawberry Lemonade Cake With Fresh Strawberry Buttercream Frosting Food

STRAWBERRY LEMONADE CAKE WITH FRESH STRAWBERRY BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 8-inch cake pans.
• Place cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt into the bowl of an electric mixer and stir to combine.
• Stir lemonade concentrate, milk, eggs, 2 teaspoons strawberry extract, lemon extract, and food coloring together in a separate bowl.
• Add 12 tablespoons cubed butter to the flour mixture, 2 to 3 pieces at a time, and mix on low speed until all butter is added and the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
• Resume mixing at medium speed; add 1/2 of the egg mixture slowly and mix, about 20 seconds. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Resume mixing at medium speed; add remaining egg mixture in 2 batches, about 20 seconds after each addition, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl after each addition. Pour batter evenly into the prepared cake pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean, 28 to 33 minutes.
• Remove cakes from the oven and let cool on cooling racks for 10 minutes. Turn cake layers out onto the racks to cool completely, 15 to 30 minutes.
• While cakes cool, place 8 strawberries into a small food processor or an electric blender. Blend to make 1/4 cup puree.
• Place 10 tablespoons softened butter and a pinch of kosher salt into the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in 1/8 teaspoon strawberry extract. Gradually add about 1/3 of the confectioners' sugar to the butter while continuing to mix. Add 1/2 of the strawberry puree, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl, and continue mixing.
• Add the next 1/3 of the confectioners' sugar, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl. Mix in remaining strawberry puree. Sprinkle in the remaining confectioners' sugar and mix until desired consistency is reached, adding more confectioners' sugar or strawberry puree as needed.
• Place the cooled bottom cake layer on a serving plate and spread the top with lemon curd. Place the second layer on top of the first and frost with strawberry buttercream starting with the sides, then the top 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.

REAL STRAWBERRY FROSTING

Steps:

• Place strawberries in a blender; puree until smooth.
• Transfer strawberry puree to a saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil, stirring often, until puree is reduced by at least half, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely.
• Beat butter with an electric mixer in a bowl until light and fluffy.
• Beat 1 cup confectioners' sugar into butter until just blended.
• Beat 2 tablespoons strawberry puree and vanilla extract into butter mixture until just blended.
• Repeat with 1 cup confectioners' sugar, followed by 2 tablespoons strawberry puree two more times.
• Beat last 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar into mixture until just blended.