Strawberry Patch Cake Food

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.

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.

CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray.
• Combine the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add the egg, egg yolk, sour cream, oil, vanilla and 1/2 cup hot water and whisk until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Scatter the sliced strawberries on top and gently press them into the batter.
• Bake until a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 30 minutes.
• Run a knife around the edge of the cake and invert onto a wire rack. Flip the cake back over and let cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Once the cake has cooled, put the semisweet chocolate and the white chocolate in separate small microwave-safe bowls. Microwave the semisweet chocolate in 30-second intervals, stirring well with a rubber spatula between each, until completely melted and smooth, about 1 minute. Drizzle the cake with the melted chocolate. Repeat the melting and drizzling process with the white chocolate.
• Garnish the top edge of the cake with the whipped cream. Cut the remaining 5 whole strawberries in half lengthwise and place the pieces cut-side down around the edge of the cake.

STRAWBERRY POKE CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch pan.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Whisk the buttermilk and vanilla in a spouted measuring cup; set aside.
• Beat the sugar and butter in a stand mixer (or a large bowl if using a hand mixer) at medium speed until very light in color and fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping down the side of the bowl as needed. Slowly add the eggs and beat until fully incorporated. Reduce the speed to the lowest setting; with the mixer running, alternate beating in the flour mixture in three additions and the buttermilk mixture in two, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the side of the bowl, and beat until the batter is well mixed. Spread into the prepared pan.
• Bake the cake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Let cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Using a fork, poke holes in the top and all the way through the cake.
• Bring 1 cup water to a boil, pour over the gelatin in a small bowl and stir until completely dissolved, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup cold water. Pour the mixture evenly over the cooled cake. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Put a large bowl (for whipping the cream) in the refrigerator.
• For the sweetened berries: While the cake chills, hull and quarter the strawberries. Toss with the granulated sugar in a medium bowl, and set aside until soft and juicy, about 1 hour.
• For the topping: Remove the cake from the refrigerator. Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla in the chilled bowl until fluffy. Spread it over the cake, slice the cake and serve with the strawberries.

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.

STRAWBERRY PATCH PULL-APART CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Frost the cupcakes with the buttercream using a mini offset spatula.
• Scatter half the ground wafer cookies on a platter or serving tray large enough to hold the 24 cupcakes. Arrange the cupcakes in four rows of six. Scatter more "dirt" over the cupcakes and around the edges of the tray.
• Arrange the strawberries randomly on the cupcakes. Arrange the candy flowers randomly.
• Poke holes in a cardboard egg carton. Pinch off pea-size or smaller bits of green fondant and roll them on your work surface to look like blades of grass, leaving one end thick and the other thin and pointy. Press 2 to 5 blades together and stick them on the end of a toothpick. Let dry, upright, in the egg carton. Roll the remaining green fondant between your hands to create 10 thin 2- to 3-inchlong squiggly vines. Wrap them around pencils and set them aside to dry. Place them under the strawberries and randomly in the patch.
• Top one cupcake with one of your favorite fondant creatures, such as a butterfly, caterpillar or ladybug.

MAMAW EMILY'S STRAWBERRY CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line the bottoms of 2 greased 8-in. round baking pans with parchment; grease parchment., In a large bowl, combine cake mix, gelatin, sugar and flour. Add water, oil and eggs; beat on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium 2 minutes. Fold in chopped strawberries. Transfer to prepared pans., Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove paper. Cool completely., For frosting, in a small bowl, beat butter until creamy. Beat in crushed strawberries. Gradually beat in enough confectioners' sugar to reach desired consistency. Spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake.

STRAWBERRY CAKE

Steps:

• Butter and line the bases of three 18cm cake tins. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Blend the butter and sugar in a food processor until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs, flour and yogurt and blend again. Add 200g strawberries (save the best ones to decorate) and the vanilla. Blend once more, until the mixture is well combined.
• Divide the cake batter evenly between the three cake tins. Spread and smooth the tops with a spatula, then bake for 25-30 mins, until the cakes have risen and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Return to the oven for another 5 mins if any wet mixture clings to the skewer. Leave in the tins for 5 mins, then turn onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely. The cakes can be made up to two days before icing, or frozen for two months.
• For the icing, blend the butter and half the sugar until smooth and creamy, add the soft cheese and the remaining sugar and blend again. Be careful not to over mix as the icing will become runny. (If you do overmix, don't worry - keep mixing with an electric whisk and it'll thicken back up).
• Layer the cakes with the jam and half the icing. Invert the final cake on top, so the base of the cake it now the top, giving you a flat surface. Pile the rest of the icing on top of the cake, using a palette knife to spread the icing over the top and down the sides. Save a little icing to pipe rosettes around the edge of the cake, if you like. Top with the remaining strawberries. Can be made up to a day ahead of serving, keep somewhere cool or in the fridge. Will keep for three days.