Nothing screams summer like a strawberry cake. This mini strawberry cake uses natural food coloring along with tons of freeze-dried strawberries. Do you love strawberry cake? If so, your bound to love this recipe as well. Especially if paired with something sparkling like prosecco.
Growing up my mom and I use to bake together. She would purchase the cake mix from a local grocery store. Together we would make strawberry cake. Now, as an adult I know that store brought cake mix could have a lot of undesired ingredients. Such as hydrogenated soybean oil, corn syrup, coloring dye, and so much more. The taste of store-brought cake mix is rather chemically and lacks the true authentic taste. To re-create that childhood memory and honor my mother on Mother’s Day I made this recipe.
The Strawberry Cake
This strawberry cake recipe is easy to follow. And hassle free since fresh strawberries are not needed. Once again we are making a cute mini tier 4 inch cake. Personally I love to make cakes this particular size before I host small get-together’s and don’t like leftovers. Any-who, to make this cake you’ll need the following ingredients. Which are: cake flour, all-purpose flour, strawberry preserves, freeze-dried strawberries, sugar, Greek yogurt, milk, eggs, baking soda, baking powder, unsalted butter, strawberry/vanilla extract and kosher salt.
First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the mini 4-inch diameter cake pans with circular parchment paper. In addition, to the parchment paper also spray oil or spread butter to prevent the cake from sticking. In a separate bowl, first whisk together all the dry ingredients: kosher salt, all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking soda, sugar, and baking powder. Once well mixed, add the dry ingredients to the bowl of an electric mixer. Then, add the room temperature unsalted butter. Mix until well incorporated. Next, add in the egg and continue to mix on medium-low speed until smooth. Lastly, add in the remaining ingredients: milk, Greek yogurt, strawberry preserves, and crushed freeze-dried strawberries.
Mix the cake batter for roughly 2-3 minutes. Next, divide the batter evenly into the 3 cake pans. Then bake for 20 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cakes to fully cool before adding frosting.
The Frosting
This frosting is a simple American buttercream. Its easy to make and for an extra flare I added a little natural food coloring. The piping bag used to make that cute little design is the Wilton 2D/1M. In order to make this frosting the following ingredients are needed: powdered sugar, unsalted butter, vanilla extract, kosher salt, and lemon extract. First, mix the unsalted butter until smooth in an electric mixer. Then, once smooth slowly add in small additions the sifted powdered sugar. If too thick, add a few tablespoons of milk. Next add in the kosher salt, the vanilla and lemon extract. Mix well. Use as desired.
The American buttercream/frosting can be stored in 3 different ways (all in airtight container). Could be stored at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerater for up to 2 weeks. And lastly, the frosting could be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Interested in more Layered Cakes? Click on a link below
Strawberry Layered Cake
Ingredients
Strawberry Cake
- 80 g Cake flour
- 60 g All-purpose flour
- 1 tsp Strawberry extract
- 1/4 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup Granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup Milk soaked with strawberries
- 1 tsp Strawberry preserves
- 5 Tbsp Unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 Large egg room temperature
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 1/3 tsp Baking soda
- 1/4 cup Strawberry Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup Freeze-dried strawberries crushed
Vanilla Frosting
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1-4 Tbsp Milk
- 5 Tbsp Unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 cups Powdered Sugar sifted
- 1/2 tsp Lemon extract optional
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
For Strawberry Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray organic oil or spread butter into 3 4-inch diameter cake pans. Line each cake pan with a circular piece of parchment paper.
- Into an electric mixer bowl, add the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking soda, sugar, kosher salt, and baking powder. Mix on a low speed to combine the dry ingredients.
- Add the unsalted butter to the mixer and increase the speed to a medium-high. Continue to mix until a sandy mixture occurs.
- Next, add in the one egg. Once well incorpoated, turn off the mixer and scrape the sides to the bottom of the bowl.
- Add the milk, Greek yogurt, strawberry preserves, crushed freeze-dried strawberries, strawberry extract, and vanilla extract. Stir until fully combined and fluffy. (Roughly 2 minutes).
- Evenly divide up the cake batter into the cake pans. Bake for 18-25 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow the cakes to fully rest before adding frosting.*
Vanilla Frosting
- First, mix the unsalted butter until smooth in an electric mixer. Then, once smooth slowly add in small additions the sifted powdered sugar. If too thick, add a few tablespoons of milk.
- Next, add in the kosher salt, vanilla extract, and lemon extract. Mix well. Use as desired.**