Strawberry Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
MAKES ONE 8″ CAKE (16 SERVINGS) | LEVEL: BEGINNER
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This Strawberry Layer Cake is one of my favorite layer cakes, EVER, if not at the very top of my list. A beautiful pink layer cake with white frosting that tastes even better than it looks. With fresh strawberries in the batter, it makes for a really special birthday or Mother’s Day cake. Who are we kidding? It’ll be one of your most talked about desserts no matter when you make it!
Strawberry Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 16 servings 1x
Description
This gorgeous pink strawberry layer cake with homemade cream cheese frosting has summer vibes and Mother’s Day written all over it. Easy to make, and it just looks so special!
Ingredients
Cake:
1 1/4 cups sliced strawberries
10 oz. all purpose flour (about 2 1/4 cups)
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1 cup low-fat buttermilk or sour milk (1 Tablespoon white vinegar with enough low-fat milk added to equal 1 cup)
1/4 teaspoon red food coloring
Cream Cheese Frosting:
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup (3 oz.) cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
3 cups confectioner’s sugar
12 whole strawberries
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. To prepare the cake, place sliced strawberries in a food processor. Process until smooth.
3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into measuring cups and level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder and salt, stirring with a whisk to remove any lumps.
4. Place softened butter and sugar in a mixer bowl or large bowl and beat at medium speed until well blended.
6. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in egg whites.
7. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to butter/sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour.
8. Add pureed strawberries and food coloring. Beat until just blended.
9. Coat two 8-inch round cake pans with butter or cooking spray, and parchment rounds if you have them (makes for easy removal).
10. Divide batter evenly between the two cake pans.
11. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
12. Remove cake from pans. Cool completely on wire racks.
Prepare the frosting:
1. Beat together the butter, cream cheese, and Grand Marnier on medium speed until blended.
2. Slowly add the confectioner’s sugar and incorporate, a little at a time, until completely blended.
Cake assembly:
1. Place one cake layer on a plate. Spread with 1/2 cup frosting.
2. Top with the remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake.
3. Cut one strawberry into thin slices, cutting to, but not through, the stem end. Fan strawberry on top of cake just before serving.
4. For a beautiful presentation, cut the remaining 11 strawberries in half, leaving the stems on. Garnish the cake by pressing in strawberry halves around the base of the cake.
Notes
Recommended tools and equipment: Two 9″ round cake pans, 9″ parchment rounds.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: dessert, cake
- Cuisine: American