Strawberries and Cream Cake
Strawberries and Cream Cake – strawberry cake layers with fresh strawberries in a whipped cream filling and strawberry buttercream.
Studio 5 at Hale Centre Theater
Good morning, friends! I’m so excited to start the week with a new recipe. And not just that, but we’re starting the week with a new episode of Studio 5 too! If you remember from my Insta stories last week, this is a special episode that was taped in front of an audience of over 300 people on the set of the Steel Magnolia play at Hale Centre Theater.
I love the Studio 5 family and was so honored to be invited to this very special taping. Of course, the theme of the show was Steel Magnolias and the 80’s. Seriously so fun!
The team left it up to me to decide which cake to create and share. I thought about a lot of popular southern cakes, but while I was working on my Neapolitan Cake last week, I took one bite of my strawberry cake layers and knew it would be the perfect cake for the show. How perfectly does it fit with this iconic scene from the movie:
Truvy: What are your colors, Shelby?
Shelby: They’re blush and bashful.
M’Lynn: Her colors are pink and pink.
Shelby: My colors are blush and bashful, Mama.
Do you remember that scene! I love when M’Lynn calls her out and says, “her colors are PINK and PINK!”
Strawberries and Cream Cake
You may remember from my last post that these strawberry cake layers are a bit different from my other strawberry cake. This new strawberry cake has a more natural strawberry flavor, thanks to the freeze dried strawberries and strawberry puree reduction.
I’ve also added freeze dried strawberries to the buttercream. One thing to keep in mind is that the freeze dried strawberries tend to thicken the buttercream. To offset this, I’ve reduced the powdered sugar and added more heavy whipping cream. If you find that you’re buttercream is still too thick, I’d recommend adding more heavy whipping cream and beating it a little longer.
Between the layers, I made a whipped cream filling, stabilized with gelatin (much like my Ding Dong Cake). I’ve also added fresh strawberries.
You can catch a full demo on Studio 5 today at 11 am MST.
Helpful Hints:
- Don’t forget to preheat your oven for about 30 minutes before baking.
- Leave your refrigerated ingredients out for about an hour before you start baking. Room temperature wet ingredients are better absorbed by your dry ingredients, which helps your cake to rise more evenly.
- Make things ahead of time! Cake layers store great in the freezer, wrapped well in plastic wrap.
- If you want to pipe your cake like I did, you’ll want to make an extra half batch of the frosting.
Strawberries and Cream Cake
Ingredients
FOR THE STRAWBERRY CAKE
- 1 1/2 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/3 cup (72.6 g) vegetable or canola oil
- 4 eggs
- 3 egg whites
- 1 tsp (4.2 g) vanilla
- 2 tsp (4 g) baking powder
- 2 1/2 cups (287.5 g) cake flour
- 2 oz freeze dried strawberries measured and then pulverized into a powder
- 1/2 tsp (2.8 g) salt
- 1 cup (232 g) strawberry puree reduction about 3 cups chopped strawberries, pureed and simmered over the stove to thicken and reduce to 1 cup
WHIPPED CREAM FILLING
- 2 cups ( 462 g) heavy cream cold divided
- 3 tablespoons (44.3 g) cold water
- 1 tablespoon (9.25 g) unflavored gelatin
- 1/2 cup (62.5 g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) vanilla extract `
- Fresh strawberries
FOR THE STRAWBERRY BUTTERCREAM
- 2 cups (452 g) unsalted butter slightly chilled
- 4 cups (500 g) powdered sugar measured and then sifted
- 1/4 cup (40 g) freeze dried strawberries pulverized and then measured
- 1/3 cup (76 g) heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp. strawberry jam
- 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) pure vanilla extract
- *This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake. If you want to add additional piping, you’ll want to make an extra 1/2 batch.
Instructions
FOR THE STRAWBERRY CAKE
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spray three 8-inch round cake pan with cooking spray. Line the bottoms with parchment. Spray again. Set aside.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and freeze dried strawberries. Set aside.
- In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar and butter for about 2 minutes. Add the oil and beat for another 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs and egg whites, one at a time, and mix well after each addition. Add the vanilla.
- With the mixer on low, alternatively add the flour mixture with the strawberry puree, starting and finishing with the flour mixture. Mix until just incorporated.
- Evenly divide the batter between the three pans, about 16 ounces in each.
- Bake the cake layers for about 20-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs on it.
FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM FILLING
- In a small bowl, place the cold water and sprinkle with the gelatin. Let sit for at least 10 minutes. In a small saucepan, bring 1/3 cup heavy cream to a simmer and then stir in the gelatin mixture. Refrigerate, stirring frequently, until cool but not set, about 5-7 minutes.
- In a chilled stainless steel bowl with a chilled whisk attachment, beat the remaining whipping cream, icing sugar, and vanilla until it thickens and soft peaks begin to form, about 1 to 2 minutes. Very gradually add the gelatin mixture and continue beating until medium-firm peaks form.
- Keep covered and chilled until ready to use.
FOR THE STRAWBERRY BUTTERCREAM
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter for about 2 minutes. This will soften the butter without it having to be warm.
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing a little in between each addition.
- Add the freeze dried strawberries and strawberry jam.
- With mixer on medium speed, add whipping cream, and vanilla.
- Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and beat for an additional 5 to 7 minutes. The frosting will become lighter in color and texture.
ASSEMBLY
- Spread a small dollop of frosting on your cake board. This will act like glue to hold your cake in place.
- Place your first cake layer, top side up, on your cake board. Pipe a rim of strawberry buttercream around the edge of the cake.
- Spread about 1/2 cup of the whipped cream filling over the cake. Placed diced strawberries on the whipped cream and pat into place with your hand. Spread another 1/2 cup of the whipped cream filling over the strawberries.
- Place the next cake layer on top of the filling and repeat steps 2 and 3.
- Set your final cake layer, top side down, on your second layer of filling. Apply a thin crumb coat over your entire cake. This does not need to look pretty or be even. This coat of frosting is simply to lock in the crumbs. Freeze your cake for about 10 to 15 minutes to set the crumb coat.
- After the crumb coat is set, finish frosting your cake.
- I used the Wilton #125 petal tip for my design. If you want to do this design on your cake, you'll need an additional 1/2 of the buttercream recipe.
Can you make this into cupcakes?
Yes!
Would you be willing to share your method for piping these ruffles/rose petals? I am hoping to mimic it for my daughter’s birthday cake!
I used a petal tip and just spun the table as I held the piping bag in place.
How much cake flour do you use with this recipe?
The recipe says 2.5 cups.
I want to make this for Easter! Can I make the layers on Saturday, freeze, and then take out to assemble on Sunday?
Absolutely!
Strawberry cakes have never appealed to me. They’re either too wet from all that strawberry juice or have an off taste from artificial flavorings and colorings. Not this one. Oh man, is it good! Like sneak a second slice when your kid isn’t looking good! Freeze dried strawberries took a couple stops to find, and they’re pricey, but the flavor they bring is worth it.
Hi Courtney!
I want to make this cake for my husbands birthday, if I stack and crumb coat the day before I’m worried that the strawberries between the layers won’t be fresh.
If it’s just the day before and you refrigerate ( with the cake covered well), you should be ok.
I only have the powder freeze dried strawberries. How much if the powder do I use for the buttercream?
I tried this recipe four times and every time it can out bad. I made sure everything was room temperature and it came out dense and flat all four times. What I’m a missing here? 😢
are your ingredients old? Maybe try taking out 1/4 cup sugar?
I bought fresh ingredients just for this cake to make sure it rose, after reading the comments about flat layers. Followed the recipe exactly, including using an 8” pan and having room temperature ingredients. I just took the cakes out and they might be 1” thick. I baked two 8” layers and used my food scale to put 16 ounces of batter into each pan, as directed. I used the other third of the batter for six cupcakes and one 6” cake . These rose better so I wonder if an 8” pan is too large for three well-risen layers. I might make another full recipe and divide all of the batter between two pans and see if I get better results.
The flavor and texture are good; it tastes like a strawberry cake! If I decide not to start all over, I’ll probably slice the layers in half and bulk them up with the filling and use filling between the layers rather than the frosting.
This cake is for our son’s baby shower. His wife’s favorite flavor is strawberry so I need this to be a great cake!! I’m disappointed that it didn’t rise well because this is pretty labor intensive and not inexpensive to make.
I followed recipe instructions exactly. The stabilized whip cream filling worked perfectly! I bought dehydrated strawberries at Trader Joe’s. I also added some ‘crumbs’ for added decoration (from Courtneys crumb cake recipe using TJs Vanilla JoJos instead of shortbread cookies). Everyone said the cake tasted like a strawberry shortcake ice cream bar! Best tasting cake! Surprisingly not too sweet!
I love this!! Thank you!
Hi Courtney!
Would I be able to use frozen strawberries in the strawberry purée reduction?
A friend asked me to make a strawberry cake for her daughter and I know I can count on your recipes!
Yes you can use frozen
Can this cake be made with gluten free flour?
What is the crumb topping consist of?
There’s no crumb topping in this cake.
I made this recipe from your book twice, following every direction exactly, and both times the cake tasted delicious but was flat and dense, and almost didn’t rise at all. I just was comparing the book version with this online version, and noticed your book doesn’t call for oil. Would that be making the difference?
I sent in a review yesterday about the cake being flat and dense, but in looking at the recipe in the book even closer I noticed there are several differences between it and this recipe online. Why would my cake turn out so heavy and dense when all my ingredients are room temp and fresh?
If you’re using AP flour instead of cake flour, or if you’re not mixing the butter, sugar and eggs well – the cake can turn out dense.
Out of this world!! the butter cream is so freaking amazing!! Some people at the party declined a piece initially then everyone started talking about how delicious this cake was, needless to say I had no leftovers
You made my day! Thank you for this review!
Great taste but the layers didn’t rise and were very dense. I am in Texas, should I adjust the recipe in any way for the altitude?? I had all new unexpired ingredients and have had this issues with the Lemmon blueberry cake as well.
No, I wouldn’t adjust for altitude but you may need to adjust for humidity. If there’s high humidity, you’re ingredients will absorb that moisture making it hard for them to rise and be stable as intended. Try adding a little more flour, about 3 to 4 tablespoons to help with that.
Hi! I haven’t made this yet, but have been pouring over your many cake recipes that all look amazing! Do you have any cane sugar alternatives that you recommend?
Do you need it to be completely sugar free? Or you just don’t want cane sugar? Monk Fruit can work in place of the sugar, but you’ll want to reduce the amount a little. You could also grind up coconut sugar to make a finer consistency and try that as well.
The flavor is good. The batter does not rise. I followed the recipe to the letter and bought all fresh ingredients. I wonder if the cake flour is not substantial enough to hold all of the race wet ingredients. I might try it again one day using A.P. flour.