Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Filling
This fresh strawberry cake is made with real, cooked-down strawberries for bold strawberry flavor in every layer. With a moist crumb, a rich strawberry filling, and silky strawberry Swiss meringue buttercream, this strawberry cake with strawberry filling tastes fresher and more flavorful than most bakery versions.
Equipment
- three 8 inch cake pans
Ingredients
Strawberry Filling
- 6 cups frozen strawberries
- 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
Strawberry Cake Batter
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2/3 cup strawberry reduction from recipe above
- 2 3/4 cups + 1 tablespoon cake flour *See notes below for measuring*
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup cubed unsalted butter cool room temperature
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup sour cream room temperature
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon strawberry emulsion optional
- 1 small drop of red food coloring
Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter cool room temperature & cut into tablespoon pieces
- 1/2 cup reserved strawberry reduction from recipe above
- Pinch of fine sea salt
Instructions
Make the Strawberry Reduction
- Cook the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a pot over medium heat, stirring and mashing occasionally, until reduced and thickened, about 30-45 minutes. Mix together the cornstarch and water and stir it into the berries. Cook 2-3 minutes longer until thickened. You should have roughly 2 cups of filling. If you have way more than that, you’ll need to cook the berries down longer. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Make the Strawberry Cake Batter
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Grease the sides of three 8-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the reserved strawberry compote with the milk. Set aside.
- In a stand mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. On low speed, mix the butter into the dries, until it has a sandy texture, about 2 minutes.
- Then, add 1/2 cup (120 g) of the strawberry milk and the oil to the mixing bowl. Mix on low speed for exactly 2 minutes. Then, scrape down the bowl.
- Add the sour cream, eggs, strawberry emulsion, and food coloring to the remaining strawberry milk and whisk to combine. Mix half of this mixture into the batter. When combined, scrape down the bowl, then mix in the rest. Once combined, scrape down the bowl one last time and beat on medium speed for 10 seconds.
- Evenly distribute the batter into the prepared cake pans, about 540 grams in each.
- Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until the edges are barely golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean. Let the pans cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then remove them from the pans and let them finish cooling on the rack.
Make the Buttercream
- In a large bowl over a double boiler with simmering water, whisk together the egg whites and sugar. Cook, whisking frequently, until the sugar is dissolved and a thermometer reads 165°F.
- Pour the meringue into a stand mixing bowl with the whisk attachment. Whisk on high speed until the meringue cools to roughly 90-95°F, about 10-15 minutes.
- Turn the speed down to low and mix in the butter 1-2 tablespoons at a time. When all of the butter is combined, increase the speed to medium-high and beat until it looks light and fluffy. Finally, mix in the strawberry reduction and salt.
Assembly
- Trim a thin layer off the tops of the cake layers. Place the first layer on your serving board and spread a thin layer of buttercream on top. Pipe a border dam around the edge to hold in the filling, then spread half of the remaining strawberry reduction in the center. Continue the same way with the next cake layer, placing the last one upside down so that the top of the cake is flat. Chill for 30 minutes.
- Spread a thicker layer of buttercream to cover the top and sides of the cake. You can pipe any leftover buttercream with a star tip to create dollops on top. Decorate with freeze-dried strawberries or fresh strawberries, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
*Measure your dry ingredients properly. This is my #1 baking tip! Do not ever scoop a measuring cup into your flour, as this always leads to using too much flour. Instead, use the spoon-level method. This means fluffing the flour first, then spooning it into your measuring cup/spoon. For the BEST results, use a kitchen scale!*
Troubleshooting tips for the buttercream: If soupy, chill the bowl in the fridge for 20 minutes, then re-whip until thick and fluffy. If curdled, take out a portion and microwave it until runny. Add it back to the bowl and re-whip it until it is thick and fluffy!
Notes on strawberries and flavorings: You can use fresh or frozen strawberries. I found a touch of strawberry emulsion or strawberry extract really makes the flavor pop, but it's totally optional!
Using food coloring: Without it, the cake will naturally be greyer.
Storage: Keep leftover cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezing: Store the entire cake in the freezer for up to 1 month. You can also cut it into slices, wrap each in plastic wrap, and freeze them for up to 1 month.
Make ahead: Because the strawberry filling takes some time to reduce, you can make it up to one week in advance and keep it in the fridge until ready to use. Make sure to bring it to room temperature before mixing it into the cake batter!
