There is almost nothing better than a homemade strawberry cake made from scratch with fresh strawberries. I had plenty of organic strawberries left from a trip to the farmers’ market and wanted a simple dessert. I also wanted an excuse to use the new cake stand my best friend gave us for our wedding. I followed a rose cake decoration technique I found and, despite not being an experienced cake decorator, decided to give it a try. I used a vanilla frosting that firms slightly as it sets, which helped the piped roses hold their shape without becoming too hard. When my husband walked into the kitchen as I finished, he paused and then said I did a great job. It isn’t perfect, but it was a delightful first attempt and was gone within minutes. This recipe makes a single 8-inch round cake (which can be split and filled) and can be doubled to make a larger cake or adapted for cupcakes.
- 1/2 lb ripe strawberries (about 12), hulled
- 1 cup & 2 tbsp all-purpose flour, sifted
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- Make the strawberry puree: blend hulled strawberries until smooth. In a small saucepan combine the puree with 1/4 cup water and the cornstarch (mixed together) and simmer gently over low heat until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and cool.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Prepare an 8-inch cake pan by greasing it with butter and lightly dusting with flour.
- In a stand mixer bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the sifted flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix on medium until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat on medium for about 1 minute until fully combined.
- Add the milk and 1/2 cup of the cooled strawberry puree. Mix on low speed just until combined to avoid overmixing.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Allow the cake to cool completely for 1–2 hours before frosting.
- Slice the cooled cake horizontally to create two layers. Spread a thin layer of frosting on the bottom layer and spoon the remaining strawberry puree over the frosting for flavor.
- Apply a thin crumb coat of frosting to the entire cake to hide any stray crumbs. Chill briefly if needed to set the crumb coat.
- Fit a piping bag with a Wilton 2D or similar large open star tip and fill it with the remaining frosting. To pipe roses, start in the center of each rose and pipe circularly outward one to two times, forming a rosette. Repeat across the cake surface until it is covered with roses.
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