Vanilla Layer Cake With Strawberries Recipes

VANILLA LAYER CAKE WITH STRAWBERRIES

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, with rack in the center position. Spray and line the bottoms of your cake pans with parchment paper and spray again, generously, with non-stick baking spray.
• Using your stand mixer fitted with the flat beater (or paddle) attachment, beat together the Land O Lakes® Butter with Canola Oil and sugar on medium high speed until pale and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, for about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, milk and vanilla extract. Pour this into the bowl with the Land O Lakes® Butter with Canola Oil and sugar mixture. In a separate bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients: the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add your dry ingredients into the mixing bowl and mix on medium speed until smooth and incorporated.
• Evenly divide the cake batter between the two cake pans and bake, rotating halfway through, until the tops spring back when gently touched and a cake tester inserted in the centers comes out clean, for about 30 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and let cool in pans for about 20 minutes.
• Using your stand mixer fitted with the flat beater attachment, beat the Land O Lakes® Unsalted Butter on medium speed until creamy and smooth, for about 2 minutes.
• Add in 4 and 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, the heavy cream, vanilla extract and the salt. Beat on low speed for about 30 seconds, then increase to high and beat for 3 full minutes. Taste and adjust as needed: Add up to 1/2 cup more confectioners' sugar if buttercream is too thin or another tablespoon of heavy cream if it's too thick.
• Run a knife around the edges of the cakes, and invert onto racks. Remove the parchment paper and discard. *If you want to level your cakes, I highly recommend chilling the cakes in the refrigerator for at least an hour, or you can bake these cakes a day ahead and place into the freezer. This will make leveling the cakes much easier.
• To level your cakes: Place cake on level surface, and then, use a large serrated knife to slowly trim off the tops of the cakes to make them level.
• Place first cake on plate, cake stand, or a rotating cake turntable, (make sure this can fit into your refrigerator if you are going to do a crumb coat) and frost the top of the cake. Add sliced strawberries over the top. Place second cake on top and repeat: frost the top part of the cake.
• At this point you can do one of two things: 1) A crumb coat: using a thin layer of frosting, frost the entire cake and then set in your refrigerator for about 15 to 20 minutes and then frost again. This method helps you to achieve a cleaner frosted cake. 2) Simply frost the entire cake and use your offset spatula to create a fun design around the outside of the cake. Top with strawberries and enjoy! You can also decorate the outside of the cake with thinly sliced strawberries in a design and line them up around the bottom of the cake.

VANILLA LAYER CAKE WITH STRAWBERRIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour three 8-inch cake pans.
• Beat cake mix, milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla pudding mix together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until just blended. Scrape the bowl, increase mixer speed to medium, and beat until batter is smooth, about 4 minutes. Pour batter into prepared cake pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before transferring cakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Beat cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and white sugar together in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth; fold in whipped topping until frosting is smooth.
• Place 1 cake on a serving platter. Spread frosting on top of the cake; top frosting with a layer of strawberries. Place 1 cake atop strawberries. Frost cake and top with a layer of strawberries. Place remaining cake atop strawberries, frost the top and sides of the cake, and top with remaining strawberries.

VANILLA SPONGE CAKE WITH STRAWBERRY-MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Cake: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat an 8-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Line sides with a 5-inch-high strip of parchment; coat parchment with cooking spray.
• Whisk together flour, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt until thoroughly combined, 30 seconds. In a large bowl, whisk together butter, egg yolks, and milk to combine. Whisk flour mixture into butter mixture until smooth.
• Beat egg whites on medium-low speed until frothy, about 2 minutes. Add cream of tartar and vanilla and beat on medium-high until soft peaks form, 2 minutes more. Gradually add remaining 3/4 cup granulated sugar and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 5 minutes. Whisk one-third of egg-white mixture into batter. Gently but thoroughly fold in remaining egg-white mixture with a rubber spatula. Transfer batter to pan; gently smooth top with spatula.
• Bake until risen and golden brown, about 45 minutes. Reduce oven to 300 degrees and continue to bake until top springs back when lightly touched, about 35 minutes more. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let cool 10 minutes. Unlock pan and carefully lift to remove. Remove parchment and turn cake out onto rack, running a sharp knife between cake and pan bottom to release. Remove bottom and turn cake top-side up; let cool completely.
• Frosting: In a food processor, puree 1 pound strawberries with 1/2 cup granulated sugar until smooth. Transfer to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until darkened, thick, and syrupy, about 10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on solids to remove as much liquid as possible (you should have 1 cup). Refrigerate, covered, until room temperature, about 1 hour (or transfer to a bowl set in an ice-water bath and stir occasionally until cool to the touch, about 10 minutes).
• Combine egg whites, remaining 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, and salt in a heatproof standmixer bowl set over (not in) a pot of simmering water, whisking constantly until sugar is dissolved and mixture is warm. (It should feel completely smooth when rubbed between your fingertips.) Transfer bowl to mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Starting on low speed and gradually increasing to medium-high, beat until stiff, glossy peaks form. Continue beating until bottom of bowl is cool to the touch, about 10 minutes.
• Reduce speed to medium-low and beat in butter, a few tablespoons at a time, until combined, scraping down bowl as needed. Slowly add strawberry puree and vanilla, beating until combined. (If buttercream appears curdled, increase speed to medium-high and beat until smooth.)
• Slice 1 pound strawberries lengthwise, 1/4 inch thick (you should have about 2 1/2 cups). Cut cake horizontally into 3 even layers with a serrated knife. Transfer bottom layer, cut-side up, to a cake plate or stand lined with parchment strips. Spread top evenly with 3/4 cup buttercream and half of sliced strawberries, overlapping berries to fit. Spread another 3/4 cup buttercream onto one side of center cake layer and place over first cake layer, frosted-side down. Press gently to adhere, being careful not to allow strawberries to slide out. Spread top with another 3/4 cup buttercream; top evenly with remaining sliced strawberries. Spread another 3/4 cup buttercream onto cut side of top cake layer; place on center cake, frosted-side down, pressing gently to adhere.
• Using a small offset metal spatula, spread remaining buttercream evenly over top and sides of cake. To create decorative sides, hold spatula vertically against cake and press one long side gently into frosting (do not go deeper than 1/4 inch, so you don't get down to cake), then pull spatula directly upward in one motion. Repeat around entire cake, then remove parchment strips. Top cake with remaining 1 pound strawberries, cutting some in half, if desired. Dust lightly with confectioners' sugar; serve. This cake is best assembled, kept at room temperature, and served the same day, but it can be refrigerated, uncovered, up to 1 day; bring to room temperature before serving.

FRESH STRAWBERRY LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans.
• Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
• Combine milk, vinegar, and vanilla extract in another bowl.
• Beat sugar and lard together in a mixing bowl using an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs and beat to combine. Beat in flour mixture alternately with milk mixture and strawberry puree, making 3 dry and 2 wet additions. Beat for 1 minute. Pour evenly into the prepared pans.
• Drop cake pans 2 to 3 times on the countertop to break any air bubbles.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the centers of the cakes comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on wire racks for 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto the rack to cool completely, 15 to 30 minutes more.
• Ice cooled cake using vanilla frosting between the layers and on the top and sides.

STRAWBERRY LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in center position. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans (2 inches deep); line with parchment cut to fit. Butter parchment; dust with flour, tapping out excess. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and 1 teaspoon salt.
• Beat butter and granulated sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to medium, and add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour. Beat in vanilla.
• Divide batter between pans. Bake, rotating halfway through, until tops spring back when gently touched and a cake tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Transfer to wire racks, and let cool in pans for 20 minutes.
• Run a knife around edge of cakes, and invert onto racks; remove parchment, and let cool completely.
• Make the filling: Combine strawberries with granulated sugar, lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Let stand, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Strain, reserving syrup.
• Whisk cream with confectioners' sugar until medium peaks form.
• Trim cake tops. Slice cakes in half horizontally. Generously brush 1 cake layer with some reserved syrup, and spread on one-third of the jam. Top with one-third of the filling, then one-third of the whipped cream. Repeat with 2 more cake layers. Top with remaining cake layer, bottom side up. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 hours. Dust cake with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

STRAWBERRY AND CREAM LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Fill a small saucepan with about 1 inch of water and set over medium heat until the water steams.
• Meanwhile, coarsely chop about a quarter of the strawberries and combine in a medium heatproof bowl with the sugar. Cover the bowl tightly and set it over the saucepan. Reduce the heat if necessary to keep the water just below a simmer and allow the berries to sit, swirling the bowl once or twice to dissolve any stubborn sugar clumps, until they've released all their juices, are mushy, and swim in a translucent red liquid, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat, uncover and strain through a fine-mesh strainer. (You should have 1/2 to 3/4 cup of strawberry syrup.) The mushy berries will have given off their color and flavor, and even though you won't use them in the cake, they're still tasty. Reserve the berries for spooning over pancakes or yogurt.
• In a separate medium bowl, combine the heavy cream, crème fraîche and salt. Whisk the mixture vigorously by hand, or beat with a hand mixer on medium-high, until thick, light and holding a medium peak. Chill the bowl of whipped cream. Thinly slice the remaining raw strawberries lengthwise.
• Invert the sponge cake on a flat serving plate or cake stand. Holding a long serrated knife horizontally and parallel to the work surface, use it to lightly score all around the side of the cake at the midway point. Then, using long, even strokes and still holding the knife parallel to the surface, slice clean through the cake, using the score marks as a guide, to cut it into two even layers. Set the top layer aside.
• Use a pastry brush to dab several tablespoons of the strawberry syrup across the bottom layer, lightly soaking the entire surface. Pull the bowl of cream from the refrigerator and dollop about half of it across the soaked layer, then spread in an even layer all the way to the edges. Arrange half of the sliced strawberries on top of the cream, then place the second cake layer on top of the first, cut side up. Lightly soak the top layer of cake with the strawberry syrup, reserving any remaining syrup for serving. Spread the remaining cream on top of the cake, then pile the remaining sliced strawberries over top. (If not serving immediately, cover loosely and refrigerate until ready to serve.)
• Slice the cake with a serrated knife and serve. Drizzle the slices with any remaining strawberry syrup. The cake is best served the day it's made, but will keep, covered and chilled, for up to 3 days.

DREAMY STRAWBERRY LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F; grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, gelatin, flour, water and eggs, and beat with mixer for 2 minutes.
• Add 5oz. of the strawberries with syrup to batter and beat 1 minute more; then add oil and beat for an additional minute.
• Pour batter into prepared pans and bake in preheated oven for 25 to 35 minutes.
• Remove from oven, let cool in pan for 5 minutes, then remove from pans and place on a rack to thoroughly cool.
• When cake has cooled, frost with Strawberry Frosting, making a 2-layer layer-cake, putting frosting between both layers, on sides and on top.
• Garnish top with fresh strawberries, if desired.
• To make frosting, beat the butter in a large mixing bowl, with electric mixer, until smooth.
• Beat in icing sugar, alternating with 5oz. of strawberries and syrup, until smooth.
• Add vanilla extract and, if necessary, thin with a little milk or cream to spreading consistency.