My mother made countless vibrant pink strawberry layer cakes, and we gobbled them up.
I wanted to recapture the strawberry cake magic I remember from my childhood in a homemade recipe.
And its incredibly easy to make!
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
You needa lotof fresh strawberries to get the true flavor across, and that makes for one stodgy cake.
They also lose some of their flavor during baking.
For the cake, I took inspiration from a Southern classic: jam cake.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Its a quick and easy cream cheese frosting with one key ingredient: ground freeze-dried strawberries.
They add tons of real strawberry flavor without adding moisture and turn the frosting a lovely pink hue.
Theyre available at Target, Trader Joes, Whole Foods, and most major grocery stores.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Let them cool completely before wrapping tightly in plastic wrap.
you might also make the whole cake up to a day ahead of time.
One really nice thing about this strawberry cake is you could make it all year long.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
It gets most of its flavor from jam and freeze-dried strawberries, which capture strawberry flavor in shelf-stable form.
Ill be making it for my February birthday next go-around.
Line the bottoms with rounds of parchment and lightly grease the paper.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Beat at medium speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until well combined after each addition.
Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Add half of the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
Add the strawberry jam and mix until combined.
Mix just until combined and no streaks of flour remain.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared baking pans.
Gently spread into an even layer.
Bake until a tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Set the pans on a cooling rack and let cool for 10 minutes.
Carefully invert the pans on the rack, remove the pans, and peel off the parchment.
Once the cakes are cool, make the frosting.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Add the freeze-dried strawberries to a spice grinder or mini food processor and process until a fine powder forms.
Alternatively, place the fruit in a zip-top bag and pound using a rolling pin or similar instrument.
Simple Tip!
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
see to it that whatever you use to grind up the freeze-dried strawberries is completely dry.
Add the cream cheese and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl.
Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
The frosting should be creamy and spreadable.
Place one cake on a plate and top with just under 1/3 of the frosting.
Spread into an even layer, reaching the edges of the cake.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Top with the second cake layer and top with just under another 1/3 of the frosting.
Spread into an even layer.
Use the remaining frosting to frost the sides of the cake.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Top with the sliced strawberries and serve.
Store any leftover cake tightly covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
