There is something truly special about making and presenting a homemade cake made from scratch. Fluffy and moist strawberry cake filled with fresh chopped strawberries and frosted with white chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream - you can’t go wrong with these flavors! This recipe creates a 6” three layer cake from start to finish and is easy to follow for any skill level.

Why is home baked cake a good present?

There are 5 love languages - words of affirmation, receiving gifts, physical touch, acts of service, and quality time. We all express affection and feel loved in one of those ways. Baking makes a wonderful and thoughtful present because it’s both a gift and an act of service!

How to make a strawberry layer cake?

Let’s bake! Preheat oven to 350f. Butter three 6” springform cake pans and line the bottom with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, strawberry powder, and salt. In a separate large bowl, whisk eggs on high speed for about a minute. Then slowly pour in 1 1/2 cups sugar while continuously whisking. Continue to whisk on high speed for 6 minutes. Microwave milk and 1/2 cup butter for about a minute until hot. Then whisk in coconut oil and vanilla. Lower the speed on the mixer to 1 and pour in half of the flour mixture. Once the flour has been mixed in pour in the rest and whisk for another minute or so until fully incorporated. Then take a cup of the batter and whisk it in the hot milk mixture. Then pour the milk mixture into the rest of the batter while whisking on low speed. Once the batter has uniform consistency, divide it evenly between the 3 prepared pans. Tap the bottom of each pan against a countertop a few times to get rid of air bubbles, then bake for about 30 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Let cakes cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes until they are cool enough to handle. Then wrap each cake in plastic wrap and freeze for 4 hours to overnight. This will lock in the moisture and make frosting easier. When ready to proceed, mix 1/2 cup sugar with 1/2 cup of hot water and set aside. To make Swiss buttercream, bring 1” of water to boil in a small pot, then lower the heat to medium. Place the egg whites and 3 cups of sugar in a large heatproof bowl. Then place the bowl over the pot and whisk rapidly until the temperature reaches 160f. Then remove from heat and whisk on high speed until it cools down to room temperature. Switch to the paddle attachment and add 2lbs of butter one tablespoon at a time. Keep mixing on medium speed until smooth. Meanwhile, place a deep plate over the simmering water and add about 10 truffles on it. Once the truffles have melted, pour them in a measuring cup to make sure there is 1/2 cup. Wait until it has a cooled to about room temperature, then slowly pour it in the Swiss buttercream while continuously mixing. Then add food coloring if desired. Cover and set aside. Remove plastic wrap from the cakes and cut the tops off so they are level. Give the sugar water a quick stir, and brush the cakes with it. Then put some buttercream in a piping bag and cut the tip off. Add a dollop of buttercream on the cake board and set first cake on it. Spread a thin layer of buttercream on the cake, then pipe a border and fill the middle with half of the chopped strawberries. In a circular motion, pipe another layer of buttercream on top of the strawberries and slightly smooth it. Repeat with the next layer. Then place the last cake on top, and frost the whole cake with a thin layer of buttercream to create a crumb coat. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Then use rest of the buttercream to decorate the cake. If stored in a refrigerator, let the cake sit at room temperature for at least an hour before serving so the buttercream is fluffy and not hard.

Tips

Do not over mix the batter - it will create a flat cake.
Let the cakes cool before opening the spring form to prevent them from cracking.
Wrap and freeze the cake layers to retain more moisture before assembling it. This is a trick many professional bakers use. Doing this will also make decorating the cake much easier.
Crumb coat is the first layer of buttercream around the cake. To make this step easier work with a cold cake and create a thin layer that covers the entire cake. Then refrigerate to allow the buttercream to set, then continue decorating the cake with rest of the buttercream.