Strawberry Cake

I flavored the cake with freeze dried strawberries and homemade strawberry jam! There’s no food coloring in the buttercream, I just added some of the jam to it to make it light pink.

cake ingredients:

• 3 cups flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 2/3 cup freeze dried strawberries

• 1 cup milk

• 1/2 cup strawberry reduction

• strawberry extract (optional)

• 1 tbsp lemon zest

• 1 cup softened butter

• 1 cup sugar

• 4 eggs

buttercream ingredients:

• 1 cup softened butter

• 2 cups powdered sugar

• 1 tsp strawberry extract

• 1/4 cup strawberry reduction

• 2-3 tbsp milk

Cake Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease three 8 inch cake pans with butter and flour.

Combine milk, strawberry reduction, strawberry extract, lemon zest, and pink food dye in a medium bowl.

Pulse the freeze dried strawberries in a food processor until you have a fine powder. If needed, you can take the clumps out with a sieve.

Whisk the flour, strawberry powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a seperate bowl.

Place butter and sugar into a stand mixer and beat at medium-high speed until the mixture is fluffy and paler in color.

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing for 30 seconds in between each addition.

On low speed alternate adding the dry and wet ingredients, starting and ending with the dry. (Each addition should be about a cup)

Divide the batter into your prepared pans and smooth the tops with an offset spatula.

Bake the cakes for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean, with no crumbs.

Let the cakes cool on a wire rack or in their pans for about 15 minutes.

Buttercream Directions:

Cream the butter in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed until smooth.

On the lowest speed, slowly add the powdered sugar.

Once everything is combined, mix in the strawberry reduction and extract. If your buttercream is too thick, add the milk one tablespoon at a time.

Decorating the Cake:

Place your first layer of cake onto a cake stand. Use a serrated knife to trim the caramelization off the sides and top of your cake.

Add a thin layer of strawberry reduction onto the surface of your cake. This will keep the cake moist.

Spread a generous amount of your strawberry buttercream onto the cake with an offset spatula.

Repeat this process with each cake layer.

Frost a thin layer of buttercream on the outside of your cake and decorate with toppings such as sprinkles, strawberries, or other fruit!