Fresh Strawberry Cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream

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Packed with real strawberry flavor, this butter-based fresh strawberry cake is moist, light and airy. And, frosted with Swiss meringue buttercream this cake is perfect at any time of the year using fresh or frozen strawberries. Make it for the weekend or to celebrate a special occasion.

It's strawberry season, and that means all my cake orders will now start being the fresh strawberry cake. It's amazing how popular this cake has become with my customers and my kids. In fact, my Aadi loves this cake so much and it eats it without any frosting. And, no matter how many times I make this cake, I have to also make a small one just so he can enjoy it.

Do you like warm cakes? Not many people like warm cakes, but I grew up with mom making cakes. And, one of my absolute treats when a cake was baked, used to be the mini cakes that mom made. These were taste testers for quality control. Absolute heaven. 

Table of Content

• About this cake
• Ingredients and substitutes
• Step by step instructions (pin)
• Frequently asked questions
• You may also like
• Recipe

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About this cake

This cake is very rich, light and airy. Also, it is quite stable and can be used in a tiered cake, as well as covered with fondant. 
And, unlike my other strawberry cake, which is oil-based, this one is a butter-based cake that works perfectly for wedding cakes.

In fact, it's a very versatile cake and can be paired with many variations. And, the light texture of this cake is especially delicious with soft meringues buttercreams filled with strawberry jam or mousse.

And, if you like the combination of strawberry and chocolate you may want to try it with strawberry flavored chocolate ganache. 

The real secret to this cake

I learned to use concentrated flavors in my cake from my mom. Back in those days she never got strawberry, orange, and all those flavors easily. So, she reduced juices, purees or champagne. This evaporates the liquid leaving behind a very concentrated mixture. In fact, that's also how she saved season fruits for her off-season orders. I do the same. And, it's not really a new trick. In fact, chefs use fruit powders because they are more concentrated in flavor without all the extra liquid.

The pink color for this cake

Ideally, it is not necessary to use pink food color in this cake. However, fresh strawberries do not give that intense pink color we associate with strawberry cakes. So, you may not get a pink cake with just the strawberries in a recipe. Therefore, I like to use a tiny dab of pink color, so when the customer cuts it looks like a pink strawberry cake. Having said that, feel free to omit the color if you want. The color does not affect the taste or texture of this cake.

Ingredients and substitutes

• Butter - I prefer to use unsalted butter so I can control the quantity of salt in my recipe. But, if salted butter is all you have, go ahead and use it. Just omit salt in the recipe.
• Eggs - Always use large size eggs when baking unless specified. However, the size of eggs varies significantly these days. So, as a guide, one large egg weighs between 50 to 60 grams.
• Cake flour - Gives us a soft moist cake with a tender crumb.
• Sour cream - Also contributes to a soft tender crumb. And, if you don't get sour cream where you are, you can also make sour cream at home. Here's how to make sour cream at home for baking. And, yogurt is also a good substitute for sour cream.
• Vanilla Extract - Always use a good quality vanilla extract. However, I know it's expensive. Therefore, I make my own vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste as well as vanilla sugar.

Step by step instructions (pin)

For the reduced strawberry puree

• First, wash, clean and hull the strawberries.
• Next, place them in a food processor and pulse until smooth.
• Pass it through a sieve to remove seeds.
• Then, pour into a saucepan over medium heat.
• And, cook until the strawberry puree has reduced to almost ⅓ of its original volume.

Bake cake

• Preheat the oven at 160 °C / 320 °F.
• Next, grease and line two 6-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
• Sift together - flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Next, break eggs in a mixer, add cream of tartar - start whipping on medium-low speed.
• Then, gradually add about ½ cup sugar (use approx. measure for sugar).
• Once all sugar is in - whip until light and foamy - ribbon stage.
• Remove egg and set aside.
• Using the same mixer bowl (no need to wash), cream butter and remaining sugar until light and fluffy.
• Next, add reduced strawberry puree and vanilla.
• Then, add strawberry extract and pink food color gel (optional).
• Next, add the flour mixture and sour cream. The mixture will be dense at this stage.
• Combine ⅓ of the whipped eggs into the batter with a whisk.
• FOLD the rest of the eggs with a spatula.

• Divide batter equally into the baking pans.
• I prefer to use baking strips to avoid a dome.
• Bake on the middle rack for 20 to 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes clean.
• Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
• After 10 minutes invert onto a cooling rack.
• Cool completely before decorating.

Prepare Swiss meringue buttercream

• Pace eggs whites, salt, cream of tartar, and sugar in a mixer bowl.
• Place the mixer bowl over a pot of hot water.
• Use a whisk and start to whisk lightly. The sugar in the egg whites will start to melt. 
• Test the sugar with your fingers. Dip a clean finger in and rub. between your fingers, if you feel the gains of sugar – continue to whisk.
• When the sugar has melted, remove from heat.
• Place the mixer bowl on the stand and start at medium to low speed with a whisk attachment increasing the speed gradually.
• Whisk to firm peaks, shiny meringue.
• Touch the mixer bowl. If it’s still warm wait, run the mixer on low until it cools.
• If it’s cool to touch, start adding your butter one cube at a time. (DO NOT ADD BUTTER TO WARM MERINGUE).
• After all the butter is added, run the mixer on high for two minutes more.
• Add vanilla and strawberry flavoring.

Assemble

• Cut off any dome on the cake to level them
• Torte/cut each layer of cake into two horizontally so you have four layers.
• Brush each layer with simple syrup
• Spread buttercream and sandwich the flour layers
• Crumb coats with more buttercream. (this helps seal the crumbs)
• Chill the cake for 15 minutes

• Divide the remaining buttercream in two.
• Add pink gel food color to one half.
• Put both colors of buttercream in a piping bag with a star piping tip nozzle.
• Pipe swirls around the cake. These swirls are exactly what you would do on a cupcake just smaller and on the side and top of the cake.
• Enjoy!

Frequently asked questions

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Recipe

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Thank you for sharing - Save for later