Were you aware that May is National Strawberry Month? Well, there’s a good reason for that because they are currently in abundance. One trip down to the strawberry patch and probably a couple more in the future. Gazing upon the strawberry fields in the light of the bright blue spring sky fueled thoughts of what I could make in the days ahead. This Strawberry Lemonade Cake with Strawberry Lemonade Buttercream Frosting is just amazing.
The Cake :
Using my 1-2-3-4 Cake recipe as a base, I just added the necessary flavors. Finely chop the strawberries using a small food processor. My favorite microplane zester provided the perfect amount of lemon zest from one lemon. Rub the lemon zest into the sugar. It will infuse it with the oils and be a pale yellow in color.
Cream the butter until light in color. Add in the lemon-infused sugar and mix until well blended. Add in the eggs one at a time, follwed by the extracts.
Next, alternately add in the flour and the buttermilk, scraping sides a couple of times. Finally, add in the floured strawberries on low speed until visibly distributed evenly thoughout the batter.
Pour the batter equally into 3-8″ prepared cake pans, I used Baker’s Joy, but have also buttered and floured them in the past. If possible, place a layer of parchment paper in the bottom. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or unntil toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow it to cool for about 10 minutes in the pan on the rack. Run an offset spatula or a knife around the edges of the pan. Place your hand gently on the top and invert. Gently tap the bottom and the cake should release easily. Remove parchment paper from the bottom if you used it, then place it back upright on the cooling rack. Allow them to cool completely before frosting.
Strawberry Lemonade Buttercream Frosting:
Using my Amazing Buttercream Frosting recipe, with a few fresh flavorings, you can make this amazing Strawberry Lemonade Buttercream Frosting. (Note: * Since this is a 3-layer cake, I made one and a half times the recipe. )Just start by creaming the butter until smooth in texture and appearance. Add the confectioner’s sugar. Combine on LOW speeed, then increase speed to MEDIUM and beat for 3 minutes. Stopping once to scrape the sides. Add the extracts along with the heavy cream; beat on HIGH for 2 more minutes, scraping sides of bowl halfway then continuing for the last minute.
For the finishing touches, add in about 2-3 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh strawberries along with a teaspoon of lemon zest. Blend on LOW.
Frosting the Cake:
A picture tutorial is displayed below. No words needed; just use your senses to see the beauty, smell the sweet tang and taste what “accidentally” plops on the counter.
Here’s a few pictures of what perfection looks like. I placed this in a covered container in the fridge since temperatures are getting a little warm in my kitchen during the day. Take it out a few minutes before serving, Dip a knife in warm water and wipe off between each slice for best results.
This Strawberry Lemonade Cake serves several people so it’s ideal for a special occasion. Because it has 3 layers, you could make each slice a little thinner than a 2-layer cake to accomodate serving more people. Either way, yum!!
Strawberry Lemonade Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 c butter, room temperature
- 2 c granulated sugar, sifted
- 2 t lemon zest
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/2 t vanilla
- 1/2 t lemon extract
- 1/2 t strawberry extract
- 3 c all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 4 t baking powder
- 1/4 c finely chopped strawberries
- 1 c buttermilk
Strawberry Buttercream
- 1 1/2 c butter, softened
- 4 1/2 c confectioner's sugar
- 1/2 t vanilla
- 1 t lemon extract
- 1 t strawberry extract
- 3 T heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 c finely chopped strawberries
- lemon zest
Instructions
Strawberrry Lemonade Cake
- Cream butter.
- In a small bowl, rub the lemon zest into the sugar; sugar will become a pale yellow. Add to the butter. Mix until combined.
- Add eggs one at a time until blended, followed by the extracts.
- Whisk together the flour and baking powder. Reserve about 1/4 of a cup to toss with strawberries.
- Finely chop strawberries and measure out 1/4 cup and place in a small bowl. Toss with reserved flour. Set aside.
- Alternatively add the dry ingredients with the buttermilk.
- On low speed, mix in the strawberry mix until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Butter and flour 3-8" pans. Distribute batter evenly among the 3 pans.
- Bake on middle rack until toothpick comes out clean, 30-35 minutes.
- Cool i n pans for about 10 minutes. Then run a knife or offset spatula around the edges. Turn over and tap out the cake. Invert to right side up and place back on the cooling rack until they are completely cooled before icing.
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
- Cream butter, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Add the confectioner's sugar and blend in on LOW speed. Increase speed to MEDIUM for 2 minutes, scraping down at least once.
- Add the extracts and heavy cream. Mix on HIGH for 2 minutes. Scrape down sides and beat for 1 more minute.
- Add finely chopped strawberries just until equally distributed and frosting has acquired a natural pink color.
- This makes enough for a 3 layer cake.
