A melt-in-your-mouth lemon cake layered with a jammy strawberry reduction and coated in a bright strawberry lemonade buttercream — perfect for strawberry season.
Strawberry reduction (homemade)used in the buttercream, about 1/3 cup6 tbsp
Fresh lemon juice (for buttercream)2 tbsp
Heavy cream2-3 tbsp
Fresh strawberries (for decoration)halved or quartered, for final decoration~1-2 cupsest.
Steps
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1
Hull and chop the strawberries, place in a small-to-medium pot with sugar and lemon juice, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until thick and jammy. Cool, then chill for at least 2 hours to set (can be made a day ahead).
2
Preheat the oven to 350°F (about 175°C). Grease three 8-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment rounds.
3
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl, then set aside.
4
Beat the room-temperature butter until creamy, then add the sugar and lemon zest and mix on medium speed for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla extract.
5
Add the eggs one at a time to the butter mixture, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next, scraping down the bowl as needed.
6
Alternate adding the flour mixture in three parts with the milk into the butter-egg mixture on the lowest mixer speed. Mix in the fresh lemon juice, then fold by hand to finish combining the batter evenly.
7
Divide the batter evenly among the three prepared pans and smooth the tops. Optionally wrap with damp cake strips for even baking. Bake at 350°F for 30–35 minutes, until the centers spring back or a skewer comes out clean.
8
Once the cake layers have fully cooled, whip the room-temperature butter for the frosting on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
9
With the mixer on low, gradually add half of the powdered sugar, then mix in the strawberry reduction, followed by the remaining powdered sugar in additions.
10
Add the fresh lemon juice and heavy cream, then beat on medium-low for about a minute until the strawberry lemonade buttercream is light and fluffy.
11
Place the first cake layer on a serving plate, spread a thin layer of buttercream, pipe a ring of buttercream around the edge as a dam, then fill the center with strawberry reduction and spread evenly.
12
Repeat the layering process with the second cake layer, another buttercream dam and jam filling, then top with the third cake layer and check that the cake is level.
13
Re-whip the buttercream until smooth, apply a thin crumb coat over the entire cake, then use a bench scraper to smooth the sides and top.
14
Re-whip the remaining buttercream, fill a piping bag fitted with a star tip, and pipe wave or swirl decorations around the bottom and top of the cake.
15
Spoon some strawberry reduction onto the center of the cake top and arrange halved or quartered fresh strawberries on top as decoration.
16
Chill the finished cake for about 30 minutes to set before slicing and serving.
PrimedTableBETA
