Strawberry Cream Cake

This cake is my boyfriend's all-time favorite dessert! His grandma used to bake a strawberry sheet cake every year for his birthday, so I attempted to make my own version. I wanted to recreate the same deliciousness but in a different form - a double-layer cake topped with strawberry cream cheese frosting! (This recipe is higher in sugar and cholesterol, so if you are looking for alternative options, substitute the granulated sugar with a sugar that has a lower glycemic index such as date sugar, or substitute the butter with a margarine made with plant stanols such as Benecol.)

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Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 6 hours

Ingredients:

• For the cake:

  2 and 1/2 cups cake flour

  2 tsp baking powder

  1/2 tsp baking soda

  1 tsp salt

  12 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature

  1 and 3/4 cups granulated sugar

  5 large egg whites, room temperature

  1/3 cup sour cream, room temperature

  2 tsp vanilla extract

  1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature (I used 2% because that’s what I had in the fridge, but whole milk is best for baking)

  1/2 cup reduced strawberry puree

• For the cream cheese frosting:

  8 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature

  8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

  1 tsp vanilla extract

  1/3 cup reduced strawberry puree

  2 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions:

• To make the reduced strawberry puree, rinse and hull 1 pound of fresh strawberries and place them in a saucepan. Using a hand blender, puree the strawberries and bring them to a simmer over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally. This should take about 25–35 minutes. Allow the puree to cool completely before using it in the cake batter. I made the reduced puree the evening before and placed it in the refrigerator overnight. Allow it to return to room temperature before adding to the cake batter.

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper rounds and grease the parchment paper.

• Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

• Using a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamed. Scrape down the sides with a spatula as needed. Beat in the egg whites on high speed until combined (~2 minutes). Beat in the sour cream and vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients with the mixer on low speed (my stand mixer’s lowest level is “stir”) until just incorporated. With the mixer still on low, slowly pour in the milk until just combined (don’t overmix). Whisk in the room-temperature reduced strawberry puree.

• Pour the batter evenly into cake pans. Bake until the cakes are baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done. Allow the cakes to cool completely in the pans before frosting and assembling.

• With a handheld electric mixer or stand mixer beat the butter and cream cheese on high until creamy. Add the reduced strawberry puree and vanilla. Beat until combined.

• Finally, slowly stream in the powdered sugar while beating until everything is smooth and creamy.

• Once both cakes are completely cool, use a large serrated knife, to slice a thin layer off the top of one of the cakes to create a flat surface. Discard (or eat!). Place one cake layer on your cake stand or turntable and evenly cover the top with frosting. Top with the second layer of cake and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides. Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes before slicing (this helps the cake keep its shape when slicing).

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