It’s strawberry season, so time for Buttermilk Strawberry Cake. Since I had never made a strawberry cake before, the development of this recipe required a great deal of research. I was most concerned about two issues: (1) that the cake have a tender crumb, which made me decide on cake flour and buttermilk; (2) how to get an intense strawberry flavor with so many other ingredients competing.

Let’s face it, today’s strawberries lack flavor. This is the result of too much fertilizer and the hybridization of strawberries with a stress on large size and appearance, which diminish taste. The larger the size, the less sugar development. 

To overcome the taste deficit, I researched many recipes to find a solution. Using too much strawberry purée can result in a gummy, messy cake. I found recommendations for using strawberry jam, strawberry Jello mix (God forbid!), reducing fresh strawberry purée, and freeze-dried strawberries. Most recipes use only one of these techniques. I eliminated the first two ideas because I didn’t want to use something artificial or already highly processed.

I felt that using either a reduced purée or the freeze-dried berries was probably insufficient to meet my demands, so I chose to use both, which I believe resulted in a satisfactory intensity of flavor. For a history of strawberry cake, click here.

Here are links to two other of my strawberry desserts: Strawberry Mousse-Filled Chocolate Spongecake; Soufflé Omelet With Strawberries.

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For the Buttermilk Strawberry Cake

Select the ripest, red berries you can find. Wash and hull the fresh strawberries.

Place them in a bowl of a food processor and process until they become a smooth purée. This should yield slightly over 3 cups of purée. Pour the purée into a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.

Cook the purée until it is reduced by half, to about 1 1⁄2 cups. It’s essential to stir the mixture frequently because it can burn easily. The cooking should take about 45 minutes to an hour. Let the purée cool to room temperature. This process can be done a day or two ahead of making the cake by refrigerating the sauce. On the day you make the cake, be sure to remove the purée from the refrigerator, and bring it to room temperature.

Place the freeze-dried strawberries (3 packages if you use Trader Joe’s brand) in the bowl of a food processor. (Do not use regular dried strawberries. These turn to mush when puréed.)

Process the strawberries until they become a fine powder.

This can also be done a day or two ahead and stored in a tightly closed jar.

When ready to make the cake, butter two 9-inch-round cake pans, and line them with a buttered round of parchment, buttered side up. Place a rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat the oven to 350°. Make certain that the butter, egg whites, reduced strawberry purée, and buttermilk are all at room temperature.

In a large bowl, place the cake flour, 1⁄2 cup of  freeze-dried strawberry powder (sifted to remove any seeds), the baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Whisk these dried ingredients until they are well combined.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, place the room-temperature butter, and beat on low speed until the butter is well creamed.

With the mixer running, gradually add the sugar in a steady stream. Once all the sugar is added, increase the mixer speed to medium, and continue to beat for a few minutes until the mixture is very fluffy.

Slowly pour in the egg whites and the vanilla and continue beating for a minute until very fluffy. Return the mixer to a low speed. Gradually, add the remaining ingredients in at least 3 stages, alternating between the dry ingredients, the reduced purée, and the buttermilk, beating just until the batter is homogenized. Do not overbeat.

Divide the batter evenly between the 2 prepared cake pans.

Place in the oven and bake for about 30-35 minutes, until the sides of the cake begin to pull away from the pan.

Cool the cakes in the pans on a rack for 20 minutes.

Invert the cakes onto the rack, carefully remove the parchment, and let them cool fully.

For the Strawberry Ermine Icing

Most strawberry cake recipes use a cream cheese frosting, which I don’t find pleasing on cakes. My preferred icing would be Swiss Meringue buttercream, but the frosted cake can remain out of the refrigerator only for a day or two—and that long only if your house is relatively cool.

I do not think this cake would do well under refrigeration. Thus I choose ermine icing for its stability and the fact that it could remain at room temperature, and also because this icing tends to be less sweet.

Make certain the butter and the reduced strawberry purée are at room temperature.

In a medium saucepan, place the flour, and whisk in the sugar and salt until they are thoroughly combined.

Then gradually add the milk and the heavy cream, again whisking until thoroughly combined. (Most ermine icing recipes use only milk, but I wanted a richer frosting.) Be certain to scrape the bottom edge of the pan (I use a knife or spoon) because any clumping in that area will easily burn.

Place the mixture over medium heat, and whisk constantly, scraping the bottom edges. After 7-8 minutes the mixture should begin to thicken. Continue to whisk for several more minutes until the mixture becomes thick and pudding-like.

Careful that the edges do not burn. With a rubber spatula, scrape the mixture into a large bowl, and press a layer of plastic wrap over the top to prevent a skin from forming. Let the mixture cool to room temperature, which can take a couple hours.

In the bowl of a stand mixture, place the room-temperature butter, and begin creaming it on medium speed. Sift in the 1⁄2 cup of freeze-dried strawberry powder, and continue beating until it is very fluffy. Beat in the room-temperature flour mixture 2 tablespoons at a time, being certain the icing is fully homogenized. Finally beat in the vanilla, and gradually add the 1⁄4 cup of strawberry purée until fully combined. Chill the icing for about 45 minutes until it is at a nice spreading consistency.

Place one cake layer bottom-side-up (this prevents having a domed top) on a cake plate. Frost this layer.

Place the second layer on top, bottom-side-up. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining icing.

 

The Buttermilk Strawberry Cake will remain fresh, covered at room temperature for 3-4 days.

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