Description
Delightful vanilla bean cake spotlights sweet strawberry cream cheese frosting, creating elegant dessert perfection. Bakers can craft this memorable treat with simple ingredients and classic techniques.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 ¼ lbs (about 6 cups) fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 16 oz (452 g) cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup (2 sticks, 226 g / 8 oz) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup (2 sticks, 226 g / 8 oz) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 ½ cups (500 g / 17.6 oz) granulated sugar
- 4 cups (480 g / 16.9 oz) powdered sugar
- 1 cup (240 g / 8.5 oz) sour cream, room temperature
- ¾ cup (180 mL / 6.1 fl oz) heavy whipping cream, chilled
- 7 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 cups (360 g / 12.7 oz) cake flour
- ½ cup (160 g) seedless strawberry jam
- 6 tbsps seedless strawberry jam
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp salt
- 2 tbsps vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and meticulously prepare three 6-inch round cake pans by coating with butter, dusting with flour, and lining bottoms with parchment paper.
- Dry Ingredient Blend: Whisk cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl until perfectly combined and lump-free.
- Butter Mixture: Use an electric mixer to cream butter and granulated sugar until light, airy, and pale, achieving a fluffy consistency in 2-3 minutes.
- Wet Ingredient Integration: Gently fold eggs into the butter mixture one at a time, thoroughly incorporating vanilla bean paste to create a smooth, homogeneous batter.
- Batter Composition: Alternate folding dry ingredients with sour cream and milk, maintaining a delicate texture and ensuring even distribution without overmixing.
- Baking Process: Distribute batter evenly among prepared pans, smoothing surfaces with a spatula, and bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cooling Stage: Rest cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack for complete cooling, allowing layers to stabilize and firm up.
- Frosting Creation: Blend cream cheese and butter until silky smooth, gradually introducing powdered sugar at low speed to develop a creamy base.
- Flavor Enhancement: Incorporate strawberry puree and vanilla extract, adjusting consistency with additional powdered sugar or puree to achieve desired texture.
- Final Assembly: Layer cake with strawberry cream cheese frosting between each tier, completely covering top and sides with a uniform, elegant frosting finish.
- Garnish: Optionally embellish with fresh strawberries or a delicate strawberry puree drizzle for a sophisticated presentation.
Notes
- Precise Ingredient Temperature: Ensure butter, eggs, and dairy are at room temperature for smoother mixing and better cake texture.
- Gentle Mixing Technique: Fold dry ingredients gently to prevent overmixing, which can lead to a dense, tough cake with less volume.
- Check Cake Doneness Accurately: Use the toothpick test carefully; a few moist crumbs are okay, but no wet batter should remain on the toothpick.
- Frosting Consistency Control: Adjust strawberry puree and powdered sugar gradually to achieve the perfect spreadable frosting without becoming too runny or stiff.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 423
- Sugar: 45 g
- Sodium: 230 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 48 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg