Who can resist a flavor-packed strawberry cake with strawberry cream cheese frosting with no artificial colors? Thanks to a couple of secrets, this cake is just that.
¾cup(1.5 sticks) unsalted buttersoftened to room temperature
1 ½cups granulated sugar
5large egg whitesat room temperature
⅓cupsour cream or plain yogurtat room temperature
2teaspoonspure vanilla extract
½cupwhole milkat room temperature
½cupreduced strawberry pureesee note*
For the Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
1 ½cupsfreeze-dried strawberries*
18-ounce block cream cheesesoftened to room temperature
½cup1 stick; unsalted buttersoftened to room temperature
3 ½cupsconfectioners’ sugar
2tablespoonwhole milk
1teaspoonpure vanilla extract
saltto taste
Instructions
Make the reduced strawberry puree and stick in the refrigerator to cool completely. See note below.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch cake pans and line with parchment paper.
Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
In a stand mixer or bowl mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on high until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. Beat in egg whites until combined, then sour cream and vanilla extract. Add dry ingredients on low until just incorporated. Then mix in milk and reduced strawberry puree slowly until just combined. Be care of over mixing here. Pour batter into two cake pans.
Bake for 22-25 minutes or until center is baked through. Allow the cakes to completely cool before frosting.
Meanwhile, process freeze-dried strawberries into a powder. Set aside.
In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese for 1 minute on high until completely creamy. Add in butter, then confectioners' sugar, strawberry powder, and vanilla. Slowly add in milk tablespoon by tablespoon until you reach your desired consistency.
Place 1 cake layer on cake plate, put about half of the frosting on top of the first layer, cover with the second, then frost the top of the cake. You can always frost the entire cake if you'd prefer to not have the naked look. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes before slicing. so the frosting doesn't get runny
Cover leftover cake and store in the refrigerator.
Notes
Note: To make strawberry puree paste, reduce lightly pureed strawberries over low-heat for 40-45 minutes or until liquid is minimal. You should have barely over ½ cup of strawberries when you're done. Cover in an airtight container and stick in the refrigerator to cool. *Freeze-dried strawberries can be a little tricky to find, but they are at most grocery stores. Safeway has it next to the organic dried fruits. Harris Teeter has it in the dried fruit aisle. Be careful you don't buy the strawberry fruits that are gummy. You want the kind that are freeze-dried and will turn into a powder when processed.