Description
An awesome cake to make with fresh strawberries. The layers have a special Strawberry Jam filling and the whole cake is frosted with a delicious Strawberry Cream Cheese frosting. Perfect when you need a cake with a little something special.
Ingredients
Ingredients for Strawberry Jam Filling:
2 cups fresh Strawberries, chopped
3/4 cups Granulated Sugar
1/4 cup Lemon Juice
3 Tablespoons Cornstarch
Ingredients for cake layers:
1 cup Butter, softened
4 Large Eggs, separated
2 cups Granulated Sugar
3 cups Cake Flour, sifted
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1/8 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Milk
1 Tablespoon Lemon zest
1 Tablespoon Lemon juice
Ingredients for Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting:
2 (8-oz) pkgs. Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup Salted Butter, softened
2 (16-oz) pkgs. Confectioners’ Sugar
2 teaspoons Lemon Juice
1/2 cup chopped Strawberries, drained well.
Instructions
Instructions to make Jam:
Remove hulls from fresh strawberries.
Rinse well under cold running water.
Chop the berries.
Add sugar.
Place lemon juice in small cup.
Add cornstarch. Stir until cornstarch is dissolved.
Add cornstarch slurry to the berries and sugar. Stir well.
Place berries in a small saucepot over Medium heat on stovetop.
Stirring constantly, bring berry mixture to a low boil.
Continue to stir and let boil for one minute. Remove from heat.
Place plastic wrap on top of jam and refrigerate for 2-3 hours until cooled.
Jam may be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to one week if needed.
Instructions to make the cake layers:
Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
Place butter in Medium sized bowl. Beat on Medium speed until creamy.
Gradually add sugar. Beat until light and fluffy.
Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each one until blended.
Place 3 level cups of sifted cake flour in large mixing bowl.
Add baking powder.
Add salt. Whisk together well.
Gradually add flour to butter mixture, alternating with flour and milk, starting and ending with flour.
Beat at low speed just until blended.
Add lemon zest.
Add lemon juice. Beat at low speed just until blended.
Beat egg whites in Medium bowl until stiff peaks have formed.
Add one third of egg whites to batter. Mix until blended.
Add remaining egg whites. Fold into batter until blended.
Prepare 3 – 8 inch cake pans with baking spray with flour.
Divide batter evenly between the pans.
Bake at 350F degrees for 20-30 minutes until layers are done.
Remove from oven, place on wire rack, cool 10 minutes.
Run butter knife around inside edge of layers to loosen layers from pan.
Turn layers out onto wire rack and let cool completely before frosting.
Instructions to make the frosting:
Place cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl.
Beat together on low-medium speed with electric mixer until smooth.
Gradually add the confectioner’s sugar, beating on low, until blended.
Add lemon juice.
Add chopped and drained strawberries.
Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
Assemble the cake:
Center first layer, top side down, on cake board or plate.
Pipe a border of frosting around outer edge of layer.
Fill inside of border with strawberry jam. Spread evenly out to the border.
Center second layer, top side down, repeat the frosting and jam steps.
Center top layer on cake.
Spread frosting over top and sides of cake.
Decorate as desired.
Enjoy!
Notes
Make the jam filling a day or two ahead of time to reduce one of the steps of making the cake on the day you intend to bake the layers and assemble the cake.
Any leftovers should be covered and stored in the refrigerator due to the cream cheese frosting.
Keywords: Strawberry-Lemonade, Strawberry, Lemonade, Cream Cheese frosting, strawberry jam filling, made from scratch, cake, mother's day, spring, fresh strawberries