Valentine's Day Strawberry Cake

Shannon Beigert

February has arrived! Bulbs are sending up green shoots and days are getting longer and sunnier, a foreshadowing of Spring. February is also the month for Valentine’s Day.  To honor this day, we show our love for family and friends through cards, flowers, candy and food. I like to make strawberry cake for my family for Valentine’s Day. It tells us Spring is on the horizon, is sweet and colorful, and made with love.

I remember the first time I ever tasted Strawberry Cake. My number was picked in a school cake walk and I got to choose. To my five-year-old eyes, the pink cake looked prettiest and promised to be the most delicious. Ever since, strawberry cake has been one of my favorites.

Wishing you all a happy Valentine’s Day, filled with love and goodness! If food is part of your love language, I invite you to make a delicious strawberry cake.

Recipe: Valentine’s Day Strawberry Cake

Ingredients, Cake:

2 and 3/4 Cups of flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 Cup of butter, softened
2 Cups of sugar
4 large egg whites
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1/2 Cup of buttermilk
1/2 Cup of fresh strawberry purée reduced

Ingredients, Frosting:

1 regular block of cream cheese, room temperature
1 Cup of butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
5 Cups of powdered sugar
1/2 Cup of fresh strawberry purée reduced
Optional: 3-4 Tablespoons of strawberry jam

Instructions

Clean and top one package of fresh strawberries.

Process the strawberries in a food processor or blender until it is the consistency of small chunks. Transfer the strawberries to a saucepan and on low heat, cook until they heat and thicken up, about 20 minutes. It will smell wonderful! Let the reduced strawberries cool. Note: I did this step the day before I baked the cake and kept the strawberry reduction in the fridge overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray two round cake pans with cooking spray.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together until combined.

Using a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter, and then gradually add the sugar on medium speed, until combined and creamy. Add egg whites and vanilla. Mix together with butter and sugar.

Add flour mixture slowly, alternating with small amounts of buttermilk and the strawberry reduction. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated. The batter will be a bit stiff.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans, and place in a preheated oven. The batter will not necessarily go smoothly into the cake pans, but will smooth out as it warms in the oven.  Bake for about 30 minutes until cakes are firm and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the cakes cool on a rack for 10-15 minutes before removing from the cake pans. Take one cake and place it on a cake plate. Remove the other cake and let it cool thoroughly. You may cover the top of the cake on the cake plate with strawberry jam, and then place the other cake on top to create two layers, with jam in the middle. Alternatively, you can either put strawberry reduction in the center between the cakes, or use the frosting, once the cakes are fully cooled.

To make the frosting, mix the cream cheese, vanilla, salt and butter with a mixer. Once combined, add strawberry reduction, and powdered sugar slowly, continuing to mix as more sugar is added.  The frosting will come together through this process.

Once the cake has completely cooled, after at least one hour, frost the layer cake.

After the cake is frosted, you can decorate the top with sliced strawberries or just leave as is.

Wishing you a sweet and Happy Valentine’s Day!

Enjoy!

Shannon Beigert is a chef and baker who loves to entertain guests at her Olympia home. If you want to let her know that this recipe worked well for you, send her a note at shannon@theJOLTnews.com