Strawberry Pound Cake with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

Best part about this cake? It uses frozen strawberries! so you don't have to wait for the onset of strawberry season. You can enjoy it all year round!

I'm a happy woman, ever since I came across this recipe. I literally have about 9 pounds of strawberries stashed in my freezer (yes 9 pounds) that I use to make Strawberry Jam and Strawberry Ice cream. However, one big disappointment with frozen strawberry is that it doesn't perform well if you chop it or use it whole in baked goods. I mean it becomes completely mushy and watery with less flavor. But this cake is a different story altogether.

This cake is exactly what I was looking for. Though the pulp and puree of frozen strawberries is used for this recipe, it never loses out on the strawberry flavor. The strawberry pulp is reduced over a low flame that deeply enhances it's taste and aroma and the cake just bursts with strawberry flavor. Even the frosting uses the flavor enhanced strawberry pulp. So delicious!

This strawberry cake is a two layer cake sandwiched and iced with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting. The original recipe makes three 9 inch cakes. However, since that's quite a big cake for just me and my husband to finish off in a couple of days, I halved the recipe and made two 8 inch cakes. Perfect for two people!

Recipe Source: The Brown Betty Cookbook

Makes one 8 inch 2 layers cake

Ingredients
For the Cake
240 grams / 8.5 ounces frozen strawberries, thawed
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
265 grams / 9.3 ounces cake flour or all purpose flour or plain flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon regular salt
225 grams / 8 ounces unsalted butter at room temperature
300 grams / 10.6 ounces caster or superfine sugar
3 large eggs at room temperature
1 large egg yolk at room temperature
30 ml / 2 tablespoons whole milk at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon strawberry liqueur (optional)

For the Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon strawberry puree reserved when you make the cake batter
85 grams / 3 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
170 grams / 6 ounces unsalted butter at room temperature
pinch of regular salt
220 grams / 7.8 ounces icing sugar or confectioner's sugar
3/4 teaspoon strawberry liqueur (optional)

Method
Preheat the oven to 175 degrees C / 350 degrees F. Grease and line two 8 inch round cake pans.

Mash the strawberries through a strainer until you get about 1/2 cup plus a tablespoon of strawberry juice. Reserve the mashed strawberries. Add the strawberry juice to a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook until reduced to about 3 tablespoons.

Using a food processor or a blender, pulse the reserved mashed strawberries until they are finely chopped. Add the reduced strawberry juice and the lemon juice to the chopped strawberries and pulse until blended. Set aside 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of this strawberry puree for the buttercream frosting.

In a bowl, sieve together the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk together until all the ingredients are very thoroughly blended, about a minute.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and on medium-high speed, cream the butter and sugar until light, pale and fluffy about 3 to 4 minutes.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the whole eggs and the egg yolks one at a time beating until each is incorporated well in the mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as and when needed.

Add the strawberry puree (that has been reserved for the cake batter), the liqueur (if using) and mix until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as and when needed.

Add the flour mixture in three batches alternating with two batches of milk, thus starting and ending with flour.

Divide the batter equally among the lined pans and bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until a cake tester or a wooden skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out with a few dry crumbs attached to it.

Place the pans on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack.

For the Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and on medium-high speed, cream the cream cheese and strawberry liqueur (if using) until soft.

Add the butter and salt and beat until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as and when needed.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon strawberry puree that you had reserved for the buttercream. Beat until blended.

Gradually, beat in the icing sugar or confectioner's sugar until well blended. Increase the mixer speed to high and beat until the buttercream is fluffy, about 1 minute.

To frost the cake, place one layer, bottom side up on a cake turn table or a serving platter. Dollop about 5 to 6 tablespoons frosting on the cake and spread it with a spatula. Place the other layer, bottom side down on the buttercream and press gently.

Frost the sides and top of the cake with the remaining buttercream.

PS: The consistency of the buttercream should be spreadable and not pourable. If during mixing, you feel that the buttercream is thin, add more icing sugar a tablespoon at a time until you reach the required consistency. If during icing the cake, you feel that the icing is not thick enough, refrigerate the icing bowl for about 10 to 15 mins or keep it in the freezer for 5 minutes.

Storage Suggestions: This cake can be kept in the refrigerator in an air tight container for up to 3 days. Bring at room temperature before serving.

Happy Baking!!!