Fresh Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Buttercream

I've always described myself as a cook versus a baker.  Perhaps it's because when I cook, I can be creative and inspire my foods even while cooking, adding in different flavors or ingredients on the spot.  Baking, however, is truly an art.  Your ingredients must be measured and exact.  You have to color within the lines, and my personality usually lends to last minute creativity. 

I have recently found inspiration with baking.  I have been (literally) binge-watching The Great British Baking Show seasons on Netflix.  My husband and I are obsessed with the UK and have teased we are moving across the pond.  Who knows ... we might make that leap in the future.  Until then ...

I find inspiration in many places, but one of my favorite places just happens to be at my local Farmer's Market or in the Fruit/Produce section of the grocery store.  This week, it just happened at the grocery store with my Little Miss leading the charge.  My challenge to her was to pick a fruit for a cake.  Her eyes were drawn to the fresh strawberries, and honestly, I probably would have made the same choice.  The strawberries this time of year are robust, juicy, and sweet.  And that became the great cake decision.

And so let's begin.  I used a store shortcut for this one: a strawberry cake mix.  I added in some red food coloring, just a drop, to bring out a little more color.  Blended with oil, eggs, a teaspoon of vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. 

When I bake cakes, I always use two 9" rounds.  I like some height to my cakes, and so I gravitate to tiers.  A perfect bake makes for the best tasting cake, so be sure to watch your time.  You want a nice, even bake on the bottom and a 'bounce' to the sponge inside. 

I did get a bit of a round rise to my cakes, so to even it out for presentation, I chopped off the round bit from the top.  Little Miss enjoyed eating the cut off bits, so a win for her.  She gave me her thumbs up on flavor, so I'll take that win.  While these are cooling, I began to create my fresh strawberry buttercream.

First things first, is the strawberry showstopper.  I diced up a nice handful of the strawberries, and pureed in the blender.  As tempted as I was to simply add a straw and drink this sweetness, I contained myself. 

To add the strawberry puree to the buttercream, you absolutely must reduce down to get as much of the water out of the blended strawberries as you can.  Cook over medium heat and stir.  Continue to cook until you have a tight strawberry mixture.  Then, it's on to the actual buttercream.

Buttercream is honestly the easiest frosting to make, and once you make it, you will never buy store bought frosting again.  Our ingredients are Powdered Sugar, butter, vanilla extract, and a splash of heavy cream. 

My stand mixer does all the work here.  First, add in 2 sticks of room temperature butter.  Begin to cream your butter.  Once creamed, begin adding in the Powdered Sugar.  I add in at 1/2 cup at a time, to keep my kitchen from getting powdered, and continuing to get approximately 4 cups in.  Continue to mix and add in 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 tablespoon strawberry puree.  It doesn't sound like a lot, but if you add in more, you end up loosing the shape of your buttercream, and it will come out too loose. 

Begin to pile on your buttercream, both in between the layers, and then moving to the top and around. 

I'm personally into the look of the 'naked' edges on cakes currently, so you won't see a lot of buttercream around my sides, but this is truly a presentation choice. 

And so, my fresh strawberry cake has been completed with cut strawberries.  Another good decoration for this cake would be fresh mint leaves or even lemon zest over the top.  I hope you enjoy this recipe and if you give it a go, please come back and tell me about it.  I'd also love to hear about where your inspiration comes from.  Meanwhile ... I'll continue to binge-watch The Great British Baking Show. 

Cheers!