Fresh strawberry cake made from scratch | Sugar Geek Show

Summary

In this episode of Sugar Geek Show, Liz demonstrates how to make a fresh strawberry cake with strawberry buttercream, emphasizing natural strawberry flavor over artificial extracts. She walks through preparing the strawberry puree, mixing the batter, and ensuring a vibrant pink color with a touch of food coloring. Liz shares tips for achieving a smooth, cohesive cake batter and the perfect crumb coat for stacking. The video also covers creating a luscious strawberry buttercream, layering the cake, and finishing with fresh strawberries and an apricot glaze for shine. The result is a visually stunning and flavor-packed strawberry cake that's both fresh and indulgent.

Takeaways

• 😀 Make sure to combine liquids like milk, strawberry puree, strawberry emulsion, vanilla, lemon juice, and zest to create a flavorful base for the strawberry cake.
• 😀 Always roll lemons before juicing to extract the most juice, and use a hand to catch seeds for a cleaner process.
• 😀 Adding pink food coloring can help maintain the bright color of the cake since the natural strawberry pink fades when baked.
• 😀 Ensure that egg whites, milk mixture, and butter are at room temperature to avoid curdling the batter.
• 😀 Gradually add sugar to butter while creaming to achieve a fluffy, white consistency before adding egg whites one at a time.
• 😀 Alternate adding flour and liquids in parts to keep the batter cohesive and prevent a broken mixture.
• 😀 Grease cake pans with cake goop or preferred pan release and bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes, checking with a toothpick.
• 😀 Use room temperature strawberry puree for buttercream to prevent curdling and ensure smooth incorporation.
• 😀 Chilling the cakes before stacking helps to handle them more easily and creates cleaner layers.
• 😀 Using fresh, in-season strawberries like Oregon’s Hood berries adds a unique and concentrated strawberry flavor to the cake.
• 😀 A simple crumb coat is essential to lock in fillings and crumbs before applying a final smooth coat of buttercream, giving it a rustic and finished look.

Q & A

What is the first step in making the fresh strawberry cake according to Liz?

The first step is to combine all the liquids together, including milk, strawberry puree, strawberry emulsion (or extract), vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest.

Why does Liz add pink food coloring to the strawberry cake batter?

Pink food coloring is added because the natural pink from the strawberries can turn gray when baked, so the coloring ensures the cake stays visually appealing.

What tip does Liz give for getting the most juice out of a lemon?

She suggests rolling the lemon with your hands before squeezing it to help release more juice.

What is important to check about the temperature of egg whites and milk before mixing?

They should be at room temperature or slightly warm; otherwise, the batter can curdle.

How should flour and liquids be added to the butter mixture?

They should be added in alternating parts, starting with flour, then a third of the liquids, and continuing until everything is combined.

What does Liz recommend doing if the cake develops a dome during baking?

She suggests trimming off the dome to make stacking the layers easier and more even.

Why does Liz use a thin layer of strawberry puree between cake layers?

The thin layer enhances the strawberry flavor without overflowing the cake edges.

What are Hood berries, and why does Liz mention them?

Hood berries are small, red, seedless strawberries from Oregon with strong flavor. Liz mentions them as an example of highly flavorful berries used in her cakes.

What purpose does the apricot glaze serve when placed on top of the strawberries?

The apricot glaze keeps the strawberries shiny and prevents them from weeping.

What does Liz say makes her strawberry cake stand out from typical strawberry cakes?

Her cake uses fresh strawberry puree for natural flavor rather than relying on jello or artificial extracts, giving it a genuine strawberry taste.

What is a crumb coat, and why is it applied?

A crumb coat is a thin layer of buttercream applied to lock in crumbs and stabilize the cake before the final coat.

Why does Liz emphasize combining buttercream with room-temperature strawberry puree carefully?

If the puree is not at room temperature, the buttercream can look curdled and not mix smoothly.