Light Strawberry Layer Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans.
• Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
• Combine milk, vinegar, and vanilla extract in another bowl.
• Beat sugar and lard together in a mixing bowl using an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs and beat to combine. Beat in flour mixture alternately with milk mixture and strawberry puree, making 3 dry and 2 wet additions. Beat for 1 minute. Pour evenly into the prepared pans.
• Drop cake pans 2 to 3 times on the countertop to break any air bubbles.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the centers of the cakes comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on wire racks for 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto the rack to cool completely, 15 to 30 minutes more.
• Ice cooled cake using vanilla frosting between the layers and on the top and sides.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line three 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
• Beat cake mix, water, eggs, and oil in a bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour 1/3 of the batter into one of the prepared pans. Mix 1/2 of the strawberry-flavored gelatin and 2 teaspoons strawberry extract into the remaining batter. Divide between the remaining 2 pans.
• Bake cakes in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Line a large wire rack with parchment paper. Invert cakes onto the rack; let cool completely.
• Set aside 9 to 12 whole strawberries for decoration. Chop remaining strawberries and pat dry with a paper towel.
• Beat cream cheese with the remaining strawberry-flavored gelatin. Add remaining 2 teaspoons strawberry extract and confectioners' sugar; beat until filling is smooth. Fold in chopped strawberries.
• Place 1 pink layer on a cake plate. Cover with 1/2 of the strawberry filling. Add the plain cake layer. Cover with remaining strawberry filling and position second pink layer on top.
• Make frosting by beating heavy cream, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla extract together until dense enough to spread. Spread frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Place a piece of parchment paper on top of the cake. Run spatula over the paper to smooth the top. Peel off the paper.
• Pipe 9 to 12 swirls of frosting around the rim of the cake; place whole strawberries on top.

Steps:

• Fill a small saucepan with about 1 inch of water and set over medium heat until the water steams.
• Meanwhile, coarsely chop about a quarter of the strawberries and combine in a medium heatproof bowl with the sugar. Cover the bowl tightly and set it over the saucepan. Reduce the heat if necessary to keep the water just below a simmer and allow the berries to sit, swirling the bowl once or twice to dissolve any stubborn sugar clumps, until they've released all their juices, are mushy, and swim in a translucent red liquid, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat, uncover and strain through a fine-mesh strainer. (You should have 1/2 to 3/4 cup of strawberry syrup.) The mushy berries will have given off their color and flavor, and even though you won't use them in the cake, they're still tasty. Reserve the berries for spooning over pancakes or yogurt.
• In a separate medium bowl, combine the heavy cream, crème fraîche and salt. Whisk the mixture vigorously by hand, or beat with a hand mixer on medium-high, until thick, light and holding a medium peak. Chill the bowl of whipped cream. Thinly slice the remaining raw strawberries lengthwise.
• Invert the sponge cake on a flat serving plate or cake stand. Holding a long serrated knife horizontally and parallel to the work surface, use it to lightly score all around the side of the cake at the midway point. Then, using long, even strokes and still holding the knife parallel to the surface, slice clean through the cake, using the score marks as a guide, to cut it into two even layers. Set the top layer aside.
• Use a pastry brush to dab several tablespoons of the strawberry syrup across the bottom layer, lightly soaking the entire surface. Pull the bowl of cream from the refrigerator and dollop about half of it across the soaked layer, then spread in an even layer all the way to the edges. Arrange half of the sliced strawberries on top of the cream, then place the second cake layer on top of the first, cut side up. Lightly soak the top layer of cake with the strawberry syrup, reserving any remaining syrup for serving. Spread the remaining cream on top of the cake, then pile the remaining sliced strawberries over top. (If not serving immediately, cover loosely and refrigerate until ready to serve.)
• Slice the cake with a serrated knife and serve. Drizzle the slices with any remaining strawberry syrup. The cake is best served the day it's made, but will keep, covered and chilled, for up to 3 days.