Description
Layers of almond cake, strawberry compote, and luscious buttercream create a stunning dessert. Perfect for a special occasion or a delightful weekend treat.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 cups (237 ml) unsalted butter
- 1 cups (237 g) caster sugar
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- 1 cups (340 g) cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cups (240 ml) milk
- 5 large egg whites
- 8 oz (200 g) strawberries
- 4 oz (100 g) sugar
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1/4 cups (60 ml) water
- 3 teaspoons cornflour
- Extra strawberries to decorate
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 320°F (160°C). Grease and line the bottoms of three 6-inch round cake tins with parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer, beat butter, sugar, and almond extract until light and fluffy (about 6 minutes).
- Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder; set aside.
- Beat egg whites until stiff; set aside.
- With the mixer on low, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
- Gently fold in the egg whites; do not overmix.
- Divide batter evenly among the cake tins.
- Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cool in the tins on wire racks for 10 minutes, then invert onto the racks, remove parchment paper, and cool completely.
- Wrap cakes in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 1–3 hours.
- For the Strawberry Compote:
- Place strawberries and sugar in a saucepan and stir to coat.
- Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.
- Stir in lemon juice.
- In a bowl, whisk together water and cornstarch. Add to the strawberries a little at a time, whisking frequently, until the sauce has thickened.
- Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Chill in the refrigerator.
- Strawberry Buttercream:
- In a stand mixer, beat butter and vegetable shortening until light and creamy (about 5 minutes).
- Add icing sugar one cup at a time, beating well until combined. As the frosting thickens, add the strawberry compote and cream, then beat until light and fluffy.
- Add vanilla extract and pink gel color, and beat until evenly incorporated.
- Assembly:
- Place the first cake layer on an 8-inch cake board, flat side down.
- Fit a ½-inch round nozzle into a piping bag and fill with strawberry buttercream.
- Pipe a dam of buttercream around the cake. Fill the dam with strawberry compote and spread carefully.
- Pipe buttercream over the compote.
- Repeat with the remaining cake layers.
- Wrap the cake in plastic wrap and chill for 1–3 hours.
- Remove the cake from the refrigerator. Spread a thin layer of buttercream on the sides and top.
- Chill the crumb-coated cake for 30 minutes until the buttercream is firm.
- Once chilled, cover the cake evenly with buttercream, and smooth the edges.
- Transfer some buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip. Pipe swirls around the top edge.
- Top the swirls with chocolate-dipped strawberries.
Notes
- To ensure even baking, use three 6-inch cake pans of the same depth and material.
- For a richer flavor, toast the almond extract briefly in a small pan over low heat before adding to the batter.
- Leftover cake can be stored, well-wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and frozen for up to 2 months.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 50
- Sodium: 100
- Fat: 20
- Saturated Fat: 12
- Unsaturated Fat: 6
- Carbohydrates: 50
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 4
- Cholesterol: 50