This white layer cake is ideal if you’re searching for a show-stopper! The vanilla cake is topped with whipped cream icing and a delightful strawberry filling for a delectable dessert centrepiece.
Ingredients:
For the strawberry filling:
a cup of water
a third of a cup of cornstarch
½ cup sugar (granulated)
2½ pound cleaned, stemmed, and split fresh strawberries
kosher salt, 1/8 teaspoon
2 tbsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
if needed and preferred, red food colouring
To make the Whipped Cream Frosting, combine the following ingredients in a mixing bowl.
16 oz. softened cream cheese
a third of a cup of confectioners’ sugar, divided
1½tablespoons vanilla bean paste or extract
a quarter teaspoon of almond extract
a quarter teaspoon of table salt
4 CUP HEAVY WHISKY CREAM (1 quart)
For the White Layer Cake:
4 cups bleached cake flour (Swan’s Down, for example) (16 ounces)
8 oz. unsalted butter, soft yet cold (about 65°F) (2 sticks)
2/3 cup solid, room temperature virgin coconut oil (4 ounces)
2¼cup sugar (granulated) (16 ounces)
baking powder (2½ teaspoons)
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
a quarter teaspoon of kosher salt (half as much if using table salt)
8½ounces 1 cup egg whites (from roughly 8 big eggs), room temperature
2 tbsp vanilla essence
1 teaspoon extract (almond)
2 cups room temperature cultured low-fat buttermilk (16 ounces)
1 pound cleaned, dried, hulled, and halved fresh strawberries
Instructions
To make the strawberry filling, combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Rough-chop Strawberries, 1½ pounds (about 3 cups).
The remaining 1-pound strawberries should be halved and saved for the topping.
Whisk together water and cornstarch in a large pot until smooth.
Stir in the strawberries, sugar, and salt.
Cook, often stirring, over medium heat. Mash roughly half of the strawberries after they’ve cooked for about 3 minutes.
Cook, constantly stirring, until the sauce has thickened, about 15 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat.
Stir in the lemon juice well.
Red food colouring can be added if desired; whisk thoroughly.
Fill a heat-resistant, airtight refrigerator container halfway with the mixture. Allow it cool to room temperature before stirring, covering, and storing in the refrigerator until ready to use (at least 2 hours and up to 5 days).
To make the Whipped Cream Frosting, combine the following ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Whip the whipping cream in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until thickened. Whisk in 12 cup confectioners’ sugar until stiff peaks form. Remove from the equation.
In a separate mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, almond, and salt. Whisk for 4 minutes on medium-high speed, scraping down the sides as necessary until creamy and fluffy.
Whisk in the whipped cream at low speed until it is well blended.
Increase the speed to medium-high and whisk until the mixture is light and frothy with firm peaks.
Refrigerate for up to 24 hours in an airtight container.
For the White Layer Cake, combine the following ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Preheat the oven to 325°F with the rack in the lower-middle position.
Line 2 (8×3)-inch aluminium cake pans with parchment paper and coat with nonstick cooking spray (if making a 4-layer cake) and 3 (8×3)-inch aluminium cake pans with nonstick cooking spray (if making a 3-layer cake).
Set aside the flour after sifting it into a large mixing basin.
In the stand mixer bowl, combine the butter, coconut oil, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Attach the paddle attachment to the mixer. Set the mixer on low to wet the ingredients, then increase to medium and cream for 5 minutes, scraping as required.
One at a time, add egg whites to the mixer while it is running.
Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts for 30 seconds.
Scrape the bowl and paddle clean.
Slowly add one-third of the flour, followed by one-third of the buttermilk, to a low-speed mixer. Mix just until each addition is evenly distributed. Next, one-third of each of the remaining flour and milk should be added just till the mixture is smooth.
Turn off the mixer and scrape all of the dry ingredients off the bottom using a rubber spatula. Mix at low speed until all of the dry ingredients are combined.
Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the cakes reaches 210°F, after equally dividing the batter amongst the prepared cake pans. The cakes should be light, firm, and brown around the edges. A toothpick placed in the centre of each cake should almost come out clean, with a few crumbs attached.
Place the cakes on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Then, remove the cakes from the pans and the parchment paper. To cool fully, return them to the wire racks.
Wrap the cake layers firmly with plastic wrap up to 24 hours ahead of time if not serving the cake within a couple of hours. Refrigerate the icing and filling until ready to use.
To fill and ice the cake, follow these steps:
If the Whipped Cream Frosting is too firm to spread, set it aside for 15 minutes, then whisk or whip it for a few seconds.
Spread about 1½ cups Whipped Cream Frosting on top of one cake layer on a plate or cake stand. To keep the filling from spilling out, spread it evenly and make a ½-inch “barricade” of icing around the border.
Fill the centre of the frosting with about ½ cup Fresh Strawberry Filling and spread it out evenly to create a frosting “barricade.”
Place the next layer of cake on top of the previous one, then repeat the process with the filling and frosting.
After you’ve added all of the layers, use Whipped Cream Frosting to coat the sides of the cake.
Arrange halved strawberries on top of the cake as desired.
Serve within 6 hours after refrigerating till ready to serve.
Enjoy!
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