Strawberry Lemon Cake
I have a history of chalking up 3 day weekends to be full of lazy days at the house, binge watching my favorite old movies, actually have a Sunday funday, and spend some quality time in my kitchen. In reality, what I end up doing is tackling those projects that feel kind of overwhelming and too time consuming for the regular weekend to do list. In the past, that has meant deeeeeeep spring cleaning, or building our own patio furniture (just to name a couple). So this Labor Day, we stuck to our usual MO. We labored!
My husband has come to the conclusion that laying new flooring in our home is something we should totally do ourselves. I have not been super sold on the idea, and have mildly retaliated by throwing out casual comments to lay the foundation that we should just pay someone to do it. Mainly because I just want it done. But my husband is a determined man, and quite the craftsman I must admit. So I made an enticing wager with Jordan to light a fire under his ass & get this new flooring layed. I actually did not think it would make much of a difference. But low and behold this guy installed new floors in our whole house in a matter of only 6 days. We went to go pick out said floor on Monday via a casual lunch meeting at Home Depot, and by end of day Sunday new floors and accompanying base boards were dooooonnnnnne. I am honestly in shock, and so grateful! We spent Saturday & Sunday doing some major work around the house to put this old place back together again, so for us that means we have Monday to celebrate. Get out the backyard games, crack open some of the last of our summer cider, and BBQ all the live long day!
Jordan has been looking forward to his Monday holiday revolving around smoking a brisket – his first brisket ever which is exciting! & my fun in the kitchen is revolving around making a cake. A layer cake to be exact. One of my life goals before I hit the big 3-0 is to perfect my cake making skills - both delivering on solid flavor and impressive decor. Like I am superbly committed to becoming the go to cake maker in the fam for holidays, birthdays, and all other occasions. I want everyone to talk about my holiday dessert displays and request them year after year, so a perfectly executed festive cake is the pivotal piece of that equation.
So for Labor Day I am treating myself to an afternoon of cake baking – bringing out my amateur layer cake making skills and whipping up a Strawberry Lemon Cake that is perfect for summer. I am dipping my toe into the pool of cake-making slowly, though. So I am focusing on mastering the cake bit, omitting any complicated frostings, but uncompromising on freshness by whipping up all components from scratch. Homemade lemon curd. Homemade whipped cream. White cake from scratch. I am doing it all!
The lemon curd in this cake is the real kicker - so tangy & refreshing, and it really keeps the cake from being a total sugar bomb. The addition of all the fresh fruit in this recipe really makes the cake a pleasant drift from the dreaded store bought & overly sweet cakes forced down your throat by pushy family members at your grandmas birthday party. These are the kinds of sweets that give layer cakes a bad name! But this cake is special, and one that won over my family members in just one serving.
For the Cake
2 sticks butter, plus more for greasing the cake pans
1 1/2 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp. good quality vanilla
pinch of salt
2 1/4 c. flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 c. milk
1 lb fresh strawberries, hulled and cut into small chunks (see photo for reference)
For the Curd
1/2 c. sugar
4 eggs yolks
4 tbsp butter, cut into small chunks
juice of 3 lemons
1 tbsp lemon zest
For the Whipped Cream
1 c. heavy cream
1 tbsp powdered sugar
For the Frosting
1 c. powdered sugar
juice from 1 lemon (about 2 tbsp)
First step is preheating your oven to 325. Grease both of your cake trays with some extra butter, line the bottom of both with parchment paper, and grease the parchment. ***Tip for parchment: trace your cake trays on the parchment & then cut out the traced circles to have parchment that will fit perfectly in your pan.
Start by making the cake. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium high until it is light and fluffy, so about 10 minutes. Start by turning the mixer on a medium low speed for about 1 minute, increasing the speed to medium high over the course of the next 3 minutes, and leaving at medium high until you hit that 10 minute mark. Then mix in the eggs one at a time until each is fully incorporated. Next stir in the vanilla, letting. Lastly add in the baking powder, salt, and half of the flour. Stir on medium speed for 3 minutes. Add in half of the milk and let it mix in. Once the milk is fully incorporated, add in the rest of the flour & the rest of the milk and the stir on low for 5 minutes.
When the batter is mixed, pour equal amounts into the 2 round cake pans. Sprinkle the strawberries evenly over the top of each. Cook the cakes for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
While the cakes cook, make the lemon curd. With the heat off, whisk all ingredients of the lemon curd except the butter in a saucepan. Once all ingredients are incorporated, turn the heat to medium high and add in the butter. Whisk constantly until the butter has melted and is thoroughly incorporated. Bubbles should form around the edge of the pan but the mixture should never boil (if it gets to bubbly turn down the heat!). Keep whisking until the mix is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Turn off the heat and let the curd cool in the saucepan.
Then move to making the whipped cream. With an electric stand mixture, whisk the sugar and cream on high until stiff peaks form. Whisk for 2-3 minutes to get the right consistency. Place the fresh whipped cream in the fridge until you're ready to use it.
When the cake has finished cooking, and a toothpick can be inserted without anything coming out, remove the cakes from the oven and let them sit and cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Then flip the pans upside down to remove the cake. Let the cakes cool completely, another 40-50 minutes.
Once the cakes have cooled, you're ready to assemble. On top the bottom layer, spread the lemon curd in an even layer. Next, top the curd with the whipped cream and spread the whipped cream evenly, keeping it a quarter inch from the edge of the cake all the way around. Top with the 2nd layer. In a small bowl, whisk all elements of the frosting. The mixture should not be too watery and slightly thick. Pour over the top layer of the cake immediately and let it run down the sides. Finish the cake by topping it with some strawberries or lemon slices to make it nice and pretty. Refrigerate until you're ready to eat!
