M's birthday is next weekend. I decided to make my own cake with a princess theme. After a long time spent searching for the perfect cake idea, my friend Becca came across this cute bundt pan at a local baking supply store. I found it on Amazon for slightly less and ordered one. Because of the design, I won't be able to frost it the way I would a normal layer cake. So I went online to try and find a colored cake that didn't require tons of food coloring and artificial flavoring. Enter this delicious looking strawberry-flavored Pink Lady Cake from the Smitten Kitchen blog.
Now I'm no baker, to say the least. So I decided to do a practice run. I whipped up some cupcakes for my friend Chris for her daughter's first birthday. In the end, they turned out (I think) beautifully and I had a lot of fun making them.I've included the recipe below with two versions of frosting (one for kids and one for grownups) and a few minor tweaks of the original recipe (which by the way, is actually a modified version of the Pink Lady Cake found in this book).
But first, a few FYI items:
- Because this recipe calls for fresh or frozen strawberries rather than artificial flavoring (like strawberry jello) in the cake batter, the strawberry flavor is extremely subtle. Which is why I recommend adding a few tablespoons of strawberry puree to the frosting as it will help bring out the flavor more.
- UPDATE: An idea I just found online and will be trying this week: Wash 2-3 cups of fresh strawberries and lop the tops off. Then freeze the strawberries before puréeing because freezing pops the cell walls and releases better flavor. When the strawberries have frozen solid, thaw them completely (If you have time, in the fridge. If not, on the countertop) and purée in a food processor or blender. Note: you will want to freeze and thaw strawberries at least a day in advance of cake preparation.
- A few drops of red or dark pink food coloring are absolutely necessary if you want to have a pink-tinged cake. If you don't care, don't bother.
- If you can't find cake flour or you want to use an organic cake flour (which is pretty hard to find) there's a fast way to make it at home: Whenever the recipe calls for a cup of cake flour, swap with 3/4 cup all-purpose flour + 2 tablespoons cornstarch, sifted together.
- If, like me, you decide to use industrial-strength food gel dye to color the cake and frosting, be absolutely sure you don't get any on your skin, clothes, or countertop. Because these dyes are concentrated, a little goes a long way and it stains. My fingers were bright pink for at least a day after I prepared the cupcakes.
Now for the recipes!
Pink Lady Cake
This recipe is for a triple-layer cake. If you don't feel like pulling that off, then do what I did and turn it into cupcakes. Oh, and be warned, the batter is HEAVENLY.
4 1/2 cups cake flour
3 cups sugar
5 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups pureed frozen or fresh strawberries*
8 egg whites
2/3 cup milk
1 to 2 drops red or dark pink food dye, if using (to make the pink color pop more)
*I used fresh but if they are out of season, go ahead and use frozen. Just be sure to thaw them a tad before you puree.
1. Preheat the oven to 350»F. Butter three 9-inch round or 8-inch square cake pans. Line with parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper.
2. Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixer bowl. With the electric mixer on low speed, blend for 30 seconds. Add the butter and strawberry puree and mix to blend the ingredients. Raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes; the batter will resemble strawberry ice cream at this point.
3. In another large bowl, whisk together the egg whites, milk and red/pink food dye, if using, to blend. Add the whites to the batter in two or three additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl well and mixing only to incorperate after each addition. Divide the batter among the three prepared pans.
4. Bake the cakes for 30 to 34 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the layers to cool in the pans for 10to 15 minutes. Invert and turn out onto wire racks and peel off the paper liners. Let stand until completely cooled before assembling the cake, at least an hour.
5. Place one cake layer on a cake board or platter. Tucking scraps of waxed paper under the edges of the cake will protect the board or plate from any mess created while frosting the cake. Spread about 2/3 cup frosting over the layer, spreading it to the edge. Repeat with the second layer. Add the top layer and frost the top and sides of cake with remaining frosting, reserving a small amount if you wish to tint it and pipe a decoration on the cake. If not, you can decorate the cake top with thinly-sliced strawberries. Remove the waxed strips to reveal and neat, clean cake board.
Frosting for Grownups (Cream Cheese Frosting)
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese softened
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks; 6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
3 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Optional: Add two to three tablespoons of strawberry puree
Optional: Add two to three drops of pink food coloring
1. In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy.
2. Mix in the vanilla, puree, and food coloring.
3. Then gradually stir in the confectioners’ sugar.
4. Store in the refrigerator after use.
Frosting for Kids (Swiss Buttercream Icing)
Some kids really do not like the taste of cream cheese frosting (as I witnessed first hand at my friend's party). I think it can be a bit strong for some young palates. So if you're making this for a kid's party, best to use the child-friendly frosting below. Also, you will probably want to double the quantity for this recipe if you plan to frost and fill a multi-layer cake.
Yields about 3 cups
1 cup sugar
4 large egg whites
26 tablespoons butter, softened (3 sticks plus 2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional: Add two to three tablespoons of strawberry puree
Optional: Add two to three drops of pink food coloring
1. Whisk egg whites and sugar in a large metal bowl over simmering water until sugar is dissolved.
2. Remove from heat and use an electric mixer to whip egg mixture until it turns white and doubles in size.
3. Add vanilla and begin adding butter a stick at a time. Whip until mixture forms a fluffy, smooth icing.
4. Add strawberry puree and food coloring. Whip just to mix.
Swiss buttercream can be refrigerated in an airtight container until needed. The icing may need to sit out to soften and may require additional whipping in order to spread.
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