Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Elise's Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Frosting





A little while ago I was making a cake for a friends birthday and my 4 year old daughter was helping.  I asked her what kind of cake she wanted to make and she said "Pink".  I think we have maybe read the book Pinkalicious too many times.  I decided that pink meant strawberry.  I didn't have any fresh strawberries but I did have freeze dried. Even better I had some strawberry powder I had been saving from the end of a can.  I added it to my favorite white cake mix (thanks to I am a baker)  It turned my white cake into an excellent strawberry cake.  The flavor was clear, strong, and definitely strawberry.  As the cake was baking I thought this would be awesome if I had some great strawberry frosting.  I hate the strawberry frosting you buy in the tub it is so fake tasting.  I tried my favorite frosting recipe (thanks Ann for sharing it with me) and adding some more of the freeze dried strawberry powder.  It made an awesome frosting.  
I took the "Pink" cake my daughter helped me make to a celebrate a friends birthday.  It was gobbled up and I had a ton of people asking for the recipe. 

By the way this cake is named after my friend I made the cake for not my daughter who choose it.

Elise's Strawberry Cake:
I love the cake mix recipe developed by I am a Baker. This recipe is based loosely on her great recipe. Please go check out her original post.
Dry Ingredients:
2 3/4 cup flour
1 3/4 cups SUPER fine sugar (you can buy this or make it)
2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
½ cup freeze dried Strawberry Powder *see note below
Wet Ingredients:
¾ cup butter, softened
5 egg whites
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
½ teaspoon almond extract

Sift together all dry ingredients. Cream butter, add dry ingredients. Add eggs one at a time until incorporated. Add milk, vanilla,and almond extract, mix well.
Fills 2 8 inch round cake pans or 1 9 by 13 rectangular pan. Spray well with cooking spray.
Bake 325 for 20 to 30 minutes. Test doneness before removing from oven. Cool completely before frosting.

Strawberry  Butter Cream Frosting
½ cup butter or margarine, softened
¼ cup shortening
3 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. corn syrup
2 tsp. milk
20 drops red food coloring
½ cup freeze dried strawberry powder * see note

Mix butter and shortening together with hand mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, food coloring and strawberry powder. Beat until smooth. Add corn syrup and milk. Beat until smooth.

* Note:  When you use a can of freeze dried fruit there is often some powder at the end.  This is amazing stuff.  It is instant intense flavor that you can add to anything.  I love to add it to frosting.  I find that adding about ½ cup of the powder is perfect in this recipe.  If you don’t have any powder from the bottom of the can you can crush some freeze dried strawberries in the food processor, blender, or put it is a zip lock and hit it with your rolling pin until crushed to fine powder.  I also find that the  flavor develops a little as you let this frosting sit.

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