Every birthday cake for our family birthdays between my husband and his parents consists of a version of this cake, 1/2 chocolate cake, 1/2 yellow cake, filled with strawberries, and topped with whipped cream or buttercream. Fun fact about me: I dont like strawberries (unless they are fresh and whole). I hate macerated berries, strawberry flavored things, or that weird strawberry gel/syrup thing that comes in cakes. Yeah. So in-law cake time and me? We don't mix.
For my version of this cake, I used my favorite chocolate cake recipe (adapted from epicurious), my favorite yellow cake recipe from here, and a strawberries and cream mousse filling instead of berries in gel (taking some artistic liberty here). I frosted it using my hands-down favorite buttercream recipe, starring my surprise secret ingredient (which I will talk about in a separate post). Also, the recipes below make 4 cake layers, but I only ended up using 3. 4 was going to be precariously tall, and since we were traveling, I didn't want a cake disaster.
The kids chose pink flowers, so I decided to attempt the roses cake I have seen all over pinterest. It came out all right, but I think a pointed star tip instead of a rounded one would have made better flowers. Next time!
Oh, and I am not including nutritional info for this....it is birthday cake. Live a little!
Chocolate Cake
This recipe makes 2 small 8" round layers. For a full cake or a larger pan, I would double it.
1 oz good quality dark chocolate, chopped up a little
1/2 cup hot coffee
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder, not Dutch-processed
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp vanilla
Pre-heat oven to 300. Grease 2 6" round pans (I use Pam), then cover the bottom in parchment paper and grease the paper and pans. Place the chocolate in a small bowl and pour the coffee over the top to melt, stirring to mix. In a separate bow, mix and sift the four, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together, set aside. In a large bowl beat the crap out of the egg (this step is important, you want to really break up the proteins) until it is pale yellow and frothy, about 4-5 minutes. Add the oil, buttermilk, coffee mixture, and vanilla and blend well. Add flour mix, blending until just incorporated (don't overmix!). Split the batter between the two pans, give them a couple taps on the counter to reduce the air bubbles, and bake in the center of your oven until done, 40 - 50 minutes.
Cool the cakes slightly in the pan, then turn them out, remove the paper, and allow them to cool fully. Once cool, you can wrap them tightly in plastic until you are ready to assemble. I always bake my cakes at least one day ahead of assembling them, I think it gives them time to "set" or something, it makes them easier to fill and frost.
Yellow Cake
This recipe makes 2 small 8" round layers. For a full cake or a larger pan, I would double it.
2 cups plus 1 TB cake flour
1/4 cup powdered milk
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, room temp
1 whole egg plus 2 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
Pre-heat oven to 350. Grease 2 6" pans, line the bottoms with parchment, and grease again. Mix the flour, powdered milk, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg, yolks, and vanilla, and beat well. Add 1/3 of. The flour mixture and mix until just barely combined, add 1/2 the butter milk, and mix to just barely combine. Repeat these additions, ending with the dry ingredients. Split between the two pans, tap the pans a few times to eliminate air bubbles, and bake until done, ~20-35 minutes.
Cool slightly in pans, then turn out and remove papers to cool fully. Once cool, tightly wrap in plastic wrap until you are ready to assemble.
This recipe makes 2 small 6" round layers. For a full cake or a larger pan, I would double it.
Strawberry Cream Filling
This will make a lot. You can probably get away with halving the recipe, or you can just eat the leftovers on top of waffles or pancakes, or with a spoon.
4 cups strawberries, hulled and crushed
1 cup sugar
1 TB unflavored gelatin
2 TB cold water
3 TB boiling water
1 1/2 pint heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp vanilla
Mix the sugar and crushed strawberries together and set aside. Soften the gelatin in cold water and then add boiling water, stirring until gelatin is dissolved. Stir gelatin mix into strawberries and set aside to cool. Beat the whipping cream until thick and small peaks hold, stir in vanilla. Fold in strawberry mixture, cover tightly, and refrigerate until set, at least 8 hours.
To assemble:
Use a large serrated knife to level the cake layers, if needed. Place one of the cake layers on a cake board or serving platter, pipe a thick circle of frosting around the outer edge of the cake layer and cover the inside of the circle with filling. Top with another cake layer (alternating flavors) and repeat filling. Place last layer upside down so top of cake is smooth and flat. Frost and decorate however you want.
The completed cake should be refrigerated due to the cream filling.
1/4 cup powdered milk
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, room temp
1 whole egg plus 2 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
Pre-heat oven to 350. Grease 2 6" pans, line the bottoms with parchment, and grease again. Mix the flour, powdered milk, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg, yolks, and vanilla, and beat well. Add 1/3 of. The flour mixture and mix until just barely combined, add 1/2 the butter milk, and mix to just barely combine. Repeat these additions, ending with the dry ingredients. Split between the two pans, tap the pans a few times to eliminate air bubbles, and bake until done, ~20-35 minutes.
Cool slightly in pans, then turn out and remove papers to cool fully. Once cool, tightly wrap in plastic wrap until you are ready to assemble.
This recipe makes 2 small 6" round layers. For a full cake or a larger pan, I would double it.
Strawberry Cream Filling
This will make a lot. You can probably get away with halving the recipe, or you can just eat the leftovers on top of waffles or pancakes, or with a spoon.
4 cups strawberries, hulled and crushed
1 cup sugar
1 TB unflavored gelatin
2 TB cold water
3 TB boiling water
1 1/2 pint heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp vanilla
Mix the sugar and crushed strawberries together and set aside. Soften the gelatin in cold water and then add boiling water, stirring until gelatin is dissolved. Stir gelatin mix into strawberries and set aside to cool. Beat the whipping cream until thick and small peaks hold, stir in vanilla. Fold in strawberry mixture, cover tightly, and refrigerate until set, at least 8 hours.
To assemble:
Use a large serrated knife to level the cake layers, if needed. Place one of the cake layers on a cake board or serving platter, pipe a thick circle of frosting around the outer edge of the cake layer and cover the inside of the circle with filling. Top with another cake layer (alternating flavors) and repeat filling. Place last layer upside down so top of cake is smooth and flat. Frost and decorate however you want.
The completed cake should be refrigerated due to the cream filling.
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