Strawberry cake is delicious on its own but is even better when combined with sweet strawberry buttercream frosting. This cake recipe uses a yogurt and oil based batter which keeps its crumb incredibly moist for days after being baked.
To create the “crown” of a strawberry, roll out green gumpaste and freehand or search online for leaf templates with daisy-like shapes. Cut a length of floral wire for its stem, inserting it carefully into your crown design.
1. Heart Shape
Heart-shaped strawberry cakes make an elegant centerpiece at any spring wedding or other special event without breaking the bank in purchasing special pans. A standard European sponge cake recipe can easily be transformed into a heart shape using two smaller round cakes lined with parchment paper before stacked and decorated with either red fondant or buttercream frosting.
Heart-shaped strawberry cakes can be decorated with rings of interlacing strawberries or whole strawberries arranged in a circle on the top edge of the cake. For an attractive design, select strawberries that are all similar in size; rinse well. To add an extra special touch, try placing strawberries with their pointed ends up like rose petals at the center ring for an extra pretty effect.
If you have more than a handful of whole strawberries on hand, they can also be used to form an intricate vine-like design around the sides of a cake. To do this, cut away each strawberry’s green parts before cutting it into thin 1/4 in (0.64 cm) slices. Press them against the side of a frosted cake, with flat ends overlapping their pointy ends for a lush and natural aesthetic. Leave enough space between each berry for optimal design results.
Strawberry crowns add an elaborate finishing touch to any cake! To do this, roll out some green gum paste until it is larger than the top of a strawberry, draw or search online for an outline template to lay over the gum paste, cut a length of floral wire, and insert it through its center – leaving enough distance that you may bend it later for better shaping of the crowns.
Pour warm fruit preserves over your strawberry-shaped cake to add an extra sweet note and achieve a glossy sheen. Or if you prefer something more subtle, brush each strawberry instead of drizzling as this way there won’t be as much chance for drippage onto icing or sogginess of fruit preserves soaking into them and becoming soggy!
2. Round Shape
Strawberry cakes come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, though round cakes tend to be the most popular. Strawberry roses make for an attractive way to decorate cakes; just be careful that warped or misshapen strawberries don’t end up pressing against the frosting and ruining its aesthetics! Or you could create a vined design using blackberries or raspberries instead of strawberries.
At the core of every successful strawberry rose lies an enormous, round strawberry. Start by cutting horizontal slices into it using a sharp knife without going all the way through to its base; these should extend about a third or halfway up its body. Repeat on both sides; trim off green ends before attaching roses so their leaves stick up slightly above frosting to emulate rose petals; refrigerate once attached for best results!
Strawberry rolls are another clever strawberry cake idea; this European sponge cake-based treat can be easily rolled into a log and filled with strawberry whipped cream, offering an impressive yet time-efficient alternative to layer cakes.
To create a crown design, start by rolling out some green gum paste that’s larger than your strawberry and drawing or searching online for a daisy-looking leaf template. Cut it out, set it aside, then roll out any remaining gum paste into flat sheeting that covers your cake. Press one crown against its edge, slightly overlapped so that it appears more realistic; press another crown into place in that spot (adjusting its direction if necessary for maximum fullness), pushing them both firmly to create full crown designs.
This cake is ideal for summer parties held around a BBQ or poolside gathering. Additionally, this simple creation would also work perfectly as part of a birthday celebration; add candles for an elegant dinner setting! For easy storage purposes, wrap the entire thing in plastic wrap before refrigerating it for later.
3. Straight Shape
Strawberry cakes feature strawberries both in their batter and as toppings on the finished cake, either whole or sliced. For optimal results, select firm, juicy strawberries that were harvested directly from your backyard garden and frozen before being bought from stores. A classic European sponge-type recipe allows this cake to be assembled two or three layers thick, depending on the desired cake height.
First, clean and dry the strawberries before removing their stems. Use a food processor or hand mixer to lightly blend them so as not to overpulse and turn into puree, adding some air into your batter as you do so.
Once your cake batter has reached a light yellow hue, fold in strawberry puree until fully integrated into the batter. Finally, transfer to your prepared pans and bake according to directions.
After your cakes have cooled down, make sure they are leveled before frosting for an even layer. If any leftover cake layers exist, wrap them individually in double layers of plastic wrap and freeze up to three months ahead of time for later consumption.
To decorate your cake, start by piping a “dam” of strawberry buttercream around each cake layer to prevent the filling from seeping out when stacking it. Next, conduct a row of strawberry shells on top, leaving enough space in the center for one whole strawberry to sit atop.
Add the finishing touch to your cake by decorating it with strawberry leaves arranged atop each other. Use green gel coloring or premade leaves; even try green edible glitter for added glitz!
To create leaf shapes, roll out some green gum paste larger than the size of your strawberry crown and draw or search online for a ‘daisy’-like template to place over it. Cut out leaves using a sharp paring knife before coiling floral wire around each one to form curls on them and brush on some dutch processed cocoa to help ‘certify’ and make them look more realistic/natural.
4. Long Shape
Strawberry cakes that focus solely on fruit don’t need to be traditional round shapes; try something longer that resembles a large strawberry with its rounded points and flat end – this makes a refreshing summer dessert when fresh strawberries are at their peak and makes an unusual birthday or BBQ cake choice for kids and adults alike!
Make a strawberry cake using fresh berries or canned preserves/jams as the base; either will provide just as sweet and flavorful results without all the excess calories and fat! Add light cream cheese frosting inside the cake for extra decadence, or transform it into a strawberry-cream cheese cake by mixing crushed strawberries into your frosting mix!
To add a crown to your cake, roll out a piece of green gum paste larger than the strawberry’s top side, then using freehand or search-for-daisy templates, cut a leaf design from it (or print a pre-made daisy pattern online and lay over gum paste). Carefully insert this leaf design into the center of your strawberry, and if necessary, add floral wire for additional support if required.
Before beginning to frost your cake, chill its sponge until firmer. This helps the buttercream remain “soft,” making frosting easier and reducing crumbles during decoration. Once cooled, use a coupler-fitted piping bag with strawberry cream cheese frosting as a dam at the top edge of your cake; color the frosting before beginning for darker results that won’t bleed into its base as you work.
Fill the rest of your cake with thinly sliced fresh strawberries for a beautiful decorative accent. To give the strawberries an extra sweet and juicy sweetness, brush a thin layer of warm strawberry, raspberry or apricot preserves over them before serving for added impact and shine. For an exciting texture, add another ring of strawberries inside of the first one by slightly overlapping them – you could even add an inner-ring!
