Lemon cake with strawberry compote filling and strawberry buttercream
8 May
My friend and coworker Kyle requested a sweet little cake for his girlfriend’s birthday this past Sunday. After some back and forth, we decided on a 2-layer 6-inch lemon cake, filled with a strawberry compote and finished with a strawberry frosting. To amp up the look of the cake (Kyle’s girlfriend, Vanessa, is very stylish), I decided to do a 3-color pink ombre, then use an offest spatula to swirl the sides and top.
According to Kyle, Vanessa loved the cake, which always makes me happy to hear. I’m glad I tried a new technique—using the ombre—with the frosting, because now I have a better feel for it. What helped me achieve this technique was JavaCupcake’s Blue Ombre Cake Tutorial. She did a nice job describing the steps (just a note, I did not make the cake layers ombre, just the frosting).
Cake with frosting smoothed on, waiting to be swirled.
Also, I adapted Just One Cookbook’s strawberry compote recipe for my filling. I tweaked it just slightly, and added some vanilla extract, which I also like to do with pie fillings. The compote came together easily, and tasted great.
Ingredients
Directions
Make the filling first so it can cool (it can be made 1-2 days ahead).
In a medium pan over medium heat, combine the water, lemon juice, sugar and cornstarch and gently whisk to combine.
Add the strawberries and stir to combine, coating the berries.
Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring and breaking up any large berries.
Remove from the heat once the berry juices have thickened slightly. Stir in the vanilla and cool.
For the cake, heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and position the racks toward the center.
Lightly grease and flour (or use Baker's Joy spray) two 6-inch round cake pans. Set aside.
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Set aside.
Zest the lemon into a bowl, add the sugar and whisk to combine. You should be blasted with a wonderful lemony aroma.
In your main mixing bowl, whisk the eggs for 20 seconds, then add the sugar/zest mixture and whisk an additional 30 seconds until thick and frothy.
Add the oil and lemon extract, and beat until combined. Alternate the flour mixture and buttermilk and beat until combined.
Divide the batter between the 2 cake pans evenly and bake for 25-30 minutes.
When finished baking, cool in the pan for 30+ minutes.
Remove the cake layers from the pans and finish cooling them on the wire racks.
For the buttercream, beat the butter until light and fluffy.
Add 1 cup of sugar, beating until combined. Add a second cup of sugar and beat.
Add the strawberry filling liquid and strawberry extract.
Finally, add the remaining sugar gradually and whip until light and fluffy.
To assemble, place the bottom layer on a cake round. Trim the top off to make an even layer.
Using some of the strawberry buttercream, pipe a border to keep the strawberry filling in, around the top edge of the first layer.
Add the strawberry filling within the buttercream border.
Trim the top off the second layer, turn it cut-side down and place on top of the filling. Place in the freezer to chill for about 20 minutes.
Apply a crumb coating of the lightest color strawberry buttercream. Chill for 20-30 minutes in the freezer.
Using the darkest pink first, apply the buttercream to the lower third of the cake, followed by the medium pink buttercream in the middle and the lightest pink buttercream on the upper third and top of the cake. Try to distribute evenly.
Smooth the buttercream gently, trying not to smear the colors together too much.
To make the swirl effect on the cake, an offset spatula and turn table with be extremely helpful. Begin at the bottom edge of the cake with your offset spatula turned sideways.
Press gently, and slowly spin the turntable while dragging the offset spatula up the side of the cake.
Don't press too hard, otherwise you'll expose the cake. You can also gently touchup as needed.
To finish the top of the cake, place the tip of of the spatula onto the middle of the cake. Spin the turntable and pull the spatula to the outer edge of the cake.
First and second photos courtesy of Vanessa and Kyle … love the Xbox controller in the first shot!
You did an excellent job with the ombre pink!! LOVE IT!
Thank you SO much Betsy! And your tutorial was fantastic and very, very helpful
Love your blog!