Usually when I see an amazing food photo on a magazine, I will pull the recipe and eventually get to it. Not this time, the front cover of April Southern Living magazine featured this Strawberry Lemonade Cake Recipe and since my birthday was only a week away I knew I wanted to treat myself with these amazing spring time flavors. I have made an easier Strawberry Cake Recipe before but decided to take on this culinary challenge

Don’t be too intimated by the lengthy recipe below, you can make this in stages. I made the jelly 4 days ahead, the cakes 2 days ahead and assembled the night before we were going to eat it. All was amazing and manageable.

 

This was my first attempt at a four layer cake and it is challenging when you only have two pans. Just allow the pans to cool slightly before adding your second batch of batter as it is a very thin layer and will start baking.

The Jelly was super easy and I could see a lot of different uses for this strawberry jam

I was also a little worried that there was not enough frosting but in fact it covered the entire cake and the little circular bit between the layers.

The cake is light and airy but has a great flavor. This will not satisfy any chocolate cravings obviously so pair it with a meal that you want a lighter dessert.

Strawberry Lemonade Cake adapted from Southern Living Magazine.

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, separated
• 3 cups cake flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon table salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Shortening or non-stick spray
  Strawberry-Lemonade Jam (recipe below)
  Strawberry Frosting (recipe below)

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.

2. Stir together flour and next 2 ingredients; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended. Stir in zest and juice.

3. Beat egg whites in a large bowl at high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently stir one-third of egg whites into batter; fold in remaining egg whites. Spoon batter into 4 greased (with shortening) and floured 9-inch round cake pans.

4. Bake at 350° for 16 to 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely. Cover and you can frost the following day.

5. Place 1 cake layer on a serving platter, and spread with about 1/2 cup Strawberry-Lemonade Jam, leaving a 1/2-inch border around edges. Spoon 1 cup Strawberry Frosting into a zip-top plastic freezer bag or frosting bag. Snip 1 corner of bag to make a small hole. Pipe a ring of frosting around cake layer just inside the top edge. Top with second and third cake layers, repeating procedure with filling and frosting between each layer. Top with last cake layer, and spread remaining Strawberry Frosting on top and sides of cake. Be sure to use any broken layer of cake on the bottom.

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups coarsely chopped fresh strawberries 
3/4 cup sugar 
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 
3 tablespoons cornstarch

Preparation
1. Process strawberries in a blender until smooth; press through a wire-mesh strainer into a 3-qt. saucepan, using back of a spoon to squeeze out juice; discard pulp. Stir in sugar. You may have to do this twice if you push too hard.

2. Whisk together lemon juice and cornstarch; gradually whisk into strawberry mixture. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, and cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Remove from heat. Place plastic wrap directly on warm jam; chill 2 hours or until cold. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 1 week. Super sweet but yummy.

Strawberry Frosting

Ingredients
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened we used low-fat
2/3 cup sugar, divided 
2/3 cup chopped fresh strawberries 
1 drop pink food coloring gel (optional) (did not use)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 

Preparation
1. Beat cream cheese and 1/3 cup sugar with an electric mixer until smooth; add strawberries and food coloring (if desired); beat until blended.

2. Beat cream and juice at medium speed until foamy; increase speed to medium-high, and slowly add remaining 1/3 cup sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold half of cream mixture into cheese mixture; fold in remaining cream mixture. Use immediately. The cake will stay a few days in the fridge.

What is your favorite Strawberry Cake Recipe? Check out all the other amazing Cake recipes on the blog.