Hiiiiiii! It has been FOREVER since I posted a new recipe or even just a life update on here.
Forever might be slightly overstating it. It’s been about 5 weeks. But given I was posting a new recipe every week, it feels like forever, ok?
Life has been overwhelming in every single aspect and unfortunately my weekend baking stress relief therapy has been limited to tried and true recipes like my brown butter chocolate chip cookies or these samoas. Recipe testing and photographing has been put on the backburner while I figure some things out and try not to go crazy.
This cake, however, has brought my out of my cookie comfort zone and it’s all thanks to my little sister.
I guess she’s actually not so little, she’s turning 25 today! But she’ll always be younger than me, so little sister it is.
She knows making cakes isn’t my thing, but she wanted me to make a cake for her birthday. The only requirements were chocolate covered strawberries on top and minimal frosting. Basically a naked or semi-naked cake.
Which was good because frosting cakes is not something I’m very good at. I went with simple – a vanilla sponge, strawberry-ish frosting, and a chocolate drizzle to tay our bed of chocolate covered strawberries on.
The sponge recipe comes from my girl, Molly Yeh. I used vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla extract, but basically any cake recipe that involves buttermilk is a winner.
Swiss meringue buttercream because it’s better than American buttercream. Smoother and less sweet. My sister and I are not frosting lovers (hence the request for the naked cake) so the less sweet the frosting, the better.
This cake is good you guys. Make it. Make it now!
And happy birthday, little sister!
Ingredients
Vanilla Cake:
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup canola or other flavourless oil
- 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
- 3/4 cup boiling water
Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
- 1/2 cup egg whites
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 cup (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, cubed
- 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup seedless strawberry jam
Chocolate Drip:
- 2 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
- 2 oz. heavy whipping cream
- Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Instructions
Vanilla Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line 3 six-inch cake pans.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla bean paste (or extract). Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined, then stir in the boiling water.
- Pour an even amount of batter into each cake pan and bake until the tops are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 28-34 minutes.
- Allow cakes to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
- Place the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk together to combine. Fill a saucepan with a few inches of water and place it over medium high heat. Place the mixer bowl on top of the saucepan to create a double boiler, do not allow the bottom of the bowl to touch the water.
- Whisking intermittently, heat the egg mixture until it registers 160°F on a candy thermometer or is hot to the touch. Once mixture is 160°F, carefully fit the mixer bowl onto the stand mixer.
- With the whisk attachment, beat the egg white mixture on high speed for 8-10 minutes, until it holds medium-stiff peaks. When done, the outside of the mixer bowl should return to room temperature and no residual heat should be escaping the meringue out of the top of the bowl. Stop the mixer and swap out the whisk attachment for the paddle.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the butter, a few tablespoons at a time, then the vanilla. Once incorporated, turn up the mixer speed to medium-high and beat until the buttercream is silky smooth, 3-5 minutes.
- Mix in the strawberry jam and beat until smooth.
Chocolate Drip:
- Put chopped chocolate and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 20 seconds, stir, then heat for 10 second increments, stirring, until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool and slightly thicken.
Assembly:
- Once the cakes have completely cooled, level them and choose which layer will be at the bottom. Place it on a cake plate or turntable. Spread on some of the Swiss meringue buttercream and place the next layer on top. Spread over more of the buttercream and place on the final cake layer. Frost the top and sides of cake with remaining buttercream. I chose a semi-naked cake, so scraped off most of the frosting. Feel free to decorate with as much or little frosting as you'd like. Drizzle on the chocolate ganache and decorate with the chocolate covered strawberries.
