Summer is here and it’s time for all your favorite summer recipes! If you love strawberries, then this delicious cake is for you. Strawberry tart can be tricky to make if you don’t use the right techniques. While this recipe is simple, there are a few key steps that must be followed for best results.

Ingredients for the cake:

  • 2 ½ cups sifted cake flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • ¾ cup butter (room temperature)
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ cup milk (room temperature)
  • 5 egg whites (room temperature)
  • 1/3 cup sour cream or plain yogurt (room temperature)
  • ½ cup reduced strawberry puree (recipe included below)
  • 1 – 2 pink or red food colouring (optional)

Ingredients for the frosting:

  • 1 cup freeze-dried strawberries
  • 8 oz cream cheese (softened, room temperature)
  • 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • ½ cup butter (room temperature)
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 – 2 Tbsp milk
  • salt to taste

Directions:

  • Place 1lb of fresh strawberries in you blender and puree before placing in a pot on the stove and reducing to half a cup. This normally takes about 30 minutes.
  • Let the puree cool to room temperature. You could allow it to stand overnight if you have the time.
  • Preheat the oven to 180 C.
  • Grease and dust your baking pans (2 x 9-inch pans) with flour.
  • Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
  • In a separate bowl, beat together the sugar and butter until creamed.
  • Beat the egg whites into the butter mixture until combined.
  • Add the sour cream and vanilla to this mixture and beat again.
  • With the beater on low speed, add the dry ingredients to your butter mixture and mix until blended.
  • Add the milk while mixing on low but take care not to overdo the mixing.
  • Add the strawberry puree and mix while checking for lumps. This will thicken the batter.
  • Add food colouring if you wish.
  • Pour the mixture into two cake pans and back for 25 minutes. Use a toothpick to test if they are cooked all the way through.
  • Cool in the pans before you remove the cakes and place them on a cooling rack to cool further.
  • Now, you need to make your strawberry cake frosting. Blend the freeze-dried strawberries until they are crumbly or powdery. The final amount of blended strawberries should yield half a cup.
  • Use the paddle attachment on your mixer to beat the cream cheese in a large bowl until creamy and smooth.
  • Add butter and beat together.
  • Add the confectioners’ sugar and the strawberry powder and mix.
  • Next, add 1 tablespoon of milk and vanilla before beating on medium-high speed. If it is too thick, you can add another tablespoon of milk.
  • Taste the icing and, if needed, add a pinch of salt. This enhances the flavour and sweetness.
  • Slice a thin layer off the tops of each of the cakes. This will create a flat surface.
  • Place the first cake on your cake stand and top with frosting.
  • Place the second cake layer on top and cover with frosting.
  • Refrigerate for 45 minutes and, if desired, you can decorate with fresh strawberries too.

This cake will keep for up to five days in the refrigerator. Of course, it’s so delicious that it probably won’t be long before you eat it all up. Treat yourself, your family and friends this summer with this delicious strawberry cake. You can also take it with you when you attend a party. While the recipient can save the gift basket for later, they can enjoy the cake with all the guests right away.