Four-layer Strawberry Lemonade Cake

Impress your family and guests with this made-from-scratch summertime dessert. The cakes and filling can be made ahead to save time. Made with love, it’s better than anything you can get at a store or bakery!

Yield: 12 to 16 servings

Ingredients

Cake

1 stick butter, softened
4 The Farmer’s Cow large eggs, separated
2 cups sugar
3 cups cake flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup The Farmer’s Cow whole or 2% milk
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Strawberry-Lemonade Filling

2 ½ cups fresh strawberry, coarsely chopped
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp cornstarch

Strawberry Frosting

1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup sugar, divided
2/3 cup fresh strawberries, chopped
1 drop red or pink food coloring gel (optional)
1 ½ cup heavy cream
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Instructions

Make the Cakes

Assemble your ingredients and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour four 9” cake pans.
In a large bowl, beat butter a medium speed until creamy and pale yellow. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy.
Add egg yolks one at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
Stir together dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
Beat at low speed just until blended and stir in lemon zest and juice.
Beat egg whites in a large bowl at high speed until stiff peaks form.
Gently incorporate beaten egg whites by folding one-third volume into the batter a time.
Spoon batter into prepare cake pans, distributing evenly.
Place in hot oven and bake for 16-20 minutes or until a wood pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks and cool completely.

Prepare the Filling

Process coarsely chopped strawberries in a blender or food processor.
Press through a food mill or wire-mesh strainer into a 3-qt. saucepan; discard pulp.
Stir in sugar.
Wisk lemon juice and cornstarch together into a slurry.
Gradually add slurry to strawberry sauce.
Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, and boil for one minute.
Remove from heat, pour into a ceramic bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Chill for at least two hours or until cold. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to one week.

Make the Frosting

Beat cream choose and 1/3 cup sugar with electric mixer until smooth.
Add chopped strawberries and food coloring (if desired).
Beat cream and lemon juice at medium speed to blend, gradually increase speed to high and slowly add remaining 1/3 cup sugar, beating until stiff peaks form.
Fold half the whipped cream into the cheese mixture, incorporate, then fold in the remaining cream mixture.
Spoon the frosting into a pipping bag or a zip top bag, snip the corner, and use immediately to assemble the cake.

Assemble the Cake

Place one cake layer flat-side up on a serving platter. Pipe a ring of frosting on the top outer edge of the layer; Spoon about a ½ cup of strawberry filling and gently spread.
Top with the second and third layers, repeating the frosting and filling process between each layer.
Top with the last cake layer flat side down and spread remaining frosting on top and sides of cake.
Decorate with fresh strawberries and enjoy!

Date Posted: May 22, 2023