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    Strawberry Lemon Layer Cake

    ha scritto per te

    This Strawberry Lemon Layer Cake is bright, zesty, and totally spring-appropriate! Alternating lemon and strawberry sponge cakes are layered with buttercream and crushed Sconza Lemoncello Chocolate Almonds.

    Mother’s Day is on the horizon, and my friends at Sconza Chocolates asked if I’d whip up a confection worthy of the occasion. The holiday coincides with the arrival of Sconza’s Lemoncello Chocolate Almonds at Costco stores during the months of April and May. I was delighted to say yes! Everything Sconza makes is superlative, but those creamy lemon candies with crunchy almond centers are my all-time favorite.
    I filled this cake with bright flavors and colors inside and out. Piped buttercream roses bloom on top with Lemoncello Chocolate Almond centers. (You can never go wrong with flowers for mom!)

    Strawberry Lemon Layer Cake

    Make the batter.
    Begin this cake with my favorite White Almond Sour Cream Cake batter. It’s halved and then flavored with lemon and strawberry Jello dissolved in hot water. This not only gives the cakes bold flavor, but also vibrant color! It’s also nice that flavored gelatins can be found at grocery stores everywhere, and you won’t have to order or track down specialty flavorings. (I’ve discovered that no one nearby carries my favorite strawberry extract!) Bake the batters in 6-inch cake pans, which will yield a small yet tall and stately cake. However, you could use two 9-inch cake pans for a double layer cake.

    Build the cake.
    To assemble the layers, begin with a strawberry cake. Then, top it with an even layer of American buttercream (a.k.a. confectioners’ sugar buttercream). Next, scatter on some crushed Sconza Lemoncello Chocolate Almonds. Use a food processor to crush the candies fine – it will make short work of the task.

    Alternate the cake flavors, repeating the frosting and filling with the Sconza candies. Finally, end with a lemon cake layer on top.

    Frost the cake.
    This cake benefits from a crumb coat. Little cake crumbs and candy pieces on the outside of the cake need a base layer of frosting to hold them in place. So, cover the top and sides in a thin layer of buttercream and then refrigerate until firm. Then cover it in a second, thicker layer of buttercream and smooth it evenly using a bench scraper or cake smoother.
    Whip up another batch of American buttercream, this time stiff consistency, for the decors. This batch needs to be thicker in order for the piped details to hold their shape. Just add a little more confectioners’ sugar to the base recipe. The swags are very simply piped using a #3 decorator piping tip. As for the flowers, you can see my rose piping video tutorial at this link.

    Pipe the roses.
    Sconza candies are a food stylist’s dream, because each one looks perfect right out of the bag. I just knew they’d make a beautiful center for piped flowers. And, they are inherently bud-shaped! Here’s how to pipe them, from start to finish.

    First, on a parchment-covered flower nail, pipe a dollop of pink frosting. Place the rounded end of a Lemoncello Chocolate Almond into the frosting (pointed end to the sky).
    Then, using a petal decorator tip, pipe layers of pink petals that overlap the candy.
    Pipe on more layers of petals until you reach the desired fullness. (I kept these small, but you could go larger!)
    Slide the flower off of the nail and transfer them to a baking sheet. Repeat the process until you have a baking sheet full of flowers. Then transfer them to the refrigerator to firm.

    After the roses firm, peel them away from their parchment squares and arrange them on top of the cake to one side. Then, pipe a few leaves between the roses to fill in any gaps. (You can find all of the decorator tip numbers and sizes I use in the recipe card.)

    Add some bling!
    Ever a gilder of lilies (or in this case, roses!) I couldn’t resist adding a little shimmer. Brush edible gold paint on the swags. Then, add three gold sugar pearls in a line, where the swags meet.

    The white almond sour cream cake layers take on color so well, and the flavors really shine through. Both the lemon and strawberry flavors are more creamy than tart. Altogether this cake is tender and moist, yet has a surprise lemon candy crunch throughout.

    Be sure to grab a bag of Lemoncello Chocolate Almonds at your local Costco while they last! They’re great all on their own, and they’re an excellent addition to this cake.

    Strawberry Lemon Layer Cake

    Heather Baird

    Strawberry Lemon Layer Cake is bright, zesty, springy, and totally appropriate for any happy occasion. Alternating layers of strawberry and lemon sponge are stacked with American buttercream frosting and filled with Sconza Lemoncello Chocolate Almonds. Sconza Lemoncello Chocolate Almonds are in full bloom on this cake and in Costco stores during the months of April and May. Or, you can order them online. See the blog post for shopping links.

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    Prep Time 2 hrsCook Time 25 mins2 hours resting time 1 hrTotal Time 3 hrs 25 mins

    Course DessertCuisine American

    Servings 10

    Ingredients  Strawberry and lemon sour cream cake layers1 small box strawberry gelatin 3 oz.1 small box lemon gelatin 3 oz.1 cup boiling water divided1 box white cake mix 16.25 oz.1 cup all-purpose flour1 cup granulated sugar1/4 teaspoon fine grain salt1 cup sour cream1/4 cup vegetable oil I like sunflower oil3 large eggs1/2 teaspoon almond extractAmerican buttercream and filling2 cups unsalted butter at room temperature8 cups confectioners’ sugar1 tablespoon vanilla extractMilk or cream as needed2/3 cup Sconza Lemoncello Chocolate AlmondsStiff American buttercream and decors
    Instructions Cake layersPlace the strawberry gelatin and lemon gelatin in two separate bowls. Pour 1/2 cup boiling water into each of the bowls and stir well to dissolve. Let cool until warm, about 10 minutes. Do not allow the gelatin to begin setting. If it starts to gel, re-heat it in the microwave until liquid.Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat four 6-inch round cake pans with flour-based baking spray (or grease and flour pans).In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the cake mix, flour, sugar, and salt. In another bowl, combine the sour cream, oil, eggs, and extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix on low speed until combined. The batter will be thick. Divide the batter evenly into two large bowls. To one bowl, add the strawberry gelatin; beat with an electric mixer to incorporate. To the other bowl, add the lemon gelatin. Mix well until combined.Divide each batter between two 6 inch cake pans. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until the cakes are well risen. They should spring back in their centers when pressed. Let cool in the pans 5 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto wire racks to cool completely. When the cakes are cool, use a serrated knife or wire cake leveler to level the cakes.American buttercream and fillingIn a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix together the butter and confectioners’ sugar. Begin on low speed until crumbly, and then increase to high and beat for 3 minutes.Add vanilla and beat again for another minute. If you find the buttercream is too stiff, you may add milk or heavy cream 1-2 tablespoon at a time until the mixture is spreading consistency. Beat until light and fluffy. The consistency should be billowy and easy to spread. Cover the bowl with a damp towel so it doesn’t dry out.In a food processor or mini chopper, grind the Sconza Lemoncello Chocolate Almonds until fine. Set aside.Begin building the cake with a strawberry cake layer placed on a cake board or serving plate. Fill with a generous 1/2 cup buttercream. Using a spoon, spoon over 1/3 of the chopped Sconza candies. Top with a lemon cake layer. Repeat the frosting and candy-sprinkling. Top with a strawberry cake layer. Repeat the frosting and candy-sprinkling once more. Top with the lemon cake layer. Cover the cake with a thin layer of buttercream (crumb coat) and refrigerate until firm, about 5 minutes. Frost the entire cake with a generous covering of buttercream and smooth evenly using a bench scraper or cake smoother. Refrigerate until the buttercream firms, 20 minutes.Stiff American buttercream and décorsIn a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix together the butter and confectioners’ sugar. Begin on low speed until crumbly, and then increase to high and beat for 3 minutes.Add vanilla and beat again for another minute. If you find the buttercream is too stiff, you may add milk or heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture is stiff piping consistency (it should hold on a spatula turned upside-down). Beat until well combined. Cover the bowl with a damp towel so the buttercream doesn’t crust.Remove 1/3 cup of the white frosting to a small bowl and cover with a damp towel; set aside.Remove 1/2 cup of the white frosting to a piping bag fitted with the Wilton #3 round tip.Divide the remaining frosting into three bowls and tint one bowl using 1/4 teaspoon of neon pink gel food color and 1 small drop of the red food color (this combination matches the strawberry cake layers). Food color brands differ in intensity, so add more if needed but keep in mind that colors will intensify as the buttercream crusts. Mix until a consistent color is achieved and transfer to a piping bag fitted with Wilton #104 petal decorator tip.Tint another bowl with 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon neon yellow food color. Mix well and transfer to a piping bag fitted with Wilton #104 decorator tip.Tint the last bowl with the green gel food color and transfer to a piping bag fitted with Wilton #352 decorator piping tip.Measure the circumference of the cake and divide by 8. With a toothpick, lightly mark the placement of where the swags will meet in the buttercream. Pipe eight swags around the top edge of the cake using the bag of white buttercream fitted with the plain Wilton #3 decorator piping tip. Refrigerate to set, about 5 minutes.For the roses, and using the pink bag if icing fitted with the #104 petal tip, place a dot of pink icing on a flower nail, then place a parchment square onto the flower nail. In the center of the parchment, pipe a mound of pink buttercream. Place a Sconza Lemoncello Chocolate Almond in the center of the mound so that the pointed end stands upright. Next, with the slim end of the petal tip pointing up, pipe four petals around the candy so that it overlaps slightly. Pipe more frosting petals around the candy center until a full rose shape is achieved. Slide the parchment with the rose on it, off of the frosting nail carefully and place it on a baking sheet (9×13 works fine). Repeat this process of making roses using the yellow buttercream also. Vary sizes so that you have some large flowers and some small. Transfer all of the flowers to the baking sheet and refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.Using the reserved white buttercream in the bowl, dollop a half moon shape on top of one side of the cake with a spoon. Remove the set buttercream flowers from the refrigerator. Gently peel them from their parchment squares and arrange them on top of the half-moon shape on top of the cake. Place extra Sconza Lemoncello Chocolate Almonds around the flowers to fill in gaps. Use the bag of green icing fitted with the #352 leaf tip to pipe leaves into any empty spaces, or to embellish the flowers. Refrigerate until set, about 10 minutes.Brush the edible gold paint onto the swags using the fine –tipped art brush. Carefully add three gold sugar pearls in a vertical line where the swags meet. Do this by gently pushing them into the buttercream.Store the cake in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.

    Keyword american buttercream, lemon cake donuts, Mother’s Day cake, Sconza Lemoncello Chocolate Almonds, spring cake, strawberry cake mix, Strawberry Lemon Cake

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    consigliato per te

    • in Recipes

      Lemon Lavender Layer Cake

      ha scritto per te

      This Lemon Lavender Layer Cake is a sweet teatime treat. It’s easy to make, yet pretty enough to serve for a special occasion.

      Happy Spring! It seems that the season has finally settled in to stay for a while here in East Tennessee. Winter’s chill is gone and the venerable camellia bush tree in our yard is heavy with pink blooms. However, spring has always been unpredictable here. We may yet have a Dogwood Winter (snow in April!). But for now the warm weather and colors of spring have inspired my mood and appetite.

      Lemon Lavender Layer Cake is – yes – inspired by spring’s new blooms, but also by a set of thrifted china my mother gifted to me. I’m so grateful for her generosity, and happy to add new (old!) china to my collection. But I wasn’t sure about the colors. Pink and purple together is something my 10 year old self would have adored. And I’m pretty sure this china is from the big ’80s. Maybe I felt I’d outgrown those hues a little? Ultimately (as you can see) I decided to embrace them, and to create a cake to match the sweetness and color palette. Now, I just love those dishes! The pattern is retired, but Replacements.com has a few pieces if you’re looking to add to your granny-chic collection.

      A light touch of lavender.
      The lavender flavor in this cake is so lovely and mild. It’s quick-steeped in the wet ingredients, and some buds are added to the dry mixture. Combined with the lemony-citrus notes, the end result leans more toward Earl Grey tea flavor than anything. When using lavender, the last thing you want is for your baked goods to taste like granny’s soap. I think even those with some lavender ambivalence, may find this a delicious flavor combination.

      3 abundant layers.
      The batter bakes up in three 8-inch cake pans. I developed the batter to make three hearty rounds that don’t puff up much in the oven. No leveling means less cake waste (and I’m all for that!). If your cakes puff a little in their centers, lay a paper towel on top of them while they are still warm in the pans. Press the puffed center down gently before turning the cakes out to cool completely.

      Billowy, light, buttercream.
      Swiss meringue buttercream also lends lightness, as it is less sweet than American buttercream. If you’ve never made it before, it can seem intimidating. Just know, before you start, that during mixing the frosting goes through several ugly stages before it becomes beautiful, billowy buttercream. (See my how-to video in this post.)

      Lavender flavors and hues.
      Flavor the buttercream with a little lemon extract and a touch of lavender extract. This creates an extra layer of flavor that matches the cake’s interior. Fill and coat the cake with a crumb coat of the frosting. I almost liked this as a ‘naked cake’ (sidebar: here’s an article I wrote for Food Network on the subject). I love the cake layers peeking through, but ultimately decided for a more substantial coat.
      Tint the remaining frosting a rosy color. Because of the inherent pale yellow that lives in buttercream, mixing colors can be a challenge! So add a little gel color at a time as you go. I managed to create this color using red, purple, and fuchsia gel food colors. See the recipe notes to simplify mixing hues.

      Decorate!
      I used gum paste flowers that were already made up, and leftover, from a wedding cake I made last year. I don’t have a tutorial for them today (maybe soon!) but you could simplify things by using organic rose petals as a garnish. Or, consider supporting a wonderful Etsy maker and purchase some ready-made.
      To one side, pipe leftover frosting mounds in a half-moon shape. Add some berries, flowers, petals – whatever inspires you! I added a sprinkle of culinary lavender buds on top.

      I’m already planning to make this cake a second time, perhaps for Mother’s Day. It fits so many occasions! It would even make an appropriate Easter cake. The flavors are spot-on to convey the lightness of spring.

      If you’re like me, and have the opinion that no tea party is complete with out madeleines, you can whip up a batch using this batter recipe. Omit the orange peel and add a little lemon extract, and 1/2 teaspoon of lavender buds to the batter. They are so lovely alongside this cake.

      Lemon Lavender Layer Cake

      Heather Baird

      This Lemon Lavender Layer Cake is a sweet teatime treat. It’s easy to make, yet pretty enough to serve for a special occasion.The flavors of this cake are light and delicious, not tart and overpowering. Using lavender in baking takes a judicious hand, so don’t be tempted to add more. The cake’s lavender and citrus flavors together bring to mind Earl Grey tea. It’s not soapy, it’s more floral and fruity.

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      Prep Time 25 minsCook Time 40 minsTotal Time 1 hr 5 mins

      Course DessertCuisine American

      Servings 12

      EquipmentFine mesh sievemicroplane or citrus zester8 inch cake pans, 3disposable piping bag
      Ingredients US CustomaryMetric Lemon lavender cake layers1 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk1 tablespoon plus 1 1/4 teaspoons dried culinary lavender buds divided3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder1 teaspoon baking soda1 1/4 teaspoons fine grain sea salt1 1/4 cups unsalted butter at room temperature2 1/2 cups granulated sugar5 large eggs at room temperature1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juiceZest of 1 lemon fine, use a microplane1 teaspoon lemon extractSwiss meringue buttercream8 large egg whites about 1 cup or 8 oz.2 cups granulated sugar3 cups unsalted butter at room temperature1 teaspoon lemon extract1/2 teaspoon lavender extract1/4 teaspoon fine grain saltGel food colors in red purple, and fuchsia (see recipe notes)DecorsGum paste flowers optional, see blog post for sourcesOrganic purple rose petals washed and patted dry1 teaspoon lavender buds2/3 cup fresh whole raspberries
      Instructions Lemon lavender cake layersPreheat the oven to 350°F. Coat three 8-inch cake pans with flour-based baking spray.In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the milk for 1 minute on 100% power. Add in 1 tablespoon of the lavender buds and let steep about 10 minutes. Sieve the milk mixture over a large glass measuring cup with a pour spout (4 cup or larger) so that you have 1 cup of lavender milk. (The buds will soak up some of the milk.) Discard the lavender buds. Allow the milk to cool slightly before using.In a large mixing bowl, sift the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and fine grain sea salt. Stir in the remaining 1 1/4 teaspoons dried culinary lavender buds.In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition. Scrape down the bowl and beat again until consistent.To the cooled lavender milk, add the lemon juice. Stir to combine. The mixture will curdle; this is normal and supposed to happen. Add the zest and lemon extract. Mix well.Add the flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture alternately with the wet ingredients; begin and end with flour.Divide the batter between the prepared pans. This will be about 2 3/4 cup of batter per pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick tester comes out clean. The cakes shouldn’t crown (puff up) much, but if they do, lay a paper towel on top of the cakes in the pans and press gently while they are still warm. This will knock down the puff slightly and you won’t have to level the cakes with a serrated knife or cake leveler. Turn the cakes out to cool completely on a wire rack.Swiss meringue buttercreamPlace a saucepan filled 1/3 full of water over medium heat. Bring to a simmer.In a large stainless-steel bowl, combine the egg whites and sugar. Set the bowl over the simmering water and cook while whisking intermittently. Cook until the mixture is hot (110°F) and you can no longer feel sugar granules when the mixture is rubbed between your finger and thumb. Transfer the hot mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed for 10 minutes or until a thick, shiny meringue forms that holds stiff peaks. The bowl should feel cool to the touch. If it doesn’t, refrigerate the meringue in the bowl for 10 minutes. Return the bowl to the mixer and swap the whisk attachment for the paddle attachment.Beat the room temperature butter into the meringue one cube at a time on medium-low speed, waiting to add the next cube when the previous cube disappears. The batter will deflate with the butter addition, and may even look curdled (if the butter was the slightest bit cold this happens), but this is normal. When all of the butter is added, beat the mixture on high speed until light in color and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the lemon and lavender extracts and salt.AssemblyPlace a cake layer on a cake plate or cake board. Top with 1 cup of the buttercream; spread evenly. Top with a second cake layer. Add another cup of buttercream and spread evenly. Top with the remaining cake layer. Cover the entire cake with a crumb coat of frosting, and chill until firm, about 15 to 20 minutes.Meanwhile, tint the remaining frosting with the food colors, adding a little of each at a time until a purplish rosy-mauve color is achieved. Spread a thick layer of buttercream over the chilled cake and smooth the top and edges using a cake smoother or bench scraper.Place the remaining buttercream in a disposable piping bag and pipe mounds of frosting over one side of the cake in a half moon shape. Pipe mounds on top of mounds in the center of the half moon to give that area some height. Add gum paste flowers, if using, rose petals, raspberries and sprinkle on lavender buds.
      NotesFreshly squeezed: The juice from 2 1/2 large lemons should give you about 1/2 cup of juice. So, add 3 lemons to your shopping list for this cake.
      Buttercream: You may have a little buttercream left over. It is my preference to always have more than needed in case accidents happen, or if inspiration strikes and I decide to pipe big swirls of frosting on top of the cake. If you’re more conservative with your ingredients, you could reduce the buttercream recipe by 1/4. Or, if you make the madeleines pictured, you could split them and sandwich with the leftover buttercream.
      Mixing hues: To simplify getting the right color for the cake’s exterior, there are many ready-made rosy-lavender colors that will give you the result without having to be a buttercream mixologist. Shop the colors at your local craft store in the baking aisle. Ready-made mauve by Wilton is close to the finished color of this cake. Or you could simply use lavender or violet gel food color and opt for a more purple icing to match the lavender flavor. 
      For convenience: The gum paste flowers I used were already made up from a wedding cake I made last year. They were a last minute addition to this cake, so I don’t have a tutorial for them. If you’re not experienced with gum paste, don’t have the time or the equipment to make them, consider purchasing some flowers ready-made. I’ve linked an Etsy seller in the blog post, or you can search ‘gum paste flowers’ on Etsy and find a wide variety of beautiful gum paste flowers. 

      Keyword dried culinary lavender, lemon zest, swiss meringue buttercream

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