Strawberry Meringue Cake

“Where there is cake, there is hope. And there is always cake.”

Yes! And this Strawberry Meringue Cake is the perfect addition to any summer soiree. Also, strawberry curd. It’s in this cake, but it should also be on top of your bagels, in your pastries, and just on a spoon headed into your mouth – because it is sooo tasty! Try not to eat all of it before you finish making the cake 😉

Strawberry Cake

10 large strawberries, pureed in blender, put through strainer

2 sticks (1 cup) butter

2 cups sugar

1 package strawberry gelatin

3 cups flour

pinch of salt

2 tsp baking powder

4 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla (clear)

Pre-heat oven to 350F. Prepare cake pans with non-stick spray. Combine flour, salt, and baking powder in large bowl and set aside.

Beat butter in stand mixer until fluffy. Add sugar and strawberry gelatin to combine. In a separate bowl mix together milk, buttermilk, vanilla, strawberry puree, and eggs. Add this mixture to the stand mixer and combine. In 3 parts add in the dry ingredients from separate bowl. Mix well.

Place batter into cake pans and bake for about 30 minutes. Check if it is done with a toothpick in the center of the cake that comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature.

Blackberry Cream Cheese frosting

1 box pureed and strained blackberries

1/2 cup butter

8 oz cream cheese

1 tsp clear vanilla extract

4.5 cups powdered sugar

After pureeing the blackberries in the food processor, strain the puree so you don’t have any seeds. Beat butter and cream cheese together in stand mixer. Add powdered sugar in 1/2 cups and mix. Add Blackberry puree 1 tbsp at a time until desired color and consistency. (Remember you don’t want it too liquid-y because you will be piping the cream cheese frosting)

Strawberry Curd

1 box strawberries, pureed in blender and strained

½ cup sugar

1 tbsp corn starch

3 eggs yolks

Juice of 1 lemon

½ cup butter, cut into cubes

Add first 5 ingredients to a saucepan over medium heat and whisk until thickened. Turn off the stove and add butter 1 cube at a time to further thicken. Continue mixing until melted. Let cool to room temperature and then cover with plastic wrap (so that the plastic wrap touches the curd), and place in refrigerator for 1-4 hours. The more time, the thicker it will get – but if you’re in a rush like I was, and making this a couple hours before you are supposed to bring it to a party (oops!) – 1 hour will do!

Meringue frosting

4 egg whites

1 cup granulated sugar

¼ tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp vanilla extract (clear)

Place a large metal bowl over a saucepan of just boiling water. In the bowl, add the egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar and whisk until the sugar dissolves. Transfer this to your stand mixer and beat with whisk attachment to firm peaks. Add vanilla and beat to stiff peaks.

Assembly

On your first layer of cake, spread a thin amount of blackberry cream cheese frosting, layer this with fresh strawberries that have been thinly sliced. Next, pipe a thick circle of the frosting around the top of the cake in a circle to create a border for the strawberry curd. Now using a spoon, fill the center of the cake with desired amount of curd. Place next cake layer on top and repeat the process one more time. Place last cake layer on top. Next crumb coat the cake with the meringue in a thin layer (it spreads very smoothly). Place this in the fridge for 15 minutes. Remove from the fridge and using a closed star tip, pipe roses around the cake (starting at the bottom), with the meringue. Once you’ve completed piping the roses, use your kitchen torch to toast the meringue. This helps stabilize the frosting as well. Place in fridge for at least 30 minutes, and then enjoy!