Strawberry Daiquiri Cake

Ah, Spring...A time for renewal and new beginnings.  I have always loved Fall, but Spring holds a very close second for me.  I love how my backyard metamorphoses beginning, oh, around the first of February.  My flowers and trees seem to bloom in sync with one another, providing me some new bloom with the each passing month.  This month, it's my red bud tree, tulips and roses.  

Ah, Spring...

Spring also means the beginning of strawberry season in Northern California.  Starting very soon, the local farmer's markets will have the first crops of strawberries.  We're very lucky in the Sacramento area to have a great selection of farmer's markets and local strawberry stands.  Nothing seems to say Spring to me like a great dessert made with strawberries.

And, although this cake uses frozen strawberries for the puree base (you could use fresh, of course), the flavor is spot-on and nicely sweet.  I opted for using the rose frosting pattern for this cake, as I've done for my pistachio and orange almond cakes.  Actually, it's a very easy pattern with great show appeal.  Nicely ties into the roses blooming in my back yard, too.  I love that...

I hope you're enjoying your Spring, wherever that may be...Even in those cooler climates where flowers are just coming up.  

And, just think, you can wear all your white shoes now! *wink* 

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Step-by-Step

Make the puree using this method using frozen strawberries.  It's easy.  Or, you could opt for using a very good strawberry jam.   Prepare your pans.

In medium bowl, combine milk, strawberry puree, rum and lime juice.  With a whisk, beat in eggs and vanilla.   

In bowl of stand mixer, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

On low speed, add the butter.  Mix until fine crumbs form, about 2 minutes.

On low speed, add the wet ingredients (and food coloring if using) and beat at medium speed for 1 minute until just combined.  Add lime zest.

Fold in the lime zest and finish by hand.

Pour batter evenly into prepared pans and smooth tops.

Bake as directed until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs.  Let cakes cool in the pan for 20 minutes.  

Turn out the cakes onto wire racks. Let cakes cool completely before frosting. 

For the Crumb Coat and Strawberry Daiquiri Buttercream

Cream the butter for 30 seconds on medium speed in a stand mixer. Add the liquids and food coloring and slowly increase the speed to medium into you have almost an emulsion (not too long or the butter will get too warm).  You want this crumb coat to be a pale pink.  

Okay, so I went a bit over board on the rose...More like hot pink.  Oh, well, next time...

Slowly add the confectioners’ sugar until incorporated.  Beat on medium for 30 seconds.  Adjust consistency by adding corn syrup in 1 tbsp increments, beating on medium for 30 seconds after each addition.

For the Strawberry Daiquiri frosting, add the lime zest and beat on medium high for 1 minute.  For the crumb coat, just beat on medium high for 1 minute.

For the crumb coat, frost between layers.  Frost remaining cake and smooth the surface. 

Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before frosting with the Strawberry Daiquiri Buttercream.

For the Rose Patterned Frosting

Removed well-chilled cake from the refrigerator.  Make the frosting the same as above and color the whole batch a light pink.  Remove half.

Color the other half with more pink color.  You want a good contrast.  Obviously, I didn't achieve said contrast.  Always a next time, right?

Pile the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.  See Note below for two tone frosting.

Pipe roses in 1 or 2 layers up the side of the cake.  If doing 2 rows, start at the bottom and alternate the roses. Pipe on top using the same rose pattern.  Fill in any gaps between roses with piped stars.

Refrigerate for 3 hours and lightly cover with plastic wrap or place in cake carrier.

Note: I've added a special note to this recipe about this frosting technique...Please see below recipe that follows.

Strawberry Daiquiri Cake

Adapted from Fresh Strawberry Cake by Confections of a Foodie Bride

Make one 9 inch cake (or 24 cupcakes)

Ingredients

Strawberry puree (see link above for directions)

16 oz frozen strawberries

2 tbsp Frambroise

Juice of 1/2 a lime

2 tbsp sugar

Cake

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup strawberry puree

1/3 cup Rum (white or coconut rum)

Juice of 1/2 a lime

4 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/2 cup cake flour, sifted

1 3/4 cup sugar

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

12 Tbsp unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), at room temperature

Pink or red food coloring (optional)

Zest of 1 lime

Crumb Coat

1/2 cup salted butter, room temperature

1 tbsp strawberry puree

1 tbsp milk or cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

Pink or red food coloring (I used rose)

2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Corn syrup

Strawberry Daiquiri Buttercream

1 cup salted butter

2 tbsp strawberry puree

2 tbsp Rum (or coconut rum)

1 tbsp lime juice

1-2 tsp vanilla

Pink or red food coloring (I used rose)

4 - 4 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted

Zest of one lime

Corn syrup

Large pink pearl nonpareils for decoration

Instructions

For the Strawberry Puree

1. Place frozen strawberries, Frambroise, lime juice and sugar in a medium sauce pan.  Bring to a slow boil on medium heat.  Crush strawberries with a fork as they cook.  Cook on a low boil for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool completely.

2. Place strawberry mixer in a food process or blender and puree.  Reserve puree for cake and frosting. 

For the Strawberry Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease and flour two 8- or 9-inch pans and line with parchment rounds.

2. In medium bowl, combine milk, strawberry puree, rum and lime juice.  With a whisk, beat in eggs and vanilla.   

3. In bowl of stand mixer, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  On low speed, add the butter.  Mix until fine crumbs form, about 2 minutes.

4. On low speed, add the wet ingredients (and food coloring if using) and beat at medium speed for 1 minute until just combined.  Fold in the lime zest and finish by hand.

5. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans and smooth tops.

6. Bake for 32-35 minutes* or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs.  Let cakes cool in the pan for 20 minutes.  Turn out the cakes onto wire racks. Let cakes cool completely before frosting. *Adjust time for 8 inch pan.

For the Crumb Coat

1. Cream the butter for 30 seconds on medium speed in a stand mixer. 

2. Add the liquids and food coloring and slowly increase the speed to medium into you have almost an emulsion (not too long or the butter will get too warm).  You want this frosting to be a pale pink.

3. Slowly add the confectioners’ sugar until incorporated.  Beat on medium for 30 seconds.  Adjust consistency by adding corn syrup in 1 tbsp increments, beating on medium for 30 seconds after each addition. 

4. Beat on medium high for 1 minute.

5. Frost between layers.  Frost remaining sides and top of cake and smooth the surface. 

6. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before frosting with the Strawberry Daiquiri Buttercream.

For the Strawberry Daiquiri Buttercream

1. Repeat the same instructions for the crumb coat, except increase the amount of pink food coloring/gel to achieve a deeper pink color.**

2. Remove well-chilled cake from the refrigerator.

3. Fill piping bag, fitted with a large star tip, with frosting. 

4. Pipe roses in 1 or 2 rows up the side of the cake.  Start at the bottom and alternate the roses, if doing 2 rows. 

5. Pipe on top using the same rose pattern.  Fill in any gaps between roses with piped stars.

6. Refrigerate for 3 hours and lightly cover with plastic wrap or place in cake carrier.

** Note: I actually tried to make my cake with a two tone frosting.  I made the buttercream as directed without adding a little bit of the food coloring.  Then I removed half of the buttercream and added more pink food coloring to the other half.  I filled my piping bag with alternating portions of the two different colors of buttercream.  I would recommend leaving the first portion white.  I learned my lesson…

I made this cake for a special little girl's 6 month birthday.  Finley can't eat cake right now, but she seemed to be drawn to this frosting...

You go girl!  

Happy Spring!!  

Ellen