Strawberry Lime Cake- Sweet strawberry cake layers, filled with a tangy lime curd, and frosted in a strawberry buttercream.
I have always felt like strawberries and lime were just meant to be together. With strawberries in season for the summer, this will make the perfect cake for a family or friend gathering.
For more berry related desserts, here are some you might like:
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Why this recipes works
Fluffy Strawberry Cake- Made from strawberry jello powder, this cake has a great strawberry flavor.
Lime Curd- Made with fresh limes, this curd is tangy with a hint of sweet.
Layered Cake- This layered cake can be made with four 6-inch or three 8-inch cake pans.
Strawberry Frosting- This frosting gets its great strawberry flavor from strawberry emulsion and freeze dried strawberries.
Ingredients list
I have listed some of the ingredients here, but for a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below:
- Unsalted butter- You will want room temperature butter for this cake.
- Cooking spray- This might not be in the ingredient list, but you will use it to spray your cake pans.
- Strawberry Jello- You will need a regular 3 ounce package of Jello.
- Freeze Dried Strawberries- I found mine at target.
- Eggs- You will need 6 eggs for the cake batter and 5 for the curd. They will need to be at room temperature.
- Cake flour- This helps make your cakes light, fluffy, and delicious.
- Limes- This is for the lime curd.
- Buttermilk- This will also need to be at room temperature. Make sure to pull it out 2-4 hours before you start baking.
- Heavy cream- You will need heavy whipping cream for the cake batter.
- Strawberry Emulsion- I got mine here:
Tips for making the best cake batter
- Use room temperature ingredients. Pull out your butter, eggs, sour cream, and buttermilk 1-2 hours before baking.
- Cream your butter and sugar. This is what helps aerate your cake so your layers will be light and fluffy.
- Don't over mix your cake batter. Mix on low just until incorporated and evenly combined.
- Use fresh baking soda and baking powder (less than 6 months old).
Step by step- Lime Curd
Step 1: Whisk the sugar, lime zest and juice. In a medium sized sauce pan, whisk the sugar, lime zest, and lime juice. In a small bowl, whisk the whole eggs and egg yolks.
Step 2: Cook the mixture. On medium to high heat, and while whisking, slowly add the eggs to the lime/sugar mixture.
Step 3: Use a whisk and cook. Whisk constantly and let the mixture cook for about 7-8 minutes, depending on how hot your stove gets. Once it starts to bubble, I let it bubble for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Step 4: Add the butter. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter. It might take a few minutes. I throw my butter in the mixture, let it sit for a couple of minutes, and then whisk it after it melts (if you are adding food coloring, this is the time to add it-Remember, a little goes a long way).
Step 5: Add/strain the curd. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a glass or plastic Tupperware bowl. With a rubber spatula, push the lime mixture through the sieve.
Step 6: Cover and store. Press plastic wrap onto the mixture to help prevent a skin from forming and let it sit out until it comes to room temperature, and then refrigerate at least 4 hours to set.
Step by Step- Strawberry Buttercream
Step 1: Cream the butter. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter for about 2 minutes on medium-high speed.
Step 2: Add the sugar, cream, emulsion, and freeze dried strawberries. With the mixer on low speed, add the sifted powdered sugar and mix until combined. Add the finely blended freeze dried strawberries, strawberry emulsion, heavy cream, and salt. Mix on medium-low speed until combined.
Step 3: Beat the mixture. Turn the mixer to medium high speed and beat the frosting for about 3 to 4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl and beat for 1 more minute.
Step 4: Beat out the air-pockets. Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to stir the frosting by hand to push out any air bubbles.
FAQ
Can I make this into a sheet cake?
Yes this can be turned into a sheet cake, four 6 inch cake pans, or a 9×13 (if you do a 9×13, it will need to bake for 40-45 minutes).
Can these be made into cupcakes?
YES! You just need to reduce the baking time to 23-27 minutes.
What if I can't find emulsion?
I have found emulsion at Micheal's, Amazon, and Hobby Lobby. If for some reason you can't find it anywhere, you can just use more freeze dried strawberries.
Assembly
- With a piping bag, pipe a small dollop of frosting onto a cake board. Place the first strawberry cake layer, top side up, onto the board.
- Pipe a rim of frosting around the edge of the cake to create a barrier for the filling.
- Spread about half of the curd in the center of the cake. With the back of a spoon, carefully spread it to the edge of the piping.
- Place a second cake layer on top of the piped frosting and filling and repeat steps 2 and 3. Place the final cake layer, top side up, on the second layer of filling.
- Frost a thin coat of frosting around the cake to lock in the crumbs. This is the crumb coat. Freeze the cake for about 10 to 15 minutes to set the frosting.
- Finish frosting with the strawberry buttercream, and decorating the cake with the remaining frosting. Serve with the remaining lime curd.
Expert baking tips
-Make sure that your ingredients for the cake are room temperature. This will help your cakes rise properly in the oven.
-You can make everything ahead of time and assemble on the day that you are ready to serve it.
-SIFT your powdered sugar. This is a step you seriously don't want to skip. It helps make your buttercream smooth and SILKY.
-Use high quality cake pans. My favorite and trusted brand is FAT DADDIOS. You can find them here:
Storing
How to store this Strawberry Lime Cake
If I am dividing my cake making into multiple days, I bake my cake layers, cool them, and wrap them with plastic wrap and store them in the fridge or freezer. This help reduce crumbs and makes it so the layers don't slide around when decorating. They can be stored in the fridge for 3-5 days.
For the filling, make it the same day you are stacking and assembling. It doesn't hold well. Once you are done making the filling, place it in the fridge to keep cold, and make it stable.
For more recipes you might like here are some
Recipe
Strawberry Lime Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 oz package of strawberry flavored Jell-O
- 4 large egg whites room temperature
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup sour cream room temperature
- 3 cups cake flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups buttermilk room temperature
For the Lime Curd
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup lime juice
- 4 teaspoons lime zest
- 3 large eggs
- 3 large egg yolks
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- optional-green food gel use a toothpick, a little goes a long way
For the strawberry frosting
- 2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
- 5 cups powdered sugar measured and then sifted
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup pulverized or finely blended freeze dried strawberries
- 1 teaspoon LorAnns's strawberry emulsion
- Pinch of salt
- Fresh strawberries optional
Instructions
For the strawberry cake
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Spray three 8-inch round cake pans with non-stick cooking spray and then line with parchment paper. Spray again. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, strawberry Jell-O, and granulated sugar for about 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl, and then beat for 2 more minutes.
- With the mixer on medium speed, gradually add the egg whites and the whole egg, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl between each addition.
- Add the sour cream and vanilla. Mix for another 2 minutes on medium speed. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl. If it looks a little curdled, that's okay, it's normal. Once you add the flour it will smooth out.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Mix until combined. Don't over mix. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom and make sure you've gotten all of it.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans (about 16 ounces of batter in each pan). I used three 8-inch pans and my cooking time was 28 minutes. Baking time should be between 28-31 minutes for the 8-inch. Check to see if the cake is done by inserting a toothpick into the top of the cake. It should come out with just a few moist crumbs.
- Let the layers cool in the pans for 15 minutes and then invert onto wire cooling racks until completely cooled.
For the Lime Curd
- In a medium size sauce pan, whisk the sugar, lime zest, and lime juice.
- In a small bowl, whisk the whole eggs, and egg yolks.
- On medium to high heat, and while whisking, slowly add the eggs to the lime/sugar mixture.
- Whisk constantly and let the mixture cook for about 7-8 minutes, depending on how hot your stove gets. Once it starts to bubble, I let it bubble for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter. It might take a few minutes. I throw my butter in the mixture, let it sit for a couple of minutes, and then whisk it after it melts. (If you are adding food coloring, this is the time to add it. Remember, a little goes a long way)
- Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a glass or plastic Tupperware bowl. With a rubber spatula, push the lime mixture through the sieve.
- Press plastic wrap onto the mixture to help prevent a skin from forming and let it sit out until it comes to room temperature, and then refrigerate at least 4 hours to set.
For the strawberry frosting
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter for about 2 minutes on medium-high speed.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the sifted powdered sugar and mix until combined. Add the finely blended freeze dried strawberries, strawberry emulsion, heavy cream, and salt. Mix on medium-low speed until combined.
- Turn the mixer to medium high speed and beat the frosting for about 3 to 4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl and beat for 1 more minute.
- Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to stir the frosting by hand to push out any air bubbles.
Assembly
- With a piping bag, pipe a small dollop of frosting onto a cake board. Place the first strawberry cake layer, top side up, onto the board.
- Pipe a rim of frosting around the edge of the cake to create a barrier for the filling.
- Spread about half of the curd in the center of the cake. With the back of a spoon, carefully spread it to the edge of the piping.
- Place a second cake layer on top of the piped frosting and filling and repeat steps 2 and 3. Place the final cake layer, top side up, on the second layer of filling.
- Frost a thin coat of frosting around the cake to lock in the crumbs. This is the crumb coat. Freeze the cake for about 10 to 15 minutes to set the frosting.
- Finish frosting with the strawberry buttercream, and decorating the cake with the remaining frosting. Serve with the remaining lime curd.
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