SWEET AND SOUR

Sweet & Sour

BY WHITNEY DEPAOLI OF SUGAR AND SPARROW

Looking for seasonal recipes to add to your summer repertoire? Then give this sweet and refreshing pink lemonade cake a try!

REAL STRAWBERRY CAKE

INGREDIENTS:

1¼ lb fresh strawberries, pureed and reduced to ¾ cup 3¾ cups cake flour, sifted before measuring 1 tbsp baking powder ¾ teaspoon baking soda 11/2 teaspoons salt 11/8 cup (2.25 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature 21/2 cups granulated sugar 5 large eggs, room temperature 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract ¾ cup whole milk, room temperature A few drops of pink food coloring, optional

METHOD:

Start by pureeing 1¼ lb of fresh strawberries with a food processor. Place the strawberry puree into a saucepan over mediumlow heat and reduce to ¾ cup. Place the reduced puree into an airtight container and refrigerate until fully cooled. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare three 6-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with cooking spray and fitting the bottoms with wax- or parchment-paper circles. In a medium-size bowl, place the sifted cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk to combine. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip the butter, then add the granulated sugar and beat on high for 2 minutes. Turn the mixer to low and add the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating after each addition. Turn the mixer to high and beat for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low and add the vanilla and sour cream until incorporated. Keeping the mixer on low, add all of the dry ingredients at once until just combined, then add the milk until just combined. Whisk the reduced strawberry puree and a few drops of pink food coloring (if using) in by hand and then pour the batter into the prepared cake pans. Bake the cakes for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.

LEMON BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature 8 cups powdered sugar Juice and zest of 21/2 medium lemons 4 tbsp whole milk ¼ tsp salt

METHOD:

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip the butter on high until creamy and light in color. Add the powdered sugar in two additions, mixing thoroughly for a minute and scraping down the bowl and paddle after each addition. Zest the lemons right into the bowl, then add the lemon juice, whole milk, and salt and mix on high for 2 minutes.

ASSEMBLY

Torte and layer the cakes to the desired height. As an option, you can also layer the cake with strawberry buttercream. Crumb coat the cake before covering with a generous layer of the lemon buttercream. Whitney notes: If you wish to re-create the design shown, you’ll need to color the buttercream with yellow, orange, and pink food color. Then pipe the colors onto the cake in thick bands before smoothing with a bench scraper. Use a Wilton #1M tip to pipe swirls around the top of the cake and sprinkle generously with Sprinkle Pop Pink Lemonade sprinkles. ACD