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The perfect cake for any birthday celebration or a picnic gathering at the park. It’s delicious and easy to take anywhere! Recipe by Dani Flowers.
Strawberry Lunchbox cakes

Strawberry Lunchbox cakes

Course: Dessert
Prep Time: 4 hours
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours 25 minutes
Yield: 4 4" Mini Cakes

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Equipment

  • Kitchen scale
  • Stand mixer or electric mixer with whisk and paddle attachment
  • 3 Large piping bag Star piping tip
  • #3 piping tip
  • #1 piping tip
  • 4- 4-inch baking molds Small sauce-pan
  • Heatproof or wood spatula Microplane
  • Angled spatula Cake scraper
  • Food processor or blender Ice cream scoop
  • Turn table (optional) Serrated knife or cake leveler. Cake circle or cake stand
  • 4 lunchbox cake boxes
  • partchment paper

Ingredients

Vanilla Cake

  • 1 stick unsalted butter softened (115 g) 1 1/4 cup sugar (250 g)
  • ¼ cup brown sugar packed (60 g) 3 large eggs
  • ½ cup buttermilk 110 g1/3 cup + 1 Tbs grape-seed oil (75 g) 1 Tbs pure vanilla extract (12 g)
  • 1 ½ cups cake flour 185 g 1 tsp baking powder (4 g)
  • 1 tsp salt 4 g

Strawberry Jam

  • 1 pound California strawberries 600 g
  • 1 cup sugar 200 g
  • 1 ½ Tbs lemon juice 15 gr

Strawberry Buttercream

  • 1 cup salted butter room temperature (220 g) 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted (325 g)
  • 3 Tbs strawberry jam

Strawberries and Cream filling

  • 1 ½ Cups heavy cream 1 Tbs Vanilla extract
  • ½ Cup Powdered sugar
  • 1 Cup fresh California strawberries diced

Decoration

  • Red food coloring Green food coloring White sprinkles

Instructions

Vanilla Cake

  • Heat the oven to 350°. Line four 4-inch baking pans with parchment paper and then spray with nonstick baking spray. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, cream the butter with both of the sugars on medium-high speed for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the eggs, one at a time, beating on medium-high for 1 minute after each addition. After adding the last egg beat on high for 4 more minutes. Scrape sides of the bowl. Reduce the mixer speed to low, and slowly drizzle in the buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. It should take approximately 3 minutes to add the liquids. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high, and beat until the batter doubles in volume and turns white, 3 more minutes.
  • Reduce the mixer speed to low, add the flour, baking powder, and salt, and mix until just combined, about 30-45 seconds. Divide the batter into the prepared pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes. Let cool and transfer to a freezer.

Strawberry Jam

  • Wash and remove stem from strawberries. In a blender, puree the strawberries until smooth and strain into a small saucepan. Add sugar and lemon juice, stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat to
  • medium-low, and cook the jam, stirring until thickened and glossy, approximately 10 minutes. Remove the jam from the heat and let cool completely.

Strawberry Frosting

  • Place butter in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on high until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add powdered sugar in two additions and beat until fully incorporated. Add 3 Tbs of strawberry jam and keep mixing until well combined.
  • Transfer ½ cup strawberry buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a star tip and reserve.

Strawberries and Cream filling

  • Whip heavy cream with vanilla and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Stir diced strawberries into the cream, reserve.

Assembly

  • Slice each cooled cake in two using a serrated knife or cake leveler. In a cake circle or a cake stand place a dollop of strawberry frosting to serve as glue and place the first cake in the center, caramelized side down.
  • Pipe a double border of strawberry buttercream just inside the outline of the layer. This will create a dam that will prevent the filling from bulging out.
  • Using a small spoon, pour ½ cup (approximately 2 ice cream scoops) of strawberries and cream filling and spread evenly with the angled spatula.
  • Place the other half of the cake on top, fliping it making sure the top is upside down facing the filling. Smooth the side of the cake with the
  • spatula making sure the filling is secured inside.
  • Repeat with the other three cakes and refrigerate until buttercream has hardened, about 10-15 minutes.
  • Ice with remaining strawberry buttercream.

Decoration

  • Add a drop or two of red food coloring to a ¼ cup of frosting. This is going to be for our strawberries. Mix it together until smooth. Transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a #3 round piping tip.
  • Add a drop of green food coloring to the 2 tablespoons of frosting. This is going to be our strawberry tops. Mix it together until smooth. Transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a #1 round piping tip.
  • Transfer 4 Tbs of strawberry buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a #1 piping tip.
  • To add the strawberries, pipe hearts on the top of the cake using the red buttercream piping bag.
  • Pipe on two little long dots at the top of each heart to transform them to strawberries.
  • Pipe tiny pink dots on the surface of the hearts to make the strawberry seeds.
  • Sprinkle white sprinkles on the cake avoiding to cover the strawberries.
  • Transfer from the cake board to a 6x6 cut parchment paper by carefully lifting it using an angled spatula. Lift the cake by holding opposite sides of the parchment paper and place inside a lunchbox cake box.
  • Enjoy!