Strawberry Wedding Cake Recipe

Prepare

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour three 8-inch round cake pans (or two 9-inch pans) and line the bottoms with parchment circles. Place racks in the center of the oven.

Make strawberry puree

Place about 1 1/4 cups fresh hulled strawberries in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Press the puree through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl to remove seeds and pulp; you should have about 1 cup strained puree. Measure and chill if warm.

Dry ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

Cream butter and sugar

In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the room-temperature butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3–4 minutes.

Add eggs and vanilla

Add eggs one at a time, beating briefly after each addition until incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and mix in the vanilla extract.

Combine wet and dry

With the mixer on low, add one-third of the dry ingredients, then half of the milk, then another third of the dry ingredients, then the remaining milk, and finish with the last third of dry ingredients. Mix until just combined; avoid overmixing.

Fold in strawberry

Gently fold in the strained strawberry puree and sour cream (or yogurt) with a rubber spatula until uniform. If you want a more vivid color, add up to 1 tsp natural red/pink food coloring and fold briefly. Batter should be smooth and pourable; if too thick, add 1–2 tablespoons of milk.

Bake

Divide batter evenly among prepared pans (use a scale or measure). Smooth tops and bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, about 22–28 minutes for 8-inch pans (25–32 minutes for 9-inch). Rotate pans halfway through baking for even color.

Cool

Allow cakes to cool in pans on a wire rack for 10–15 minutes, then run a knife around the edges, invert onto racks, remove parchment, and cool completely before filling and frosting (at least 1 hour).

While cakes bake, make the syrup: combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup chopped strawberries in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat and simmer gently 5 minutes to extract flavor. Mash the berries with a spoon, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Stir in 1 tsp lemon juice. Let cool. Reserve about 6–8 tablespoons per cake layer to brush (adjust quantity as needed).

Macerate berries

Place 3 cups sliced strawberries in a bowl with 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 tsp lemon juice. Toss and let sit at room temperature 15–30 minutes to macerate and release juices. Drain any excess liquid before using as a filling, reserving a tablespoon or two for flavor if desired.

Prepare glaze (optional)

Warm 1/4 cup strawberry jam with 1 tablespoon water in a small saucepan or microwave until loose. Strain if necessary. Use to glaze the tops of sliced berries for a shiny finish.

Prepare strawberry puree

Make or reserve 3/4 cup strained strawberry puree (use fresh berries pureed and pressed through a sieve). Chill the puree so it is not warm when added to butter.

Whip butter

In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the 1 1/2 cups room-temperature butter on medium speed until smooth and pale, about 2–3 minutes.

Add sugar in batches

With the mixer on low, add the sifted confectioners' sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing until incorporated after each addition. Scrape down the bowl as needed.

Add strawberry puree and cream

Add the chilled 3/4 cup strawberry puree, vanilla, salt, and 2 tablespoons of the cream. Beat on medium-high until smooth and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes. If the frosting is too stiff, add the remaining tablespoon of cream; if too soft, add more sifted sugar 1/4 cup at a time to reach piping consistency.

Adjust color and taste

Taste and adjust salt or strawberry intensity (you may fold in 1–2 teaspoons reduced strawberry jam for deeper flavor). If you want a paler color, add more powdered sugar; for brighter pink, add a small amount of natural food coloring.

Level the cooled cake layers with a serrated knife or cake leveler so they stack evenly. Place the first layer on a cake board or serving plate. Brush the top lightly with about 2–3 tablespoons of the cooled strawberry simple syrup to keep it moist.

Pipe or spread a thin layer (crumb coat) of buttercream over the first layer to seal crumbs. Chill 10–15 minutes to set the crumb coat.

Spread a thicker layer of buttercream (about 3/4 cup) over the chilled crumb coat where the first layer sits. Arrange a layer of macerated strawberry slices (about 3/4 cup worth) evenly over the buttercream. If desired, brush the berries with a little warmed jam for shine.

Place the second cake layer on top, brush with simple syrup, repeat crumb coat/piping of filling if you have more layers. Finish with the top layer and apply a final generous layer of strawberry buttercream to the sides and top, using an offset spatula to smooth.

Decorate with additional sliced strawberries around the edge and whole strawberries on top as desired. Chill the assembled cake 20–30 minutes to set the frosting before serving (longer refrigeration is fine; bring to room temperature 30–45 minutes before cutting for best texture).

If using, gently warm remaining jam and brush a thin glaze on the fruit for shine just before serving.