Ingredients
Scale
Cake
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable shortening
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup almond milk (any milk will work)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
Frosting
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 5 large egg whites
- ½ + ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- 1 9.5 ounce jar strawberry preserves, for assembly
- Sparkling sugar, or other sprinkles, for decorating
Instructions
- Make the cake. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 2 9-inch round baking pans, line the bottom only with parchment, butter the parchment, and flour the entire pan.
- In a large bowl, cream butter and shortening using a hand or stand mixer on medium-high until light and fluffy. Add sugar one cup at a time, while continuing to beat on medium speed, making sure each cup of sugar is incorporated before adding another. Add eggs one at a time while mixing on medium speed, making sure each egg is incorporated before adding another.
- In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour, with the mixer running on low. Mix in vanilla bean paste. Stir the batter once by hand to make sure all ingredients are fully combined.
- Divide batter equally among pans and bake 35-45 minutes, rotating halfway through if necessary, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs. Cool cakes in pans for about 10 minutes, before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely. Cake may be made 1 day ahead of time.
- Make the frosting. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, water, and corn syrup over medium heat, stirring frequently until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once this happens, stop stirring, attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan, and allow the mixture to come to 240 degrees F on the thermometer. In the meantime, place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium-high until foamy. Once foamy, add the cream of tartar and continue beating on medium-high until stiff peaks form. Be sure not to over whip the egg whites or they will become dry.
- Once the eggs are whipped and the syrup is at 240, turn the eggs to medium-low, immediately remove the syrup from the heat, and begin slowly and steadily drizzling it into the eggs. If the syrup is ready before the eggs, it can be turned down or removed from the heat while the eggs finish, before being replaced on the heat to bring to temperature. If the eggs are ready before the syrup, stop mixing them until the syrup is almost ready. Turn them back to medium-high briefly before turning them back down and adding the syrup.
- Once the syrup has all been added, turn the mixer back to medium-high and beat the frosting (what is basically marshmallow crème and is delectable all by itself) for 10-13 minutes until the bottom of the bowl is barely warm or at room temperature. It is important for it to not be too warm or the next step will not work.
- Once cooled, add the butter a couple tablespoons at a time, allowing each addition to incorporate before adding another. Scrape down the bowl occasionally. Once all the butter is incorporated, add the vanilla bean paste and mix to combine. Remove the bowl from the mixer and mix briefly by hand to make sure there are no clumps of butter. If the frosting is a bit soupy (because it was too warm when the butter was added) stick it in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes, beat it again with the stand mixer. It should come together.
- Assemble the cake. Place one cake on a cake plate. Using a serrated knife, cut the cake in half horizontally. Place the top half on a plate or back in the pan. Leave the bottom half on the cake stand and cover with frosting. Place the top half of the cake on top, and cover with jam. Cut the other cake and place half on top of the jam; cover with frosting. Place the final layer of cake. Cover the entire cake with frosting, including the sides. Once frosted, gently sprinkle with sprinkles and serve. May be stored at room temperature for up to 2 hours. May be stored in the refrigerator up to 2 days or frozen in pieces, wrapped in plastic and foil and placed in a zipper bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for about 2 hours.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Add a Pinch
Additional cooling time will be necessary
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes