Strawberry Compote Cake Filling

Hi guys! I hope you’re making my favorite Strawberry Cake! I use this delicious and easy strawberry filling to just about ANY cake. It stores really well in the fridge and freezer and I find it to brighten up any cake! Also, this compote can very easily be turned into a pineapple filling or a blueberry filling by changing the fruit. No, you don’t need to use frozen fruit all the time but it is fruit picked at the peak of freshness and typically costs less - which is why I enjoy using it more.

Ingredients

  • Roughly 4 cups of frozen, sliced strawberries

  • 1/2 cup sugar

  • 3 tablespoon cornstarch

  • 2 tablespoons water

  • 2 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

  1. In a medium pot, add the berries, sugar, and lemon juice and cook on a medium heat until the strawberries have thawed and the mixture is starting to simmer.

  2. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water until it is a smooth paste.

  3. Add in the cornstarch mixture and stir until the mixture starts to thicken. Remove from heat and transfer compote to a seperate bowl. As you allow this compote to cool, it will get thicker.

  4. Cover the compote with plastic wrap to prevent a skin forming on top of it and transfer it to the fridge until you’re ready to use it.

Strawberry Cake

This classic Strawberry Cake is exploding with strawberry flavor and is the PERFECT summer sweet treat! I like to bake this cake and load the insides with Fresh Strawberry Compote and Strawberry Easy Swiss Meringue Buttercream. The strawberry buttercream is my Easy Swiss Meringue Buttercream with 1/2 cup freeze-dried strawberries. If you want to customize this recipe by making it raspberry, you can easily do that by swapping out the freeze-dried strawberries and strawberry gelatin for freeze-dried raspberries and raspberry gelatin (I use Jell-O).

Quick note - I like to prepare the compote and the strawberry buttercream before I start the cake so those are ready to go when the cake has cooled.

Ingredients

Makes 3 6” cakes, 2 8” cakes, or 12-15 cupcakes.

  • 2 sticks or 1 cup of unsalted room temp butter

  • 1 1/2 cups sugar

  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

  • 4 room temperature eggs

  • 1/4 cup sour cream

  • 3 cups cake flour or 2 3/4 all-purpose flour and 1/4 cup corn starch

  • 1 tablespoon baking powder

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 6 oz strawberry gelatin

  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk

  • 1/2 cup ground freeze-dried strawberries

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

  2. Start by creaming the butter and sugar together in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment for 3-4 minutes at medium-high speed until light and fluffy .

  3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the vanilla.

  4. With the mixer on a low speed, add the eggs one at a time followed by the sour cream, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

  5. Sift the dry ingredients - flour, the baking soda, baking powder, and strawberry gelatin in a separate bowl.

  6. Ground the freeze-dried strawberries and set aside.

  7. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the buttermilk into the mixer, mixing well in between additions. I add one heaping cup of dry ingredients to the mixer and follow that with 1/2 of the buttermilk.

  8. Once all the dry ingredients and the buttermilk has been added, swipe the sides of the bowl with the spatula and mix or fold in the freeze-dried strawberries.

  9. Prepare the cake pans by lining them with parchment paper and spraying with baking spray.

  10. Add in the batter to about 3/4 of the pan and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 45-50 minutes. Oven baking times may vary. Test the center of your cake with a knife at the 40 minute mark to see if it comes out clean. When it does, place the cakes on a cooling rack for 2-3 minutes and cover the tops with plastic wrap to “steam” the cakes. This keeps the cakes moist.

  11. Wrap cooled cake layers in plastic wrap and freeze until needed.

Mixed Berry Pavlova

Image property of Cake It With Justin.

This recipe makes a 9” round pavlova.

Ingredients

  • 4 egg whites, room temp

  • 1 cup granulated sugar

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the whipped cream:

  • 1 cup heavy cream

  • 1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Decoration:

  • 2 cups strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries (optional) fresh or frozen

  • Mint leaves

  • Honey, for drizzling

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees℉.

  2. Using a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or a hand-mixer, beat egg whites on a medium-low speed until foamy.

  3. Add 1/3 of the sugar to the mixer, increase the speed to medium, and continue beating for several minutes.

  4. Add in another 1/3 of the sugar, increasing speed to medium-high and continue beating for several minutes.

  5. Finish with the remaining sugar and vanilla extract, increasing the speed to high, and beating until stiff peaks form at the tip of the meringue- typically several minutes. Meringue should create a peak at the end of the whisk attachment when lifted out of the bowl.

  6. Spread the meringue out on a baking sheet fitted with parchment or a silicone baking mat using a spatula. Create a circular disk that is roughly 9”.

  7. Bake in the center rack of the oven for 1 hour.

  8. Once the hour is up, turn the oven off, and allow the meringue to cool to room temperature in the oven with the door ajar (slightly open) for roughly another hour.

  9. Prepare the whipped cream by whipping together the heavy cream and powdered sugar until peaks form.

  10. Serve by placing the meringue gently on a serving board, top with homemade whipped cream, berries, mint, and drizzle of honey.

  11. The pavlova can be stored in an airtight container on it’s own (without whipped cream and berries) in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Pavlovas with berries and whipped cream must be eaten immediately.