Strawberry Ricotta Cake
This month in Coles they have a great recipe for a strawberry layered cake. It looks really cute and strawberries are very affordable at my local fruit shop. I bought everything required and got started on this cake, this cake is a big effort. Ignore the prep time quoted unless you have three 20cm cake tins and an oven that can fit three at once. I do not, I have an oven that fits one tin and likes to change the temperature regularly. This meant the whole cake from start to finish took about 4 hours.
The delay in baking each layer also meant the mixture had a long time to rise! All my raising agents got bubbling away together in the bowls and my cooked and stacked cake ended up being about 25cm tall plus strawberries!
The Coles version has a cute pale pink icing, if you want this colour I recommend putting together your icing right before stacking your cake and serving. The icing continues to absorb the strawberry juice so it will get brighter and brighter. I didn't care about this because I was finishing the cake at 10:30pm and couldn't be bothered!
I made this in celebration of my darling friend Tayla's Birthday and because I was seeing so many people for our Thermomix catch up. It is definitely a celebration cake, it would easily serve 20. I have shared it with the neighbours and we still have a generous wedge in the fridge.
Ingredients
450 g butter, softened
3 cups (660g) caster sugar
1 tbsp orange rind, finely grated
6 Free Range Eggs
1 1/2 cups (360g) fresh ricotta
4 1/2 cups (675g) plain flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda
1 1/4 cups (310ml) buttermilk
1/4 cup (60ml) orange juice
6 strawberries, end trimmed, very thinly sliced
250 g strawberries, extra, to decorate
1 tbsp redcurrant jelly, melted or strawberry jam, melted, strained
Icing
150 g strawberries, finely chopped
2 tbsp caster sugar
250 g butter, softened
500 g icing sugar mixture
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line the base and sides of three 20cm (base measurement) cake pans.
Use an electric mixer to beat the butter, sugar and orange rind in a bowl until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the ricotta. Add the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and stir to combine. Stir in the buttermilk and orange juice. Divide among the prepared pans and smooth the surfaces. Bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Set aside in the pan for 10 minutes to cool slightly. Turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Use a large serrated knife to trim the top of each cake to level.
Meanwhile, to make the buttercream, combine the strawberry and sugar in a small saucepan. Set aside for 5 minutes or until the juices are released. Stir over medium-low heat for 10 minutes or until the sugar dissolves, the strawberry breaks down and the mixture thickens. Set aside to cool. Process in a food processor until almost smooth.
Use an electric mixer to beat the butter in a bowl until very pale. Gradually add the icing sugar, beating well after each addition. Beat in the strawberry mixture.
Place 1 cake on a serving plate. Top with one-third of the buttercream and spread evenly over the top and side. Top with half the sliced strawberries. Continue layering with remaining cakes, buttercream and sliced strawberries.
Spread remaining buttercream over top and side. Brush whole strawberries with redcurrant jelly. Arrange over cake.
Notes
As you complete one layer place it in the fridge. This will allow the icing to firm up and your cake will be less crumbly. Your layers will hold better and your cake should be straighter.
Happy Birthday Tayla xxx
