Strawberry Lemonade Cake (Print-Friendly Version)

# What You'll Need:

→ Lemon Cake

01 - Super soft 150 g unsalted butter
02 - 280 g powdered sugar
03 - Three eggs (medium size, should be at room temp)
04 - Spoon and a half of vanilla extract
05 - 260 g of regular flour
06 - Ten grams of cornstarch
07 - A teaspoon and a half of baking powder
08 - Half a teaspoon of baking soda
09 - A small pinch (1/4 tsp) of fine salt
10 - 210 ml buttermilk
11 - Half a lemon zested and juiced

→ Strawberry Filling

12 - Enough homemade strawberry compote to spread between all the layers

→ Strawberry Swiss Buttercream

13 - Lots of made-from-scratch Strawberry Swiss Buttercream

→ Lemon Mascarpone Chantilly

14 - Plenty of Lemon Mascarpone Chantilly cream, ready to go

→ Lemon Drizzle

15 - About 50 g white chocolate
16 - 50 g heavy cream
17 - Two teaspoons lemon curd
18 - A drop or two of yellow food gel

# Step-by-Step Directions:

01 - Heat your oven to 165°C (325°F). Put parchment in three 15 cm pans. Grab a bowl and sift together baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch, flour, and the salt. In another bowl, beat the butter, powdered sugar, and lemon zest until they turn pale and light. Add the eggs and vanilla, mix it until totally blended. Slowly work in the buttermilk and squeeze in that lemon juice, stirring until the batter looks smooth and lump-free.
02 - Pour the batter into your pans and aim for even layers. Slide the pans in the oven and bake around half an hour. You'll know they're set when you stick a skewer in and it comes out clean. Move the cakes onto a rack as soon as they're cool enough and let them cool down all the way.
03 - Get your favorite strawberry compote ready—homemade is fantastic. Make sure it cools off before you move on to stacking the cake.
04 - Get that Strawberry Swiss Buttercream made the way you usually like. Any standby method works here as long as it's smooth and ready to spread.
05 - Whip up that Lemon Mascarpone Chantilly cream until it’s just the texture you want. Store-bought or whatever homemade version works for you is perfect.
06 - If the cake layers ended up uneven, shave off any domed tops. Place the first cake round on your turntable and pipe a ring of strawberry buttercream on the edge. Spoon the compote and mascarpone chantilly inside that ring. Stack on your next cake round and repeat those fillings. Roughly frost the outside (for a crumb coat) with the buttercream, then let it chill for two hours or just pop it in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
07 - Toss the heavy cream and white chocolate into a bowl set over steaming but not boiling water. Wait for the chocolate to melt all the way, then mix in yellow coloring and the lemon curd. Let the glaze cool until it drops to 30°C (86°F). Pour over your chilled cake so it drips down the sides. Top with buttercream leftovers and fresh lemon slices if you want. Let it stand for half an hour on the counter before you serve.

# Helpful Notes:

01 - Leftover slices pop into the fridge for up to 4 days or tuck in the freezer for three months and they're still tasty.
02 - Always let your sponge cakes cool off fully before you stack or decorate, or you'll get a melty mess.
03 - Use a buttercream border to hold in that compote so it stays put.
04 - Wait until the cake is nice and cold before pouring on the lemon glaze for a thick drippy finish.

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