Pink Lady Cake

• porciones: 16 servings

Ingredientes

2 cups pureed frozen strawberries (from a 16-ounce bag or 16 ounces of trimmed strawberries) (455 grams)

1/4 cup (60 ml) milk, any kind

8 egg whites

4 cups (520 grams) all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons (25 grams) cornstarch

3 cups (600 grams) granulated sugar

1 ⅕ ounce package freeze-dried strawberries, ground into a powder

5 1/4 teaspoons (about 21 grams) baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (Diamond brand; use half of others)

1 1/2 cups (12 ounces or 340 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature

A few drops of pink/red food coloring, if you wish

3 (8 ounce or 226-gram) packages cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup (6 ounces or 170 grams) unsalted butter, softened

2 1/3 cups (280 grams) confectioners’ sugar, sifted if lumpy

2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract

Instrucciones

Heat your oven: To 350°F (176°C). Coat three 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray or butter and line bottoms with a piece of parchment paper.

Make the cake layers: Blend strawberries until pureed and add milk, blending again. If you’ve got room in your blender, you can add the egg whites to this mixture, blending just to combine.

Add the flour, cornstarch, sugar, strawberry powder, baking powder, and kosher salt to the bowl of an electric mixer and stir to combine. Add the butter and some of the blended strawberry mixture, mixing to combine, then, with the mixer running, add the rest of the strawberries and egg whites, if they weren’t already mixed in. Add a couple drops of pink food coloring, if using. The batter will resemble strawberry ice cream at this point. [Deb note: I must warn you not to try the batter at this point. Not even a smear of it. How unbearably good it is will shock you, and lead to more dipping. Only you can stop this from coming to pass.]

Divide the batter among the three prepared pans and bake the cakes for 30 to 34 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the layers to cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Invert and turn out onto wire racks and peel off the paper liners. Let stand until completely cooled before assembling the cake, at least an hour.

Make the frosting and filling in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a handmixer: Beat the cream cheese on low speed until it’s smooth and there are no lumps. Scrape down the bowl and paddle or beaters often. Add the butter to the cream cheese and continue mixing until smooth, scraping often. You want to make sure none of the cream cheese or butter is sticking to the paddle, or it may end up creating lumps. Mix in the vanilla, then slowly add the powdered sugar, mixing until smooth. Store the frosting in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.

Or make the frosting and filling in a food processor: If you have a food processor, you can start with cold cream cheese and butter, cut into cubes. First add the powdered sugar and butter to the work bowl; blend until they’re fully mixed and smooth. Add the cream cheese and blend until it’s fully smooth as well; you’ll want to scrape down the bowl a couple times to avoid clumps of unmixed cream cheese. Add the vanilla and blend. Store the frosting in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.

Assemble the cake: Place one cake layer on a cake board or platter. Tucking scraps of waxed or parchment paper under the edges of the cake will protect the board or plate from any mess created while frosting the cake. Spread about 2/3 cup frosting over the layer, spreading it to the edge. Repeat with the second layer. Add the top layer and frost the top and sides of the cake with remaining frosting, reserving a small amount if you wish to tint it and pipe a decoration on the cake. If not, you can decorate the cake top with thinly-sliced strawberries or white nonpareils, as shown here. Remove the paper strips to reveal a neat, clean cake board.

2026 recipe update notes:

More strawberries: This recipe now uses a full pound of strawberries, up from 12 ounces.

Freeze-dried strawberries for extra strawberry oomph: This isn’t something that was readily available when I first shared this recipe in 2008, but since they are now, I wanted to take advantage. If the amount seems odd, it’s because I called for what looked like the most common package size I could find (because I like to use packages in full; once they’re open, humidity softens them and they become difficult to grind and the pre-ground become clumpy; trust me). A little more or less won’t hurt.

No more need for cake flour: A little cornstarch plus regular all-purpose flour provide a similar effect.

A bit more salt: It helps the flavors pop.

A little color boost: I caved and added a few drops — well 5, but I think 3 would be more tasteful — of Deep Pink, AmeriColor brand, which I have in this kit.

Less sweet frosting: I prefer less sweet cream cheese frostings. If you have a food processor, you can start with cold butter and cream cheese.

Why frozen strawberries? In the original recipe, author Alisa Huntsman noted that she preferred them because they’re always available and the quality is consistent. You can, of course, use 1 pound of fresh, trimmed strawberries instead (weigh after trimming).

Why is it called a Pink Lady Cake? Pink Lady Cakes originated in the mid-20th century, commonly using boxed white cake mixes, strawberry Jell-O, and sometimes mashed fresh strawberries too. They were often featured in community and church cookbooks.