So Racheli and Dani decided that besides her party, they and Roni wanted to have a quiet, cozy Bat Mitzvah Shabbat with the immediate family and grandparents. I offered to make something, and after saying it wasn’t necessary and I should just enjoy, I explained that making something was part of my enjoyment. So, Roni told her mom she wanted to pick something from my blog! So sweet! She chose Sunshine Salmon https://kosherfromjerusalem.com/2019/02/27/sunshine-salmon/ a really easy one so I decided I’d make her a cake as well.

Now while Roni is not an obsessive I want everything pink kinda person, I knew that a pink fluffy cake would please her. I just didn’t want to overload it with sugar or her brother Noam, a health food-y kinda guy might not eat it.

The problem with strawberries is that they don’t always pack a punch of flavor and can be somewhat tart, so you have to figure out how to add to that without using boxed mixes and jello. Not my thing anyway. So I decided to add some citrus to the cake – I was torn between orange peel and lemon but felt orange would go nicely with the strawberry flavor. And then decided to add some good quality strawberry jam to the puree of frozen strawberries. I went with frozen ones specifically since the strawberry season here is short and you can always find a bag of nice frozen ones.

Now I’ll tell you up front what happened and then proceed with the steps involved. After baking the first cake (in 2 9 inch cake pans), I had mixed feelings since the cake turned out darker than anticipated and I wasn’t sure about it. So, I decided to hedge my bets and make a different version in a tube pan and cut the cake into two layers which, in fact had a different texture and wound up being pink inside! but I only found that out on Shabbat. In the end, I made a frosting sufficient to cover and fill both cakes and decided to bring both and have a taste test for everyone to compare and choose their favorite. Racheli’s aunt (known as “Doda” but aka Miriam) was also there and her sister and BIL, Devorah and Shabtai also showed up with their kids, so I had a very nice crowd to do the taste test on. Fascinatingly enough, I got a split response, literally half liked Version 1 better and half Version 2. They all had a good time deciding 😉 . Unfortunately, Racheli’s parents were unable to make it and were truly missed.

The difference between the two cakes is that Version 1 is a slightly denser consistency, and Version 2 is very moist and fluffier. It’s funny since I too was torn between the two cakes (DH just happily scarfed both down and said he loved both kinds) so I decided to give you both versions. You decide!

So, I’m giving you the pictures of how to for both cakes since it is similar and the order of mixing remains the same. You start by preparing the strawberry mixture in a food processor (or blender). Simply drain your defrosted strawberries and add the jam to them (not the junky kind that is imitation, gotta be good or the cake will taste artificial). Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Pulse the mixture together to form a sauce. Do NOT overprocess or it will be too watery, hence the need to pulse and check. Just chop till it’s a thickish mixture.

Look at that beautiful color. As you see, it forms a thick sauce. I put this into a pyrex measuring cup for ease of pouring, saving half a cup of the strawberry mixture for the frosting. Set this aside so you don’t accidentally pour it into the cake.

Take your mixer and beat together the eggs and sugar till it becomes light yellow in color and fluffy and gains volume. Then whip in the oil. You should get a consistency like this:

Add the strawberry puree into the mixture.

Then add the dry ingredients and the orange rind. (In version 2, add the almond extract first).

Beat together just till thoroughly combined.

Prepare 2 9 inch round pans by spraying with oil spray and lining with parchment paper for ease of removal or oil spraying a tube pan with a removable bottom.

Bake the 2 round pans for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean and cool on wire rack. The top will be a bit dark, this is due to the strawberry mixture. Bake tube pan for 45-55 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean and cool on wire rack.

While the cake is baking, prepare the whipped frosting. Take 2 cups of whipping cream (dairy or non-dairy) and whip at medium high speed. When nice sturdy peaks form slowly add strawberry mixture (1/2 a cup that was in reserve). Whip and taste. It will likely need the addition (mine did) of 1/4 cup of confectioner’s sugar which you whip briefly into the mixture. Plunk the frosting with a cover into the fridge. You will only frost the cake when completely cold or it will melt the frosting.

Place the first cake on a platter (you can take 4 pieces of parchment paper and stick in 4 corners to keep platter clean and remove after frosting). Generously slather the frosting on top of first cake and cover with second cake. Frost the whole rest of it.

When tube pan cake is fully cooled, carefully cut in half and (when cold it should not crumble) put two halves side by side to frost.

See it’s pink! cool. In any event, slather one half with frosting, carefully top with the other half and frost all around the cake. Serve to the delight of 12 year old girls and pretty much everyone else!

Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Frosting for Roni’s Bat Mitzvah

Version 1 in 2 9 inch round cake pans

1 1/2 cups drained unsweetened defrosted frozen strawberries
1/2 cup good quality strawberry jam
4 eggs
1 1/2 sugar
1 cup oil
Grated rind of half an orange, be careful to avoid the white pith which is bitter
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 flat teaspoon baking soda

Topping
2 cups whipping cream (or non dairy topping like Rich’s Whip)
1/2 cup strawberry and jam puree from above
1/4 cup sifted confectioners sugar

Directions:

Take a food processor (or blender) and briefly chop the strawberries together with the jam. It should look a little looser than jam but still kind of thick. You should end up with 11/2 cups of sauce. Set aside 1/2 a cup for the frosting.

Next, take a mixer bowl and whip with whisk beaters (preferably) the eggs and sugar till the mixture is thick and light yellow in color. Then add the oil in a stream and continue to whip. It should be thick and fluffy. Add one cup of the strawberry sauce to the mixture and mix. Add the orange zest, flour, baking powder and baking soda. Beat just till combined. Pour into 2 oil sprayed and parchment papered 9 inch round cake pans, dividing the cake mixture evenly between the two pans. Bake 2 9 inch cake pans 30-35 minutes or until wooden toothpick comes out clean. Don’t worry if the top gets a bit dark, as long as not burnt.

Topping:

Whip cold cream/whip topping with whisk beaters till thick peaks form. Take reserved 1/2 cup strawberry sauce and with mixer running on low speed, slowly add sauce till combined. Taste, and if needed, add 1/4 cup confectioners sugar till whipped into frosting. Store in fridge till cake is cooled.

Once cake is cold, peel off parchment paper, put one cake on platter and fill and top with other cake and frost all over.

Version 2 in Tube Pan

3 eggs
1 1/2 sugar
3/4 cup oil
Grated rind of half an orange
2 cups drained unsweetened defrosted frozen strawberries
1/2-3/4 cup good quality strawberry jam (start with 1/2 cup, taste puree, if sweet enough, that will be sufficient)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 flat teaspoon baking soda

Topping
2 cups whipping cream (or non dairy topping like Rich’s Whip)
1/2 cup strawberry and jam puree from above
1/4 cup sifted confectioners sugar

Take a food processor (or blender) and briefly chop the strawberries together with the jam. It should look a little looser than jam but still kind of thick. You should end up with 2 cups of sauce. Set aside 1/2 cup for the frosting.

Next, take a mixer bowl and whip with whisk beaters (preferably) the eggs and sugar till the mixture is thick and light yellow in color. Then add the oil in a stream and continue to whip. It should be thick and fluffy. Add one and a half cups of the strawberry sauce to the mixture and mix. Add the almond extract, orange zest, flour, baking powder and baking soda. Beat just till combined.

Pour into oil sprayed tube pan and bake in preheated 350 F oven 45-50 minutes (48 minutes for me). Don’t worry if the top gets a bit dark, as long as not burnt. While cake is cooling make frosting.

Whip cold cream/whip topping with whisk beaters till thick peaks form. Take reserved 1/2 cup strawberry sauce and with mixer running on low speed, slowly add sauce till combined. Taste, and if needed, add 1/4 cup confectioners sugar till whipped into frosting. Store in fridge till cake is cooled.

Let cake cool completely. Cut tube pan cake in half horizontally and lay (carefully) one side on serving platter and other half gently on parchment paper. Slather with strawberry frosting, top with other half of cake and frost all over. Nice to serve with a few strawberries to garnish.