Pink Cake

Celebrate your next special summer occasion the Queen of Sauce way: with an absolutely outstanding pink cake! This sweet, luxurious cake is a feast for the eyes, as well as the taste buds, featuring the unmistakably summery flavor of strawberry and watermelon jelly between layers of soft, rich, velvety cake made with tangy buttermilk and fresh duck eggs. We’ll jazz it up with a gorgeous pink cream cheese frosting that’ll knock your socks off, and top it off with sweet-yet-tart freeze-dried strawberry hearts. A burst of creamy sweetness awaits in every forkful!

Don’t worry if your strawberries don’t come out looking like perfect little hearts; they’ll still add plenty of color and flavor. Who’s going to turn down such an appealing slice of cake just because the strawberries aren’t quite heart-shaped? No one, that’s who!

Makes: 10-16 servings

INGREDIENTS

Watermelon-Strawberry Jam:

• 6 ounces (170 g) cubed seedless watermelon
• ⅓ cup (65 g) granulated sugar
• kosher salt
• 6 ounces (170 g) fresh strawberries, hulled and finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Buttermilk Cake:

• 1¼ cups (2½ sticks; 275 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing
• 2½ cups (350 g) all-purpose flour
• 1¼ teaspoons baking powder
• 1¼ teaspoons baking soda
• kosher salt
• 1½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or vanillaextract
• 2 duck eggs, at room temperature
• 1½ cups (360ml) buttermilk, at room temperature

Strawberry-Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 1⅛ ounces (33 g) freeze-dried strawberries (about 1½ cups)
• 3¾ cups (453 g) confectioners' sugar (one 1-pound box)
• 1 cup (2 sticks; 220g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 pound (450g) cream cheese, at room temperature

Special Equipment:

• Large piping bag (or zippered plastic bag) and large star tip
  
  

METHOD

1. FOR THE JAM: In a blender, blend the watermelon, granulated sugar, and a pinch of salt until smooth. Pour into a medium saucepan over medium heat, then stir in the strawberries and lemon zest, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the strawberries soften and the jam turns a deep, dark red color, about 20 additional minutes, reducing the heat as needed to maintain the low simmer.

2. Whisk together the cornstarch and water and stir into the fruit mixture along with the lemon juice. Stir until smooth. The mixture will immediately thicken but continue to cook it, stirring frequently, until it bubbles and thickens to the consistency of thick fruit pie filling, about 4 minutes; you should no longer be able to taste the cornstarch. Transfer to a medium bowl and let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes. Then place in the refrigerator and chill until completely cooled and set, at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

3. FOR THE CAKE: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Generously grease 2 (9-inch; 23 cm) round cake pans with some butter, then line the bottoms with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper with more butter.

4. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a medium bowl. In batches, spoon the flour, baking powder, and baking soda through the strainer into the bowl. Remove the strainer, add 1¼ teaspoons salt, and whisk until the mixture is well combined. 

5. In a large bowl, beat the 1¼ cups (275 g) butter and the granulated sugar with an electric hand mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla paste, then add the duck eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each. At low speed, mix in roughly one-third of the flour, followed by half the buttermilk. Follow with another third of the flour and the remaining buttermilk. Then add the remaining flour, mixing to ensure all ingredients are fully incorporated. Increase the speed to medium and mix until smooth. The batter will be thick.

6. Divide the batter between the 2 cake pans and smooth out the tops. Lightly drop each pan on a flat surface several times to help settle the batter and eliminate any air bubbles. Bake until the cakes are lightly golden on top and a cake tester or wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes, rotating the cakes front to back once after 20 minutes.

7. Transfer the cakes to a wire rack and cool for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, carefully invert them onto the rack, remove the parchment paper, and let cool completely.

8. FOR THE FROSTING: Place a fine-mesh strainer over a medium bowl. Set aside 8 small dried strawberries. In a spice grinder, working in batches, grind the remaining strawberries until they are a fine powder. Transfer to the strainer and use the back of a spoon or rubber spatula to push the powder through the strainer into the bowl (discard any seeds). Add the confectioners’ sugar, then whisk to combine.

9. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese with an electric hand mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the strawberry powder, 1 cup (100g) at a time, until the frosting is fairly smooth and creamy. Increase the mixer to medium-high and beat until the frosting is very smooth and slightly fluffy, about 2 minutes.

10. TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE: Spread a couple spoonfuls of the frosting in the center of a largecake plate or cake stand to hold the cake inplace, then add one cake layer, top side up.

11. Cut a 1-inch (2.5 cm) opening at the tip of a large piping bag and fill with 1 cup (190 g) of frosting. Pipe a thick line of frosting around the top edge of the cake so that the frosting is at least 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) wide. Then fill the inside of the frosting ring with the jam. Spread the jam in an even layer, making sure that it stays within the frosting border.

12. Squeeze any remaining frosting in the piping bag back into the bowl of frosting. Insert a large star piping tip into the piping bag (no need to clean the bag). Place the second cake layer on top of the first, then scoop 3 cups (570 g) of frosting onto the cake. Use an offset spatula to frost the top and sides of the cake, adding more frosting if needed (or removing some frosting if there is too much). Chill the cake in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Fill the piping bag with the remaining frosting and chill the frosting as well.

13. Remove the cake and frosting from the refrigerator and pipe pink stars around the bottom and top edges of the cake. Decorate the top with the 8 reserved dried strawberries, then serve.