Step 1

I recommend making this reduction the day before you're ready to make your cake.

Step 2

Place fresh or thawed, frozen strawberries into a medium saucepan. Optional: blend strawberries with an emersion blender if you prefer a smoother texture of strawberry reduction.

Step 3

Heat on medium-high and add in sugar (if desired), lemon zest, lemon juice and salt. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.

Step 4

Once bubbling, reduce heat to medium-low and slowly reduce until berries begin to break up and the mixture has reduced by about half. This will take about 20 minutes. If your mixture has reduced by half and is still watery, continue to cook until all of the liquid is out.

Step 5

Occasionally stir the mixture to prevent burning. You should end up with about 2 cups of thick strawberry reduction that looks like tomato sauce. Transfer to another container and let cool before use.

Step 6

You will use some of the reduction for the cake batter, some for the frosting and the rest for filling between the cake layers for extra moisture. Leftover reduction can be stored in the fridge for up to one week or frozen for 6 months.

Step 7

NOTE: It is SUPER IMPORTANT that all the room temperature ingredients listed above are room temperature and not cold or hot.

Step 8

Make sure to take your strawberry reduction out of the refrigerator 1 hour before making your cake so that it comes to room temperature.

Step 9

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 350ºF/176ºC.

Step 10

Grease three 8" cake pans with cake goop or preferred pan release

Step 11

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the milk, strawberry reduction, strawberry emulsion, vanilla extract, lemon extract, lemon zest, lemon juice, and pink food coloring.

Step 12

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Step 13

Add room temperature butter to your stand mixer with the paddle attachment and beat at medium speed until smooth and shiny, about 30 seconds.

Step 14

Gradually sprinkle in the sugar, beat until mixture is fluffy and almost white, about 3-5 minutes.

Step 15

Add the egg whites one at a time, beating 15 seconds in between. Your mixture should look cohesive at this point. If it looks curdled and broken, your butter or egg whites were too cold.

Step 16

Mix on low speed and add about a third of the dry ingredients to the batter, followed immediately by about a third of the milk mixture, mix until ingredients are almost incorporated into the batter. Repeat the process 2 more times. When the batter appears blended, stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. If it looks like ice cream, you did it right!

Step 17

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.

Step 18

Bake cakes at 350ºF/176ºC until they feel firm in the center and a toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs on it, about 30-35 minutes.

Step 19

Place pans on top of a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Then flip your cakes onto the racks and cool completely.

Step 20

Once cooled, wrap each layer in plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze before assembling your cake.

Step 21

Place egg whites and powdered sugar in a stand mixer bowl. Attach the whisk and combine ingredients on low and then whip on high for 5 minutes

Step 22

Place pasteurized egg whites and powdered sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer. Add the whisk attachment and combine ingredients on low, then whip on high for 5 minutes.

Step 23

Add in your softened butter in chunks and whip on high for 8-10 minutes until it's very white, light and shiny. It may look curdled and yellow at first, this is normal. Keep whipping.

Step 24

Add in strawberry reduction, vanilla extract and salt and continue whipping until incorporated.

Step 25

Optional: Switch to a paddle attachment and mix on low for 15-20 minutes to make the buttercream very smooth and remove air bubbles.

Step 26

Place your first layer of strawberry cake onto a cake plate or cake board. Trim off the dome if needed with a sharp knife so the top of the cake is flat.

Step 27

Add a very thin layer or your cooled reduction over the cut surface. This helps soak into the cake and adds moisture and strawberry flavor.

Step 28

Add a layer of strawberry buttercream, I shoot for about 1/4". Smooth it with your offset spatula until it's flat.

Step 29

Frost the outside of your cake with the leftover buttercream and decorate with some fresh. strawberries if desired.