Step 1

Cook the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a pot over medium heat, stirring and mashing occasionally, until reduced and thickened, about 30-45 minutes. Mix together the cornstarch and water and stir it into the berries. Cook 2-3 minutes longer until thickened. You should have roughly 2 cups of filling. If you have way more than that, you’ll need to cook the berries down longer. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Grease the sides of three 8-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

Step 3

Whisk together the reserved strawberry compote with the milk. Set aside.

Step 4

In a stand mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. On low speed, mix the butter into the dries, until it has a sandy texture, about 2 minutes.

Step 5

Then, add 1/2 cup (120 g) of the strawberry milk and the oil to the mixing bowl. Mix on low speed for exactly 2 minutes. Then, scrape down the bowl.

Step 6

Add the sour cream, eggs, strawberry emulsion, and food coloring to the remaining strawberry milk and whisk to combine. Mix half of this mixture into the batter. When combined, scrape down the bowl, then mix in the rest. Once combined, scrape down the bowl one last time and beat on medium speed for 10 seconds.

Step 7

Evenly distribute the batter into the prepared cake pans, about 540 grams in each.

Step 8

Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until the edges are barely golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean. Let the pans cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then remove them from the pans and let them finish cooling on the rack.

Step 9

In a large bowl over a double boiler with simmering water, whisk together the egg whites and sugar. Cook, whisking frequently, until the sugar is dissolved and a thermometer reads 165°F.

Step 10

Pour the meringue into a stand mixing bowl with the whisk attachment. Whisk on high speed until the meringue cools to roughly 90-95°F, about 10-15 minutes.

Step 11

Turn the speed down to low and mix in the butter 1-2 tablespoons at a time. When all of the butter is combined, increase the speed to medium-high and beat until it looks light and fluffy. Finally, mix in the strawberry reduction and salt.

Step 12

Trim a thin layer off the tops of the cake layers. Place the first layer on your serving board and spread a thin layer of buttercream on top. Pipe a border dam around the edge to hold in the filling, then spread half of the remaining strawberry reduction in the center. Continue the same way with the next cake layer, placing the last one upside down so that the top of the cake is flat. Chill for 30 minutes.

Step 13

Spread a thicker layer of buttercream to cover the top and sides of the cake. You can pipe any leftover buttercream with a star tip to create dollops on top. Decorate with freeze-dried strawberries or fresh strawberries, and enjoy!