Molly Cookie

Pink Lady Cake and some decorating tips I learned

Sep 1, 2009 Cakes, Desserts, Strawberries, Tips and Tricks, Yummy

I am celebrating my new polka-dot site with a polka-dot cake. I have to admit, this wasn’t planned, but it worked out perfectly that the first post since the new design just so happens to be a polka-dotted food. A Pink Lady Cake…with red spots.

When I decided to make this cake I was determined to give my best effort at making it beautiful. I read all about cake decorating tips on Smitten Kitchen and I learned a lot of things that I never knew about making cakes look more professional. Now, I said I decided to make an effort… not that I succeeded. I will tell you though that I enjoyed making this cake more than I’ve ever enjoyed baking before. Maybe it was the fact that the cake is pink, or maybe it was that I paid more attention to what I was doing and didn’t just throw the ingredients together, but whatever it was it was fun. I think the pink thing actually had a lot to do with it.

So, I learned many things from Deb as I read her blog. I learned how you can use wax paper is a very important tool when you bake. I used wax paper twice when I made this recipe. Once it was used to line the pans before the batter is poured into them. I am assuming this is to make the cake come out easier, because that’s exactly what it did. When I turned those pans over the cake slid out seemlessly. I don’t think I’ll ever make another cake without lining the pans like that. Now, if there is some reason why I shouldn’t do that please… let me know.

I also used wax paper by sticking it under the edges of the bottom layer of cake on the cake plate to make it look like I iced the cake perfectly without getting a drop on the plate. The wax paper protected my plate, and when I was done icing it I simply pulled the paper out gently (only tuck it under the edge about 3/4 of an inch) and it came right out.

One of the most interesting tips I read was that if you want the layers to be flat and not dome shaped so they will lay on each other neater, you can bake the cake at a lower temperature for a longer period of time. I thought this was useful, and I baked this cake at 300 degrees instead of 350 and added about 10 minutes to the cooking time. It really didn’t seem as dome-shaped as it normally does when I bake.

I also used a useful tip I learned and created my first ever crumb-coat. This is a thin layer of frosting that you put over the cake, covering all of the crumbs. When the entire cake is covered with a thin layer, stick it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to let it get a little stiff. After you take it out, frost the rest of the cake. The special crumb-coat will allow you to ice the cake and NO crumbs will come through to make your cake look ugly. This worked like magic. I LOVED this tip. There’s nothing worse than spending lots of time making a delicious cake and then ruining how it looks by letting crumbs get on the outside of the frosting. Even if that cake is extremely tasty, when I ruin the presentation like I get so sad. This tip really does fix a lot of emotional problems.

I got the recipe for this cake from the Smitten Kitchen, but Deb said she got it from Sky High. The cream cheese frosting made plenty, and I didn’t use all of it, so be generous between your layers if you like lots of frosting. You will have enough to put a good amount between each layer. I was a little nervous (since it was my first time creating a crumb coat) that I would run out of frosting so I didn’t use a whole lot between each layer. I thought a little bit of frosting was just the right amount.

Pink Lady Cake [Strawberry Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Filling]

For the cake
4 1/2 cups cake flour
3 cups sugar
5 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups pureed frozen strawberries
8 egg whites
2/3 cup milk
2-3 drops of red food coloring (if you want the cake to look pink, I would suggest doing this. I used two drops and my cake was only very light pink)

For the cream cheese frosting
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks; 6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
3 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Make the cake
1. Preheat the oven to 350º F. Butter three 9-inch round or 8-inch square cake pans. Line with parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper.

2. Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixer bowl. With the electric mixer on low speed, blend for 30 seconds. Add the butter and strawberry puree and mix to blend the ingredients. Raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes; the batter will resemble strawberry ice cream at this point.

3. In another large bowl, whisk together the egg whites, milk and red food dye, if using, to blend. Add the whites to the batter in two or three additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl well and mixing only to incorporate after each addition. Divide the batter among the three prepared pans.

4. 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 to 15 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 cream cheese frosting
5. In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners’ sugar. Store in the refrigerator after use.

Frost and assemble the cake
6. Place one cake layer on a cake board or platter. Tucking scraps of waxed 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 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. Remove the waxed strips to reveal and neat, clean cake board.

After trying this cake, we all decided that it’s the perfect cake for a bridal shower. It was really, really good, and the pink color makes it girly, so you can trust it to be a hit at a shower. It would also be a good Valentine’s Day cake, or good any time you need an excuse to eat something pink. I hope you enjoyed the tips I learned and that they can help you with your next cake!

Tags: bridal shower cake, Pink Lady Cake, valentines cake