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ComfortFood

Reduced Strawberry Cake

Reduced Strawberry Cake
E

By Emma

Certified Culinary Professional

Recipe tested & approved
Strawberries simmered down into a thick reduction to pack flavor, folded into a gelatin-infused batter. Two 8-inch layers baked till toothpick clean. Cream cheese frosting tinted pink with puree and strawberry extract. Moist, tangy, and sweet with deep berry notes. Watch for bubbling and color shifts when reducing fruit, and textures on frosting to get the right spread. Tricks for dealing with sticky pans and timing frosting softness included. Substitutions for gelatin and oils, plus troubleshooting. Expected yield 12 slices with 706 kcal roughly each. Fat around 34g, carbs at 96g, protein 7g all per serving calculated.
Prep: 55 min
Cook: 40 min
Total:
Servings: 12 servings
#American #dessert #berry cake #layer cake #cream cheese frosting #fruit reduction
Been trying different strawberry cakes for years. Using whole fruit reduction first came up when I burnt that quick jelly glaze. Takes patience to simmer down fresh berries — you need to feel when the bubbling slows, and the scent fills the kitchen. Not just cooked puree, there’s a caramelizing note developing beneath that fresh, tart smell. Adding gelatin powder into mix adds a subtle firmness balancing the fluffy crumb and wet puree. It’s weird — the batter looks thinner but holds such body baked in. Frosting isn’t just sugar and butter — real tang where strawberry reduction and extract meet cream cheese. Color, texture, taste, all tied to how you manage those moments at pan and mixer. Skip chill on frosting, and it runs, ice cold and stiff turns clumpy. Me? I never trust timers alone. It’s about that perfect toothpick pull, that frosting spread, that smell coming out of oven. Never just a cake, it’s a process, sensory dance.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups fresh strawberries, chopped roughly
  • 1 package strawberry gelatin powder (sub agar-agar for vegetarian)
  • 1 standard box white cake mix (reduce by 10g for less sweetness)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup water
  • ½ cup vegetable oil (can substitute light olive or avocado oil)
  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 10 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 tsp strawberry extract (can swap vanilla and add fresh zest)
  • 5 cups powdered sugar sifted
  • 1 cup plus 2 tbsp thick strawberry puree reduction
  • Pink gel food coloring
  • Heavy cream as needed, tablespoon increments

About the ingredients

Replacing strawberry gelatin with agar-agar works if you avoid graininess by dissolving properly in hot water first. Vegetable oil can be olive or avocado; flavor changes subtly. Keep eggs room temp for better emulsion. Puree should be thick but not scorched–use heat medium, stirring often, or it burns easy at edges. Powdered sugar sift is non-negotiable for lump-free frosting. Cream cheese has to be soft but cold enough to whip smooth — too warm, it melts into runniness. Extracts vary in strength; start light to avoid chemical taste. Gel food color rather than liquid avoids thinning frosting. Parchment disks stop sticking majorly; otherwise, cakes are a pain to remove. Know your mixer speed; over-beating batter builds gluten, tough crumb.

Method

  1. Start with chopped strawberries in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat. No lid, to let steam escape and concentrate flavors.
  2. Get bubbling fast then simmer hard, stirring every few minutes to prevent scorching and sticking. Breakdown happens approx 15-25 mins, watch liquid almost gone and mixture thickened.
  3. Mash berries periodically with potato masher. Should reduce 3 cups down close to ¾ cup. Look for ruby color deepening and sheen turning sticky but not burnt.
  4. Pull off heat. Let cool down. Pop in fridge uncovered for an hour to thicken further, avoid condensation drip which waters down flavour.
  5. Preheat oven 350F or 325F if using dark sets or non-stick. Saucepan should still smell fruity.
  6. Line two 8-inch pans with parchment disks and spray sides with nonstick spray. I learned edges stick otherwise.
  7. Mix dry cake mix with strawberry gelatin, eggs, water, and oil in bowl. Use electric mixer low speed just to combine, avoid overbeat – batter velvety but not airy.
  8. Fold in half cup of cooled strawberry puree. Swirl until blended, watch for streaks disappearing—signals uniform flavor.
  9. Divide batter evenly between pans. Tap pans lightly to release bubbles.
  10. Bake 25-30 mins, but start checking at 23. Toothpick out clean with moist crumbs but no raw batter—don’t overbake or dries out fast.
  11. Cool pans 10 mins on wire rack. Loosen sides with thin knife if stubborn.
  12. Invert, peel parchment, set cakes top-side up to cool fully.
  13. Beat cream cheese with softened butter and strawberry extract until smooth. No lumps, homogenous paste.
  14. Add powdered sugar incrementally, beating fully after each addition. Frosting should thicken but remain pliable.
  15. Add remaining ¼ cup strawberry puree to frosting, folds in color and zing. Beat again gently.
  16. Drip in heavy cream, one tbsp at a time, until frosting spreads easily but holds shape. Too thin runs off; too thick tears cake crumb.
  17. Add pink gel food color in drops, fold carefully, build up to desired pastel hue.
  18. Trim cakes to level tops, no domed peaks. Use bread knife with sawing motion, steady hand.
  19. Place first cake layer right-side-up on serving plate.
  20. Dollop about ½ cup frosting, spread evenly to edges with offset spatula. Don’t overdo or filling oozes.
  21. Top with second layer, press gently but firmly to seal.
  22. Spread remaining frosting on top and around sides, cover fully in thick coat.
  23. Chill in fridge or freeze wrapped until ready. Frosting firms up and flavors meld.

Cooking tips

Simmer strawberries uncovered to evaporate water — bubbles show when reduction is progressing properly. Potato masher use isn’t optional here to break chunks; do it early, often. Cooling puree improves body and prevents curdling in batter. Mixing cake ingredients—don’t rush the gelatin folding; cold ingredients delay setting and batter gets gloopy if overmixed. Dividing pans evenly prevents uneven baking; tap pan to burst air bubbles, preserving crumb texture. Observe toothpick test closely; moist crumbters cautions from overbake that dries. Frosting is balancing act: powdered sugar for structure, puree for flavor, cream for spreadability. Adjust heaviness by adding cream slowly. Trimming cakes avoids bulging tops that wreck stacked layers. Press layers carefully but don’t squeeze filling out. Chill assembled cake till frosting firms, keeps shape at room temps. Refrigerate leftovers well-wrapped—strawberries prone to spoil if left out.

Chef's notes

  • 💡 Simmer berries uncovered medium heat only. Watch bubbles slow—signal reduction almost there. Use potato masher often breaks chunks. Avoid scorched edges, stir frequently. Cool puree fully or frosting breaks down. Thick puree means better hold and flavor, not watery.
  • 💡 Mix gelatin powder with dry cake mix first. Avoid lumps or clumps that wreck texture. Beat eggs, water and oil gently, low speed only. Overbeating creates gluten, cheat crumb toughness. Fold puree slowly; too fast and streaks ruin even flavor.
  • 💡 Parchment disks in pans stops sticking majorly. No disk? grease and flour thoroughly. Tap pans before baking. Air bubbles burst save crumb texture from holes. Watch toothpick from 23 mins—not too dry crumbs, moist crumbs good sign to stop baking quick.
  • 💡 Cream cheese, butter, all softened but cool. Too warm frosting turns oily, runny or grainy. Powdered sugar sifted always, add slow. Fold puree and heavy cream in small increments. Frosting thickness must hold but spread easily. Pink gel color is key, drop by drop builds pastel.
  • 💡 Trim cakes flat tops with steady saw motion. No jagged dents. This prevents filling oozing out later when layering. Press layers gently; too hard squeezes out frosting, too light means gaps. Chill assembled cake long enough to solidify frosting shape.

Common questions

Can agar-agar replace gelatin?

Yes, but dissolve properly in hot water first or grainy bits appear. Texture changes slightly, less elasticity. Use same amounts, mix in dry phase. Works for vegetarian needs without big changes.

How to prevent burnt puree?

Stir a lot, medium heat only or edges burn fast. Heavy pan helps spread heat. Watch bubbles slow down indicating thickening. If color too dark or smell acrid, start again smaller batch or reduce heat immediately.

What if cake overbakes?

Cut baking time short, pull toothpick early. Overbaking dries crumb making it tough and crumbly. Wrap layered cake in plastic with syrup or fresh puree brushed in to restore moisture. Freeze helps delay staleness too.

Best way to store cake?

Wrapped tightly in fridge or freezer wraps preserves freshness. Chill for firmness but store at fridge temp. Room temp for short periods only; strawberries spoil fast out of cold. Frosting softens with warmth, hold shape better cold.

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