Strawberry cake with cream cheese frosting

Ingredients:

Strawberry puree

• 450 g fresh strawberries, hulled

Cakes

• 3.5 cups premium flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 220 g unsalted butter at room temperature
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 1.5 tsp vanilla paste or extract
• 2 large eggs + 2 large egg yolks at room temperature
• 1.5 cups of sour milk, shake thoroughly

Glaze

• 3 packages of 220g cream cheese at room temperature
• 385 g unsalted butter, diced, at room temperature
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation:

1. Strawberry puree:
   
   Puree the strawberries in a food processor until smooth. Transfer the strawberry puree to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the puree has reduced by half (about 1 cup). Transfer the puree to a bowl and set aside to cool.
2. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly spray two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray. Line the bottoms with parchment circles; lightly spray the parchment with cooking spray.
3. Cakes:
   
   In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and baking soda until evenly combined. In another bowl, beat the butter, sugar, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Add the whole eggs and yolks one at a time, beating after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally, until the batter is completely combined, smooth, and creamy. Mixing on low speed, add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour. Stir in 1/2 cup cooled strawberry puree. Set the remaining puree aside for the glaze.
4. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans. Smooth the surface. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until the cakes are deep golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let the cakes cool for 30 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the cakes and invert them onto a wire rack. Remove the parchment and let the cakes cool completely.
5. Glaze:
   
   In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed until smooth and fluffy. Gradually add the butter, beating until smooth. Sift the powdered sugar into the bowl and beat until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and beat until light and fluffy. Transfer 3 cups of frosting to a medium bowl and set aside. Stir the remaining strawberry puree into the remaining frosting. Refrigerate until the frosting has set slightly, about 20 minutes.
6. Assembly:
   
   Place one cake layer, dove-side down, on a serving plate. Spread 1.5 cups of strawberry frosting evenly over it. Place the second cake layer, dove-side up, on top. Spread 1.5 cups of white frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Smooth it out completely to create a thin, even layer. It's okay if some of the cake is visible; this is just the base layer. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the frosting to set.
7. Spread the remaining white frosting over the top of the cake and the top half of the sides. There should be a strip of exposed base layer along the bottom of the cake. Cover this with 1 cup of strawberry frosting. Using a large offset spatula, smooth the top and sides of the cake. The strawberry and white frosting should blend as you smooth them to create an ombre effect.
8. Transfer the remaining strawberry frosting to a pastry bag or plastic bag fitted with a medium star tip. Pipe 8 even circles along the top edge of the cake.