This month for Cake Slice Bakers, we chose to make the Triple Lemon Chiffon Cake from Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes by Alisa Huntsman.
Because I have a very good reason, I deviated slightly from the recipe and added strawberries.
The inside is a moist lemon chiffon cake filled with tangy lemon curd and a middle layer of fresh strawberries. Instead of Lemon Whipped Cream, I made a Strawberry-Cream Cheese Swiss Meringue Buttercream. (That’s a mouthful, eh?)
It was perfect in every way. And didn’t need any ice cream–just some lightly sweetened strawberries.
You can find the recipe HERE. (It’s even printer ready.)
Strawberry-Cream Cheese Swiss Meringue Buttercream
1 cup pureed strawberries
1 lb. unsalted butter, room temperature
4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/3 cup water
5 egg whites
pinch cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. pure almond extract
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Beat the butter and cream cheese together with an electric mixer until fluffy. Chill until cold.
Place the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer and fit it with the whisk attachment. Turn mixer on medium speed until egg whites are foamy. While the mixer is running start preparing the sugar syrup.
In a small saucepan, stir together sugar and water. Bring to a boil and let cook, without stirring, until it reaches 240 degrees F (234 degrees F if you live at 5,000 feet above sea level) on a candy thermometer.
When the syrup has comes to 235 degrees (sea level) or 230 degrees (high altitude), turn the mixer on high and beat the egg whites until they are stiff, but not dry.
Remove the syrup from the heat** (see note below) and carefully pour the syrup against the side of the bowl into the egg whites while the mixer is still running. Continue beating on high for 3-5 minutes, or until steam stops rising from the mixing bowl.
Turn the mixer down a bit and add the chilled butter/cream cheese mixture a spoonful at at time. Don’t worry if it becomes curdled. Just keep beating it and it will come back together. When all the butter/cream cheese has been added, add the extracts, beat well again. Then add the strawberry puree. It will separate a bit–keep beating and it will come back together.
Use it immediately, or keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 or 3 days. It will also freeze well for about a month or so.
**The syrup should be cooked to 240 degrees F (sea level) or 235 degrees (5,000 ft. above sea level). In order to prevent over-beating of the egg whites, start beating them when the syrup is within 5 degrees of being cooked all the way–i.e. 235 degrees at sea level, or 230 for high altitude.**
By the way…
This is my reason:
Only I’m not 6 years old. I just couldn’t bear putting 28 candles on the cake this year. Jeez. Or am I only 27? No. I’m 28. Dang. Well, that means my husband only has two more years to plan my CJane-esque 30th Birthday Gala. And I have two more years to plan my awesome cake. And that also means I’m two years away from actually being 30…whoa. (Deep breaths, deeeeeep cleansing breaths.)
Have a great weekend!
31 Comments
looks divine!
Happy birthday deary!
and i must say.. the cake is quite a spectacle with the strawberries and the cream cheese frosting. Lovely photos!
Happy birthday! Love your blog! Your photos, particularly these ones, are absolutely beautiful.
Happy Birthday!!! BTW my Mom called me to tell me all about these fab ladies she saw on good things utah the other day ;)
Happy BIrthday! I hope it was a great day. I wish I’d had a birthday cake like that. I love lemon. I’m going to have to try that one out… maybe a late birthday celebration.
Happy Birthday! We’re the same age- just a couple months apart. ;) That cake looks wonderful!
That cake is lovely and so are you. Happy Birthday!
What a perfect birthday cake! I love the addition of strawberries – it looks beautiful.
Happy Birthday! Your cake is lovely. I think your substitutions sound fantastic… I gotta try that strawberry icing (WOW!).
I thought 27 was harder than 30. I guess I was used to the idea once I actually hit the big 3-0. Maybe that will be the case for you too :)
Happy birthday! Even though you deviated, I love the thought of strawberries and cream cheese frosting .. yummy!
This is the kind of flavor variety that would work so well with this cake! I thought it was delicious but wanted a bit more! The strawberries are a fantastic addition! Happy Birthday!
Happy birthday! Your cake looks wonderful and I love the idea of the strawberries and lemon together – so fresh and zingy
is it your birthday today?? happy birthday! count the lemonade as a birthday present! just kidding. :)
Happy Happy Birthday to you!!!!! Your cake has me salivating!!!
Happy Birthday to you! I absolutely love what you did with this cake. The strawberries would have made it divine! It looks beautiful!
Happy Birthday! Out of all the cakes I’ve seen so far, yours has the tightest crumb. I think chiffons can be too springy sometimes, but yours looks really good. I’ve wanted to try a cream cheese SMBC for a long time now, but hesitated because my powdered sugar cream cheese frosting can get soupy after I beat to too long and this kind of frosting requires more beating than the powdered sugar kind. I’m sure the SMBC cream cheese frosting is way silkier though.
Happy birthday! Enjoy! The lemon-strawberry flavor combo is to-die-for. Your cake looks delicious. Yum.
LOL! Happy Birthday Ol’ Lady! Just kidding . Hope you have a fantastic day!
Your cake looks fabulous. Love the flavors of strawberry and lemon together. Your strawberry cream cheese swiss meringue buttercream is brillant! (Did I get that right?) LOL!
~ingrid
Happy Birthday! Oh man, I soooo wanted to add strawberries to mine as well. Beautiful Cake!
happy birthday!! 28–you are still a baby! :) gorgeous cake, and lemon and strawberries is, of course, a perfect combo!
Happy B-day! What a great cake to celebrate with!! Enjoy your special day!
happy birthday!!!!
lindsey this is the kind of cake that you see on movies. looks so yummers.
Your cake looks perfect paired with strawberries and cream cheese.
Happy birthday, and remember it’s not how old you are but how young you feel. I hope you enjoy your special day.
Oh dang it! I meant to call you yesterday and wish you a Happy Birthday, then the days craziness set in and I forgot. Hope you had a great day – the cake looks wonderful.
28!!! Still a baby. And 30 – NO BIG DEAL!!!!! Trust me on this one. And BTW – Happy Birthday.
Cake looks wonderful with the stawberry filling.
Happy Birthday!!!
And what a beautiful cake to celebrate your special day. That strawberry buttercream sounds divine!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! Love your take on the cake too! BTW 30 isn’t too bad – better than I thought ;)
Happy Birthday Linds – looks so yummy!
Happy birthday luscious lady!
Happy birthday. Hope it was great. I’m sure it was with a cake like that (and the beautiful weather we had).
it looks terrific and good thing it is not complicated to prepare one.