Fresh Strawberry Marble Cake

Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Servings: 10
Yield: 10 servings

Description

A cream cheese frosting and fresh strawberries fill and top this impressive, party-ready strawberry marble cake.

Ingredients

8 whole fresh strawberries, hulled
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups white sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 large eggs, separated, divided
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1 ounce red food coloring, or to taste
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons strawberry extract
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 drop red food coloring, or to taste
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries, or as needed

Directions

1 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line the bottoms of three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper; grease and flour the sides.
2 Puree whole strawberries in the bowl of a food processor or electric blender and set aside.
3 Mix flour, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. Beat sugar and butter together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract. Add flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk, beating well after each addition.
4 Beat egg whites in another large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until peaks form. Gently stir into the batter.
5 Pour 1/2 of the batter in a medium bowl and set aside. Add pureed strawberries and food coloring to the remaining batter and mix well.
6 Pour batters evenly into the prepared cake pans, alternating between red and white batter in each pan.
7 Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of each layer comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Immediately run a spatula between the cakes and the sides of the pans. Let cool for 15 minutes; remove cakes from the pans. Remove paper. Cool completely on wire racks.
8 While cakes are cooling, mix confectioners' sugar, cream cheese, butter, milk, strawberry extract, vanilla extract, and food coloring together in a bowl. Let sit for 15 to 30 minutes.
9 Frost the bottom cooled cake layer and add 1/2 of the sliced strawberries evenly. Repeat for second layer. Add the top layer. Frost the top and sides, covering any trace of strawberries in the layers.