Chocolate Birthday Cake With Strawberry Marshmallow Frosting
Chocolate Birthday Cake with Strawberry Marshmallow Frosting is a rich, chocolate cake covered in a heady layer of fresh strawberry frosting. Recipe courtesy my awesome friend and cookbook author, Jessie Sheehan -- thanks Jessie!! xo
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Servings: 16
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 cups (240 g) cake flour, ( sifted)
- 3/4 cup (60 g) Dutch Process Cocoa Powder, (sifted)
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, (packed)
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 2 large egg yolks (room temperature, save the whites for the frosting)
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable oil (Sunflower Seed Oil or other light oil)
- 1 cup (240 g) sour cream, (room temperature)
- 1 cup (240 ml) boiling water
- 1 tablespoon espresso powder
For the Strawberry Marshmallow Buttercream
- 1 cup (150 g) sliced strawberries, (plus more for decorating)
- 2 large egg whites
- 1/2 cup (100 g) plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) light corn syrup
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice (or more to taste)
- Sprinkles
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 13-by-9-by-2-in pan with nonstick cooking spray or softened butter and line with parchment paper.
- Add the flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on low speed until well combined.
- In a small bowl, or in a large 4-cup liquid measuring cup (my preference), add the egg, egg yolks, vanilla, oil, and sour cream and whisk until combined. With the mixer on medium-low speed, slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Beat until incorporated, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
- In the same small bowl/measuring cup, no need to clean it, combine the boiling water and espresso powder and add to the batter in the mixer bowl. Mix again on medium speed for 30 seconds, until smooth, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. The batter will be quite thin
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 28 to 32 minutes, rotating at the halfway point. The cake is ready when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with a moist crumb or two. Let cool completely in the pan. Or let cool enough so you can comfortably handle it, and invert the cake on to a serving plate to continue cooling. If you would rather serve slices directly from the pan, let cool to room temp before frosting.
For the Buttercream
- In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, or in a blender, process the berries until pureed. Place a sieve over a small bowl, pour the puree into the sieve, and using a rubber spatula, press the puree through the sieve to remove the seeds. Set aside.
- Add the egg whites, sugar, corn syrup, cream of tartar, and salt in the now-cleaned bowl of the stand mixer and nestle it in a saucepan of simmering water over medium-high heat. Do not allow the bottom of the bowl to touch the water. Whisk until the mixture is just warm to the touch. Remove the bowl from the heat, add the puree and transfer it to the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on high speed until stiff and glossy, about 7 minutes. Add the lemon juice and whisk a final time to combine.
- Once the cake is cool, generously frost it and sprinkle the top with pink sanding sugar or sprinkles. The frosted cake is best served within a few hours with a few sliced strawberries on each plate - or, a scoop of strawberry ice cream - I mean this is a birthday cake, after all.
Thanks for baking with me! Please rate + comment this recipe and tag me on social @displacedhousewife #displacedhousewife so I can see your beautiful treats! xo