Strawberry Stack Cake
By America's Test KitchenPublished on July 10, 2013
Time
2¾ hours, plus 20 minutes cooling and 8 hours chilling
Yield
Serves 12
Ingredients
FILLING
2 ½ pounds (1134 grams) fresh strawberries (see note), hulled and halved½ cup (3½ ounces/99 grams) granulated sugar 2 tablespoons lemon juice pinch saltCAKE
5 cups (25 ounces/709 grams) all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt ¼ cup buttermilk 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened4 ounces (113 grams) cream cheese, softened2 ½ cups (17½ ounces/496 grams) granulated sugar 2 large eggs 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugarBefore You Begin
You can substitute frozen berries for the fresh. Our favorite rimmed baking sheet is 18 by 13 inches, which allows you to bake 2 cake layers at a time. If using a smaller baking sheet, you’ll need to bake 1 layer per sheet. Let the sheet cool completely between baking layers.
Instructions
- COOK BERRIES Bring strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and salt to simmer in large saucepan over medium heat. Mash strawberries with potato masher and cook until thick and jamlike, about 30 minutes (mixture should measure 2¾ cups). Transfer to shallow dish and refrigerate until cool, about 30 minutes.
- MAKE DOUGH Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in bowl. Combine buttermilk and vanilla in measuring cup. With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter, cream cheese, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until combined, then buttermilk mixture. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture gradually until combined.
- SHAPE ROUNDS Divide dough into 6 equal pieces. Pat each into 5-inch disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cut six 9-inch parchment rounds. Following photos 1 to 3 at left, line 8-inch round cake pan with parchment round and press chilled dough disk into bottom of lined pan. Transfer round to rimmed baking sheet. Repeat, placing second round ½ inch apart. Repeat with 2 additional disks on second rimmed baking sheet. Bake until just golden around edges, 16 to 20 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Cool 10 minutes on sheets, then transfer to counter to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
- ASSEMBLE Place 1 cooled cake round on serving platter. Spread ½ cup cooled berry mixture over cake, leaving ½-inch border uncovered, then top with another round. Repeat with remaining berry mixture and cake rounds, finishing with cake. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cake has softened, at least 8 hours or up to 3 days. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve.
- Both berry mixture and cake rounds can be frozen for 1 month. Freeze cooked and cooled berry mixture in airtight container. Wrap individual cake rounds in plastic and foil. Bring all components to room temperature before assembling.
make ahead
Time
2¾ hours, plus 20 minutes cooling and 8 hours chillingYield
Serves 12Ingredients
FILLING
2 ½ pounds (1134 grams) fresh strawberries (see note), hulled and halved
½ cup (3½ ounces/99 grams) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
pinch salt
CAKE
5 cups (25 ounces/709 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
4 ounces (113 grams) cream cheese, softened
2 ½ cups (17½ ounces/496 grams) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
FILLING
2 ½ pounds (1134 grams) fresh strawberries (see note), hulled and halved
½ cup (3½ ounces/99 grams) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
pinch salt
CAKE
5 cups (25 ounces/709 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
4 ounces (113 grams) cream cheese, softened
2 ½ cups (17½ ounces/496 grams) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
FILLING
2 ½ pounds (1134 grams) fresh strawberries (see note), hulled and halved
½ cup (3½ ounces/99 grams) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
pinch salt
CAKE
5 cups (25 ounces/709 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
4 ounces (113 grams) cream cheese, softened
2 ½ cups (17½ ounces/496 grams) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
This traditional Appalachian Strawberry Stack Cake recipe combines thin, spiced molasses rounds with stewed dried apples. We decided to swap strawberries for the apples in an attempt to update it. We found that using cream cheese in the dough added a gentle tang and held up to the moist strawberry filling. Forming the cake rounds on a baking sheet instead of rolling them out individually drastically cut down on prep time. We found that cooking the strawberries to a jamlike consistency helped keep the cake moist without it becoming a soggy mess.
Before You Begin
You can substitute frozen berries for the fresh. Our favorite rimmed baking sheet is 18 by 13 inches, which allows you to bake 2 cake layers at a time. If using a smaller baking sheet, you’ll need to bake 1 layer per sheet. Let the sheet cool completely between baking layers.
Instructions
- COOK BERRIES Bring strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and salt to simmer in large saucepan over medium heat. Mash strawberries with potato masher and cook until thick and jamlike, about 30 minutes (mixture should measure 2¾ cups). Transfer to shallow dish and refrigerate until cool, about 30 minutes.
- MAKE DOUGH Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in bowl. Combine buttermilk and vanilla in measuring cup. With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter, cream cheese, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until combined, then buttermilk mixture. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture gradually until combined.
- SHAPE ROUNDS Divide dough into 6 equal pieces. Pat each into 5-inch disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cut six 9-inch parchment rounds. Following photos 1 to 3 at left, line 8-inch round cake pan with parchment round and press chilled dough disk into bottom of lined pan. Transfer round to rimmed baking sheet. Repeat, placing second round ½ inch apart. Repeat with 2 additional disks on second rimmed baking sheet. Bake until just golden around edges, 16 to 20 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Cool 10 minutes on sheets, then transfer to counter to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
- ASSEMBLE Place 1 cooled cake round on serving platter. Spread ½ cup cooled berry mixture over cake, leaving ½-inch border uncovered, then top with another round. Repeat with remaining berry mixture and cake rounds, finishing with cake. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cake has softened, at least 8 hours or up to 3 days. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve.
- Both berry mixture and cake rounds can be frozen for 1 month. Freeze cooked and cooled berry mixture in airtight container. Wrap individual cake rounds in plastic and foil. Bring all components to room temperature before assembling.
make ahead
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