With summer on the brain, I had this vision of a Pink Strawberry Flamingo Cake but needed to find someone who was just as sweet (and who adored pink!) to make it for. A friend of mine has a 6-year-old daughter named Phoebe, and was delighted to hear that I was dedicating this fun post just for her. The cake itself is pink because of added strawberry powder, and the buttercream frosting is chock full of strawberry rhubarb jam from a local artisan. The flamingo and palm tree toppers surrounded by colorful sprinkles were a dash of fun that I just couldn’t resist. Phoebe: I hope you love this summertime strawberry cake with a pretty pink bird on top!

THE CAKE

Thanks to my friend and fellow blogger, Liv for Cake, for the strawberry cake recipe. Yowza, it’s so good. Every delicious bite is dense with milk and butter, plus a hint of strawberry from the strawberry powder. The recipe calls for three 6″ cake rounds, and guess what you’re slathering between the layers? Yep, a buttery frosting and strawberry rhubarb jam. YUM and YUM.

THE FROSTING

This is a simple frosting recipe made up of unsalted butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and salt, but the special ingredient is 2 tablespoons of strawberry rhubarb jam. I used local jam made by uber popular Sqirl here in Los Angeles. You can cut the tip of the pastry bag about 1/2″ from the end, no frosting tips needed, and fill a bag with frosting and another bag with jam.

For the first or bottom layer of cake, use a piping bag with frosting to outline the edge, and a second piping bag of jam to fill the center. You want to make sure the frosting is coming out thick, about a 1.5″ border. Repeat for the second layer of cake, then place the third cake on top.

GET THE RUSTIC FROSTING LOOK

It’s crumb coat time! I always like to shout out a reminder to put the cake into the fridge for 30 minutes before adding the top coat of frosting. This will prevent the cake from “crumbing” into the frosting. Use an offset spatula, and start at the top.

Move to the sides and slather on ALL of the frosting. Really go for it!

Work the spatula up and down to smooth sides.

COMPLETE THE PARTY

Toppings! This flamingo was just perfect for the top of the cake, and I added a few palm trees direct from Miami to make the bird feel at home. I sprinkled a mix of colorful sprinkles on the outer rim of the cake, but feel free to put sprinkles wherever you’d like. The party sign and confetti for the table gave Phoebe just the right amount of fun to go with her pink cake.

OUR FAVES 

• Layer Cake Shop, Flamingo + Palm Trees
• Sqirl, Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
• Shop Sweet Lulu, Candy Confetti

Photos by: Maria Hedrick Photography

  EmailTweet

Strawberry Flamingo Cake

By TheSweetNerd  Cakes

July 24, 2018

Ingredients

Strawberry Cake

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup freeze-dried strawberry powder

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups milk, at room temperature

Buttercream

3 cups (680 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

6 cups (680 g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted

2 tsp vanilla extract

1⁄4 tsp salt

2 Tbsp strawberry rhubarb jam, I prefer Sqrl LA

Directions

Strawberry Cake

1Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour three 6" cake rounds and line with parchment.

2In a medium bowl, whisk flour, 1/2 cup strawberry powder, baking powder, and salt. Sift to ensure it's well combined. Set aside.

3Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on med-high until pale and fluffy (approx. 3 min.). Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla.

4Alternate adding flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk). Fully incorporating after each addition.

5Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.

6Place cakes on wire rack to cool for 10mins then turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.

Buttercream

1In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter. Start the mixer at the lowest speed, then gradually increase the speed, using a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl as needed, until the butter is light in color, is perfectly smooth, and makes a slapping sound as it hits the sides of the bowl. This should only take 30 seconds, but if the butter is cool, it can take a couple of minutes.

2Add the sugar, 1 cup (about 110 g) at a time, and mix at the lowest speed until it’s fully incorporated before adding the next cup. When all the sugar has been added, scrape the paddle and the bottom and sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla and salt, and beat at low speed for 15 seconds. Increase the speed to as high as you can without making a mess, and whip the buttercream until it is perfectly smooth, creamy, and light, about 5 minutes. Stop the mixer once or twice to scrape the bowl and paddle, then continue beating. Add strawberry rhubarb jam and mix. At rest the buttercream will appear to soften, then it will stiffen and increase in volume.

3Use right away, or store in an airtight container for up to a week in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to use it, let the buttercream come to room temperature, then put it back in the stand mixer and use the paddle attachment to beat it until it’s creamy and stiff again.

close full screen

00:00