Roasted Strawberry Cake with Orange Curd and White Chocolate Frosting

Roasted Strawberry Cake with Orange Curd and White Chocolate Frosting

A mild December will often show the beginning of Ponchatoula strawberry season. Treat your guests to this Roasted Strawberry Cake with Orange Curd and White Chocolate Frosting and they’ll love you for it. 

Roasted Strawberry Cake with Orange Curd and White Chocolate Frosting
 
Makes 1 (8-inch) cake
Ingredients
  • 2 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
  • 2¼ cups sugar, divided
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup whole buttermilk, room temperature
  • White Chocolate Frosting (recipe follows)
  • Orange Curd (recipe follows)
  • Garnish: mandarin twists
White Chocolate Frosting
  • 18 ounces white chocolate baking bars, finely chopped
  • 1½ cups unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
Orange Curd
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 2 teaspoons orange zest
  • ¼ cup strained fresh orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, cubed
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375°. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. On prepared pan, toss together strawberries and ¼ cup sugar until combined. Spread strawberries in a single layer. (Use an additional pan, if necessary.)
  3. Bake until berries are very soft, dark in color, and fragrant, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely on pan. Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain strawberries, if necessary. Reduce oven temperature to 350°.
  4. Spray 3 (8-inch) round cake pans with baking spray with flour. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper.
  5. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and remaining 2 cups sugar at medium speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla bean paste.
  6. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition. Fold in 1¾ cups roasted strawberries just until combined. Divide batter among prepared pans, smoothing tops with a small offset spatula.
  7. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire racks.
  8. Place 1 cup White Chocolate Frosting in a pastry bag; cut a ½-inch opening in tip. Pipe a ½-inch-thick layer of frosting around edge of 1 cooled cake layer. Spread frosting within into a 2-inch border. Spread half of Orange Curd in center. Repeat layers once, using remaining Orange Curd. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread a thin layer of frosting on top and sides of cake. Freeze for 30 minutes.
  9. Spread remaining White Chocolate Frosting on top and sides of cake. Garnish with mandarin twists, if desired.
White Chocolate Frosting
  1. In the top of a double boiler, place white chocolate. Cook over simmering water, stirring frequently, until melted and smooth. Remove from heat.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and salt at medium speed until smooth, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Beat in melted white chocolate, stopping to scrape sides of bowl.
  3. Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, beating until combined. Add vanilla bean paste; increase mixer speed to medium, and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Use immediately.
Orange Curd
  1. In a small heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk together sugar, egg yolks, orange zest and juice, cornstarch, and salt until combined. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture is very thick, darker in color, and bubbling and an instant-read thermometer registers at least 180°, about 10 minutes. (A spatula will leave a trail when dragged through curd.) Immediately remove from heat.
  2. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium heatproof bowl. Add butter, 1 cube at a time, stirring until combined and mixture is smooth after each addition. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap, pressing wrap directly onto surface of curd to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool completely. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl. Press plastic wrap onto surface and let cool for 15 minutes. Refrigerate until serving, at least 1 hour.

 

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