Moist, creamy, and not too sweet – with the most perfect shade of pink.
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Almost too cute to eat with its soft shades of pink. It’s a strawberry, vanilla sheet cake with two layers. One for you and one for your lover… or if you are single like me… your lover-to-be! Moist, creamy and not too sweet with the most perfect shade of pink. You can bake it in cute little muffin tins and share with friends, making them ideal for Galentine’s parties, too. Or bake it in a heart-shaped tin if you really want to go all in.
Is Valentine’s Day Cake Healthy?
This cake is made completely from scratch, naturally making it a healthier option compared to store-bought cakes with their additives and preservatives. With that said, the recipe as is could use some tweaking for a healthier spin if needed.
Feel free to swap out the granulated sugar for coconut sugar, and monk fruit powder in place of the powdered sugar. I can’t say I have baked much with monk fruit powder but I know monk fruit is a common sweetener used in vegan baking. In replacement of butter, I suggest you swap it out for coconut oil. The same goes for the whole milk – a rich almond or coconut cream would make a great substitute. You can also purchase a vegan cream cheese and just like that, this cake is dairy-free and free of refined sugar as well.
Multiple ways to garnish your V-day cake
Depending on how festive you want to get, you don’t have to stop with strawberries! You can top your cake with raspberries, edible flowers, or sprinkle with dry rose petals. Get creative with it but try to stick to the color theme of soft pinks, whites and Valentine’s Day red. If flowers are not your thing, then I recommend using heart-shaped food cutters to slice your strawberry or other fruit. Maybe even sprinkle your cake with raspberry dust for a beautiful finish.
You can also make an extra batch of frosting for decoration purposes. Add an extra scoop of the cream cheese to give it a buttercream frosting consistency and color with red food coloring. Fit into a zip lock bag then cut off the stem, creating a DIY piping bag. Pipe small red hearts onto the cake or line them up evenly in a polka dot pattern. The possibilities are endless.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (for frosting)
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for frosting)
- 1/2 cup strawberry preserves
- Fresh strawberries for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
Prep
Grease pans, and mix batter ingredients.
Bake
Pour batter into pans, and bake until done.
Frost
Make frosting, assemble and decorate cake.
Devour!
FAQs & Tips
Prepare the batter and bake it as instructed. Once baked, allow it to cool completely. Then store cooled cake sheets in a container. Mix up your frosting and refrigerate until ready to assemble. For the garnish, prewash your berries and slice them so they are ready to go when it comes time to assemble. Remember, for the best shine and texture, serve your cakes at room temperature.
Measure your ingredients correctly. It really is the key to baking. Which is probably why I am much better at cooking. I rarely follow recipes because I am not the best with exact measurements. I am not saying you need a scale to measure your ingredients correctly, but do follow them to a T for the best results. At least for the cake’s batter.
Serving Suggestions
Will this be a cake you enjoy with a boo or with a friend or two? Regardless of whether you make this cake as a two-layered cake, perfect for sharing between two, or bake in heart tins and feed multiple peeps, this dessert will be sure to win over some hearts. Snap a few photos, and let me know how it turned out.
Other festive desserts to try out for this special day are these pink and buttery Spritz Cookies, these precious Meringue Nests, or the Dairy Free Vegan Chocolate Valentine Truffles.
Valentine’s Day Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened (for frosting)
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract for frosting
- 1/2 cup strawberry preserves
- Fresh strawberries for garnish
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
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In a large mixing bowl, cream together the sugar and 1/2 cup butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in 1 tablespoon vanilla extract.
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Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Gradually add to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk, starting and ending with the flour mixture.
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Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
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For the frosting, beat together the 8 ounces of cream cheese and 1/2 cup butter until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until the frosting is fluffy. Fold in strawberry preserves.
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Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread with a layer of frosting. Top with the second cake layer and spread frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Garnish with fresh strawberries.
Nutrition
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