-
Prep time
3 hours
-
Cook time
45 minutes
-
Serves
16 to 20
Author Notes
Looking for a fun weekend baking project, an out-of-the-box birthday cake, or an extravagant Valentine’s Day treat? Well, you’ve come to the right place. This vintage-inspired cake is made with stackable olive oil cake layers and fresh macerated strawberries, then covered in a light and fluffy Swiss meringue buttercream. To finish it off, it gets decorated with these chocolate-covered cherries.
And before you say it, I know what you’re thinking. It seems like a lot of components and a big project, but you can easily break it down into multiple prep days if needed. Here is how to make each part ahead of time for a less stressful assembly day:
° The cake layers can be baked weeks ahead and stored in the freezer. Allow the cakes to cool completely, then tightly wrap them individually in plastic wrap and place them in a sealable plastic bag, removing as much air as possible. Freeze them for up to 2 months. To thaw, remove them from the plastic bag and allow them to come to room temperature.
° Make the frosting up to 5 days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Alternatively, freeze for up to 3 months. Allow the frosting to come to room temperature, then transfer it to a stand mixer and beat until light and fluffy.
° The macerated strawberries can be made up to 48 hours in advance as long as they are refrigerated in an airtight container.
° Assemble the cake in advance 1 to 2 days before serving. Super gently cover the cake with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator. Allow the cake to come to room temp for about 1 hour before serving.
—Nea Arentzen
Test Kitchen Notes
You'll find the recipes for our Swiss Buttercream here and the chocolate-covered cherries here. —Food52
Ingredients
-
—For the Olive Oil Cake Layers:
-
4
large eggs, room temperature
-
1 1/2 cups
granulated sugar
-
2 teaspoons
vanilla extract (vanilla bean paste would also be nice here)
-
1 cup
extra-virgin olive oil
-
2 cups
all-purpose flour
-
2 teaspoons
baking powder
-
1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt
-
⅔ cups
whole milk, at room temperature
-
—For the Macerated Strawberries:
-
1 1/2 cups
chopped strawberries
-
3 tablespoons
granulated white sugar
-
2 tablespoons
lemon juice
-
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoons
kosher salt
-
—For Assembly:
-
2
batches Swiss Buttercream (Find the recipe link in the Test Kitchen notes above.)
-
Food coloring of choice
-
6-10
chocolate-covered cherries (Find the recipe link in the Test Kitchen notes.)
Directions
-
Make the olive oil cake layers. Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with parchment paper and grease the sides with nonstick cooking spray or olive oil.
-
In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar on high until light, fluffy, and almost doubled in size. Gently stir in the vanilla and olive oil.
-
In a separate small bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
-
Alternatively add the dry ingredients and the milk, stirring between each addition (take care not to overmix). Divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans and bake for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
-
Let the cakes cool completely before removing them from the cake pans.
-
Make the macerated strawberries. Mix together the chopped strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and salt. Cover with plastic wrap and let the strawberries sit for at least 30 minutes.
-
Assemble the cake. Cut each cake layer in half lengthwise. Add a few drops of the food coloring of your choice to the frosting, setting aside some plain frosting if desired.
-
Spread some of the macerated strawberries on the first cake layer, leaving a 1-inch border around the sides. Top with frosting and spread it out evenly to the edges (it’s okay if some of the strawberries mix into the frosting). Repeat the process with the remaining cake layers and filling.
-
Once you’ve added the final cake layer, use an offset spatula to spread a thin layer of frosting around the sides and top of the cake. It’s okay if it looks messy and uneven—it’s called a crumb coating for a reason and will help make your final layer much smoother. Transfer the cake to the fridge and allow the crumb coating to set for about 15 minutes.
-
Once the frosting has set, add a generous amount of frosting to the top of the cake and spread it out into an even and flat layer, allowing it to fall to the sides. Spread the frosting down onto the sides of the cake and spread it into an even layer all around. (I find the easiest way to get a smooth and even layer is to place a bench scraper on its side and hold it against the cake while turning the cake plate.)
-
Divide the remaining frosting into piping bags with your desired piping tip, and decorate the cake as you please. If you want multiple shades of the color, just add more food coloring to some of the frosting.
-
Top the cake with chocolate-covered cherries and serve.
See what other Food52ers are saying.