How to Make Strawberry Poppy Seed Layer Cake

This strawberry poppy seed layer cake is a wonderful dessert that will tickle your taste buds and leave you craving more. The cake consists of three layers of vanilla and lemon cake moist and smooth, dotted with brilliant poppy seeds. Each layer is topped with velvety cream cheese, topped with white chocolate and homemade strawberry sauce. The recipe is so easy and quick to make, and makes for an irresistibly perfect cake for different occasions.

Ingredient

Makes about 14 servings

Poppy seed cake
4 eggs, separated
2/3 cup (140g) sugar, divided
Lemon peel of a lemon
1 teaspoon (5g) vanilla extract
3 fl oz (90ml) vegetable oil
3 fl oz (90ml) of water
1 cup (200g) flour
2 teaspoons (8g) baking powder
1/2 cup poppy seeds
1/4 teaspoon (1g) salt

Lemon sugar syrup
2/3 cup (160ml) water
4 tablespoons (60g) sugar
Juice from a lemon

strawberry sauce
9 oz (250g) strawberries, fresh or frozen
1/3 cup (70g) sugar
1 tablespoon (15ml) lemon juice
1 tablespoon (8g) cornstarch

Cream cheese white chocolate
6 oz (180g) white chocolate, small pieces
1/4 cup (60g) whipped cream
13 oz (360g) cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (60g) powdered sugar
1 teaspoon (5g) vanilla extract
2 cups (480g) whipped cream (35% fat), chilled

Instruct

Prepare the poppy seed cake.
Preheat oven to 340F (170C). Grease and line the bottom of an 8-inch (20 cm) pan with parchment paper.
Separate the white from the yolk.
In a medium bowl, mix the yolks with 1/3 cup (70g) of sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla extract, until lightly golden and creamy. Add baking powder and mix to combine. Gradually mix the oil and then add the water.
Combine powder and poppy seeds.
In a large bowl, mix egg whites with salt until frothy. Gradually add the remaining 1/3 cup (70g) of sugar. Continue mixing until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold a spoonful of the whipped whites into the yolk mixture and then gently fold the yolk mixture into the whipped whites.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cool for about 10-15 minutes. Remove from pan, invert and let cool completely on rack.
Prepare lemon syrup.
In a saucepan, add water, sugar and lemon juice and boil for 3 minutes.
Set aside to cool.
Prepare the strawberry sauce.
In a saucepan add the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch.
Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes until thickened. Let cool.
Prepare the white chocolate cream cheese frosting.
Place the white chocolate and ¼ cup cream in a heatproof bowl and place over a saucepan of boiling water. Melt over low heat. Cool to room temperature.
In a large bowl mix cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract and mix to combine. Mix melted chocolate and set aside.
Add whipped cream and continue mixing until stiff peaks form.
Cake assembly.
Divide the sponge cake into three layers.
Add a little frosting to the center of the serving plate and place the first layer of the cake.
Soak the cake with about a third of the lemon sugar syrup.
Spread with up to ⅓ of the white chocolate cream cheese frosting.
Gently spread the strawberry sauce over the frosting, leaving a ½ inch (1cm) border.
Add a second cake layer. Soak in lemon sugar syrup, spread on ⅓ of the topping and spread the rest of the strawberry sauce on top.
Put the last layer of cake in to soak with lemon sugar syrup. Cover top and sides with remaining coating.
Refrigerate to set for several hours or overnight.
Decorate the cake as desired. You can pour in the remaining frosting and add half a strawberry and poppy seeds. Enjoy!