Fresh Strawberry Marble Cake

A cream cheese frosting and fresh strawberries fill and top this impressive, party-ready strawberry marble cake.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 60 mins
• Calories: 818 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons strawberry extract
• 4 large eggs, separated, divided
• 8 whole fresh strawberries, hulled
• 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries, or as needed
• 0.25 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 ounce red food coloring, or to taste
• 0.5 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 drop red food coloring, or to taste

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line the bottoms of three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper; grease and flour the sides.

Step 2

Puree whole strawberries in the bowl of a food processor or electric blender and set aside.

Step 3

Mix flour, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. Beat sugar and butter together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract. Add flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk, beating well after each addition.

Step 4

Beat egg whites in another large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until peaks form. Gently stir into the batter.

Step 5

Pour 1/2 of the batter in a medium bowl and set aside. Add pureed strawberries and food coloring to the remaining batter and mix well.

Step 6

Pour batters evenly into the prepared cake pans, alternating between red and white batter in each pan.

Step 7

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of each layer comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Immediately run a spatula between the cakes and the sides of the pans. Let cool for 15 minutes; remove cakes from the pans. Remove paper. Cool completely on wire racks.

Step 8

Frost the bottom cooled cake layer and add 1/2 of the sliced strawberries evenly. Repeat for second layer. Add the top layer. Frost the top and sides, covering any trace of strawberries in the layers.

Step 9

While cakes are cooling, mix confectioners' sugar, cream cheese, butter, milk, strawberry extract, vanilla extract, and food coloring together in a bowl. Let sit for 15 to 30 minutes.