Best Homemade Strawberry Cake (Erdbeerboden)

Method19 steps · about 1 hr 30 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F /180°C. Grease and flour a German fruit-tart cake pan with a raised centre, using extra butter and flour so the inverted baked cake has a recess for filling.

   Uses Extra butter as needed to grease the tart pan · Extra flour as needed to dust the tart pan

2. 2

   Step 2: Beat the 125 g softened butter until creamy. Gradually beat in 100 g cake sugar, 2 tsp cake vanilla and the cake pinch of salt (1 pinch).

   Uses 125 grams butter (room temperature) · 100 grams sugar · 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract · 1 pinch salt

3. 3

   Step 3: Beat the 3 whole eggs into the creamed mixture one at a time, beating on high for about 30 seconds after each egg.

   Uses creamed cake butter-sugar mixture · 3 eggs (large)

4. 4

   Step 4: Sift the 200 g cake flour and 2 tsp baking powder together. Add to the prepared butter-and-egg mixture in alternating additions with the 60 ml cake milk.

   Uses butter-and-egg cake mixture · 200 g all-purpose flour for the cake · 2 teaspoons baking powder · 60 ml milk for the cake

5. 5

   Step 5: Spread the prepared batter evenly in the greased fruit-tart pan. Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden and baked through.

   Bake the cake · 20 minUses finished cake batter

6. 6

   Step 6: Cool the cake completely. Trim any overhanging edges if needed, then invert the pan to release the cake with its filling recess facing up.

   Uses baked fruit-tart cake base

7. 7

   Step 7: For the pudding, split the vanilla bean (1) and scrape its seeds into a small saucepan with the separate 500 ml pudding milk and pudding pinch of salt (1 pinch). Bring to a boil.

   Uses 1 vanilla bean for the pudding · 500 milliliters milk · 1 pinch salt (to bring out the flavors)

8. 8

   Step 8: Meanwhile, beat the separate 3 pudding yolks with 70 g powdered sugar for 3 minutes until thick and very pale. Mix in the 30 g pudding cornstarch until smooth.

   Beat the yolks and sugar · 3 minUses 3 egg yolks (large eggs) · 70 grams powdered sugar · 30 grams cornstarch

9. 9

   Step 9: Whisk the yolk-sugar-cornstarch mixture into the hot vanilla milk while stirring constantly. Return to a boil, whisking until the pudding thickens, then transfer to a bowl and let cool for assembly.

   Uses hot vanilla pudding milk · yolk-sugar-cornstarch mixture

10. 10

    Step 10: For the glaze, combine the 310 g prepared glaze strawberries, 3 tbsp glaze sugar, 3 tbsp initial glaze water and 1 tsp lemon juice in a saucepan over high heat.

    Uses 310 g strawberries, hulled and halved, fresh or frozen, for the glaze · 3 Tablespoons sugar · 3 Tablespoons water · 1 teaspoon lemon juice

11. 11

    Step 11: Stir while bringing the glaze mixture to a boil. Reduce to low and simmer for up to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so it does not burn and the berries soften.

    Simmer glaze berries until softened · 10 minUses strawberry glaze mixture

12. 12

    Step 12: During that same berry simmer, break up the softening fruit with a wooden spoon to release its juices.

    Uses softened simmering glaze berries

13. 13

    Step 13: Remove from the heat and strain into a bowl, pressing out as much juice as possible. Set the fruit solids aside or discard. Return the strained liquid to the pan over low heat.

    Uses softened crushed glaze fruit and juices

14. 14

    Step 14: Mix the separate 1 tbsp slurry water with the 1 tsp glaze cornstarch until smooth. Whisk into the simmering strawberry liquid, raise the heat and whisk for about 3–5 minutes, until it thickens into a glaze.

    Thicken the glaze · 4 minUses strained strawberry glaze liquid · 1 teaspoon cornstarch · 1 tbsp water for the glaze-cornstarch slurry

15. 15

    Step 15: Transfer the glaze to a separate bowl and let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled for brushing over the fruit.

    Uses thickened strawberry glaze

16. 16

    Step 16: Spread the cooled vanilla pudding into the recess of the cooled cake base.

    Uses cooled inverted cake base · cooled vanilla pudding

17. 17

    Step 17: Hull the 500 g fresh topping strawberries. Arrange small berries whole, cut-side down, over the pudding, or slice larger berries and arrange from the outside inward.

    Uses pudding-topped cake base · 500 g fresh strawberries, hulled, for topping

18. 18

    Step 18: Brush the prepared chilled glaze over the strawberries. If needed, loosen that same glaze with a little optional extra water.

    Uses fresh-strawberry-topped pudding cake · chilled strawberry glaze · Extra water as needed to thin the finished glaze, optional

19. 19

    Step 19: Garnish with optional fresh mint and serve with optional ready whipped cream. Refrigerate the assembled pudding cake until serving.

    Uses glazed strawberry-pudding cake · Fresh mint for garnish, optional · Ready whipped cream for serving, optional