Vanilla Cake with Strawberry Filling (Swedish Midsummer Cake)
A show-stopping celebration cake filled with roasted strawberries and pastry cream and topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries. Perfect for any summer occasion!
Servings: 10 servings (one 9-inch layer cake)
Calories: 574kcal
Equipment
- 2 9 inch round cake pans
- Parchment paper
- Stand or hand mixer
- Pastry bag with large tip or gallon-sized plastic storage bag
Ingredients
For the Roasted Strawberry Filling:
- 1 pound strawberries quartered
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- Pinch of fine salt
For the Cake Layers:
- 2 cups cake flour spooned and leveled (240 grams)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¼ cup unsalted butter cut into tablespoons
- ⅓ cup canola or vegetable oil
For the Pastry Cream Filling:
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 cup half and half
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of fine salt
For the Whipped Cream:
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
To Assemble the Cake:
- Roasted Strawberry Filling
- Cake Layers
- Pastry Cream Filling
- Whipped Cream
- 2-3 cups strawberries halved
Instructions
- Make the Roasted Strawberry Filling: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine strawberries, sugar and salt in an 8 inch square baking dish. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir briefly. Return to the oven and roast for an additional 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly. Mash mixture with the back of a fork until it is a jam-like texture. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Filling should be completely cool before assembling the cake. (Filling can be made up to a week in advance).
- Make the Cake Layers: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter two 9 inch cake rounds. Place a 9 inch circle of parchment paper on the bottom of each pan. Butter the parchment paper. Flour the inside of the pans. Set aside.
- Whisk the cake flour, salt and baking powder together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Combine sugar, eggs and extracts in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, mix on medium high until the mixture is light in color and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients. Mix on low until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium-low heat until just simmering. Turn off the heat and add the butter and oil and stir until the butter has melted completely.
- Return the mixer to low speed and slowly pour the hot milk mixture into the batter. Mix until just smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl and whisk as necessary.
- Divide the cake batter equally between the prepared pans. Bake until golden brown and a tester poked into the center of each cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Set cakes aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, make the Pastry Cream Filling: Whisk the egg yolks, cornstarch, half and half, salt and sugar together in a medium saucepan. Add the butter. Place the pan over medium low heat and whisk constantly until mixture is smooth and thick, about 3-5 minutes. Strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl. Stir in vanilla. Place a piece of parchment paper directly on top of the pastry cream, followed by a layer of plastic wrap (this prevents the custard from forming a skin). Refrigerate until you are ready to use. Pastry cream should be completely cool before assembling the cake. (Pastry Cream Filling can be made up to 2 days in advance.)
- When you are ready to assemble the cake, make the Whipped Cream: Place the cream, powderer sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on medium-high to high speed until the cream can hold relatively stiff medium peaks. Spoon ½ a cup of the whipped cream into the bowl with the cooled pastry cream. Whisk to combine. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a wide tip (or simply use a gallon storage bag with ½ inch size hole cut out of one of the corners) with the remaining whipped cream.
- Assemble the cake: Place one cake layer on the bottom of a serving plate. Make a border of alternating dollops of whipped cream and halved strawberries, cut side down. Spread some pastry cream evenly in the center of the border (you will have some pastry cream leftover). Using a slotted spoon, top the pastry cream with some of the roasted strawberries, taking care to leave most of the juices behind in the bowl (again, you will have some roasted strawberries left over).
- Place the second cake layer on top of the strawberry filling layer. Pipe dollops of whipped cream over the top of the cake and arrange fresh strawberries over the top, finishing with a whole strawberry for garnish. Serve immediately or cover carefully with plastic wrap and chill until ready to serve (up to a few hours ahead).
Notes
Be sure to gently spoon and level your cake flour when measuring. Or better yet, weigh the flour instead. 2 cups of cake flour should weigh 240 grams.
Most of the cake components can be made in advance, but it's best to assemble the cake no more than a few hours before serving. The pastry cream can be stored, tightly sealed, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The roasted strawberry filling can be stored, tightly sealed, in the refrigerator for up to a week. The cake layers can be wrapped tightly in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to 24 hours. The cake layers can also be frozen for up to 6 weeks (wrapped in plastic and tightly sealed inside a freezer bag). Wait to make the whipped cream at the time you assemble the cake. Once the cake is assembled, lightly (and carefully) cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.
Using a serrated knife will help make clean cake slices.
Nutrition
Calories: 574kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 170mg | Sodium: 378mg | Potassium: 281mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 48g | Vitamin A: 1152IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 165mg | Iron: 1mg
