They have all continually improved in appearance, from butter cream piped dresses, to fondant decorations and finally this current Strawberry Princess laden with marzipan. But this version of cakey goodness…well, takes the cake. By the time the birthday dinner rolled around, I was so sick of snacking on spare pieces of marzipan that I fear I may have spoiled my appetite just a leeeetle bit. But the vote was unanimous: it was rather delish. More strawberries, according to the boyfriend, but his words of wisdom are usually right.
Strawberry Chiffon Cake Recipe
Now, this particular princess took me about 10 hours of make, including baking, prep, photo shoot, decorating, assembly… Actually, most of those hours spent trying to soften, colour, roll out and intricately shape the marzipan – and I wish I had more time for detail!
Also Try: Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Recipe
But all modesty aside, this thing made me mighty proud. Mike brought the massive box into the building (I could not, as I wore stilettos, of course) and got to experience the stares of those passing by. They oo’d and ah’d at and I walked behind him basking in it, loving that I could objectively observe the fruits of my labour.
After dinner Mike and I went to retrieve the Princess and spark up the candles. This was followed by our entrance with the cake ablaze with candles, with every diner watching, and me close behind, with the biggest smile and best cake high ever. Happy Birthday Joanna!
INGREDIENTS STRAWBERRY CHIFFON CAKE
Bowl 1:
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
Bowl 2:
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 6 egg yolks
- 3/4 cup strawberries puree (Puree 8-10 strawberries in a blender, push through small sieve and use the unstrained ‘pulp’ as puree)
- 1 tsp. imitation strawberry extract (OR 1 tsp. Almond extract, goes nicely with marzipan)
- Few drops of red coloring
Bowl 3:
- 6 egg whites
- 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
- 3/4 cup sugar
How to Make Strawberry Chiffon Cake Recipe
1. Grease a Wilton Wonder Mold Cake Pan (or you can use a bundt pan).
Preheat oven to 350′F, using the bottom rack.
2. Sift together ingredients from Bowl 1 into a mixing bowl. Whisk to mix and add Bowl 2, using an electric mixer with paddle attachment to mix until blended. It will be very thick in consistency. Set aside.
3. In a separate mixing bowl with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add in the sugar in a steady stream, without stopping the machine and beat until stiff peaks form.
4. Fold 1/3 of the egg white mixture into the yolk batter gently but thoroughly, making sure not to deflate the egg whites too much. Keep adding thirds until all the whites are used and the batter is of a light consistency.
4. Pour batter into your prepared cake pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Set cake on cooking rack and after 15 minutes invert it onto the rack. Let the cake cool completely.
Filling for Strawberry Chiffon Cake Recipe
Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Strawbery Mousse Recipe.
Ingredients for Strawbery Mousse Recipe
- 2 pounds strawberries. (1 pound hulled and halved for puree, 1 pound sliced for filling)
- 8 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 1/4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
How to Make Strawbery Mousse Recipe
1. Puree halved strawberries in a food processor and strain through a fine sieve, until you have about 1 cup of puree.
2. In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (making sure the water does not touch the bottom of the pan), melt chopped white chocolate, stirring constantly. Set aside.
3. Put 1/4 cup cool water into a small bowl and sprinkle gelatin over top; let it rest for about 5 minutes until softened. In a separate pot, stir ¼ cup cream and the 2 tbsp icing sugar over medium heat until it reaches a simmer. Pour the gelatine mixture into the cream mixture and stir until the gelatine dissolves. Pour into the melted chocolate and stir until smooth. Whisk in cup of strawberry puree. Set Aside.
Also Try: Bridal Shower Cupcakes Ideas Recipe
4. In the bowl of your electric mixer with the whisk attachment, whip 1 ¾ cup cream on medium-high speed until medium peaks form. Whisk 1/3 of this whipped cream into the chocolate mixture and fold the remaining 2/3 with a spatula, gently. Refrigerate for 1 hour before using.
You may fold in you chopped berries or line the cake layers with them during assembly, using the mousse as a coating.
CAKE SYRUP:
Equal parts water and sugar, with flavoured liquer optional. (Rum, Kirsch, or strawberry liquer if you have it)
Bring to a boil and use a pastry bush to dab onto the cake layers, moistening, not soaking.
Assembling the Cake:
Cut your Barbie Dress cake bottom into layers. Place on cake board. Soak bottom layer with syrup, top with mousse and generously lay strawberries on top. Cover with cake layer, soak with syrup and repeat. Make sure not to put too much mousse, or your cake will topple. There should be no more than an inch space between cake layers. Use remaining mousse as a crumb coat around the entire dress, sealing any cracks. Refrigerate until set, about an hour. In the meantime, prepare your marzipan decorations.
Marzipan Dress and Decorations:
- I will be providing a short tutorial regarding marzipan moulding techniques and decorating cakes with marzipan in the future, but for now all you need to know is as follows.
- Note: You can also use gum paste, sugar paste or fondant with this technique.
- 1-2 pounds of White Marzipan (note: this is the natural marzipan, it is not white, but rather an almond-y cream colour)
- Gel Food colouring of your preference. *gel works best
- plastic gloves (unless you want your hands to match the cake!)
- Parchment Paper
- Rolling Pin
- Pie dough/Pizza Cutter
- Gum-Paste Tool Kit (For details)
- Biceps (ha, I’m serious. *serious stare*)
For Dress:
Take a BIG chunk of marzipan and begin to knead it to soften it. If your marzipan is dry or hard, moisten your hands with water a little bit and keep on kneadin’. It will soften eventually, but cursing does help.
Once softened, dab a few drops of food gel colouring at a time and knead some more until you reach your desired colour, adding gel as needed. (ha, knead-ed)
Once colour suits your mood, line your work space with parchment paper and flatten your chunk of marzipan on the sheet. Cover with another sheet and begin to roll out the marzipan, always from the middle out. This will take a while, but you want to keep rolling until you get a thin layer (1-5mm thick)
Be VERY careful when handling the marzipan, so it does not tear or break. When transferring it to your cake, roll in up in your rolling pin, or fold it neatly and loosely. When making a dress, this type of cake covering is great because you can use the natural ruffle of the marzipan (or fondant) as a way of emphasizing your dress.
Also Try: Healthy Kiwi and Strawberry Smoothie Recipe
Colour smaller pieces of marzipan to make your fruits, leaves (or any other decorations) and use water to adhere them to the dress. For heavier pieces (read: strawberries, bows), Misiu came up with the brilliant idea of using toothpicks to secure them to the dress. Just warn your guests!
Remember, marzipan does dry out after a couple of days, so leave the marzipan rolling and decorating to the day of serving. Cookie cutters and presses are useful tools in shaping marzipan as well.
