Can I use freeze-dried strawberries for the buttercream?

Yes, it's possible to replace the strawberry purée with freeze-dried strawberry powder to flavor the strawberry frosting without using fresh strawberries.

Can I use a strawberry jam instead of strawberry puree?

Technically it's possible, the strawberry jam will flavor your buttercream, but as it's made with half sugar and half fruit, the frosting won't be pink enough and won't have the same flavor as with strawberry concentrate.

Easy Strawberry Buttercream Birthday Cake Recipe From Scratch

Description

Delicious pink strawberry birthday cake with strawberry buttercream frosting. (for a 8 inches / 20 cm cake 8-10 slices)

Ingredients

Strawberry Cake

150 g (2/3 cup) Butter - unsalted and softened
290 g ( 1 1/2 cup) Sugar - extra fine granulated
2 tsp Vanilla extract
4 Egg whites - about 150 g room temperature
160 ml (2/3 cup) Buttermilk - or yogurt
150 g (1 1/4 cup) Cake flour
1 1/2 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Baking soda
1/2 tsp Salt
60 g (1/4 cup) Strawberry puree
Pink food coloring - optional

Strawberry buttercream frosting

Make a batch of my strawberry buttercream

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Instructions

Strawberry cake

Preheat the oven to 329°F/ 165°C and prepare 2 7-8 inches / 17-20 cm cake pans lined with parchment paper on the bottoms only.
In a large bowl, mix and sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Place the softened butter and sugar in a large bowl, or in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and whisk for about 3 minutes until creamy and white.
Keeping the whisk running at high speed, add the vanilla extract and egg whites in batches, beating for 1 minute between each addition until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Continue beating for approximately 3-5 minutes.
Fold in the flour mixture and the buttermilk alternately and in batches with a rubber spatula until smooth and homogeneous.
Finish by stirring in the strawberry purée with the spatula and the pink coloring (optional), and mix until the batter is smooth.
Pour the cake batter into the two prepared baking pans and tap lightly to distribute the batter in the pan.
Bake in the oven at half-height for around 25 -30 minutes until golden on top, checking by plunging a toothpick into the center; it should come out clean without liquid batter.
Leave the cakes to cool in the pans for a few minutes before removing them from the pans and cooling them completely on a wire rack.
Cover the sponge cakes with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours before assembly. (Remove crust and bumps if necessary, using a knife or cake leveler).

Strawberry buttercream :

Follow my recipe for Strawberry Buttercream.

Assembly

Place the first layer of cake on a cake board or serving dish.
Apply a layer of strawberry buttercream and smooth with an angled spatula.
Place the second layer of sponge cake cover the whole cake with the remaining strawberry buttercream and decorate with whole strawberries.
Serve immediately or place in the fridge until ready to serve (remember to take it out of the fridge 20 minutes beforehand to soften the buttercream a little).