German strawberry cream cake
This German strawberry cream cake looks and tastes amazing! The beautifully fluffy and moist sponge cake is filled with fresh strawberry cheese frosting after baking and finished off with whipped cream that's flavored with vanilla. Such a perfect anytime treat!
Servings: 12 Servings
Equipment
- hand mixer
- 2 bowls
- 26 - cm (10.2 inches) springform cake tin
- Spatula
Ingredients
For the sponge cake
- 4 medium eggs
- 200 g (7 oz/ 1 cup) sugar
- 140 g (4.9 oz/ 1 cup + 1 ½ tablespoons) plain flour / all purpose flour
- 140 (4.9 oz/ ½ cup + 1 ½ tablespoons) butter
For the strawberry - cheese frosting
- 500 g (17.6 oz) fresh strawberries
- 200 g (7.1 oz) mascarpone cheese chilled
- 200 g (7.1 oz) sour cream chilled
- 200 g (7.1 oz) plain yogurt chilled
- 200 g (7.1 oz) cream cheese chilled
- 2 packets cream stabilizer (whip it or sahnesteif) 1 packet weighs between 8 – 10 g (0.3 – 0.35 oz)) or 6 gelatin leaves (SEE NOTE 4)
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 70 g (2.5 oz/ 1/3 cup) sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
For the topping: (optional)
- 200 ml (6.8 fl.oz/ ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon) heavy whipping cream well chilled
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar
- strawberries and fresh lemon balm /mint leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Make the sponge cake: Start off by melting the butter either in the microwave, saucepan on the stove or in the oven that you're currently preheating to 180°C (356 degree Fahrenheit) and let it cool. While the butter is melting, line the 26-cm (10.2 inches) spring-form cake tin with a parchment paper at the bottom and grease the sides with butter.
- Divide 3 eggs into two separate bowls. In the egg yolks bowl, add a full egg. Using a hand mixer, beat the egg whites until light and fluffy and set aside. Add sugar to 1 whole egg and 3 egg yolks and beat until creamy. Using a spatula stir in the flour, then the egg whites and finally the melted butter. Pour the batter into the cake tin and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool completely.
- Make the strawberry cheese frosting: Wash the strawberries, cut off the stems and then cut them into small pieces. In a bowl, combine mascarpone cheese, cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, yogurt, sour cream, cream stabilizer and lemon juice. Using a hand mixer whisk all the ingredients. Afterwards add the strawberries chunks and mix.
- Transfer the cooled cake to a plate or platter, upside down. Take the ring from the spring-form cake tin and put it around the cake. Spread the frosting cream over it. Cover the frosted cake and chill it for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Topping (if desired): Shortly before serving the cake, you can make the topping. In a bowl/jar combine heavy cream, sugar and vanilla extract. Whip the cream until light and a thick. Spread it on the cake. Garnish with strawberries and lemon balm/ mint leaves.
Notes
- I must mention that, It's very important that you let the cake cool completely or at least one hour before frosting. If you frost it and chill it, without cooling it completely, the cake will create steam and become soggy. And you don't want that to happen to your irresistible strawberry cake. This cake is best served few hours after frosting. It also stays fresh up to 2 days. You just have to cover it and chill it.
- Though this strawberry cake is very easy to make, it requires lots of patience and time. But it's all worth it guys. I guarantee you'll enjoy this cake with every single bite.
- If you want, you could also cut the cake in the middle so that you'll have two layers before frosting. I just like keeping my life simple. Thus why I leave out the cutting part.
- If you’re using gelatin you should soak it in cold water for about 10 minutes. Then squeeze out the excess water. Next put gelatin in a saucepan and heat it up on low heat until it’s liquid. Remove from the heat, add about two tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture and mix well. Then fold gelatin mixture together with the chopped strawberries into the entire cheese frosting mixture, that’s made without CREAM STABILIZER and chill for about 5 to 10 minutes before frosting the cake.
- There is also so much room for substitutions when it comes to the frosting. If you don’t have strawberries, you could also use tangerines, pears, raspberries, pineapples, you name it.