Pocky Strawberry Cake with Chocolate - Dipped Strawberries
Strawberry Cake Recipe with Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries and Pocky Strawberry. Perfect mix of sweetness, tanginess, and a bit of bitterness.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 355 g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
- 4 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 225 ml Milk
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract or 2 Vanilla Bean Pods
- 350 g Sugar (granulated or caster)
- 225 g Butter, softened
- 4 Eggs
For the Strawberry Milk Icing:
- 250 g Butter, softened
- 3 cups Icing (Confectioner's) Sugar
- 1 cup Strawberry Nesquik Powder
- 1/4-1/3 cup Milk, adjust for texture
For Decoration:
- Pocky Strawberry sticks
- Chocolate-dipped Strawberries (milk, white, and dark chocolates)
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) and grease two 18cm (7 inch) (or 20cm (8 inch), cake will be shorter) round cake tins. Note this will make a fairly thick cake layer so you need a tin with higher sides. If using thinner tins, split the mixture into 3 tins instead. Line the base of the tins with baking paper.
- Combine flour and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside. Mix milk and vanilla together in a measuring jug.
- Using an electric mixer on low speed, beat sugar and butter in a large bowl until blended. Increase speed to high and beat well until very pale and creamy, at least 5 minutes.
- Reduce speed to medium low, add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Alternately add flour mix and milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture (I did it by adding 1/4 of of the dry mixture followed by 1/3 of the wet mixture at a time). Beat until smooth, occasionally scraping bowl with a spatula.
- Split mixture equally between prepared tins and smooth top with a spatula.
- Bake until a skewer inserted into the center just comes out clean and the outside is golden, about 40-50 minutes (will vary depending on your cake tin size). Take cake not to overbake or cake will be dry.
- Cool in tins for 15 minutes, then carefully turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely. Keep cakes wrapped in clingfilm and chilled in fridge until you are ready to assemble. Can be stored in an airtight container overnight if you want to prep the cakes a day ahead.
For the strawberry milk icing:
- Place butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on high until smooth and fluffy.
- Add icing sugar, Nesquik powder to bowl and mix until it starts to come together, then gradually add milk while beating on high until light and fluffy. You want your icing to be stiff enough to hold its shape but smooth enough to be spread easily.
- Trim the tops of your cakes so they are level using a long, sharp, preferably serrated knife. Place one layer on your cake stand and use an offset spatula to spread a thick layer of icing over the top of the cake. Sandwich with the second layer of cake.
- Crumb coat cake and then chill for about half an hour, then cover with remaining icing and smooth with offset spatula.
- Decorate the side of the cake with Pocky sticks. Carefully press the Pocky into the icing on the side of the cake so that it stays in place. Chill cake to set the icing.
- Prepare chocolate dipped strawberries.
- Place cake in the fridge until ready to serve. Remove from fridge at least 15 mins before serving. Place chocolate-dipped strawberries on top and serve.
Source: Raspberri Cupcakes