You probably know by now that my heart beats for confetti cakes, and if you’re not convinced, I urge you to look here, here, here and here. This strawberry version may be my favorite yet!
I used Tahitian vanilla beans for the buttercream. They really made the frosting on this cake something special. Just having the split vanilla beans on the counter top made the entire kitchen smell dreamy. Another product that I love is vanilla bean powder. I used just a smidgen in my morning coffee, and now I’m hooked! I can’t wait to use it in pie crusts and cookies.
This cake is filled with wonderful strawberry flavor, thanks to the duo of strawberry puree and strawberry gelatin (the powdered, sweetened kind). It’s absolutely speckled with sprinkles inside, and the Swiss meringue buttercream makes it really special. Use vanilla beans if you have them, but if you don’t vanilla extract will work just fine.
Strawberry Confetti Cake with Tahitian Vanilla Bean Swiss Buttercream
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 oz. package strawberry flavored gelatin
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 4 large eggs
- 2 3/4 cups sifted cake flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup whole milk room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup fresh strawberry puree
- 1/4 teaspoon red gel food color
- 1 cup confetti sprinkles
Tahitian vanilla bean Swiss meringue buttercream
- 5 egg whites
- 1 cup sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 pound unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature
- Seeds of 1 Tahitian vanilla bean
- Confetti sprinkles for decorating
- White chocolate-covered strawberries for garnish
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350F/175C.
- Grease two 9-inch cake pans or three 7-inch cake pans with vegetable shortening. Line the bottoms and sides of the pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and dry strawberry gelatin until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; stir into the batter alternately with the milk. Blend in vanilla extract and strawberry puree. Add the food color, if using, and mix again until consistently pink. Fold the confetti sprinkles into the batter and immediately divide the batter between the prepared pans.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning them out to cool completely.
Tahitian vanilla bean Swiss meringue buttercream
- Whisk together the egg whites, sugar, and salt in a large heatproof bowl. Set over the simmering water and whisk until the mixture is hot to the touch and the sugar has dissolved.
- Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
- Beat on low speed for 2 minutes. Increase to medium-high until stiff peaks are formed.
- Continue beating at medium-high speed until the mixture is fluffy and has cooled (the mixing bowl should feel cool to the touch).
- Turn the mixer off and switch from the whisk attachment to the paddle. Turn the mixer on medium-low and add the butter, a few cubes at a time, beating until well incorporated before the next addition. The egg whites will deflate and thin with the first few additions – don’t let this discourage you – keep going. It may also look curdled, but don’t fret. Beat on high speed when all the butter has been added. The mixture will thicken and become smooth after several minutes of beating. Beat in the vanilla bean seeds.
- Transfer about 3/4 cup frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip. Fill and frost the cake layers. I used about 2/3 cup to fill each 7-inch cake layer, or use 1 1/3 cups to fill a 9-inch layer.
- To decorate the bottom of the cake with confetti sprinkles, place the cake (on the cake stand/serving plate) inside a large baking pan. Toss a handful of sprinkles onto the cake allowing the excess to fall back into the baking pan. Repeat process around the entire lower circumference of the cake. Brush excess sprinkles off the bottom of the cake plate with a pastry brush. Pipe stars around the top edge of the cake with the reserved frosting in the piping bag. Pipe one large frosting swirl in the center of the cake and garnish with a white chocolate-covered strawberry half.
- Store the cake in the refrigerator loosely covered in plastic wrap. Bring to room temperature before serving.
I'd like to try a vanilla pudding. wanda72 (at) aol (dot) com
This cake is b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l!!! My niece is turning 3 this weekend and I've been wondering what cake to make her! Ding ding ding! We have a winner 🙂
Cupcakes!
Vanilla ice cream
This cake is absolutely gorgeous! And if I win I would love to make a homemade vanilla cake or pudding… Yum! Thanks for the giveaway!
Funfetti is the best!
I'd love to make vanilla bean cupcakes with a vanilla bean frosting!
I would use it for all my baking 🙂
I would love to make a vanilla cake.
I'm going to have to make this recipe, it looks amazing!!!
I would use it to flavor the marshmallows I'm making for homemade Easter Peeps!
I would make wonderful vanilla flavored anything!
I would love to make Zucchini bread. My nephew (who is not a big veggie fan at all) love zucchini bread and the recipe I use to make it calls for a few tsp of vanilla.
Vanilla just makes most recipes pop.
I finally read open worldwide and that got me excited 😀 This cake looks awesome! All the Sprinkles <3
I guess I would try some Vanilla Cupcakes with sprinkles(of course) and a Vanilla Frosting. Keep it simple to get the whole flavor.
I'm going to make my marshmallows!!
I would totally make some ROCKING vanilla bean ice cream!!!
French macarons. Mmmm.
The ultimate vanilla cupcakes!
Looks delicious! Cupcakes would taste amazing with this vanilla
The cake, the writing, the styling….PERFECTION! What a wonderful way to start my day!
I love adding it to my oatmeal!
Wow, the description of how nicely scented they are has me craving some vanilla! I would use this in some creme brulee – so delicious!
I love vanilla cake! I also love adding a bit of extra vanilla to my banana bread.
I'd like to use it on everything vanilla-licious baked goodies 😉
Pancakes!
So I had a bride on sunday ask me to make her a strawberry cake for her wedding, because she loves duncan hines pink strawberry cake. My first thought was 'I bet Sprinkle Bakes has a good pink strawberry cake recipe'. It is like you read my mind. Thanks so much for the recipe, Ill give it a go this week, and hope it lives up to her boxed cake mix expectations (if not I might just have to cave and buy the stuff instead of making it from scratch). Pastry cream is always better with vanilla beans, but I… Read more »
I wouldn't even know where to start! I would use it in all my baking. 😀
Vanilla pudding and ice cream!
Can't wait to try this cake out!!! So fun!
Vanilla pudding and ice cream,
This cake looks amazing, growing up my mom made all the kids strawberry cake on their bday and this would be a great upgrade! I would use the vanilla to try this recipe!
If the vanilla will help me make a cake as pretty as this one, sign me up! What kid (or adult!) wouldn't squeal to get a cake like that?! 🙂 I'd use it the vanilla to make a white cake for my coworker's birthday.
My sister would love this! Question is, do I wait for her birthday in September or make one this weekend? This weekend, for sure.
I'd make cream puffs filled with vanilla pastry cream. Yum!
I would use my vanilla to make the ultimate vanilla cupcakes. Fluffy vanilla cake with vanilla bean buttercream:)
Meringues
Ice Cream
angel food cake
Lovely ….just so amazing the cake looks
This is going to be an homemade Ice Cream year for me
Homemade vanilla!
I ♡ strawberries! My youngest turned 16 and wanted something not chocolate, this will be his!
Thanks for this yummy giveaway!!!
I would love to use the vainilla in some chocolate bundt cake!!!
My kids favorite treat: vanilla cake!
I would use the vanilla in a classic buttercream to give it a flavour boost!
This cake couldn't get any better if it tried!
I'd make meringues with the vanilla, I'm obsessed with those light melty lovelies!
Something that really showcases the vanilla itself. Ice cream? Pudding? Not sure!
This combines all of my favorite things! Love it!!!
Still in search of THEE perfect vanilla cake. I would definitely use it into the recipe.