Strawberry Vanilla Swirl Cake

Strawberry Purée

In a small bowl, using a handheld blender or in a blender, puree strawberries with lemon juice. Set aside.

Cake Batter

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 8 x 1.5 inch pans with a round of parchment. Flour pans and tap out excess. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a medium measuring cup, pour in 1/3 cup buttermilk and whisk in the eggs, egg whites, and vanilla extract until combined. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment, cream together the Mirage Margarine, vanilla extract, and sugar until fluffy and pale in colour; about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add the dry ingredients and the remaining 1/3 cup buttermilk to the mixture. Blend on low until just combined. Increase the speed to medium and beat mixture until well blended; about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl down every 30 seconds.

On low speed, gradually add half of the egg-buttermilk mixture while increasing the speed to medium. Ensure the eggs have been fully incorporated into the batter before adding and repeat the process with the remainder of the mixture.

Divide batter in half. Fold the strawberry puree into one of the halves. Add a few drops of red or pink food colouring into the batter until the desired shade of pink is achieved.

Evenly divide the strawberry batter between the two prepared cake pans. With a tablespoon, drop the vanilla batter in scattered spots over the pink batter. Try to divide the amount evenly between the two cake pans. Using the tablespoon, create swirls by dragging the plain batter through the strawberry batter. Be sure to not over-swirl.

Tap the cake pans a few times on a flat work surface to even out the batter and place into the preheated oven for about 35 to 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Icing

In a large bowl, cream the Mirage Margarine on high speed with an electric mixer for 3 minutes, until smooth and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl several times with a rubber spatula. Add the vanilla extract. Mix on low speed until the extract is just combined with the margarine.

Add 1 cup of the icing sugar to the creamed margarine, and mix on low speed until just incorporated. Continue adding the icing sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Once all of the icing sugar is incorporated into the icing, add the pink food colouring to the desired shade along with the strawberry purée, and mix the frosting on high speed for 5 minutes.

Add in the 35% cream and mix on high speed for 2 minutes.

Assembly

When the cakes are done, take out of the oven and allow to cool in the pans for about 10 minutes. Run a small knife or offset spatula around the cakes. Invert cakes and set right side up on a wire cooling rack to cool completely before slicing and frosting. When cakes are completely cooled, use a serrated knife to level and slice off the rounded tops of each cake.

Place about 2 cups of the icing onto one of the sliced cakes. Using a spatula, spread the icing to the edge. Flip the second cake over so that the bottom of the cake becomes the top. Gently press down and make sure the cake is level. Place into the fridge to allow icing to set; about 20 minutes. With the remaining frosting, frost the top and sides of the cake.

Carefully place cake onto a serving platter or cake stand. Decorate with strawberries, if desired. Serve immediately.

Baker’s Notes

• You can try this recipe using raspberries, cherries, or any combination of berries.
• For a seedless batter, strain strawberry puree through a sieve.
• If icing gets too soft to work with, place into the fridge for 15 to 25 minutes to firm up.