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strawberry rhubarb layer cake with strawberries on top
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Strawberry Rhubarb Layer Cake
Prep Time
45 mins
Cook Time
22 mins
 

The best of spring wrapped up in this delicious layer cake with a spoon licking delicious brown butter strawberry rhubarb frosting.

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: rhubarb recipe, strawberry rhubarb cake
Servings: 10
Author: Jackie
Ingredients
Compote
  • 2 cups strawberries diced
  • 2 cups rhubarb thinly sliced
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Cake
  • ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 6 egg whites
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ cups whole milk room temperature
  • ¾ cup cooled strawberry rhubarb compote
Brown Butter Frosting
  • ⅓ cup strawberry rhubarb compote
  • 3 cups (6 stickunsalted butter room temperature
  • 10 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
Strawberry Rhubarb Compote-
  1. In a medium sized pot set over medium heat, cook the diced strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, and lemon juice, stirring frequently. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low. Gently simmer until fruit has softened and compote has thickened, about 15 minutes.
  2. Remove from heat and cool completely.
Cake-
  1. To make the cake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 8" or 9" round pans.
  2. In the bowl of your mixer, cream together butter, oil, and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add the vanilla and egg whites and beat until batter is light and airy, about 5 minutes on medium speed.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
  5. Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until just combined.
  6. Add the milk mixture and cooled strawberry rhubarb compote and mix until just combined.
  7. Add remaining dry mixture, mixing until combined and scraping down the sides of the bowl.
  8. Evenly spoon batter into prepared pans.
  9. Bake cakes for 22-25 minutes or until a knife is inserted in the center and comes out with only a few coarse crumbs.
Frosting-
  1. In a medium heavy-bottomed pot, melt butter over medium-low heat.
  2. Continue cooking while stirring until the butter foams up a bit, then subsides and begins to brown.
  3. Watching carefully so it doesn't burn, cook butter until it has a golden brown color and nutty aroma.
  4. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl to cool completely and begin to firm up again, about 1 hour.
  5. Once butter has firmed up, add it to the bowl of your mixer with the compote and half of the powdered sugar.
  6. Beat on medium speed until frosting is smooth.
  7. Add remaining powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk and beat until combined.
  8. Increase mixer speed to high and beat until light and smooth, about 5 minutes.
Assembly-
  1. To assemble the cake, place one cake layer on the cake plate.
  2. Spread a thin layer of frosting over the layer and pipe a border of frosting around the cake
  3. Spread ½ of the remaining compote over the frosting, then top with 2nd cake layer and repeat.
  4. Top with final cake layer and frost the top and outside of the cake.
  5. Garnish with fresh strawberries.
Recipe Notes

Compote, cake, and browned butter can be made 2 days ahead of time. Just be sure to refrigerate compote and butter in an air tight container and bring to room temperature before using. Wrap cake tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to frost.