Vanilla strawberry piñata cake recipe

Start with a basic four-quarters batter. Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. In another bowl, whip the softened butter and granulated sugar for a few minutes. Add the egg yolks one by one, mixing well after each addition. Gently fold in the whipped egg whites in several additions to avoid deflating them and to keep as much air as possible. Gradually incorporate the flour and baking powder. Finally, add a bit of vanilla flavoring. Pour the batter into a 15cm diameter greased or parchment-lined cake pan. Bake for 50 minutes at 160°C (adjust according to your oven). Allow to cool at room temperature.

Continue the preparation of your cake with the vanilla soaking syrup. This step is important because your cake will not be dry and will have a good vanilla flavor! Over low heat, bring the water, white sugar, and vanilla flavoring to a boil, and… it’s already done! Set aside until the cake assembly.

For the mascarpone whipped cream, it is important that all your elements are well chilled (bowl, whisk, and even the heavy cream) so that the cream whips well. Pour the cream into the bowl or mixing bowl. Whip it to a fairly firm consistency by gradually increasing the speed. Once whipped, add the mascarpone, vanilla sugar, and powdered sugar. Whip for a minute to combine everything. Finally, add food coloring (gel preferred) if you wish. Keep refrigerated until use.

For assembling, the fun part! Cut the "tops" off your cooled cake to create perfectly flat cakes. Slice 4 equal disks from the width of the cake. In 3 of the cake disks, make a hole using a cookie cutter or a glass with a 5cm diameter. Take one "hollow" disk and place it on your serving platter. Soak the cake generously. Add a nice layer of mascarpone whipped cream and sliced fresh strawberries. Repeat this step 2 more times. Add candies to the top level. Cover with the last cake disk, the one without a hole, and soak it one last time with vanilla syrup. Cover the entire cake with the remaining cream. Feel free to decorate your cake as you wish: a birthday banner, sugar confetti, edible flowers...

Finally, enjoy!