Sky’s 4th Birthday Cake: Strawberry Filled Layer Cake with Whipped Mascarpone Frosting

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Birthdays are magical moments that mark the passing of time and the growth of our loved ones. They are precious reminders of the joy and love we share with those closest to us. As I reflect on Sky’s 4th birthday, I am overwhelmed with emotions and memories that fill my heart. Sky Baby, you have brought so much happiness and light into our lives. It feels like just yesterday when we celebrated your first birthday, and now you’re turning four! Time truly flies, but the love and joy you bring to me each and every day is everlasting.

As I prepare your birthday cake, I am reminded of all the moments we have shared. The laughter, the tears, the milestones, and the countless memories that have shaped our journey together. This cake is not just a sweet treat; it’s a symbol of my love for you and the cherished memories we’ve created in the last four years. I am so excited for your glamour party and can’t wait for your cake’s big reveal!

For Sky’s birthday cake this year, I have chosen to make her a two-tiered version of my Strawberry Filled Layer Cake with Whipped Mascarpone Frosting. This cake features layers of moist vanilla cake filled with a delightful strawberry filling and covered in a heavenly whipped mascarpone frosting. The combination of flavors and the beautiful decoration will make Sky’s birthday party truly unforgettable!

To begin, let’s start with the star of the show: the strawberry filling. To make your filling, you are going to need frozen strawberries (you can use fresh strawberries if you’d prefer, but I like to use frozen to ensure the consistency of taste, as strawberries are frozen at the peak of their freshness, when they are ripe and delicious–there’s just too much variation of taste in fresh strawberries for me). You will also need water, sugar, and cornstarch for your filling,

For your vanilla cake, you will need flour, sugar, baking powder, Himalayan pink salt, milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, eggs, and water.

To make your delicious whipped mascarpone frosting (and I mean DELICIOUS) you are are going to need chilled heavy whipping cream, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and chilled mascarpone cheese.

Strawberry Filling: You are going to want to make your strawberry filling ahead of time so that you can get it in the refrigerator to cool completely prior to assembling your cake. To make your filling, add your thawed strawberries and water to a food processor or blender and puree them until they are smooth. Then, in a medium saucepan, add in your strawberry puree, sugar, and cornstarch and whisk to combine them completely. Cook your mixture over medium heat, whisking continuously, until it comes to a boil and thickens to the consistency of a jam or jelly (this will vary depending on the type of stove you have and how quickly it heats up, but it will generally take between 5 and 8 minutes. Once your filling is thick enough to coat a spoon without running off of it easily, remove your saucepan from the heat. Transfer your filling to a small bowl. Cover it with a piece of plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface, covering it entirely to avoid a “skin” from forming on it. Transfer your bowl to the refrigerator to cool completely (about 2 hours). Your filling will thicken further upon cooling.

Vanilla Cake: To make your vanilla cake layers, begin by preheating your oven to 350°F and preparing three (8-inch) cake pans by greasing the sides and placing parchment paper rounds in the bottoms. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP! As your cake layers cool, they will get very sticky, so they will not release from your pans easily without parchment paper rounds in the bottoms.

Next, in a medium bowl, combine your flour, sugar, baking powder and Himalayan pink salt, whisking gently to incorporate them completely and set your bowl aside. In a large bowl, add your milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and eggs, and beat with an electric hand mixer until fully combined; about 1 minute. Add your dry ingredients to your wet ingredients and mix until mostly combined. Pour in your water and mix on low speed until all of your ingredients are completely incorporated. Scrape down the sides and scrape up bottom of your bowl to release any unmixed ingredients, and then beat your batter again on low to combine all your remaining ingredients thoroughly.

Divide your batter evenly into your prepared pans and bake for 24-28 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool your cakes completely.

After your filling and cake layers have cooled, it’s time to prepare your frosting.

Whipped Mascarpone Frosting: In a large bowl, beat your heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract on high until stiff peaks form. Add in your chilled mascarpone cheese and beat until fully incorporated. It is important to keep your mascarpone cheese chilled for this frosting so as to keep your frosting as firm as possible. Mascarpone cheese is a very smooth cheese that will incorporate beautifully into your whipped cream. After your frosting is whipped up, do yourself a favor and DO NOT TASTE IT. Otherwise, you most definitely will not have enough to assemble your cake. DO, however, lick the bowl clean after assembling your cake!!!

To Assemble First Tier of Cake: Run a silicone icing spatula or knife around the outer edge of your cake pan for your first layer to help release your cake and place it down on your cake pedestal or cardboard cake round. Using a serrated knife, remove the dome from your first layer so it is completely flat. Then, with a large piping bag, fitted with an Ateco 808 tip, pipe a dam of frosting around the outer edge of your cake and fill that dam with half of your strawberry filling. Spread your filling evenly over your cake until it meets your frosting dam. Top your strawberry filing with a layer of your frosting. Repeat these steps for your second and third cake layers, omitting the strawberry filling on your top layer.

Finally, cover your entire cake with a thin crumb coat of frosting and then go back in and apply a thick final coating of frosting. To add a touch of glamour to your cake, run a scalloped-edged scraper around the sides of the cake, creating a striped pattern.

Because this cake is a two-tiered cake, I whipped up two batches of my batter. Then I filled three prepared 6-inch cake pans to about the same level I did in the 8-inch pans and made a few cupcakes with the leftover batter. I assembled the second tier the same way I assembled the first tier, however, I secured the cake on top of a cake separator prior to assembling it. Prior to frosting my second tier of cake, I carefully secured the stabilizing straws to the bottom of my cake separator and gently lowered it down into the first tier of my cake. I then frosted the entire tier and finished it off by running the same scalloped-edged scraper that I used on the first tier around this cake as well. After the cake was fully assembled, I glamour’d it up a bit by airbrushing the entire thing with Gold Wilton Color Mist and topped it off with TONS of Wilton Edible Gold Glitter Spray. I decorated it with some real makeup brushes and some fake makeup pallettes.

It is important to note that this cake must be refrigerated until you are ready to serve it. This chilling time will allow the flavors to meld together and the frosting to set, ensuring a perfect slice of cake for each guest.

Sky, as I assemble this masterpiece, layer by layer, I am overwhelmed with gratitude. Gratitude for the privilege of being your Mama, for the countless memories we’ve made, and for the opportunity to celebrate yet another year of your beautiful existence. This cake is a labor of love, created with the sole purpose of bringing joy to your special day. So, my dear Sky, as we gather around this cake, surrounded by loved ones and friends, let us take a moment to reflect on the journey that has led us here. Let us remember the laughter, the tears, and the unwavering love that has carried us through each passing year. This cake is a testament to the incredible person you are becoming and a celebration of the love that binds us together. Happy fourth birthday, my precious baby! I love you to the moon and back!!!