Strawberry-Glazed Pink Velvet Cake with Almond Buttercream

This strawberry-glazed Pink Velvet Cake tastes like the BEST wedding cake, delicately sweet, with a soft, tender crumb and a fabulous silky almond buttercream. Plus it's pretty as a (pink) picture! What's not to love?

Prep Time30

Cook Time45

Total Time1 15

Course: Cake, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Almond Buttercream, Pink Velvet Cake, Strawberry Glaze

Servings:

Calories: 279kcal

Author: Chris Scheuer

Ingredients

For the cake:

½ cup very soft butter
1 ½ cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla I used clear vanilla
¼ teaspoon almond extract
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cups buttermilk
2 cups cake flour
3 egg whites from large eggs
4-8 drops pink food color I use Wilton Pink Rose but any pink food color will work.

For the strawberry glaze:

½ cup diced fresh strawberries 5-6 medium-size strawberries
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
½ cup powdered sugar

For the buttercream: (optional)

4 tablespoons butter ½ stick
2 tablespoons half and half or cream maybe a bit more
2 cups powdered sugar maybe a bit more
1 teaspoon vanilla extract I use clear vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract
nonpareils for garnish, if desired

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the cake:

Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a 9-inch cake pan (with sides that are at least 2 inches tall with baking spray. Line the pan with a circle of parchment paper.
Whisk the butter until light and creamy. Add the sugar, vanilla and almond extract, then whisk until well combined. (It will not be smooth and creamy at this point but rather a bit sandy.)
Add the baking soda, baking powder and salt and stir to combine.
Add approximately ⅓ (doesn’t have to be exact) of the buttermilk and stir to combine. Then add approximately ⅓ of the flour and stir again. Repeat x 2 until all of the buttermilk and flour have been added.
Add egg whites, one at a time and whisk vigorously for 30 seconds after each addition. Add pink food coloring, stirring after each drop until the desired shade of pink is reached. (I used 5-6 drops.)
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top to an even layer with an offset knife or spatula. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean OR (best way to determine doneness) until an instant thermometer inserted into the center of the cake registers 200-210˚F.
Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then invert the cake onto a cooling rack. (The flat bottom of the cake now becomes the top.)
Slowly brush the cake on the top and sides with the strawberry glaze (recipe below - make it while the cake is baking). Some will drip off but most of it will be absorbed. Allow the cake to cool completely before adding the optional buttercream.
If you decide to go with the buttercream, scrape it out onto the center of the cake then spread with an offset spatula or knife. Swirl the buttercream decoratively with the back of a spoon, if desired. Sprinkle with nonpareils, if desired.

For the strawberry glaze:

While the cake is baking, prepare the glaze. Combine diced strawberries with the 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar in a medium-size microwave-safe bowl or cup (not too small as the mixture will bubble up in the microwave). Stir to combine. Microwave on high power for 1 minute. Stir then microwave for 1 more minute.
Pour the strawberry mixture into a fine-mesh strainer that’s been set over a bowl and allow the strawberry juice to drain into the bowl. Stir the mixture every now and then and press on the solids with the back of a spoon to push out all of the juice.
You should end up with about ¼ cup of strawberry juice. If you have a bit more, discard †he excess. If it’s not quite a ¼ cup, add a bit of water to equal ¼ cup.
Add the powdered sugar to the strawberry juice and stir well until lump free. If it is difficult to dissolve the lumps you can microwave the mixture for 20-30 seconds then stir well again.

For the buttercream: (optional)

Place the butter in a medium-size microwave-safe bowl and cook on high power for 1 minute or until melted. Remove from the microwave and add the half and half or cream, the vanilla and almond extracts and the powdered sugar.
Whisk until smooth and creamy. It should be a nice spreadable consistency. If it’s a little thin you can add a bit more powdered sugar. If it seems a little thick, add a bit more half-and-half or cream.

Notes

See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips to ensure success.

If you prefer to use Metric measurements there is a button in each of our recipes, right above the word “Instructions”. Just click that button to toggle to grams, milliliters, etc. If you ever come across one of our recipes that doesn't have the Metric conversion (some of the older recipes may not), feel free to leave a comment and I will add it.

Nutritional information is with just the strawberry glaze.

Nutrition