¼ cup (47 grams) ¼-inch-chopped fresh strawberries
Garnish: halved fresh strawberries
Instructions
Position oven racks in center and top third of oven. Preheat oven to 325°F (170°C). Spray a tall-sided 8-inch round cake pan with baking spray with flour. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar at medium speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition. Fold in food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla until combined. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Tap pan on a kitchen towel-lined counter a few times to settle batter and release any air bubbles; smooth top with a small offset spatula.
Bake on center oven rack until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean and an instant-read thermometer inserted in center registers 200°F (93°C), 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes, placing foil on top oven rack after 55 minutes of baking to prevent excess browning. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and discard parchment. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
Using a serrated knife or a cake leveler, cut cake in half horizontally. Place bottom half on a serving plate.
Reserve 1½ cups (322 grams) Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream. In a small bowl, stir together 1⅔ cups (356 grams) buttercream and chopped strawberries; spoon into a pastry bag, and cut a ¾-inch opening in tip. Pipe buttercream evenly onto bottom half of cake, and smooth with a small offset spatula. Top with remaining half of cake. Spread remaining buttercream on top and sides of cake.
To texture cake, place frosted cake on a turntable, and position tip of a small offset spatula at base of cake. While pressing down lightly at tip, spin turntable until spatula returns to starting point. Move spatula just above first ridge and repeat as needed. For top of cake, position spatula at center of cake. While pressing down lightly at tip, spin turntable and pull spatula gradually toward edge of cake.
Spoon reserved 1½ cups (322 grams) Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream into a pastry bag fitted with a 9/16-inch open star piping tip (Ateco #827). Pipe swirls of buttercream around edge of cake. Garnish with halved strawberries, if desired. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Let come to room temperature before serving.
Notes
*We used McCormick Red Food Color.
Recipe by Bake from Scratch at https://staging.bakefromscratch.com/strawberry-red-velvet-cake/