Servings: 10 to 12

CAKE: subheading: CAKE:
3 cup cake flour 3 cup cake flour
1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. salt
4 tsp. baking powder 4 tsp. baking powder
24 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temp (3 sticks) 24 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temp (3 sticks)
8 ounces cream cheese, room temp 8 ounces cream cheese, room temp
2 cup granulated sugar plus ¼ cup for diced strawberries 2 cup granulated sugar plus ¼ cup for diced strawberries
4 large eggs 4 large eggs
4 tsp. vanilla extract 4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 ⅓ cup freeze dried strawberry powder 1 ⅓ cup freeze dried strawberry powder
1 ⅓ cup whole milk 1 ⅓ cup whole milk
1 ⅓ cup fresh strawberries, diced small 1 ⅓ cup fresh strawberries, diced small
 
FROSTING: subheading: FROSTING:
1 ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature (3 sticks) 1 ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature (3 sticks)
1 tablespoon almond paste, softened 1 tablespoon almond paste, softened
⅓ cup heavy cream, cold ⅓ cup heavy cream, cold
5 ½ cups powdered sugar 5 ½ cups powdered sugar
¼ tsp salt ¼ tsp salt
2 teaspoons almond extract 2 teaspoons almond extract
Bright white food gel coloring (optional) Bright white food gel coloring (optional)
 
STRAWBERRY COULIS: subheading: STRAWBERRY COULIS:
12 oz package frozen strawberries 12 oz package frozen strawberries
5 Tablespoons granulated sugar 5 Tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon juice 2 teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
 
EDIBLE (STRAWBERRY) FAKE BLOOD: subheading: EDIBLE (STRAWBERRY) FAKE BLOOD:
½ cup light corn syrup ½ cup light corn syrup
1 tsp strawberry bakery emulsion 1 tsp strawberry bakery emulsion
½ - 1 tsp red food coloring ½ to 1 tsp red food coloring
1 drop blue food coloring 1 drop blue food coloring
1 ½ Tbsp corn starch 1 ½ Tbsp corn starch

CAKE: subheading: CAKE:
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease 4 to 8 inch pans and line with parchment paper.
Using a food processor or blender, grind freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder, measure 1 ⅓ cup strawberry powder and set aside.
Sift flours, salt and baking powder into a small bowl and set aside.
In another small bowl, combine the diced strawberries and ¼ cup of sugar. Toss together until sugar dissolves and set aside.
Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar together for 5 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Add strawberry powder and beat until uniform.
Add eggs and vanilla and beat until fully incorporated.
Add half of the flour mixture, beat just until flour is mostly mixed in, then add milk and beat until milk is incorporated. Add remaining flour mixture and mix until combined.
Using a rubber spatula, fold in diced strawberries, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl. Fold the batter a few times to make sure everything is incorporated.
Divide cakes evenly into greased pans; each weighing about 850 grams each. Bake cakes for 30 to 35 minutes.
FROSTING: subheading: FROSTING:
This frosting requires patience but it's totally worth it! In order to get the frosting as white as possible, place the sticks of butter in a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Whisk for a good 6 to 7 minutes on high speed, until butter is silky smooth and pale in color. It will almost look white.
Now add in your almond paste. If you want the frosting really clean and white, you can omit the almond paste but it adds such an incredible, nutty flavor! Again, beat the butter and almond paste for another 7 minutes on high speed.
Add the almond extract, salt, heavy cream and the confectioners sugar, 1 cup at a time, and beat on medium speed. Once all is incorporated, increase the speed to high and beat for an additional minute.
Add in drops of white food coloring if you choose and mix until desired color is reached.
STRAWBERRY COULIS: subheading: STRAWBERRY COULIS:
In a medium sauce pot, add frozen strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
Cook over medium heat until sugar has melted, strawberries have thawed, and mixture has slightly thickened. Stir occasionally to prevent sauce from burning along the sides of the pot.
Remove from heat. Strain out strawberry seeds.
Keep strawberry coulis (sauce) in the fridge until ready to use.
EDIBLE (STRAWBERRY) FAKE BLOOD: subheading: EDIBLE (STRAWBERRY) FAKE BLOOD:
In a small bowl add corn syrup, bakery emulsion and food coloring, adjusting and multiplying to desired saturation. Add cornstarch a little at a time until desired thickness is reached.* (*For realistic looking blood you want to make sure you have 4 parts red food coloring to 1 part blue food coloring. (Strawberry bakery emulsion also has a deep red color too). Blue is a dark hue so add in 1 drop at a time until you reach the desired color. You don't want purple blood!)
ASSEMBLY: subheading: ASSEMBLY:
Place one cake layer on a serving platter or cake turntable. Spread a thin layer of buttercream on cake. Using a piping bag fitted with a round tip, pipe a buttercream border along the edges of the cake.
Refrigerate your cake to let the buttercream border harden for about 15 to 30 minutes. Gently pour strawberry coulis into the piped ring of buttercream.
Place another cake layer and repeat the same steps with the buttercream and strawberry coulis.
On the last cake layer, invert cake layer and place frosted side on top of cake to cover strawberry coulis.
Spread a layer of buttercream around the sides of the cake to seal in the crumbs (crumb coat). Place in the fridge and allow to chill for 30 minutes to set the buttercream.
Add another thin layer of buttercream. While rotating your turntable, smooth out your final frosting layer with a scraper.
Here is where the fun part comes in. Get creative! Decorate your cake with sugar flowers or whatever you desire. Drizzle your edible, fake blood all over and then stab a kitchen knife into it! Mwuhahaha!
Allow cake to come to room temperature before serving. Once you slice into the cake, the strawberry coulis will ooze out. Watch your guests "Oooh and Ahhh" at your bloody, massacre, masterpiece! :)