Strawberry Mini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Yield: 1 4 inch cake

Oven temperature: 350℉

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 1/4 c. + 2 tbsp. salted butter, softened
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 1/2 egg whites (just try your best to split the second egg white)
• 1 tbsp. vanilla
• 1/2 c. + 1/3 c. cake flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/8 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 c. sour cream
• 1/4 c. whole milk

Frosting:

• 3 oz. cream cheese
• 3 tbsp. butter
• 3 tbsp. heavy cream
• 1 3/4 c. powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla

~1/2 c. chopped strawberries

~3 thinly sliced strawberries

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line two 4" cake pans with parchment paper.
2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the egg whites, one at a time, and then beat in the vanilla.
3. Without stirring, sift in the cake flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Still, do not stir. Add the sour cream and whole milk, and then stir until just combined. 
4. Separate the cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the center of the cake clean. Do not over-bake. Remove the rounds from the cake pans and cool completely on a wire rack.
5. Make the frosting while the cake is cooling. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until light an fluffy. Add in the heavy whipping cream and beat until incorporated. The heavy cream should make the butter and cream cheese extra fluffy. 
6. Add in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time and then stir in the lemon juice and vanilla.
7. To assemble the cake, start by leveling off each cake round. Slice each round in half horizontally so that you have four layers.
8. Take one of the layers and place it on a plate or a serving dish. Spread the top of the layer with frosting and then top with a third of the chopped strawberries. Repeat this step with the second and third layers of cake. Add the fourth cake layer and then spread frosting around the sides and top of the entire cake. Arrange the sliced strawberries on the top of cake.
9. Slice and eat!