Strawberry Matcha Birthday Cake

What is better than a matcha birthday cake? Not much! Our friend Jenn Gordon is a retired pastry chef that loves to create special cakes for us each year. This year, our taste buds were spoiled with this incredible Strawberry Matcha Birthday Cake that she made gluten + dairy free! Thank you, Jenn! 

INGREDIENTS:

• Box of King Arthur Yellow Cake Mix or your favorite cake mix and whatever you need base on box directions
• 1 lb Organic Strawberries
• 4 cups sifted powdered sugar    
• 1 cup vegan butter
• 1 cup vegan cream cheese                           
•  1/4 cup sifted Matcha Nude
• 2 tbsp Creamy Oat Milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

HOW TO:

1. Sift ⅛ cup of matcha nude into your boxed cake dry ingredients before mixing with wet ingredients and preparing based on the box directions.
2. Remove cake from the pans and freeze overnight or for several hours. 
3. In a stand up mixer, start on the icing, using the paddle, not the whisk attachment.
4. Smooth together the vegan butter and vegan cream cheese until incorporated together. 
5. Be sure to stop the mixer to scrap several times, getting the ingredients that stick to the sides and the bottom of the mixer.
6. While mixing together, sift together 4 cups of powdered sugar and 1/8 cup of sifted Matcha Nude. Once sifted and mixed together, slowly add the matcha/powdered sugar to the vegan butter and cream cheese. 
7. Once completely incorporated together, add 2 tbsp Creamy Oat Milk and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. 
8. Keep blending together in the mixer until desired consistency and taste. You can then switch to using the Whisk Attachment to fluff it up.                                                                         
9. Slice strawberries in thin slices to layer between each layer. (reserve some full strawberries for the top of the cake).
10. Once the cake is frozen, remove it from the freezer and horizontally slice both cakes in half. This will mean you now have 4 layers and not just 2. Also, be sure to slice off the top of each cake to make it more uniform with no raised dome. 
11. Starting with the bottom layer, add frosting, thinly sliced strawberries and then your next layer of cake until you place the 4th cake.
12. Finish the cake by smoothing the remaining icing all over the cake. 
13. Finish with strawberries sliced in half (see photo) for the top and use a piping back to finish your decorating. 
14. Enjoy!