The most dainty and cute of the three, this little pink cake was the one that propelled me into a life in cake making and was the original inspiration for the cakes I made at Miette. For the SFMOMA, I make the Thiebaud Pink Cake pink by cooking down strawberry syrup and adding it to the buttercream, and I top the frosted cake with either a red buttercream dot or a big, ripe raspberry if they're in season. I use lemon curd in the filling because, being the giant kid that I am, I love the combination of strawberry and lemon in a dessert—to me, it always tastes like Froot Loops.
Do Ahead: This cake has many different components that require preparation before the cake can be assembled. The cake needs to be baked and thoroughly chilled before assembly, so consider making it the day before. It will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or for up 2 months in the freezer. The lemon curd takes 3 to 4 hours to set, so consider preparing it while the cake is baking. It can be kept for up to 1 week in the refrigerator or for 4 months in the freezer. The strawberry concentrate can be made ahead and stored for up to 1 week in an airtight container in the refrigerator or 4 months in the freezer, but should be at room temperature before using. The buttercream is easiest to use when it's freshly made, but it can also be made ahead and easily rewarmed before frosting the cake (see Working with Buttercream ). It will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator or for up to 4 months in the freezer. The simple syrup can be made shortly before assembling the cake but, if made ahead of time, will keep for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator. To store leftover cake, press plastic wrap against the cut sides and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Above and Beyond: In the painting Display Cakes, the pink cake is the smallest of the three. But since 6-inch cake pans aren't common in home kitchens, I've made this cake the same size as the other two. To make a more faithful replica of the painting, bake the cake batter in two 6 by 2-inch cake pans; see Variations in Rose's Downy Yellow Butter Cake for details. Split each baked cake into 2 even layers so that you have a total of 4 layers. Build the cake on a 6-inch cardboard cake round or directly on a serving platter, using slightly less simple syrup, buttercream, and lemon curd on each layer.
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