Wash and thoroughly dry the strawberries, then cut them into quarters. Place the strawberries and the gelling sugar into a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 10–15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in rosewater if using. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds and solids. You can freeze the strained puree for future buttercream, but for this recipe, only use the reduced liquid. Allow the puree to cool completely.

Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a 15 cm (6”) cake pan with parchment paper or grease and flour the pan. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda, then set aside. In the bowl of a mixer, combine sugar, eggs, and salt, and whip on high speed for at least 10 minutes until pale and fluffy. In a separate bowl, mix buttermilk, oil, strawberry puree, and optional pink food coloring (without food coloring, the cake will have a brownish hue). Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly pour the wet ingredients into the egg mixture, mixing gently for 30–60 seconds until just combined. Gradually fold in the flour mixture by hand or with the mixer on the lowest speed, being careful not to overmix. Pour the batter immediately into the prepared pan and bake for about 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake on a wire rack and remove it from the pan after 10–15 minutes. Once cooled, wrap the cake tightly in cling film and refrigerate before slicing and filling.

Chop the white chocolate finely. Heat the heavy cream and salt in a saucepan until just below boiling—watch carefully to avoid boiling. Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and let it sit for 1–2 minutes. Stir gently by hand, then use a stick blender to emulsify the mixture, taking care to minimize air bubbles. Let the ganache cool to room temperature until it thickens to a creamy peanut butter consistency.

Prepare 160 g (or more) of Swiss Meringue Buttercream according to your preferred recipe. Bring the Philadelphia cream cheese and mascarpone to room temperature, then briefly mix them together. Add the instant vanilla pudding powder and allow the mixture to thicken for a few minutes. Gently fold the cheese mixture into the buttercream by hand, taking care not to overmix.

Slice the chilled cake horizontally into three even layers. Spread approximately 120 g of the cream cheese buttercream between each layer. Once assembled, chill the filled cake for 30 minutes.

Use a turntable and angled spatula to coat the chilled cake evenly with the white ganache. After smoothing the ganache, refrigerate the cake for another 30 minutes to set.

Warm the leftover white ganache (about 100 g) just until soft, then mix in 100 g of the prepared strawberry puree. Beat the mixture on high speed for a few minutes until well combined and smooth. Carefully drip the strawberry ganache over the cold cake to create the signature drip effect.

Arrange all your decorations on a large plate beforehand for easy access. Start by placing the largest decorations on the cake first, followed by medium-sized elements, and finish with the smallest details. The ganache will remain soft for some time, allowing you to adjust your decorations as needed. Finally, sprinkle on sugar sprinkles last so they don’t sink into the ganache. Enjoy your beautifully decorated strawberry drip cake!