1. Wash, dry, and clean the strawberries. Cut them into small pieces and add them with some lemon juice to a saucepan. Use an immersion blender* and purée the strawberries. Bring the purée to a boil and let simmer over medium-low heat until reduced by half – stir very often. This process can take up to 20-25 minutes. The purée should have thickened significantly and be much darker. Remove from the heat and let cool down completely. You can do that a day in advance and store the purée in the fridge.

2. Preheat the oven to 320°F (160°C) convection heat. Line three 8-inch springform tins with baking parchment and grease lightly. I also like to use silicone cake pans* here. Set aside.

3. Add the butter and sugar to a large bowl and mix on high for several minutes until very light and fluffy. Add the eggs one after another and mix well after each addition. Next, add the cooled strawberry purée (from step 1), Greek yogurt, and vanilla extract – mix until well combined. In a separate bowl combine flour, strawberry powder (optional, see note), baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients alternating with the buttermilk in two batches to the bowl and mix until just combined – do not overmix. Divide the batter evenly between the three springform tins and bake for 22-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centers of the cake comes out clean. Take the cakes out of the oven, flip them on wire racks, and let cool down completely.

4. For the frosting add the butter and confectioners’ sugar to a large bowl and mix on high until very light and fluffy. Add the cream cheese and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Add the strawberry powder and cream stiffener and mix for 2-3 minutes until all is well combined.

5. To assemble the cake, place a cake layer on a serving plate. Spread some frosting on top and distribute half of the strawberry pieces on top. Place the second cake layer on top and press down a bit. Repeat the process with frosting, strawberries, and the third cake layer. Place the cake in the fridge for about 20 minutes.

6. Take the cake out of the fridge. Use a serrated knife and cut off a small part of the cake along one side (in geometry this would probably be a secant and circle segment). Do the same on the opposite side – this should create a pointy corner (with an angle of about 75-85°) on one side of the cake. Take the two cut-off cake pieces and place them across from the pointy corner to create a heart-shaped cake. The cake pieces might not want to stick to the cake – use a thin layer of frosting as »glue« and toothpicks to keep the pieces in place, if necessary. Frost the whole cake with the remaining cream cheese frosting and decorate it with some additional strawberries and mint leaves. Place the cake for some time in the fridge before serving.