strawberry cake

 

it wasn't that long ago

so i am sure you remember 

my caramel cake story

well

you may also remember

that part of my bounty was

a strawberry cake

which was amazing

the only other strawberry cake i had ever eaten

was while in culinary school

one of the gals

brought it in for a birthday celebration

it was good and very popular

 i about died

when she started listing the ingredients

box cake

jello

cool whip

i do give her credit

it takes major

cakehones

(yes I know that isn't the word and it is spelled with a j)

to bring a

less than semi-homemade cake

to culinary school

but

i was training to be a pastry snob

so i never made it

and then i went to mississippi

where they know their cake

and i found myself

on a whole new quest

i had to

develop a great recipe

for completely homemade

strawberry cake

i think i got it

and now

i give it to you

enjoy!

strawberry cake

*inspired by rose levy birnbaum's white velvet butter cake*

(printable recipe)

cake

1 cup chopped strawberries

1 Tbs powdered sugar

mix together and set aside while you prepare the other ingredients

4 oz egg whites (about 4 1/2 egg whites)--at room temperature

1 cup milk--at room temperature

2 1/4 tsp vanilla

3 cups sifted cake flour

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 Tbs + 1 tsp baking powder

12 Tbs butter--at room temperature

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/2 cup good strawberry jam

combine egg whites and 1/4 cup milk with vanilla in a bowl.  in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment mix together the flour, sugar and baking powder.  add to it the butter and mix until crumbly.  turn the mixer to low and add the remaining 3/4 cup milk stirring until completely moist.  increase the speed to medium and beat for about 1 minute.  add egg white mixture 1/3 at a time, scraping down the sides between additions.  stir in strawberry jam and sugared strawberries by hand.  divide mixture between 2-8" pans that have been greased and lined with parchment paper. bake at 350 for about 30-40 minutes (use the skewer test to ensure the cake is baked properly). remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

strawberry-pecan icing

1 lb cream cheese--at room temperature

3/4 lb unsalted butter--at room temperature

6 cups powdered sugar (more or less)
1/2 cup good strawberry jam

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 cup pecans--toasted and chopped

beat the cream cheese and butter together. if using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment.  add the jam, vanilla and salt and beat until fully combined.  add the sugar 1 cup at a time. check for preferred sweetness after the 4th cup of sugar--add more if you like. i like it with the 6 cups. stir in the pecans and use to generously frost  your cake.

(i don't split the layers...this is a 2 layer cake with a 1/4" thick of icing as filling)

rhubarb and strawberry custard tart

we like rhubarb around here

it is so yummy baked in puff pastry

or

 slow cooked to jam

or

finely diced raw and tossed in a bit of sugar and cardamom on top of sweet panna cotta

or

complementing apples and blueberries in a crispy warm cobbler

or like this

churned into a custard protected by strawberry soldiers

in a crispy-buttery crust

can't you just taste it?

actually, if you swing by right now

you might just get the last slice

Rhubarb and Strawberry Custard Tart
(printable recipe)

2 1/2 cups rhubarb--cut into large dice

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 tsp kosher salt

3 Tbs lemon juice

4 egg yolks

4 Tbs cornstarch

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbs unsalted butter

1 lb  fresh strawberries

1 pre-baked pie or tart shell
place the rhubarb, sugar,  1/4 tsp salt and lemon juice in a saucepan.  cook on medium heat until the sugar is melted, the rhubarb is soft and the sugar syrup is nice and red and bubbly.  meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, cornstarch, 1/4 tsp salt, cream and vanilla until pale yellow.  slowly temper the eggs with the rhubarb and sugar, then put it all back into the saucepan.  turn the heat to low and stir continually until it begins to thicken to a custard. allow the mixture to just bubble...don't let it go to a rolling boil, but you can let it bubble once or twice.  pour into a clean bowl and stir in unsalted butter.  let it cool to lukewarm, then pour into prepared crust.  top with whole strawberry soldiers, or slice strawberries and lay flat on top.  place in refrigerator to chill before serving.
*if you are worried at all about your crust sogging, one of my tricks is to "seal" it with a bit of white chocolate.  this just provides a layer between the moisture..which helps keep the crust, crusty.