Strawberry Cake

Growing up, I was never a big fan of vanilla. This recipe restored my faith! It light, moist and really easy to make. You don’t even have to have it with the cream, just add a few strawberries:-)

What you need:

• 225 grams cake flour or all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 350 gram heavy cream, 40% cold
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• 225 grams superfine sugar

preheat the oven to 170 degrees. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl, twice to make it easier to incorporate. Set aside.

whip the heavy cold cream until stiff peaks form. Add all 3 eggs at once, and mix for about 30 seconds(do not over whisk)

Gradually add the sugar, a little at a time, about 30 seconds all together. sift in the 1/3 of the flour mixture to the cream mixture with a spatula until the flour disappears. Add the rest of the flour mixture in 2 editions and continue folding and mixing until all traces of flour disappear. Add the vanilla bean paste, using a spatula. Scoop the batter into 2 x 8″cake pans and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean when inserted.

For the buttercream:

• 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract, 4 Oz.
• 1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine (softened)
• 4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar (approximately 1 lb.)
• 4-8 tablespoons milk(depending on how stiff you want you buttercream to be. (I sometimes use water instead of milk)