I have this issue with cheesecake. The issue is that if it is in my fridge, or available for purchase on a dessert menu, or available for purchase within walking distance, or even capable of being created with ingredients in my apartment, I have exactly 0% ability to resist it. As a result I make a point of not buying cream cheese very often. If I don’t have that one essential component, I can pretend that I’m happy living a life where I don’t eat cheesecake every single day for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert, right Right??

I live for good cheesecake. But I am kind of picky about what makes one good. There are few things more disappointing than cheesecake that looks delicious and is, well, meh. If it’s too lemony or too dry or too rich or too dense or has too much topping or not enough or has too many mix-ins or just a gross combo of them or the crust is too thick or some crazy person put CINNAMON in it I get really cranky.

Most of the time, when it’s time to make cheesecake again, I fall back on two, trusty recipes I’ve used for a long time. The first is a classic, baked cheesecake that, actually, I’ve only shared here in a version dressed up for Thanksgiving. The other I fashion exclusively in miniature form, a holiday tradition in my family as essential as the tree and the Home Alone soundtrack.

But this summer, I’ve been reveling in the availability of locally-grown sweet cherries (difficult to obtain in both Columbus and Durham), and a cherry cheesecake seemed like just the ticket. And while we are “enjoying” the high-nineties here in Denver, I’m pleased to report that the oven was only on for a few minutes, and even that is not totally required if you don’t want to.

The crust is made of vanilla wafers, but you can easily swap in graham cracker crumbs if you like. They’ll need to be finely ground, which you can do with a food processor (lots of cleaning) or with a plastic bag and rolling pin or meat tenderizer (not much cleaning and way more fun). I like my crusts a little toasty, so I blast it in the oven for a bit, but you can also eat this sucker raw. Your call.

The filling is composed of a magical dairy medley: cream cheese, goat cheese, sour cream, and heavy cream. Also sugar and vanilla and lemon juice. Because the cream is whipped and folded into the tart cheese mixture, it creates a somewhat airy cheesecake that will likely give you a false sense of empowerment when evaluating how many slices to wolf down.

Then, for an agonizing two hours, we wait. Because this recipe doesn’t benefit from the structure of eggs baked into the cake, it finds its structure in the freezer. After freezing, move it to the fridge for 45 minutes before serving so you’re not actually serving cheesecake ice cream. (On second thought, that sounds amazing and I should try serving it frozen next time.)

While the cake is freezing, it’s time to make the most seductive looking fruit sauce in the known universe. I mean it, this stuff is SULTRY. Composed of fresh cherries, sugar, balsamic vinegar, and just a bit if corn starch to thicken up the juices, it’s simple and beautiful and a perfect celebration of this gorgeous tree fruit. Half of the cherries are added to the mixture raw at the very end, which lends a fresh bite that’s typically hard to find in pie toppings, pie fillings, and the like.

I mean SERIOUSLY.

Chill the cherry sauce for a while so it doesn’t melt your cheesecake when you add it. Once it and your cheesecake are ready for serving, pop the ring off the springform pan and top generously.

As a side note, the cherries are extremely delicious on their own, so it’s totally cool if you want to add extra to each slice once it is served. Or eat them with a spoon for breakfast.

This cheesecake will allegedly last a week in the fridge, but that’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.

(Almost) No-Bake Cheesecake with Fresh Cherry Sauce
Adapted from Martha Stewart

Note: The (Almost) in this recipe is there because I like a toasted crumb crust, even in the summer. BUT. You can definitely eat the crust raw. Just put the whole pan in the fridge after you’ve pressed the crust into the base until you are ready to add the filling.

For the Crust
6 oz vanilla wafers, finely ground
4 T salted butter
2 T granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 450°F. Grind vanilla wafers in a food processor, or, to make your life easier, crush them in a gallon-sized zippered bag with a rolling pin or blunt meat tenderizer. Combine crumbs, melted butter, and sugar in the bottom of a 9″ springform pan. Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan with a fork. Bake for 10 minutes, then refrigerate until filling is ready.

For the Filling
1 c sour cream, room temperature
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
4 oz soft goat cheese, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp lemon juice
2/3 c granulated sugar
1 c heavy cream, chilled

Beat sour cream, cream cheese, goat cheese, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and 1/3 c of sugar in a stand mixer until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl several times to ensure smoothness. Remove mixture to a medium bowl.

Whip the remaining 1/3 c sugar and the cream until soft peaks form. Fold into cheese mixture until evenly distributed. Spread evenly into the crust. Freeze for at least two hours, then refrigerate for at least 45 minutes before serving.

For the Topping
12 oz fresh sweet cherries, halved and pitted
1/4 c granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 T corn starch
1 T water

In a small glass or bowl, mix together the corn starch and water. Set aside. In a small pot, combine half of the cherries, sugar, and balsamic vinegar. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and cover, simmering for 5 more minutes. Add the cornstarch mixture and cook for another 2-3 minutes until sauce has thickened slightly. Remove from heat and add in remaining cherries.

To serve, spread the cherry mixture over the cheesecake, slice, and enjoy. Or, spoon the cherries over each slice individually.

Last summer, while in the midst of packing up my Ohio life for our pending move to Colorado, I was also menu planning a dinner for almost 20 people at a remote, 9700′ mountain lodge with gas refrigerators, gas ovens, and limited electricity. For dessert, I wanted something that was easy but impressive, required neither baking nor freezing, was cheap to make but wasn’t boring, could feed a crowd, and overall, was heartbreakingly delicious.

A unicorn, I thought.

BUT THEN. Icebox cake. To the freakin’ rescue.

Why, in the name of all that is good and delicious in this world, did I only start making this last summer I mean, who knew such a perfect summer dessert could exist?

Did you guys know?

WELL. If you, like me, were in the shadows, let me show you the light. 

Icebox cake is so called because it’s a recipe old enough that the people who developed it did so in the days before modern refrigeration. The concept is pretty simple: chocolate wafer cookies are spread out in a layer, topped with whipped cream, and then repeated for several layers. After a night of refrigeration, the moisture of the whipped cream seeps into the formerly crisp cookies, transforming the once disparate layers into a cohesive cake of dramatic black and white stripes.

Let’s talk for a minute about these chocolate wafers, shall we?

Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers are a little tricky to find. I’ve found them in some, but not all, major grocery stores tucked away in one little row on the top shelf of the cookies aisle (an aisle I tend to avoid because temptation). They are extremely brittle, so I tend to buy an extra box when I make this cake since they break so easily. Whatever you do, don’t drop your grocery bag that contains them. I definitely don’t speak from experience…

Moving on.

After multiple layers of cookies and cream, this cake needs AT LEAST an overnight sit in the fridge. I actually prefer about 24 hours, so I now make this the night before serving. Don’t get me wrong, the crisp cookies are still wonderfully good covered with whipped cream, but the cake-y-ness of the cake won’t really come through until it’s had a chance to sit.

Once it has, though, just add a little sprinkle of chocolate shavings for show (I use a cheese grater and a chocolate bar because I am classy) and get ready to serve!

If you’re imagining this is going to taste like all the best parts of cookies and cream ice cream, or perhaps a giant squashy Oreo, you are absolutely correct.

Excuse me while I go buy stock in Nabisco.

Icebox Sheet Cake
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

A Note on Shape: you can also make this recipe as a round, tall cake that is a little more showy. For a crowd, though, I prefer the sheet cake layout. I also once made this as a groom’s cake with mountainous, uneven layers and Star Wars figurines marching around in the creamy scenery. You really can’t go wrong.

5 c heavy whipping cream
1/4 c granulated sugar
1 T vanilla extract
3 (9 oz) packages of chocolate wafers
chocolate shavings

Combine cream, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl or standing mixer and beat just until stiff peaks form.

Line the bottom of a 13″x9″ baking dish with chocolate wafers, breaking them in half if needed at the edges. Spread a 1/4″-thick layer of whipped cream over the wafers. Add another layer of wafers and another layer of whipped cream, repeating until you have about 1 cup of whipped cream left. On the second-to-top layer, leave about 1/2″ of the wafers exposed. Then, inset your top layer of cookies two inches from the sides of the dish and spread with the last of the whipped cream, leaving a bit of the cookie exposed.

Refrigerate at least overnight, preferably for about 24 hours. Then, sprinkle with chocolate shavings (I use a cheese grater and a chocolate bar) before serving.

But here, I stalk the market every Saturday in May hoping that this is the week when those photogenic strawberries will finally make their annual debut.

The trouble is, I have very little self-control when I secure, at last, these scarlet gems. The bulk discounts for buying more than one quart literally always get me, and I arrive at home suddenly doubting that I’ll be able to use up multiple quarts of berries before they wither and rot in my fridge.

This time, I was ready.

As you may have noticed, I tend to prefer using strawberries as whole as possible in my baked goods, which usually means they are freshly sliced and added to a cake with a smear of whipped cream. This cake still starts with berries that haven’t been pureed or cooked down, but after nearly an hour in the oven, they transform into dollops of jam and nestle into the cake beneath in the most delightful way.

I suspect, though I have not yet tested it, that this cake could be made with any number of berries. Perhaps even other baking fruits, like peaches or plums, would make delectable toppings. I’ll wager that as the summer wears on and the fruits appear in more abundance, I’ll be giving them a try. I won’t need much provocation to try this cake again.

I call this cake an anytime cake because it can just as easily be served for breakfast as it can for dessert. It would make a lovely brunch contribution but would also hold its own as the sweet finish of a decadent evening dinner party.

So as summer continues and the strawberries get even sweeter, please add this to your list of ways to use them up. It’s lovely just as it is out of the pan, but it really transcends to a higher level with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream and a sprinkle of powdered sugar.

Welcome, summer!

Strawberry Anytime Cake
Adapted slightly from Smitten Kitchen

about 1 pound of strawberries, hulled and halved (you may have a few leftovers if you’re using a 9″ pan)
6 T unsalted butter at room temperature
7/8 c granulated sugar + 2 T granulated sugar (for sprinkling right before baking)
1/2 c whole milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp table salt

powdered sugar for sprinkling
1/2 c heavy cream, cold
2 tsp granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9″ springform pan or deep dish pie plate. You can also use a 10″ pan for a thinner cake with more strawberries across the top. Wash, hull, and halve the strawberries and set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer or in another large mixing bowl, beat butter and 7/8 c sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the whole milk, egg, vanilla just until combined. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture gradually just until smooth.

Spread the batter evenly in the pan and place the strawberries on the top, cut-side down, as close together as possible. There may be some overlapping. Sprinkle the remaining 2T of sugar evenly across the top of the berries.

Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 325°F. Bake for another 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out without any wet batter. If the top of the cake is not yet brown, change to the broiler for just a minute or two to allow the cake to brown a bit.

Let the cake cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan, then remove the ring of the springform pan and place the cake on a cutting board or serving plate. Beat the heavy cream in a standing mixer or other mixing bowl until soft peaks form. Add the 2 teaspoons of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.

Just before serving, sprinkle cake with powdered sugar. Cut into wedges and serve with whipped cream.

And as any celebration should, this one features cake. A continuation of my citrus-y love affair, this is one of the most delightful cakes I’ve made in quite some time. Fluffy chiffon cake filled with bright lemon curd and Swiss meringue and iced with clouds of lemony whipped cream Let’s just say I highly recommend it for your spring and summer soirées.

The cake part of this cake is a chiffon cake, lightly lemony in flavor. It’s spongy and light, so it provides a nice base for the bold lemon curd and the meringue.

Plus, chiffon cake batter is, well, fun. There’s really no other word for it. After combining dry ingredients and wet ones, a HUGE amount of whipped egg whites are folded into the batter, making a springy, foamy fluff that hardly resembles cake batter.

And can one really talk about cake without a delightful icing This one is simple, just whipped cream with a bit of lemon mixed in. Because this lemon sunshine cake has lemon everywhere!

Finally, the meringue: originally, this recipe called for lemon curd alone as a filling. But since the delightful lemon curd recipe leaves a whole bunch of leftover egg whites unused, I couldn’t resist the temptation to add some Swiss meringue as a second layer of filling. I like using Swiss meringue because the egg whites are cooked, so it reduces weird food poisoning issues that can arise from eating eggs raw.

Between each layer of soft cake lies a generous mound of meringue and a smooth coating of lemon curd.

Once constructed, the whipped cream icing and a drizzle of extra lemon curd makes this presentation-ready!

Don’t be freaked out by all the components – the lemon curd can be made in advance, and the extra egg whites you’ll have from that can be used for the meringue, and the icing takes no time at all. This cake is the pinnacle of sunshine, and it’s worth the effort. It’s a nice break from the chocolate and vanilla cakes that I normally concoct – I look forward to the next time I find myself in the company of several lemons that are hoping for a promotion to lemon curd.

Lemon Meringue Sunshine Cake
Adapted from Cake Journal and Sweetapolita (and Sweetapolita again!)

Makes one 8-inch, three-layer cake

For the Lemon Filling
about 3/4 c lemon curd

If you’re preparing this from scratch (using the recipe linked to above), you can prepare this a day or two in advance. If you prepare it a day in advance, you can use the leftover egg whites from the curd recipe to make the meringue filling you’ll need for the cake.

For the Icing
1 1/2 c heavy whipping cream
3 T granulated sugar
1/4 c lemon curd

In a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment to whip the heavy cream and sugar until soft peaks form. Add the lemon curd and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Cover and refrigerate while you prepare the cake.

For the Cake
6 eggs, separated
1/2 c vegetable oil
zest and juice of one lemon
3/4 c cold water
1 3/4 c cake flour
1 T baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 c granulated sugar, divided
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottoms of three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper, or grease the bottoms of the pans with pan coating.

Whisk together the egg yolks, oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, and water in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and 1 cup of sugar. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, use the whisk attachment to whip the egg whites and cream of tartar until light and foamy. With the mixer still on, slowly add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, beating until stiff peaks form.

Add about a third of the whipped egg whites to the batter and mix. Fold in the remaining egg whites. The batter will be very light and fluffy. Divide the batter between the three prepared pans. Bake on a center rack for 18-20 minutes or until the cake springs back when touched with your finger. The tops of the cakes will be very lightly golden brown.

Remove the pans from the oven and place them on a cooling rack. Allow the cakes to cool completely in the pan, then run a knife around the edges of the cake and remove them from the pans. Peel away the parchment paper and discard. Set the cakes aside while you prepare the filling.

For the Meringue Filling
2 egg whites
1/2 c sugar

Note: If you’re using leftover egg whites from the lemon curd recipe, you’ll have four egg whites. I went ahead and used all four egg whites and a full cup of sugar. I baked the leftover meringue into little cookies by piping them onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet and baking at 200°F for 60 minutes, then reducing the temperature to 175°F  and baking for an additional 40 minutes.

Combine egg whites and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer. Add an inch of water in a small pot. Place the mixer bowl in the pot to ensure the water doesn’t touch the water. Heat the pot over medium-high heat with the bowl on top of it and a candy thermometer in the bowl. Whisk constantly until the mixture reaches 140°F. Remove the thermometer and use the whisk attachment on the standing mixer to beat until stiff peaks form. Cover and set aside.

Assembly
Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or plate. If the cake has caved at all, place the flat side down. Spread a generous layer of meringue on top of the cake, then spread a layer of lemon curd over the meringue (about half of what you have left). Add the second layer of cake, then spread with meringue and lemon curd as you did with the first layer. Place the final layer on top with the flat side up.

Spread the whipped cream icing over the entire cake in whatever pattern you desire. If you have any leftover lemon curd, add it to a piping bag and drizzle it over the cake edges or over the entire cake.

Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving to allow the cake to firm up. It will be much easier to cut when it is cold.

For the first several years of my training as a cake decorator, I used an icing composed primarily of Crisco and powdered sugar. And I’ve gotta admit, for someone decorating 1-2 practice cakes (and in later years, simply styrofoam cake forms) every month, there was nothing better: it’s snow white, doesn’t take long to bring to room temperature, holds it’s shape  and consistency even as it gets warm in the piping bag, and seemingly never spoils.

That icing served me well for a long time. But as I grew older I started to grow wary of the mysterious ingredients in Crisco, and the gritty texture of the powdered sugar irritated me more and more. I started to think perhaps it was time to up my game in the icing department. And it only took a teensy bit of digging around the cake-baking community to know that I needed to learn, above all other things, the art of Swiss Meringue Buttercream.

And boy am I glad I did. Each batch I make reaffirms my obsession with this icing: impossibly smooth and creamy, light and airy, shiny and stable, and delicately sweet. It freezes well, so it can be made in large batches even if you only have a small cake to bake. Because the sugar is dissolved, there is no grittiness whatsoever. It’s stable once applied, gives strength to your cakes, and is gorgeous enough to be used as an outer icing with no need for fondant. Plus, it can be adapted to just about any flavor you want.

I’ve now used this buttercream for two wedding cakes, a birthday cake, cookie icing, cupcake icing, and dinner party cakes. It’s extremely versatile and soooo tasty.

So today, I want to share it with you. And it’s not scary! Though it is a bit time-consuming, it’s pretty straight-forward to make. So let’s dive in and make some SMBC!

The first step is to gather your equipment. A stand mixer (I’m sure you could do this with a hand mixer, but it would be a LOT more work), a whisk, a food scale, and a candy thermometer are the primary tools you’ll need that you may not already have. You’ll also need some measuring spoons and a small pot, but we’ll get to those in a minute.

Daub some white vinegar on a paper towel or napkin and wipe down the mixer bowl, the whisk attachment, the whisk, and the candy thermometer. You’ll be using them all to create the meringue, and meringue doesn’t create very well if any grease is on your equipment. Best to make sure, or you may not end up with a strong meringue for a base of your icing.

Next, gather your ingredients. It’s a simple list: egg whites, granulated sugar, vanilla, salt, and of course, a lot of butter. A lot. Now as you can see, I use bottled egg whites (not to be confused with Egg Beaters). It turns out that one pint is the exact amount needed for a batch that perfectly fills my mixer bowl. I’ve heard some people say that bottled egg whites don’t create a strong enough meringue for SMBC, but I’ve been perfectly happy with the results of these. If you want to use fresh egg whites, you’ll need the whites of 15-16 eggs.

To measure out the sugar, it’s significantly easier to measure by weight. If you don’t already have one, a food scale is a GREAT investment for your kitchen. You can zero out the scale with the mixer bowl already on top, and easily add your 750 grams.

Once the sugar is measured out, add the egg whites and candy thermometer to the mixing bowl. You can set them aside for now.

Next, it’s time to chop all that butter – all 10 sticks – into pieces. I generally go with pieces about a tablespoon in size. The butter should still be cold at this point. By the time you’ve made your meringue, it will be about room temperature when you add it to the icing. Make sure you don’t take your butter out of the fridge too early, or it will be too soft to make good icing. Once you’ve chopped up all the butter, set it near your mixer and turn back to the sugar and egg whites. It’s time to begin cooking!

Pour about an inch of water into the bottom of a small pot and place it on the stove. You don’t need much, in fact, you won’t want the bottom of the mixer bowl to touch the water. This is called a bain marie, which basically means a pot of simmering water. Set the mixer bowl onto the pot and turn on the stove to medium-high. Once the heat is on, whisk constantly until the mixture reaches 160°F.

Once the mixture has reached 160°F, remove the candy thermometer and transfer the mixer bowl immediately to the mixer. Attach the whisk attachment and beat on medium (about a 4 on the Kitchen-Aid) for 2-3 minutes, then increase to high speed (all the way up!) You’ll whip the meringue for about 15-20 minutes until stiff peaks form and the sides of the bowl have cooled to slightly above body temperature.

Now what you have is a beautiful and delicious meringue! And this would be good to eat all on it’s own. But! We have quite a lot of butter to add, so onward and forward. Shake and scrape off any meringue that is on the whisk attachment and swap it out for the paddle attachment. Begin mixing at medium speed and start adding butter, one cube at a time, allowing each cube to be mixed in before adding the next. I usually wait about five seconds between each one.

As you add butter, the meringue will begin to deflate and look thin. This is normal, just keep adding butter.

Once you’ve added all the butter, don’t be discouraged if your icing doesn’t look, well, right. The photo above has all the butter added, but the mixture still looks rather disgusting. But now is the time for the true magic of SMBC to occur. Be patient and just keep whipping that icing, and you’ll watch it transform from something resembling curdled milk to shiny, creamy buttercream.

After a few more seconds, the icing will begin to look even worse. But be patient! It’s almost time!

Suddenly, magic! I urge you not to look away during the final seconds of whipping the icing, it really is fun to watch it come together.

Once the icing has reached this consistency, it’s time to add vanilla and salt, as well as additional flavors.

A word on vanilla: I love using real vanilla extract whenever possible. But as you can see, real vanilla extract will DEFINITELY affect the color of your icing. As it is butter-based, you’ll never have pure white icing when making SMBC, but using real vanilla extract will give an even stronger ivory tint. When I want a lighter, whiter icing, I use clear vanilla flavoring instead.

However you color or flavor your icing, there is really very little you can do to make this unappealing. Holy mother buttercream.

Now beyond making the icing itself, here are a few extra tips I’ve learned about Swiss Meringue Buttercream:

Spreading/Base Frosting
SMBC can be spread with a knife or easily piped. For spreading, make sure you have more icing than you’ll actually want on the final cake. It’s always easier to smooth your icing by having the ability to scrape some off rather than trying to work with a minimal amount. Slather it on thick and then remove the extra as you smooth.

Piping
Though it’s not quite as easy as the Crisco-based icing I learned with, SMBC does pipe very well. The biggest tip I can offer is not to fill your piping bag very full. Because it is butter-based, the heat from your hands can melt the icing a little too much. I’ve found that this not only affects the texture, but the color. Start with small amounts in your piping bag, and it doesn’t hurt to make sure your hands aren’t too hot!

Storing
I love using this icing the same day I make it, but it can also definitely be stored. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three weeks, or up to three months in the freezer. When you’re ready to use your stored icing, make sure you allow plenty of time for it to come to room temperature before you use it. If you’ve frozen your icing, let it thaw in the fridge overnight and then remove it from the fridge 3-4 hours before you want to actually use it. Even at room temperature, you may need to re-whip the icing with the paddle attachment for a few minutes.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Adapted from Sweetapolita

Makes about 15 cups, enough to ice and fill two 8-inch, three-layer cakes

750 g sugar, about 4 cups
1 pint/450 g liquid egg whites, about 15-16 egg whites
10 sticks  (2.5 pounds) unsalted butter
2 T vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt

Lightly wipe the bowl of a stand mixer, a whisk, and the mixer whisk attachment with white vinegar to remove all traces of grease. Measure sugar into the mixer bowl using a food scale. Add the egg whites to the sugar and position the candy thermometer into the mixer bowl. Set aside. Cut butter into cubes about one tablespoon in size and set near the standing mixer so that the butter can come to room temperature while you prepare the meringue.

Add about an inch of water to a small pot. Place the mixer bowl onto the pot and place the pot on the stove over medium-high heat. Whisk the mixture constantly until it reaches 160°F. Remove the candy thermometer and place the mixer bowl on the standing mixer. Use the whisk attachment and whip until mixture is thick, glossy, and the outside of the bowl is only slightly warmer than body temperature, about 15-20 minutes. Switch over to the paddle attachment and turn to medium speed. Add butter one cube at a time about five seconds apart, allowing each to mix in.

Once all the butter is incorporated, increase speed to medium-high and whip until the icing is a silky, smooth texture. It will look curdled along the way, but keep whipping! Once it has reached that silky texture, add vanilla and salt and mix well.

If desired, add a few drops of icing color to tint the icing.

Flavor Variations
Here are a few variations on flavor that I’ve tried. There are, of course, countless others.

Espresso Buttercream: For every 5 cups of buttercream, combine 2 tablespoons of hot water and 1 1/2 tablespoons of instant espresso in a small bowl. Add to buttercream and whip until thoroughly combined.

Raspberry Buttercream: For every 5 cups of buttercream, add 1 c fresh raspberries and mix until desired coloring is achieved.

Blackberry Buttercream: For every 5 cups of buttercream, add 2 c fresh blackberry puree and mix well.

Almond Buttercream: Substitute 1 T almond extract for one of the tablespoons of vanilla extract in the last step.

A little over two months ago (gah, has it already been that long?) one of Brad’s friends from law school invited us over for a dinner with him and his wife, and we were asked to bring dessert. I had a busy week at work, so Brad volunteered to make our contribution. How kind of him to volunteer to prepare a dish to represent us at a dinner with his friends, yes?

*twitch* *baking-control-twitch*

It really was very nice of him. But you see I have this slight love of baking cakes, and the night before the dinner, I my control-freak-baking-nature took hold. I wanted to make something easy, tasty, and pretty, and I wanted to make it now.

This cake, you guys, is all of the above.

To be honest, I put this combo together the weekend before when testing a final batch of recipes for Scott & Crystal’s wedding cake. Enrobed in Swiss Meringue Buttercream, this chocolate cake with strawberries and whipped cream was a favorite and made it into the ceremony cake.

But it’s far too good to reserve only for wedding cake. This version is doable in less than 2 hours and doesn’t require the effort of icing the exterior. The cream and berries are icing enough, and it makes a stunning, seasonal dessert for dinner parties, summer barbecues, or birthdays.

It begins with my favorite, favorite recipe for chocolate cake. If you’ve been reading for a while (or browsing the recipe archives), you’ve seen it before in the Rich Dark Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Buttercream. It also played the principle role in the groom’s cake I made for Sierra & Sean last October.

I really can’t speak highly enough about this chocolate cake. It’s everything I’ve ever dreamed of: moist, stable, easy to make, dark and beautiful, and very chocolatey.

To make this a reasonably-sized dessert for a summer party, this recipe only makes two, eight-inch rounds. Since I like a thinner layer of cake, however, I sliced each layer in half. Once the cakes have cooled, storing them in the fridge for a hour or so makes this process a little easier as the cake will firm up a bit.

The “icing” for this cake is essentially whipped cream, but it has a small amount of gelatin mixed in. Though I was at first skeptical and sure that only pure whipped cream would be required, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by this addition. The small amount of gelatin helps the whipped cream hold it’s structure, and it gives it a lovely, fluffy consistency rather like Cool Whip.

And of course, the best part The strawberries! In my opinion, summer’s most photogenic berry. Strawberry season is almost over here in North Carolina, but many of you farther north still have several weeks of these blushing little gems just waiting to be sliced and spread across the surface of this cake.

While I would normally add just a bit of sugar to these berries to help them release their juices, this cake doesn’t need it. For one thing, I didn’t want red juices dripping down the sides of the cake. For another, the slightly tart bite of the berries is lovely against clouds of whipped cream and rich chocolate cake.

Putting this cake together, once everything is prepped, is quite simple. I used a similarly rustic approach for a strawberry shortcake I made last year, and I never get tired of how pretty it looks.

Layer by layer, this cake stacks up to be beautiful and delicious. You could easily swap out a different berry, too: it would be a dream with raspberries, or even a mixture of raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, or blueberries.

Put one together for your Fourth of July celebrations… it’s worth the effort!

Chocolate Strawberry Cream Cake
Adapted from an earlier project and Sweetapolita

For the Cake
1 3/8 c all-purpose flour
1 1/3 c granulated sugar
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 3/8 tsp baking powder
1 3/8 tsp baking soda
1 3/8 tsp salt
1/3 c canola oil
5/8 c buttermilk
2 large eggs
1/2 c hot coffee
1 T vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Generously grease two eight-inch round pans with pan coating and set aside. For flatter layers, wrap the pans with damp strips of tea towel.

Sift all dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer or other large mixing bowl. Add all remaining ingredients and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes (use the paddle attachment if using a stand mixer). Scrape sides of bowl with a spatula and mix for 30 seconds more. Batter will be very fluid. Pour batter into the greased cake pans, using a kitchen scale to ensure you have the same quantity of batter in each pan.

Bake for 25-35 minutes on middle oven rack or until a toothpick comes clean. Remove pans to a cooling rack and let cool for 10 minutes or until sides of cakes have pulled away from the pans. Using another cooling rack placed on top of each cake pan, flip the racks and pans over and press on the bottoms of the pans to remove cakes. Let cake cool to room temperature.

For the Filling/Topping
1 pound fresh strawberries
1/8 c cold water
2 tsp gelatin
1 5/8 c whipping cream, very cold
3/4 c powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt

While the cake cools, wash strawberries and allow to dry slightly in a colander. Trim off the greens and slice the strawberries into a bowl and set aside.

Once the cake has cooled to room temperature, pour gelatin and water into a stainless steel bowl. Allow to sit for 10 minutes. Place 1/3 c of cream in a small pot over medium-low heat. Once cream comes to a simmer, pour slowly over the gelatin. Mix with a fork until gelatin has dissolved. Place the bowl in the fridge and allow to cool until the outside of the bowl is neutral in temperature. Stir the bowl often or the cream will begin to gel.

Using the whisk attachment of a standing mixer, beat the remaining cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt on high until soft peaks form, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice. Reduce to medium-speed and drizzle the gelatin mixture into mixer bowl. Return to high and beat until firm peaks form. Mixture will resemble Cool Whip.

Assembly
Once your strawberries are sliced and your whipped cream is prepared, slice each layer of chocolate cake into two using a good bread knife. I find it’s easiest to rotate the layer while you are slicing, making sure you keep the knife level as it slices around the cake.

Place one of your new, small layers onto a plate or serving platter. Spread one fourth of the whipped cream over the top of the cake layer to the edges, leaving the sides bare. Spread one fourth of the strawberries evenly over the whipped cream. Repeat the order for the next three layers.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

I’ve been coaxing cakes out of cake pans for a long time now, and in that time I’ve had a number of really epic failures. Many a tear was shed over ruined Super Mario cakes, layers torn in half and plucked out of pans with a fork… there’s a reason that many of my decorated practice and competition cakes were actually beautifully-iced styrofoam cylinders.

To this day, I still experience a thrill of fear each time I flip a cake out onto a cooling rack. But that fear is rarely founded. Because in spite of the occasional disaster, I learned a few tricks early in my cake decorating days that I swear by for ensuring that cakes cake out of the pan, cleanly and level, every single time.

Here’s how to do it!

Begin by making a batch of Pan Coating. Pan Coating is like an easy version of greasing and flouring a pan, but it’s much easier to work with. It contains shortening, corn starch, and flour in a ratio of 8T:3T:3T. For ease, I usually make a double batch, which will last for dozens of layers of cake.

Cream together the ingredients – I use 1 c shortening, 3/8 c corn starch, and 3/8 c flour – in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined. It’s kinda lazy, but I use baking sticks of Crisco, which are already measured into one-cup sticks. I really detest washing Crisco out of measuring cups…

Store pan coating in an airtight container in the pantry.

Using your fingers, generously spread pan coating evenly over the bottom and sides of the cakes pans you’re using for baking, paying special attention to the corners. Take care not to spread the coating too thin or it won’t be very effective.

Next! You know how cakes sometimes form a dome, no matter how carefully you bake them This occurs because the outer edges are baking faster than the center. To keep the temperatures more constant, I cool down the outsides of the pans with damp strips of tea towels. Now yes, you can buy fancy-pants baking strips that will do the same thing, but I’ve been well-served by these old, singled strips of towel for five years. They can be tied together for larger layers or used on their own for smaller layers. And no, they won’t catch on fire in your oven unless you drop and leave them on the element. So don’t do that.

Soak the towel strips under a faucet and squeeze out excess water. Wrap the strips tightly around each cake pan, tying a simple knot on each to keep it in place. Carefully adjust the strip so that the towel covers as much of the sides as possible.

Once your pans are prepared, begin making your batter! (I always prep my pans before I start mixing batter or preheating the oven. Especially if making large or many layers, the prep can take much longer than expected.) To ensure that your layers come out evenly, use a kitchen scale to weigh the batter as you pour it into each pan, setting the scale to zero after adding the empty pan to the scale. Then bake bake bake!

A note on baking, while we’re here: it is very tempting to check your cakes every few minutes. DON’T DO IT. Every time you open the oven door, you influence the temperature inside the oven; every time you pull out a rack, you disturb the cake as it makes it’s magical transformation from liquid batter to delicate crumb. Once the cake is close to the estimated baking time, test the cake with a toothpick to ensure it comes out clean.

Once the cakes are done, remove them to a cooling rack. Leave the cakes in the pan for 5-10 minutes. The cakes will begin to release from the sides of the pan slightly as they begin to cool. Once the cakes have rested, run a knife around the cake to release any remaining sections from the wall of the pan. Place a cooling rack on top of the pan and, using oven mitts,  carefully flip over the pan and rack. You will feel a slight drop as the cake releases from the bottom of the pan. If you don’t, tap lightly on the top of the pan to release the cake.

Ta da! Out it comes, with barely a crumb out of place. With the help of the tea towels (which can be removed and reused) the cake baked fairly flat, and the pan coating practically pushed it out of the pan. Now to be fair, some recipes are more cooperative than others. However, I seldom have a cake that comes out much worse than this these days. It’s so much more fun to ice a cake when you have a nice, clean, smooth surface to start with!

How do you get cakes out of the pan What are your favorite techniques?

As we move into the final days before Christmas, I imagine that your holiday baking agendas are already full. That’s cool. Mine certainly was for my holiday party. Every year, I like to make a mix of old, traditional Horvath holiday favorites and new recipes. One of my favorites from this season are these possibly-overly-cutesy-but-outrageously-delicious vanilla Christmas tree cupcakes.

The reallybeautiful thing about this recipe is that it doesn’t have to happen at Christmas AT ALL. It’s simply a vanilla cupcake with whipped cream icing, and therefore is appropriate in all scenarios in the universe. What, you say, another vanilla cupcake Doesn’t the world have enough of those?

No.

Never.

And these vanilla cupcakes are a step above any I’ve had before. They are the softest, fluffiest, smoothest, vanilla-y-est cupcakes, and the clouds of simple whipped cream atop them offer just the right touch. What makes these cupcakes better than anything else A secret ingredient: whipped cream, folded into the batter ITSELF, in addition to the icing that will finish these little bites of heaven.

Just a half cup of heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks, gets folded into the icing at the end. This recipe is also punched up by the use of vanilla sugar, which I happen to keep in my pantry at all times. Sound too fancy Next time you use the scrapings from a vanilla bean, don’t throw out the pods (never throw out the pods)! Scoop a few cups of sugar into a jar or other airtight container and nestle the beans into them. You can continue adding sugar as you use it, and the result is vanilla-infused sugar whenever you want it.

If you don’t already have vanilla sugar waiting in your pantry, not to worry. You can use regular sugar and just amp up the vanilla extract a bit.

Again, the really magical party of these cupcakes lies not in the type of sugar you use but in the whipped cream added to the batter at the end of mixing. Then into the cupcake liners it goes! These cupcakes don’t raise too much, so you can go ahead and fill the liners 2/3 of the way full. I use an old ice cream scoop, but you can use anything you want to get the batter into the liners.

Once the cupcakes are baked and cooled, it’s time to ice them. This icing is best when it is piped immediately onto the cupcakes and eaten within the hours after that. Over time, the whipped cream will slightly collapse, but we ate these as leftovers the day after the party and they still tasted fabulous, if a little deflated. We start, of course, with the basics for whipped cream: cream, sugar, and vanilla. For Christmas magic, I also added green icing color.

To decorate my trees, I found some great little star-shaped sprinkles. (I’m linking to them here so you can see them, but I found them in the baking aisle at my grocery store.) I also used a few pearl sprinkles, also from the baking aisle, to adorn the trees with baubles. Whatever you decide, make these trees your own!

Dreamy Vanilla Christmas Tree Cupcakes
Adapted from Sweetapolita

For the Cupcakes
1/2 c heavy cream, very cold
2 1/2 c sifted cake flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 c whole milk, at room temperature
2 egg whites, at room temperature
1 whole egg, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract (cut to 1/2 tsp if using vanilla sugar)
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 1/2 c granulated sugar (or vanilla sugar if you have it)
1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two 12-slot cupcake pans with cupcake liners. Place one pan on a cookie sheet (this will help prevent the cupcakes from browning on the bottom) and set aside. The second tray will go on to the cookie sheet once the first tray is baked.

Pour the cold cream into a standing mixer and whip to soft peaks using the whisk attachment. The cream should be fluffy and smooth but should not hold stiff peaks. Use a spatula to scrape the whipped cream out of the mixer bowl and into a separate small bowl. Place in the refrigerator until needed. Wipe the mixer bowl clean.

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl. In a separate larger bowl, whisk together the milk, egg whites, egg, vanilla, and almond extract.

In the bowl of the mixer, combine sugar and butter using the whisk attachment and mix until it has lightened in color and is smooth & creamy. Place the mixer on medium speed and add the dry and wet mixtures, alternating between each (3 dry additions, 2 wet additions). Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and mix for a few seconds more. Remove the whisk attachment and scrape off as much of the batter as possible.

Retrieve the soft-peaked whipped cream from the fridge and add to the batter. Fold in the cream gently with a spatula just until combined.

Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full. I use an ice cream scoop, and it works well to give evenly-sized scoops.

Bake one tray at a time on the center rack (with the tray placed directly on a cookie sheet) for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out barely clean. Remove from oven and allow to rest in tray for about 5 minutes, then remove each cupcake to a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before applying icing. If storing overnight, store un-iced on the counter covered with a sheet of waxed paper, NOT in an airtight container.

For the Icing
2 1/2 c heavy cream, very cold
5 T granulated sugar
scant 1 tsp vanilla extract
a few drops green icing color
star-shaped yellow sprinkles
white pearl sprinkles (or your “ornaments” of choice)

Pour very cold cream into the bowl of a standing mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whip on medium-high until cream begins to thicken. Add one tablespoon of sugar at a time while cream continues to whip until soft peaks form. Add vanilla extract and green food coloring and whip until stiff peaks form, taking care not to whip too much or the icing will become grainy.

Assembly
Scoop icing into a piping bag with a large flower tip attached. Pipe icing onto cupcakes to form a gradual conical shape (a Christmas tree!) Carefully place the yellow star-shaped sprinkles on the top of each tree. Lightly sprinkle each tree with white pearl sprinkles so that they catch in the grooves like ornaments.

Serve and enjoy!

I haven’t baked much since I spent four days in early October creating two massive cakes for Sierra’s wedding. So it might seem rather surprising that the first time I pull out my cake pans after such a project, it’s to reprise the very recipes I used for the largest tier of the wedding cake. I, however, am not surprised, as I have been wanting to share this recipe in a normal, human-sized dessert that you can make for you and your family instead of a full wedding guest list.

Before autumn wanes completely, I urge you to make this cake. This cake is rich, moist, and full of pumpkin flavor. This maple cream is studded with these sugared pecans (easily my favorite discovery of the season) and compliments the spicy cake perfectly. And for layer cake, this is pretty easy! No icing to smooth, no crumbs to worry about, no delicate folding dry ingredients into the batter, no piping. You can totally do this.

And while we’re taking this moment to bake, I would be remiss not to introduce the newest member of my little kitchen family. See that gorgeous red KitchenAid peeking out from behind the ingredients It’s mine! A beautiful gift from my mom, waiting for me when I went to Colorado to bake the wedding cake, it has now made its way across the country to live with me in Durham. I confess, I got a little emotional selling my original KitchenAid (which I’ve been using since the age of 10) to a friend, but I know it has a good home. So here’s a warm welcome to new, red mixer!

Once the pumpkin cake is out of the pans and cooling, the fabulous icing begins. First, the pecans. I’ve made these nuts for almost every social gathering I’ve attended or hosted in the last two months, and I have many batches of them planned for the holiday season, as well. If you’re whipping up this cake, be sure to make the full batch of pecans: you’ll lose quite a few to taste-testing

Finally, the maple cream. This icing is truly beautiful. While it’s not ideal for piping, it’s a dream to spread and thickens up well once it cools. I desperately want to try it sandwiched between sugar cookies. But that’s a test for another day. Today, its fate is the dressing for pumpkin cake.

Then these three recipes, totally delicious on their own, come together to create a pretty little dessert of pure autumn.

PS: Six-inch layers are SO much easier to work with than fourteen-inch layers. This felt like hardly any effort at all.

Pumpkin Cake with Maple Cream & Sugared Pecans

Makes one, 6-inch three-layer cake OR one, 8-inch two-layer cake

For the Pumpkin Cake
Adapted from About.com

1 1/2 c sugar
3/8 c oil
3 large eggs
1 1/2 c flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground cloves
3/8 tsp ground ginger
3/8 tsp ground nutmeg
3/8 tsp salt
1 1/4 c pumpkin puree

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease three 6-inch cake pans with pan coating.

Combine sugar, oil, and eggs in the bowl of a standing mixer or other large bowl and beat well. Sift dry ingredients together into a separate bowl. Mix dry ingredients slowly into the wet mixture, using a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add pumpkin and mix well.

Pour batter into cake pans in even amounts, about 1 1/2 cups of mixture per pan (2 1/4 c if using two 8-inch pans). Wrap a damp, thin strip of tea towel around each cake pan and tie tightly. Bake cakes for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick removes cleanly and cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Allow cakes to rest in their pans for 3-5 minutes, then carefully flip them onto cooling racks. Allow cakes to cool completely, then store in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble the cake.

For the Maple Cream
Adapted from Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cake

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 c maple syrup
6 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
3 c powdered sugar, sifted after measuring

Place butter in a small pot over medium heat. Once butter has melted, stir in maple syrup. Allow mixture to boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Remove from heat and pour maple butter into a small dish. Allow to cool to room temperature, placing it in the fridge if you want to speed the process up.

Beat the room temperature cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add sifted powdered sugar to the bowl and beat until well-combined, using a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Pour in the maple butter and beat for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy.

For the Sugared Pecans

Prepare one batch of Sugar ‘n’ Spiced Pecans as directed. Allow to cool completely.

Set aside half of the pecans. Place the remaining pecans on a cutting board and roughly chop into pieces no larger than 1/2″ across.

Assembly

Add chopped pecans to the well-beaten maple cream. Stir well until pecans are evenly distributed throughout maple cream.

If cake layers are not level, slice them across the top with a bread knife until they each layer is level. Place one layer of cake on a plate or cake stand, top-side down. Spread a generous layer of icing  (about 1/3 of the icing) over the top surface of the cake, leaving about 1/4″ of space between the icing and the edge of the cake.

Carefully place the next layer of cake onto the iced bottom layer and repeat the icing with the second third of the icing.

Place the final layer of cake on the middle layer and spread remaining icing onto the entire top surface of the cake.

Use the un-chopped pecans to adorn the cake however you see fit. I mounded about half of them on the center of the cake and used the remainder as a border for the bottom layer.

Refrigerate until 30 minutes before ready to serve.

Spring (though it’s actually starting to feel more like summer here in NC) has officially begun. It seems like the trees were, just moments ago, blossoming in delicate flowers and poking little green buds into the cool air, but they are suddenly enrobed in lush, green leaves still blinking in their new-found sunshine. The daffodils and tulips have come and gone, and the light lingers a few moments more every evening.

But just in case there was any doubt:

The berries have arrived.

Glistening, ruby-red, and more photogenic than any berry I know, strawberries are the first fruit of the season to reach the farmers market in Durham. They’re the first float of the summer produce parade; it’s definitely cause for celebration.

And what better way to celebrate than with a classic, fresh, and simple strawberry shortcake?

Okay, okay, I know you might be skeptical about my use of the word “simple” when discussing a six-layer cake, but I promise, it’s really rather easy AND is so totally worth it once you have your first bite.

The cake itself is a “chiffon” cake. I’ve never really known what that meant, but now I feel inspired to make them again and again. This cake is spongy, similar to angel food cake, but richer in flavor and with a smaller crumb.

We start by separating eggs. The yolks will give this cake a definite cake-y texture (as opposed to angel food which, frankly, usually reminds me of eating a well-flavored cotton ball). The whites, on the other hand, make for a batter unlike any I’ve ever worked with before.

I haven’t spent a lot of time making meringues or even really using egg whites in their cloud-like form, but now that I’ve opened that can of worms in the last few months, I find myself utterly fascinated. This stuff is downright FOAM, people. Foam I say. I found myself reminded me of those elementary school days when we ridiculously “cleaned” our desks with shaving cream.

The whites, which are combined gently with the other ingredients, create a batter than is not even pourable, it must be spread. Like the shaving cream. I was tempted to scrap the whole dessert project and smear cake batter across the counter tops.

I didn’t, but seriously, most fun cake batter I’ve ever made.

I followed through with the original plan for dessert and voila!, out came springy, bouncy, tender layers of cake.

My layers weren’t perfect, weren’t even level, but that’s okay: it all evens out in the end. Plus it gave the final project a kind of folksy, put-together charm.

Next! While my little cakes cooled, the berries and whipped cream were on their way.

I chose to slightly sweeten my berries so their natural juices would release and soak ever so slightly into the cake. You could also try this without sweetening the berries, but I find just a little bit of sugar enhances the flavor without turning the whole mess into candy.

On the other hand, I tend to prefer my whipped cream a little on the un-sweet side. A little sugar, yes, but not so much that you lose the flavor of the cream. Mmmmmm I want more just thinking about it.

Be advised: if you try this recipe, you will not have as much whipped cream as you see in this picture. I um, slightly over-estimated how much I would need by, well, about double. The proportions below should give you enough for the layers of your cake without cups and cups (yes I really overshot it) of extra whipped cream.

Then up, up, up! To the moon with this cake! To Mars! Or at least to six layers. I confess, it did get a little precarious, but fortunately, the whipped cream makes an excellent glue.

Not to mention an excellent dessert.

Welcome back, strawberries! I am SO happy you’re here.

Supertall Strawberry Shortcake
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Note: The original recipe was designed for two 9″ round cake pans, which would ultimately yield four layers. My batter might have fit into two 6″ pans, but I didn’t want to risk them overflowing. Plus, I like the ratio of cake-to-berry-to-cream with the thickness I got.

For the Cake
1 c + 2 T cake flour
1/2 c + 2 T sugar
1/2 T baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c + 2 T cold water
1/4 c vegetable oil
2-3 drops lemon extract
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 large egg yolks (or 3 medium egg yolks)
4 large egg whites
2 T sugar (additional)
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Use pan coating to grease the bottom and corners of three 6″ round cake pans and set aside. Preheat oven to 325°F.

Sift together cake flour, the first measure of sugar (1/2 c + 2T), baking powder, and salt into a large bowl.

In the bowl of a standing mixer (or another large bowl), beat the egg yolks, water, oil, lemon extract, and vanilla extract for 1-2 minutes or until thoroughly combined. Pour yolk mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until smooth. Clean out the mixer bowl and wipe dry with a towel. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form, then add remaining 2 T sugar. Continue to beat on high until peaks are stiff.

Using a rubber spatula, fold about 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter until no more egg white are visible. Then, add remaining egg whites and fold just until egg whites are combined and are no longer visibly separate.

Scrape batter into cake pans and spread evenly. Bake for 30 minutes or until top is springy and a toothpick poked in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Let cakes cool in their pans on a cooling rack for 15 minutes or so, then, running a knife around the edges first, flip the pans over to release the cakes. Place in the fridge to cool.

For the Strawberries
12-14 oz strawberries, washed, hulled, and halved
2 T sugar

Sprinkle sugar over strawberries and stir gently to dissolve sugar. Allow berries to rest for 10-15 minutes so that juices begin to release.

For the Whipped Cream
1 c heavy cream, very cold
2 T confectioner’s (powdered) sugar
1/2 vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a standing mixer, which has preferably been in the fridge for a few minutes to make it nice and cold. Beat until stiff peaks form.

Assembly
Once cake layers have cooled, carefully slice each layer in half using a good bread knife or layer slicer. Cake will be very spongy, so slice slowly. Place one layer flat-side down on a serving plate or cake stand. Place berries flat side down over the cake, with the tips of the berries barely sticking out over the edge. Spread a layer of whipped cream over the berries, just enough to fill in the gaps between berries but without spreading down the sides. Whipped cream layer should cover the berries just enough so that the tops carry a thin layer. Add the next layer of cake, strawberries, and cream and continue. Once the top layer of cake is applied, spread the top with a generous coat of whipped cream. Top with a heap of berries and refrigerate until serving.

Serve either by slicing vertically (which is precarious), or by lifting each layer of cake onto a plate.