White cake with fresh berries and cream
Makes one 8" layer cake
Ingredients
- 5 large eggs
- 3 cups cake and pastry flour
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup milk
- 1 pint small strawberries
- 1/2 pint fresh raspberries
- 1/4 cup best-quality strawberry jam
- 1 1/2 cups 35% cream
- 2 tbsp icing sugar
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two eight-inch pans and line bottoms with parch-ment paper rounds. Set aside.
Separate the egg yolks and egg whites into two bowls. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until soft and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg yolks and vanilla extract and beat well to combine.
With mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture alternately with milk, mixing just until combined. Add the egg whites to a clean dry bowl and beat with the electric mixer using the whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Carefully fold the whipped egg whites into the cake batter, being careful not to deflate them. Scrape the batter into the prepared pans and bake in the centre of the oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the centres comes out clean and the tops spring back to the touch.
Cool the cakes completely on a wire cooling rack. Trim the tops with a serrated knife to make smooth flat cakes. Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Reserve a handful of berries to decorate top of the cake and slice the remaining strawberries in half if they are large. Mix together with the remaining raspberries and the strawberry jam.
Spread berry mixture on the first cake layer and top with the second layer.
Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Mix in the icing sugar and almond extract. Spoon large dollops of whipped cream on top of the cake and decorate with the reserved berries.
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