Recipe: Fresh Strawberry Cake with Uncooked Fruit Whip (Dolores Casella)

FRESH STRAWBERRY CAKE

"Easy, but a heavy cake.”

2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup fresh crushed unsweetened strawberries.
Uncooked Fruit Whip (recipe follows)

Sift flour with baking powder and salt; set aside.

Combine butter, sugar eggs, and vanilla, and beat for 3 minutes, scraping sides of bowl a couple of times. Stir in flour mixture alternately with strawberries, then beat for 2 minutes.

Turn batter into 2 (8-inch) round layer pants that have been buttered, lined with parchment, and buttered again. Tap pans to release excess air.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes. Cool in pans 5 minutes, then turn out onto racks. Remove parchment while layers are still warm.

When cool, frost with Uncooked Fruit Whip, using fresh strawberries, or whipped cream and sliced strawberries.

UNCOOKED FRUIT WHIP

1 cup strawberries
1 cup sugar
1 large egg white (pasteurized)

Mash the fruit to a pulp, add sugar and egg white, and beat until light and thick. Use immediately.

Makes 1 (2-layer) cake
Source: Dolores Casella